Evaluation

In order to complete my product I needed to answer seven questions as an evaluation to justify what I did in my product, this helped me to work through the processes of making a product. I will look at all stages of our work and decide if I have been successful throughout my project.


In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product like many existing magazines contains familiar codes and conventions for example; consistent house colours, I developed this using the same three colours on the contents and double page spread; red white and black to link my whole magazine to my house style. Although the pictures I took represented the rock genre I was looking at, I felt I could have used a bigger range of pictures in different locations to attract both male and female consumers. As it stands my magazine would appeal more to girls than boys which is something I would work on further. I used a recognisable masthead; “factor” and selling line that links to the music industry and the artist featured; “welcome to the business.” After looking at “Kerrang!” I noticed an artist is th main focus point of the cover so I decided to take this on board and use it in mine; “Rachelesse”. However, kerrang only appeals to a rock audience into rock bands and their songs. I decided to make editions of my magazine so that each month it can appeal to different audiences so that each month a different genre audience will be able to by a magazine on the genre of music they enjoy. (technical, social and visual elements)

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product represents particular social groups as my magazine was aimed at the age group of 15-17, therefore I feel it appeals particularly to them, as the layout is sophisticated but not boring. The house colours make it interesting and simple but eye-catching. However, although I wanted it to appeal to both genders the pictures I included only appeal to the female gender and to one ethnical background. If I was to change my product I would use whiter tones and more pictures relating to the male gender; e.g. male artists and male accessories with a variation in ethnical backgrounds. I do feel that by creating different editions to be released monthly audiences with different taste in music can expect our magazine to cater for them and they can look forward to their particular favourite genre or just enjoy looking and reading about different genres. This gives my audience the chance to afford my product as many will still be at school and it will give them something different to read every month. My magazine will be available to all urban areas as I would sell it using local supermarkets and newsagents influencing the intended audience with different types of music. However after not being able to create a photo shoot with people of different ethnic backgrounds I was unable to show national demographics. If we were to do this product again we would look more closely at more national demographic, Gender, social representation and multi cultural presence.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A media institution such as IPC Media or Bauer Media would probably distribute my product as they are the two biggest media institutes. They deal with making the magazine appealing to the specific audience by placing it in the right surroundings to sell it to the target audience. I would have my magazine published monthly each month a different music genre edition and appeal it to the teenage female audience. This makes it affordable and easy to buy through supermarkets and newsagents but other teenage magazines would create competition but monthly instalments would make it affordable. If I was to do it again I would make sure it appealed to both female and male teenage audiences as a wider audience means more recognition and better sales.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience of my magazine would be the age group of 15-17 year old girls, as music has a big influence on this generation and many of them are still finding themselves as individuals. This audience today are influenced by the artist’s and look up to them as role models so I aim to promote real people, their music and individual style. Through audience research I found that there was a gap in the market and that our magazine needed to adapt to the audiences needs which were different genres, at affordable price, published monthly and appeal to teenagers, however I would need to work on the product to make it more male friendly. I decided to have different editions to appeal to a wider audience through the different styles of music, and different social groups. However, I should have taken time to make it appeal to multicultural audiences and I live in a multicultural society which is something I would work on if redoing the project.


How did you attract/address your audience?
I attracted my audience by using familiar codes and conventions, as all magazines have a distinctive house style, which are universally used in magazine publishing; such as house colours; red, white and black and an appealing name to make my product recognisable; “Factor”. I used different editions that feature different styles of music to attract a wider variety of social groups and therefore a larger audience. I also featured a main artist and used this as the ultimate selling point of each edition using that artist on our front cover, contents and double page spread, linking parts of the magazine and giving the reader a focus and artist to look out for. I also used a hook such as a free product to make the reader feel they were getting something extra for their money, making them feel good about buying our product; “free poster.” I used a selling line that will appear on every magazine linking the featured artist to the magazine. I also gave an insight into what to find in our magazine at the bottom making the reader want to find out more so buying the magazine to do so, my products way of drawing the reader in. On my contents page I featured an editor’s letter to address the reader personally to make them feel more welcome and one on one with the magazine making it anecdotal, as if they have written to just them forgetting other consumers buying the same magazine. However I did this informally, personally and directly to tell the audience we are grateful they have purchased our product this I found was needed from my textual analysis.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt whilst constructing our product that technologies play a big part in the process of developing a magazine. Taking and selecting photos that portrayed each edition well through the use of hair, make-up, costume and facial expression were needed. I had to use lots of different programs to build our product including; publisher – to make the magazine, photo shop – to edit the selected photos, Microsoft word and Microsoft PowerPoint – to create text and slideshows. These all included editing photos making them look professional and appealing to the audience using the specified genre. I was able to learn to use these technologies at a satisfactory level to create my product but if I was to do it again I would want to learn to use the programs before had to make the creation process easier and quicker. However, technology is not reliable so using the time plan I made and sticking to it helped if technology let me down I had time to sort it out and carry on with something in the meantime. If I were to produce this product again I would learn to use the programs efficiently before creating my product so that I would save time and work faster.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I have learnt that the process of making a magazine meant I had to look at real magazines and the preliminary task I created and found that I needed to use lots of different technological programs to create a successful product to differ with other magazine as mine is to be sold along side them in shops. I had to consider codes and conventions of real products e.g. house colours and style, masthead, selling line, hook and pictures, to make out product look interesting and professional and appeal to the audience specified. I had to look at real magazines; e.g. Kerrang! Then at my preliminary task to co ordinate and compare the codes and conventions of existing magazines and ones that I missed in my preliminary task and include them into my final magazine. I also learnt that Primary sources are vital as copyright is prohibited from many other magazines; this made it harder to produce as we had to be careful with what we used in our magazine. Original pictures and writing were necessary in making my product a success and I had to have ownership and understanding of how I wanted my magazine to look, who I wanted to publish it, where I wanted to sell it and who my audience was to convey the codes and conventions which professional institutions would use.

