Foundation Production Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My masthead both uses and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. Firstly, I have used a common convention of real media products by making the masthead the biggest font on the page, this is so that the brand name is easily recognised among other magazines.
Secondly, I have partially covered part of my tagline. This is a common convention used on magazines such as Q, NME and other music magazines. This shows that the brand is quite strong and that the music is the priority and not the brand itself.
I have also challenged a convention by replacing a letter in the masthead with a double quaver symbol.
When researching for my project I noticed that no magazines I looked at used this convention, so I thought I could make mine stand out by using the symbol. Also, it relates to the magazine as it is a music magazine.Another convention I have challenged is that I have suited the colours of the magazine, blue, red and white, to the main genre of music that the magazine follows, Britpop. I also realised that many magazines did not do this either. My banner is a complete different colour to the magazine colour though, this is so readers will still notice the banner at the bottom and not just the cover lines.
My design also both uses and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. A design that I have challenged is that I have made the main image of the front cover a lot brighter this is to show that the band may have some kind of psychedelic edge and also the brighter image may stand out if it is on the cover of a magazine.
I challenged a convention on the contents page by using the exact colours used on the front page. I used conventions other magazines have used as well. For example, I have used a full page picture on my feature page. While researching through various music magazines, I noticed that this convention was used but not alot. Therefore I used it in my project as it would stand out.
My feature also boasted a pull quote. This is a common convention used in music magazines, I think this is because it will lead a reader to read the article if they spot a quote which interests them.
My image again does its best to use and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. I took my picture so that it is a medium camera shot, I did this so I could show the style and body language shown by my feature. I think it is important for a magazine to have a stylish front page image as it may help raise the readership of the magazine. My front page image has no background, this is because I wanted the cover to feature the one image and no others. More importantly in the image I have decided to lighten the colour settings brightly, I did this so that I could give the band a slightly psychedelic edge that has been mentioned in the feature, also the picture works well with the other colours on the page.
In the feature I have decided to use a range of camera shots such as close-up, medium close-up and medium shot. I used a close up in my feature so that I could show off the seriousness on the band member, I did this again with my medium close-up as the person is staring down the camera lens. My medium shots show my band member playing a guitar, I think this image tells the reader that he is passionate about what he does. When looking at other magazines, I noticed this in a select few of them so I decided that I would use it as I think it has an effectiveness.
The language of my project uses the forms and conventions of a real media product. I used a common convention first on my contents page when I decided that I should write an editors letter, this convention is used in many music magazines such as Q, NME and Kerrang! I think this is used so that the editor can get through to the audience. In my feature I have used a convention used in, I have decided to take an informal approach as I aim for my audience to feel like I was talking as I would to a friend. I have also used colloquial words and some uses of slang and swearing. I think that this is linked to my audience as I think that swearing and informal language will not be anything new to them and they won’t be offended. Below is an extract from my feature:
‘I love them. You could say that they were some what of a idol band when we were growing up, obviously they were from Essex too plus there sounds were fucking amazing!’
I also think that it gives the interviewee some kind of freedom to talk how they like and not be restricted. On my introduction to my feature I have decided to highlight the band name in a different colour so that it is clear who it is.
Lastly, the layout of my project also uses and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. My title like mostly all other music magazines is positioned at the top, this is a common convention used by real media products. This is because it is usually the first thing that the reader will see and read. I challenged a convention on my contents page by only having a partial background. I think that this is effective as the reader will be expecting a background by my partial background will be notice more by the reader. Also, In my feature, I have decided to have parts of my writing on a page which has a full-page photo. I think that having the writing surrounding the picture will make the photo more dominant on the page. My columns are all the same width as I think it is neater and easier to read.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
I think that my project has represented a particular social group. My target audience are adults between 16 and 30,Britpop lovers who tend to have indie tendencies. I think that the style of my magazine will appeal to people in other age groups also.
