Evaluation Question 1.

In what ways does your Media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

Evaluation Question 5.

How did you attract/address your audience? 

In order to attract my demographics i used a series of forms and conventions which were influenced and observed by my case study magazine and through market research. 

The Masthead is a major part of my brand identity which my audience would associate with my company so my masthead design had to be representative of my company but also reflective of my demographic. Starting with the colour scheme of my masthead, i looked a other magazines colours and the relating genre- such as Q was red and Kerrang also. This is also a similar type of music to the one my magazine is about, and so related to the colour schemes. I did this so that i could get  abetter understanding of the implications and associations in which is portrayed with particular colours, therefore allowing me to manipulate certain ideologies of that colour onto my brand image. 

From my market research i found that younger audiences tend to opt for bright, bold colours which can grab their attention quickly, whereas older demographics tend to go for dimmer, darker colours which are gentler on the eyes. Using this information i decided to use a darker colour which would be seen to my demographic, i decide to use the colours white, with red and yellow. These are mature colours as it is a maturer magazine, so matches my target audience. 

An additional way in which i address my demographics was by using the feedback and results i received in my questionnaire. The contents page of my magazine includes features such as festival listings, gigs and band reviews. I have also included names, interviews and features of popular artists which will be well known to my chosen audience. 

I tried using lots of different text to see what fitted my genre the best. Whilst doing my research i noticed that most Alternative Music Magazines used bold writing or just plain writing, such as Ariel. I did like them both very much, so much that i decided to use them both, but mixed, so my text was easy to read but also the writing was formal. I decided to have the Masthead behind the models head because whilst researching i noticed that alot of magazines did this. I really liked this, and thought it suited my genre.

A further way apart from using font and colour to attract my target audience is the use of pictures. Certain photographs won't attract my target audience, such as if it was someone dressed in pink, smiling. This type of photo wouldn't be appropriate to my target audience. That is why all of my cover models and my images, look grungy and moody to create an 'alternative' music atmosphere. I learnt this through my feedback and questionnaire. 

Evaluation Question 6.

What have you learnt about techniques from the process of constructing this product? 

From the construction of this product we started by learning how to use our blogs. This meant that we could post our work and ideas to it. Also, for guidance we can look at other students blogs which can influence our own ideas. 

First of all we used a programme called Serif Photo Plus. This enabled us to edit photos that we wanted to put into our products. For example in my double page spread i have a photo which i edited the back ground to be black and white, whilst the models were in colour. This enabled me to do so. This has given me a new skill set, with which to edit photos to make them of a professional, magazine standard.

Secondly i used a blog site, called Blogger. As mentioned before we started our coursework process by learning how to use Blogger.  Blogger enabled me too post my progress and eventually my finished products. I used blogger to type my ideas and eventually post up all of my magazine research and designs. Blogger is the main programme i have used to present my coursework. Over the course i have become well-equipped with using Blogger, and now use it with ease and find it a very simple, effective programme. 

Prezi- is also a programme i have dabbled in. I have only used it a couple of times, but i do find it a very effective programme. I have found it harder to use than say blogger or Serif, however it is an interesting also unique way to present things in a new way. They also have a great range of layouts and fonts etc to make every Prezi different! 

Another programme i have used it PagePlus. I used this to create the initial plans for my final products. This was a very useful software as it enabled me to gather ideas about how i wanted my final product to look. It did take me a while to learn how to use PagePlus as it was a completely new idea, that hadn't tried before. I had never come across it before, but now that i know how to use it, it is extremely useful for envisioning the ideas you have! 

It did take me a while to use the programmes, as i had to learn how each individual worked and get my head around the whole process! But now  i know how to use all of the programmes, effectively and to my advantage. 

Evaluation Question 7.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you fell you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? 

Looking back on my preliminary task, I have learnt various new technical skills as well as how to create a successful product. My preliminary task was very bland and included no sense of creativity and the contents did not match with the cover. However, in my full product I have ensured a consistent colour scheme in order for all my pages to look as though they’re from the same magazine. My school magazine looked empty whereas my full product has a small amount of writing to match my style model Kerrang!. However, still looked like a legitimate magazine. I feel that since my preliminary task I have progressed as beforehand I did not really understand how to attract an audience successfully. I used extremely bright colours, however I used too many different ones meaning my task had no organisation. My contents page looked dull, including no exciting colours which contrasted to the front cover making them look like two separate magazines. However in the full task I ensured that my contents page fit in with my cover using eccentric colours effectively. I believe that my final product looks a lot more professional, I think this is because I had a style model to follow as well as research I had done on various other magazines. My preliminary task helped me to reflect on what I was doing wrong so that I could improve this within my final magazine. I realised that image quality and model choice was important, in my school magazine I used blurred images where my models did not represent anything however my final product images were better quality and represented the genre of my magazine well. The layout of my magazine was also important. My preliminary task did not have a specific layout causing it to look disorganised and unprofessional, to ensure my final product could be sold next to huge magazines such as Kerrang! And NME, I followed the layout of my style model in order to create a genuine feel to my product. My Photoshop skills lacked at the beginning of the course however after the preliminary task I was able to learn how to use various tools such as blur and brush tool, this helped as I used these on my final product. The use of fonts in my preliminary task did not look effective, or ‘stand out’ to attract an audience. However I was inspired by Kerrang! to use ‘edgy’ fonts using the drop shadow tool to make the text more prominent. My school magazine was targeted at a niche audience however my final task was aimed at a much wider audience, having audience feedback to create the product, I was able to create a successful product. I did not have any audience feeback for my preliminary task so I did not know what the audience wanted. Overall from the progression from my preliminary task to my final products, i have learnt how to use photoshop more effectively, Serif in order to create the products, and i have also managed to use blogger more effectively, to help me complete my coursework. 