Execution: Magazine

Execution: Draft of magazine

This is the draft of my magazine how i want the front cover, contents and double page spread to look. I have decided on the font, the masthead - factor and house style and colours - different edition same look with red, white and black. my contents page will include everything on the genres and what to come in the next edtion. The doubl page spread features the Ultimate selling point which is the artist on the front cover and will be an interview with that artist so the audience can see what the artist had to say. I can now use different technologies to create my actual magazine and use this draft as a template for doing so.

Execution: How we applied the migrain model

This is how I applied the Migrain model to my work so that i was able to see and portray what was needed for my product to e successful.

Execution: Moodboard of pictures

Location: Drama Studio

Character: Rock Artist

Magazine edition: Rock

I intend for my magazine and double page spread to appeal to 15-17 year olds, under the name FACTOR this makes it easily recognisable, it has to be published monthly at £2.50p affordable for the intended audience. The magazine has to sell an artist, their story, their new songs and their look.
My magazine is to be the rock edition so I used a friend who likes rock music to be in my photos, so that the audience who will be the consumers get what they want from what they told me in the questionnaires.
I took my photos in a drama studio up against a white wall, this I felt made the photos look as if they had been taken on a photo shoot to makes her clothes stand out, contrasting from the white and to show the rising fame of the upcoming star. I used bright lights to give light to the photos, so that the photos looked as professional as they do in music magazines.

Research and Planning: chosen fonts and titles

I decided to use the third title as my magazine is going to be based around the music industry so I decided to call it ‘Factor’ because artists are a factor of the industry. I want to keep it simple so that it is easily recognisable. I will put this as my main heading on the front cover and include it on the contents and double page spread to remind audience that this is the magazine they are reading.

This is the font I will use in my magazines double page spread. I will make it bold in the introductory paragraph and increase the size. I will also increase the size for the main headline ranging from 16-22 bold. I will use three main colours Red, black and white to keep my magazine simple but recognisable and to contrast the colours to make it eye-catching.

Research and Planning: Questionaire and Tally

This is the tally charts that I created and what I found out from the questionaire this will help me when procucing my product. i handed the questionaire to 20 people equal boys and girls and this is what I found.

This was the questionaire I created in order to collect the consumer research in the above tally chart on how best to market and produce my product.

Music Magazine Questionnaire.
1. Are you between the ages of...

11-14 15-17 18 +

2. How often do you buy magazines?
Weekly Every fortnight Monthly

3. How much do you pay for a magazine?
£1-£2 £2-£3 £3-£4

4. Do you buy music magazines?

Yes No


5. What types of music do you like?

Metal Punk Rap Jazz
Hip Hop Pop Hard Rock Alternative
Experimental Latin Country Disco
Funk Classical Blues Progressive
Techno Ska Reggae Black
Death Screamo Power Pop Rock

6. Would you buy or download a new music magazine?

Buy Download

7. From looking at different types of music and with your favourite in mind, what do you look for in a new music magazine? (Number 1-4 in order of importance).

Gossip News New Releases Fashion Pictures
Bright Colours Dull Colours Girly Manly Other
...................................................................................................................

8. How much would you pay for a new music magazine?

£1-£2 £2-£3 £3-£4


My magazine has to appeal to the age group of 15-17.
It will have to appear in monthly installments.
The first three will be based on the Gneres of; Hip-hop, pop and rock.
It must be easy to buy from shops at £2-£3.
It must include; news, gossip and pictures. New realeases, fashion and use eyecatching and recognisable colours.