My photo shoot was an important factor in showcasing what type of style and social group I am for. Firstly, in my images the lead singer of my fictional band ‘The Fakers’ appears to be dressed smartly in a shirt, waistcoat and skinny jeans. I wanted the photo shoot to show a smart side of music and that my magazine can be formal and informal i.e. smart dress type but informal language. The informal language such as: ‘Plus, the nickname of Chewbacca started to really piss me off!’ also shows what kind of style he is. For example, the swearing in the article shows that he does not care about what he says and shows rebellion. The language is also informal which also challenges the style.
Secondly, I think that his body language shows a slightly indie lifestyle. For example, when he is playing chords on a guitar shown in a photo, it shows that he could easily just pick up a guitar and shut the world out by playing the guitar.
I also wanted to represent the bands roots as they are from Essex, this is also why I wanted to use colloquial phases and slang. The fact that the band members are all from B to D demographic groups shows that they all from working class background and are in the music scene to make there money.
Lastly, it was important to include the instruments in the photo shoot because it shows that there love for music follows them around and that music can be made anywhere. I think that readers will like this as although he is in a photo shoot he still likes to make music.
What kind of media institution might distribute you media product and why?
The media institution I would decide to distribute my media product with would be with a Major institution such as IPC, EMAP and Conde Nast . This is because a major media institution provides the essentials for a magazine to start selling. For example, it will have the money and investment that would be needed to start up a new magazine. Also, these institutions would have a experienced marketing power as they already have magazines out there. Nevertheless, it may give me a lack of control on the magazine and I would not like this to happen so I would have to have some control of decisions made. A major institution would also have the right expertise that I would need to start up and get my magazine selling. An institution I would preferably use would be IPC Media. This would be because IPC help produce and distribute NME magazine, this is quite a popular magazine and has a good readership therefore I feel that IPC is a good media institution to use.
Who would the audience be for your media product?
I’d like to think that my audience would be late teens to adults around 16 to 30 years old as this is when the music I focus on was in it’s prime. Although, I think that because my magazine also focuses on all British music then I think that this will interest a lot of people over different ages ranges and sexes. Also, I think that the magazine will attract people with a working life lifestyle, people who go out and work for their money. I don’t think that it would be popular with more upper class people as I think they will have different values and musical tastes.
I also worked out how to set up, run and use a blog on blogger.com where I have put many articles about the making of my magazine.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task, I feel that I have progressed a lot since I made my school magazine.
Firstly, I feel that I have made a improved masthead in comparison to my first effort. On my school magazine, my masthead is not positioned in the right place, the font is horrible and the colours were wrong. Were as on my full media product I feel I have learnt how to correct all these things that were wrong on my preliminary task. For example, I placed my masthead at the top of the page where I feel the masthead should be also I sorted out my font. The font I got from dafont.com and is called Kelvinized. I feel that this font worked well with the rest of the magazine layout especially the background colours, I decided to replace the A in RADAR with a double quaver note as this looks like an a and suits the magazine genre as it is a music product.
Secondly , I feel that my photography is of a much better quality than it was in my first effort in creating a media product. In the school magazine image, the image is dark and lacks colour, also it’s positioning on the school magazine is far less effective than it is on my full media product. On my music magazine, the image takes up a vast majority on the front page which I hope will help attract attention. Another convention I learnt I’d do was making the image very ‘psychedelic’ bright, this again I hoped will catch the audiences’ attention.
Lastly, I feel that I have learnt where to place my coverlines and banner far more well than I had in my first media product. In the first product, coverlines were placed around the page and looking back I think that this looked messy. It looks far more better on my full media product as I have learnt that where I have placed them now look far more better and sophisticated, not messy and childish. My full media product contains a banner which my first product did not. I feel that I have done the right thing in placing my banner at the bottom of the page.
