2. In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products?
• My double page spread can be said to challenge certain codes and conventions of double
page spreads. I say this because, I have tried to avoid the use of colours to attract both my
primary and secondary audience. However, professional double page spreads use colours
to achieve this. A good example of this could be my style model (below)
Having said this, I acknowledge that the use if
black and white tends to appeal to funk artists and the
older generations, rather than the young. To me this is a
positive because they (the older generations) are the
primary audience for the magazine.
However, I have used certain conventional
feature such as the bold Bold heading used to attract
the audience, the use of a sharp image, which keeps
the audience attached to the article. Just like my style
model; I included a drop cap to show where the article
begins.
Style model.
3. How does your media product represent particular
social groups?
• Funk is stereotypically seen as a “wild” way of expressing ones self, this is
because when an individual is classified as funky they are perceived as
different. I could not avoid this stereotype when creating my double page
spread. (and also although out the making of my magazine) having said this, I
had use this stereotype to demarcate my magazine from every other
magazine, as it was my unique selling point.
However, having said this, I tried to avoid making
this a negative as it would be seen as an “insult” to my
target audience.
I achieved this th0rough the use of positive
quotes such as “its not about the freakish hair, or the
ridiculous outfits, its about the individualism” quotes such
as this allows funk fans to and non fans to see funk in a
positive light, different from the way it was seen as in the
1960.
4. What kind of media institution might distribute your
media product and why?
• First of all, i would have to say that my media product
has a niche audience. This is due to the age of funk, as
it is no more well known. However, I strongly believe
that magazines such as smash hits magazine and
rolling stone could distribute my media product; this is
because of the extent of diversity in these two
magazines, as it has no fixed genre.
However, I can see magazines such as billboard
distributing my product, again this is due to its
diversity. Also, it is to is an international
newsweekly magazine devoted to the music
industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines
in the world; meaning it is much more
experienced.
I cannot see small magazines distributing my
product because they also; have niche audiences,
just like my magazine; unlike my chosen
magazines.
5. Who would be the audience for your media
product?
• My media product has been created for a niche social group. That is, funk
fans. Due to this, I have created my magazine for my primary audience
rather than for my secondary and primary audience.
• Having said this, my product would be for the older generation (30 and
above) this is because they were around during the rain of funk.
My target audience would have to be people who are in love
with soul full music, people who not afraid to be their selves
and people who are not afraid to be different. (these are all
stereotypes of funk)
6. How did you attract/address your audience?
• An obvious way of attracting my audience was through the use of the colours used on my
magazine. Colours such as purple, yellow and green were used in both my front cover and my
contents page, however, I tried to avoid using them in my double page spread as well, this
was because it would compromise the serious side to my magazine, and subsequently look
like a child magazine rather than a funk magazine.
The main image has been made Photoshoped into black and white; which
gives it an old fashioned look, to suit the music genre. This was done, to help to
achieve the serious side to my magazine.
I also attracted my audience through use of the first person plural “we” used in my
contents page.
Also, the use of freebies on my contents page is another way of attracting and
drawing an audience towards a magazine, just like competitions this allows further
and greater interactivity between the readers/buyers of the magazine and the
producers of the magazine.
Rhetorical questions is another way in which I attracted audiences towards my my
media product “funk or preppy??” (this was used on my contents page)
7. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing this product
• All throughout the making of my contents page, front cover and double page spread, I was
constantly learning new skills and techniques of certain software's. I was already quite familiar
with the use of Photoshop, However, found it quite hard trying to grasp how to use Indesign,
this was because I was not familiar with it. (but with time; became familiar with it)
While producing my product, I found out that Photoshop is used to
manipulating and editing images while indesgn was used for page layouts and
constructions.
While using Photoshop to
manipulate my front cover image, I found it
quote difficult trying to change the colour
and extent of brightness of my characters
hair. So i searched curve adjustment.
This was because although I am quite
familiar with Photoshop, I do not use
curves on my image.
Curve ajustment found
8. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt from it in progression of the full
product
Since the making of my preliminary task, I think I have learnt a lot more
about manipulating images to suit my magazine genre. This is thought
the use of props and background. These make my magazine much more
believable.
I have also noticed that I have learnt more about magazine codes and
conventions which I applied in the making of my front page, contents
page and double page spread unlike in my preliminary task
Since the making of my preliminary task I have become much more aware
of the use of colours and how to link the front page and the contents
page; through the use of a colour scheme.
I have so been able to put my creativity and individuality to my product.
This is through the use of original images and computer generated
images on my products.