Evaluation Question 4.

Who would be the audience for your Media product? 

My target audience for my music magazine would be aged between the late teens and their late twenties. This is quite a range but i believe it is suitable for the kind of magazine that i am promoting. This is backed up further by the price of the magazine. It has to be affordable because of the ages of my audience- most will be at UNI. i'd like to think that my target audience would also contain a mixture of males and females i don't want to be stereotypical and promote it more for one over the other. another thing to consider when talking to my target audience is their taste in music. I think that my target audience would have what i consider to be a good taste in music, for example they will generally like alternative, indie and similar styles of music rather than mainstream music. I want my target audience to have a real appreciation for music, rather than what the mainstream music chart seems to be about these days, which is selling a product rather than the music as a whole. 

The audience i would target my media product to would be people who listen to indie rock music, indie rock music is a very popular genre of music to teenagers, so my media product would be aimed at teenagers who listen to indie rock music, i think my magazine could be targeted at both males and females but predominately males and this is outlined by the font and texts I've included in my magazine however i have used things to attract female consumers e.g. the theme that is used is red, yellow and black which are mainly colours worn and liked by predominately females rather than males. Males who would be interested in purchasing my magazine would most likely have longer hair, wear chino's, patterned jumpers and tops, striped polo’s and skinny jeans. Females would most likely  wear patterned jumpers and cardigans, skinny jeans, converses,  and vans etc. The people interested in my magazine would most likely enjoy going to gigs, listening to music, playing a musical instrument, going to parties etc. The music channels they would most likely watch would be MTV rock, Q and kerrang!, mainly i believe they would listen to Q which is why i tried to base my magazine like Q i did not copy the layout but wanted my magazine to attract a similar audience and create a similar magazine dedicated to a similar genre of music, i choose a font which i used in my magazine a lot, i used this font as it is similar to the font used by Q magazine. The people who would be interested in my magazine would most likely go to Reading and Leeds festival and Glastonbury. Bands that people who would be interested in my magazine would listen to bands like; Bombay bicycle club, Arctic monkeys, the kooks, city and colour, two door cinema club, hadouken!, Oasis, the vaccines, vampire weekend, the killers, the temper trap, Jamie T, Noah and the Whale and the Maccabees.

Evaluation Question 2.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

For my magazine I have chosen a specific target audience who will listen to the music style that is rock and alternative. They would however also listen to lesser known bands and might also dabble in chart music. I have targeted a generation/age group are also particularly keen in attending music festivals, concerts and socialising with their friends about the latest tours and music. I have also featured well known bands in my magazine that fit this description such as Royal Blood, 5 Seconds of Summer, Green Day and Paramore. As my target audience will love this type of music and have artists that they can relate to. On the other hand i also decided to promote newer bands that aren't as famous in the hope that it will spark interest in my target audience. On my front cover i have mentioned this via the band "Blackout", i did this to add something new and fresh to the target audiences music scene whilst also sticking to the roots of the bands they already are familiar with and know and love. As mentioned beforehand i have done this to persuade them to listen to new artists and intrigue.  

 

Seeing as my social group are festival goers, reasonably wealthy, but they won't be too wealthy as it includes younger 20 year olds and so many will be students. They will most likely not have much spare time so i have only included some cover lines on my front cover, not too many. I have done this so to show the articles that are the main attractions and the detail in the magazine. I have also only included cover lines i think will spark most interest within the target audience i have specified. The front cover is also particularly clutter free, as with a younger target audience they will get bored of having to read too much on a page. And the less items on the front cover the better as it will be more attention grabbing and only show key articles. The font style is also simple, yet effective, with it being a taller, skinny font to reflect the lives of my target audience. The fact that it's simple much like student living on the other hand is packed full of quality-and valid learning. (about new bands and interesting music). My magazine is also relatively cheap, but still more expensive than some, (£2.75). I have set this price so to reflect that it isn't a cheap magazine, and will be worth buying, you aren't buying rubbish, it will be filled with worthwhile interesting articles intended for my target audience. 