My image again does its best to use and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. I took my picture so that it is a medium camera shot, I did this so I could show the style and body language shown by my feature. I think it is important for a magazine to have a stylish front page image as it may help raise the readership of the magazine. My front page image has no background, this is because I wanted the cover to feature the one image and no others. More importantly in the image I have decided to lighten the colour settings brightly, I did this so that I could give the band a slightly psychedelic edge that has been mentioned in the feature, also the picture works well with the other colours on the page.
In the feature I have decided to use a range of camera shots such as close-up, medium close-up and medium shot. I used a close up in my feature so that I could show off the seriousness on the band member, I did this again with my medium close-up as the person is staring down the camera lens. My medium shots show my band member playing a guitar, I think this image tells the reader that he is passionate about what he does. When looking at other magazines, I noticed this in a select few of them so I decided that I would use it as I think it has an effectiveness.
The language of my project uses the forms and conventions of a real media product. I used a common convention first on my contents page when I decided that I should write an editors letter, this convention is used in many music magazines such as Q, NME and Kerrang! I think this is used so that the editor can get through to the audience. In my feature I have used a convention used in, I have decided to take an informal approach as I aim for my audience to feel like I was talking as I would to a friend. I have also used colloquial words and some uses of slang and swearing. I think that this is linked to my audience as I think that swearing and informal language will not be anything new to them and they won’t be offended. Below is an extract from my feature:
‘I love them. You could say that they were some what of a idol band when we were growing up, obviously they were from Essex too plus there sounds were fucking amazing!’
I also think that it gives the interviewee some kind of freedom to talk how they like and not be restricted. On my introduction to my feature I have decided to highlight the band name in a different colour so that it is clear who it is.
Lastly, the layout of my project also uses and challenges the forms and conventions of a real media product. My title like mostly all other music magazines is positioned at the top, this is a common convention used by real media products. This is because it is usually the first thing that the reader will see and read. I challenged a convention on my contents page by only having a partial background. I think that this is effective as the reader will be expecting a background by my partial background will be notice more by the reader. Also, In my feature, I have decided to have parts of my writing on a page which has a full-page photo. I think that having the writing surrounding the picture will make the photo more dominant on the page. My columns are all the same width as I think it is neater and easier to read.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
I think that my project has represented a particular social group. My target audience are adults between 16 and 30,Britpop lovers who tend to have indie tendencies. I think that the style of my magazine will appeal to people in other age groups also.
My photo shoot was an important factor in showcasing what type of style and social group I am for. Firstly, in my images the lead singer of my fictional band ‘The Fakers’ appears to be dressed smartly in a shirt, waistcoat and skinny jeans. I wanted the photo shoot to show a smart side of music and that my magazine can be formal and informal i.e. smart dress type but informal language. The informal language such as: ‘Plus, the nickname of Chewbacca started to really piss me off!’ also shows what kind of style he is. For example, the swearing in the article shows that he does not care about what he says and shows rebellion. The language is also informal which also challenges the style.
Secondly, I think that his body language shows a slightly indie lifestyle. For example, when he is playing chords on a guitar shown in a photo, it shows that he could easily just pick up a guitar and shut the world out by playing the guitar.
I also wanted to represent the bands roots as they are from Essex, this is also why I wanted to use colloquial phases and slang. The fact that the band members are all from B to D demographic groups shows that they all from working class background and are in the music scene to make there money.
Lastly, it was important to include the instruments in the photo shoot because it shows that there love for music follows them around and that music can be made anywhere. I think that readers will like this as although he is in a photo shoot he still likes to make music.
What kind of media institution might distribute you media product and why?
The media institution I would decide to distribute my media product with would be with a Major institution such as IPC, EMAP and Conde Nast . This is because a major media institution provides the essentials for a magazine to start selling. For example, it will have the money and investment that would be needed to start up a new magazine. Also, these institutions would have a experienced marketing power as they already have magazines out there. Nevertheless, it may give me a lack of control on the magazine and I would not like this to happen so I would have to have some control of decisions made. A major institution would also have the right expertise that I would need to start up and get my magazine selling. An institution I would preferably use would be IPC Media. This would be because IPC help produce and distribute NME magazine, this is quite a popular magazine and has a good readership therefore I feel that IPC is a good media institution to use.
