Evaluation | What Kind of Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?

7th evaluation qs

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Evaluation | Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task, What Do you Feel you Have Learnt in the Progression from it to the Full Product?

After looking back at how my skills when doing the prelim task, I would say definitely my skills have been challenged and developed. From the beginning I had no idea how to used certain softwares and found it difficult to remember how to use certain functions. 


This is because after the Prelim task I only had the basic skills in use, so when moving onto softwares like Photoshop and Pages, I could use those basic skills added onto more complex skills I was learning, which overall helped me to create my final products.

Front Cover
Preliminary Task

After doing the prelim task and all of my research and planning it was a lot more easier for me to know what the code and conventions of my music magazine would have to be. Such as the Masthead. In my Prelim Task - the way I layed out my masthead was completely different to the way I did it for my music magazine. The Prelim was more basic whereas in my magazine there were a lot of functions I had to onto my title to make it look more professional. It was also easy for me to pick out where I wanted it placed and spread out.

Evaluation | What Have you Learnt About Technologies from the Process of Constructing This Product?

During the process of making my products we were asked to use varied technological programs to create our music magazine. Examples were such as: Photoshop and Pages on Mac Computers. The technology program I found myself enjoy the most was Photoshop. I enjoyed working on this program because, each day I worked on my magazine, I could change what I wanted and when I wanted. Advantages of Photoshop is that  I was very please with the outcome of my pictures. It look very professional just like an existing music magazine. In addition this particular software has many different functions that can create different things, which not all softwares can do. However, a disadvantage to using Photoshop is, its difficult learning how to use it effectively, especially if you have never used it before.

We had to use Mac computers, which I had never used before. It was very good since it has a lot more programs compared to a normal PC. This helped me to experiment with many other things that could be used towards my final product. It also allowed a more creative effect come out of it, for example you could use screen grabs - that are just like print screens on normal PCs. It showed how I uploaded additional things on my blog. Even though Macs are a lot more complex to use than PCs it was a lot more easier to get the hang of than Photoshop.

Another favorable software that I used was Pages. It was similar to Microsoft Word where you would find that on a normal PC. However, pages had more professional functions on it that would help me create my music magazine. I used Pages to design my contents page and double page spread. I found it much easier editing on this software compared to Photoshop. It is simplistic but effective; it allowed you to alter photos that you wanted in the article without doing it on photoshop first.

Finally, doing the photography for my music magazine was fun. I had never done it before so it was a all new technique skill I had to develop. I had to think about pose, lighting, type of shot, angle - it was all very enjoyable to plan. Developing my images after they had been taken was fun too. I got to decide out of all my shots which ones would go where and how it would look presented. The least enjoyable bit of the experience was explaining in utter detail a description of each photo. However, overall my skills were challenged as tested when I was told to use two softwares that I had never acknowledged before. 

Evaluation | How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?

My magazine is representing different social groups. This can be seen in the props, clothing and in facial expressions.  The prop that I thought I was going to initially use were headphones, but then after seeing my other pictures I figured they were more effective. I thought this would definitely signify a youthful approach to my audience. As it gives an edgy look to the image. The clothing is also youthful related. Its high-street clothing where most people who read my magazines will get their clothes from. This is another way how I am appealing to youth culture. The facial expressions are also representing social groups. It’s a confident look that I’ve asked of my model to pose. This links with the pose the model has given. This is also appealing to youth culture of the age; as most teenagers who I am targeting to have facial expressions like this.

The links I can make between my own magazine and a real media product is that I have taken some ideas from the design and layout. Such as in my front cover, on the side that is where I have placed my lures, but they are sectioned off which makes them the same as existing magazines. 
Here is an example of a particular social group my magazine may be appealing too:

Evaluation | How Did You Attract/ Address Your Audience?