 I have  used the same colour scheme throughout my front cover, double page spread and contents page. So to create a unique style and because i thought it was eye catching without being to obtuse and would appeal to my target audience. I also have a signature layout and style, i did this because my target audience are of a certain group that they will want substance to their articles but not too much text. That is why i have done my double page spread with half the page being an image- so to be eye-catching and then the other side all writing, so there is some but not too much. Similarly for my contents page i have included as many new and interesting artists and articles as possible. So for there to be variety but also something familiar for my target audience. 

The main characteristic of my target audience are that they go to festivals and that they like alternative music. I decided to target both of these qualities so there would be something for either option. I think this is a good idea as it offers variety, but also something new and interesting. It might encourage fans of alternative music to go to some festivals or vice versa. 

The images that i have used to attract my social group to my magazine are relevant to the genre that i am trying to sell to. They are eye-catching enough and interesting enough to draw a reader in. The reason being, black and white images aren't often used on front covers so this makes it unique and a selling point. The images i have used are to promote new bands/artists. The main image invites potential and existing readers to buy my magazine as they can get information they wouldn't get elsewhere. This is also offering something new and fresh to "Myth". All the models i have used look the part as i styled them around a bad called "Royal Blood" who are of the genre of music i am appealing to. They also convey the messages i want them to and they match the article. They look original as it goes against a convention to not have them facing the camera- i did this to show an edge to the world of alternative music, also to show that they are something different that hasn't been seen before. I hope they give the magazine quality and appeal to target audience. 

In conclusion i have spent a great deal thinking about how my magazine will appeal and represent my intended target audience. I have shown this through; magazine analysis, and being able to identify the conventions of certain magazine types. For example by not having bright colours such as pink and blue so to not make it too girly and "teen". Also through colour scheme. By choosing white, yellow, red and black adds maturity but interest as well. The pops of colour add something. As well as my use of images aforementioned. My lifestyle questionnaire helped to define exactly what my target audience expect/want  from a magazine and i have done my best to 'tick all of the boxes' and to correctly represent them in my magazine.

Evaluation Question 3.

What kind or media institution might distribute your media product and why? 

I think that the IPC would be a good media institution for my music magazine to be distributed with. I think this because some of the other magazines that they currently publish are very popular and up to date. NME is one of the magazines that they publish and is very popular around the country. Although I think that NME has a different target audience, it is however a similar genre to mine. I still think that my magazine would fit nicely with it. IPC only publish one music magazine so adding another on to their collection would benefit them as well as my magazine. The institution distributes lots of well known magazines such as Look magazine. Look magazine is a very up to date fashion magazine which features celebrities that are well known. This is the same style that my magazine has, as i have chosen celebrities that are well known, but relevant to the genre of music my magazine is for. I think that my magazine in would fit in nicely in between these magazines as they are already getting distributed by IPC because i have the same style as the already existing products do and think that if those magazines are very popular mine would be too, i also think it could benefit the institute. It would also add to the collection of music magazines and will set a new standard or style for this section in the magazine business.

A second media institution that I would want to publish my magazine would be Bauer as they are a very big, well known company with lots of magazines that target various segments of the market including some very niche markets such as fishing. They publish products such as magazines, radio stations, TV channels and websites.They are in charge of some very big magazines. Their portfolio features a wide range of different categories which are Women's, Mens Entertainment, Mens Lifestyle, Equine, Gardening, Transport, Football, Golf, Pets, Angling, Motorcycling, Outdoor, Photography, Lifestyle, Ticketing & Charity. Their portfolio covers a very wide range of markets which shows the diversity of the company and means they must be highly successful as they own over 80 magazines. Some of their magazines are read by up to half a million people so it would be a good company to choose to publish my magazine. My magazine would fit into this companies range as it doesn’t have anything like my style of magazine. It would be the only magazine of its style so it’s more likely that they would want to publish my magazine as they haven’t got anything like it already.

Another sort of media institution that might distribute my media product would be a music magazine/ magazine company. A good magazine company to distribute my magazine would be Hearst Magazines, it would be good for them to distribute my magazine because they don’t already sell a music magazine for the genre and target audience I have created therefore they will make lots of money from it. When I did my research on other magazine companies for the research and planning section of my blog I researched the company Hearst Magazines and found out that they are one of the nation’s largest diversified media and information companies and therefore I would benefit from them distributing my magazine as lots of people know about them and they have a wide range of people buying their magazines. Hearst Magazine would benefit from distributing my media product as they don’t already have a magazine like the one I am selling, therefore they would make more money and attract a different group of audience.

Another company that would distribute my product are MusicMags, they distribute all different types of music magazines and my media product is a music magazine therefore this is the right media institution to distribute my magazine. They would benefit from distributing my media product because they don’t sell any music magazines like mine and therefore distributing mine would bring them in a new type of audience as well as the ones they have already from their distributing. I would benefit from letting them distribute my product because they sell many magazines and their annual average is 2.5 times the industry standard, therefore distributing more magazines than any other company.