Who would the audience be for your media product?
I’d like to think that my audience would be late teens to adults around 16 to 30 years old as this is when the music I focus on was in it’s prime. Although, I think that because my magazine also focuses on all British music then I think that this will interest a lot of people over different ages ranges and sexes. Also, I think that the magazine will attract people with a working life lifestyle, people who go out and work for their money. I don’t think that it would be popular with more upper class people as I think they will have different values and musical tastes.
How did you attract address the audience?
I would like to attract a audience by giving them copies of the magazine at gigs. This is because the people who are at the gigs obviously have a passion for music therefore they may be interested in the magazine, also if they enjoy it they may tell friends which will improve readership. I would also like to use TV as a way to attract readers as it will appear in front of a lot of people, although this may cost some money to happen. Radio may be a good way of promoting my magazine as most people heard new music over the radio and if I was to advertise the magazine after the songs are played people may notice it more.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt that it takes a lot of effort to construct a front page, contents and feature let alone a full magazine. I also found that a lot of technology went into making my project this included taking photos, editing the photos, publishing all pages, feature writing and using macromedia fireworks. I found this all quite challenging but on the other hand I dealt with it with ease. I have also learnt that by using fireworks to adjust my photos, I came up with a good picture for my front cover. I slightly changed the colour and saturation of the photo and ended up looking really quite unique as seen below.
I would like to attract a audience by giving them copies of the magazine at gigs. This is because the people who are at the gigs obviously have a passion for music therefore they may be interested in the magazine, also if they enjoy it they may tell friends which will improve readership. I would also like to use TV as a way to attract readers as it will appear in front of a lot of people, although this may cost some money to happen. Radio may be a good way of promoting my magazine as most people heard new music over the radio and if I was to advertise the magazine after the songs are played people may notice it more.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt that it takes a lot of effort to construct a front page, contents and feature let alone a full magazine. I also found that a lot of technology went into making my project this included taking photos, editing the photos, publishing all pages, feature writing and using macromedia fireworks. I found this all quite challenging but on the other hand I dealt with it with ease. I have also learnt that by using fireworks to adjust my photos, I came up with a good picture for my front cover. I slightly changed the colour and saturation of the photo and ended up looking really quite unique as seen below.
I also worked out how to set up, run and use a blog on blogger.com where I have put many articles about the making of my magazine.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task, I feel that I have progressed a lot since I made my school magazine.
Firstly, I feel that I have made a improved masthead in comparison to my first effort. On my school magazine, my masthead is not positioned in the right place, the font is horrible and the colours were wrong. Were as on my full media product I feel I have learnt how to correct all these things that were wrong on my preliminary task. For example, I placed my masthead at the top of the page where I feel the masthead should be also I sorted out my font. The font I got from dafont.com and is called Kelvinized. I feel that this font worked well with the rest of the magazine layout especially the background colours, I decided to replace the A in RADAR with a double quaver note as this looks like an a and suits the magazine genre as it is a music product.
Secondly , I feel that my photography is of a much better quality than it was in my first effort in creating a media product. In the school magazine image, the image is dark and lacks colour, also it’s positioning on the school magazine is far less effective than it is on my full media product. On my music magazine, the image takes up a vast majority on the front page which I hope will help attract attention. Another convention I learnt I’d do was making the image very ‘psychedelic’ bright, this again I hoped will catch the audiences’ attention.
Lastly, I feel that I have learnt where to place my coverlines and banner far more well than I had in my first media product. In the first product, coverlines were placed around the page and looking back I think that this looked messy. It looks far more better on my full media product as I have learnt that where I have placed them now look far more better and sophisticated, not messy and childish. My full media product contains a banner which my first product did not. I feel that I have done the right thing in placing my banner at the bottom of the page.