The design idea for my magazine was taken from many other existing music magazines. It’s set out with the masthead in the right top hand corner. This is clear for my readers to identify which magazine they are reading. On the rest of the magazine, the strap line is based on the bottom of the page. On the side of the magazines there are other lures and cover lines that read about celebrity interviews and fashion tips this would appeal to my target audience because I know that this is what will draw them to reading it. The choice of colours will also appeal to my target audience because they are going to be bright colours. I decided to use these bright colours because it will clearly highlight the genre of Urban being youthful. We can see this through the use of font styles as well and the choice of words like “hot” “sick” “OMG” “ballin” “trippin’”. These are all examples of words that target my audience because these are just a few selection of slang words that they use regularly and can understand what they mean.

In order to publicise and promote my magazine to its audience, I’d make a lot of decisions where I would want it to be seen. My first idea would to have it advertised on music channels, but a music channel that showed the same genre of music videos. I would put it on these channels because many readers would watch this and know that the magazine is relating to what they find interesting, and want to go out and buy it. I would also promote it on billboards and bustops where I know a lot of young people would see it.

Evaluation | Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product?

My magazine is called Base. It has the genre of Hip-Hop/Urban. Its target audience is aged from 15-24 males and females. The type of articles you would find in it is music reviews, interviews with musical artists and top music celeb news. These types of sections would satisfy my audience because in these articles it would include artists that I know my readers would enjoy reading about.  Some of these articles could be a diversion for the reader to escape; they read about a celebrity’s lifestyle and want to aspire to be like them.  Some of these articles will also reflect Surveillance gratification; this will give my readers a sort of satisfaction that they know everything before it even comes out.   My readership is the older teen’s generation. Some of them may have full-time/part-time jobs, or are students at college or university. They wouldn’t earn a lot since most of them would still be in education and not in a full job occupation.  My audience would probably access/listen to music by downloading, watching music videos online, TV music channels and reading music magazines.  The ‘extra’ cash that they do have would probably be spent freely on the weekends for little essentials that they might want.  In their spare time my audience’s hobbies and interests is shopping, partying, dancing/singing, working etc.. 

Link to MTV BASE Website 

Link to BET Website 

Evaluation | In what ways does your music magazine use, develop or challenge forms and Conventions of Real Music Magazines?

To evaluate my front cover, I mainly did use and develop ideas for my own music magazine, however, I did challenge some ideas to make them into my own. Starting with the date/issue and barcode. I used this idea to put on my own magazine. Just like an existing music magazine, the barcode commonly goes at the bottom of the magazine, and this is what I developed into my own. I have placed my 'issue weekly' by the masthead - which I have also seen on existing music magazines. The price I have placed by the barcode also at the bottom of my front cover.

My masthead uses the same conventions as an existing magazine. Its bold and is placed at the top on the right corner. I've also put the lettering in bold to make it stand out more. The colour is also black, which fits in with my front cover image, because she is wearing an item that is black. The lures and straplines are around the masthead. The strapline is placed underneath the masthead, which I am developing from an exisiting music magazine. Its not a quote is generally challenging what is seen in a music mag. My main image is used just like an exisiting music magazine. I took it on a plain white background with my model wearing bright colours to contrast against it. She is wearing a black jacket, so this definately contrasts - Black and White. And then abit of colour is put in there the colour 'Red'.


LINKS TO REAL MUSIC MAGAZINE:


  Jet Magazine (Example of Masthead)                   Q Magazine (Example of Masthead)                      

For my double page spread, a lot of inspiration was taken from existing music magazines. The colours that I made match with my photos was a main one. I also used the same conventions - I used columns to present my interview, with images near it, just like an existing music magazine

On my contents page I used and developed quite a lot of codes and conventions in my own music magazine. I used line separators, images, page numbers and captions. However this is challenged because in existing music magazines they put 'Editors Note' as a feature.

In my own music magazine I haven't used an Editors Note.

Overall my magazine does follow the normal codes and conventions of a music magazine and in some ways is the same as other magazines.