22) Coursework Evaluation

Media Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and convention of real media products?
In some ways my media product is similar to real media products, of the layout and showing that the colour scheme is dark therefore shows it is for a rock based audience. But the use of the colour pink gives us another interpretation of that this magazine is for girls for example the colour of the main cover line white and pink. . This therefore challenges real media products due to that mainly rock based magazines are based for boys, but not for girls. Due to that my magazine has been based for a girl rock audience this challenges and changes the convention in my magazine. Mainly this magazine is aimed at girls who like rock music. The type of image that has been used for the front cover is two young, rock star adult women; therefore they have been used to be role models for girls. Therefore this convention challenges real media product that it is not always the most popular choice to have a female rock star as the audience’s role model. The content has been based for girls this is also shown through the colour pink in the background to bring contrast to the title and issue information. Also the colour pink in the double page photo shoot this also portrays the personalities of the artist. Although due to that this magazine is based for music it doesn’t mean that boys cannot read this magazine.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The darkness of my magazine but with a touch of pink, this therefore reflects on the audience and genre of the magazine. This tells us that this magazine is for a serious young female adult audience, rather than a bright young girly magazine. But being dark/ pink could tell us what type of music they listen to, of that the audience listens to rock music for young adult females or even punk music. The content in contents page of the magazine is designed for girls for example, using a young rock star female adult duo on my double page; this could then be shown as the girl duo could be a role model for the girl rebel audience. Although another interpretation of this could be that because they are that much older than teenagers, the audience may be aimed for an older audience. On the front cover my Unique Selling point ‘Free downloads’ this tells us that the audience is in with modern technology therefore tells us that the audience is in a modern day culture. The images that also have been used on my double page have also been taken in the mid dark, to create atmosphere. Theses images also have been set on the streets telling us that the girl duo have literally come of the street.

What kind of media institution might you distribute your media product & why?
I think that the institution that my media product would fit into is publishing division now called Bauer Media. This is due to that I think that the way of which the magazine would be made and displayed would be similar to a real media product; an example of this would be on the contents page its layout, contents type. But the more reason why this magazine would fit this institution is because I think there is a gap in the market of which there could be a magazine that is set out the same way as a normal music magazine. I have found that the Bauer Media publishing division have the music magazines ‘Pop’ for an girly 10 – 13 year old audience, ‘Kerrang’ a rock magazine for an male 13 – 18 audience & ‘Mojo’ a rock magazine for an older male audience. Therefore the difference would be that its aims are for rebel rock teenage/older girls, enabling a gap in the market. Working with a well-known institution, this therefore would give the publishing division a main guide line of how to make the magazine. But then they would be able to edit through the contents in the contents page so the wording of the magazine so it is aimed at a rebel teenage girl. So they can change the images in the double page scene, use of tone, contrast, aim. Then on the front cover change or develop the fonts so that it will make certain wording stand out and tell you that this is a girl music magazine. Also because you are working with a more experienced and well known company, advertisement would then be more available to you.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
My audience for my music magazine would be a 15 -18 year old female rebel, who has moved away from the crowd. She would most likely be in 6 form earning money from a part time job and would get money from her parents at home. Her family life would be fairly ok, although most of the time she would most likely want to rebel against them. Her main interests would be music listening to her favourite music rock. She would like to live life to the full, and would take her looks so they would be unique. She would have a sensible head on her shoulders in her day-to-day life but when she is partying she would then like to live the rock and roll lifestyle. She would be very up to date with technology, with the latest downloads, updates on music/tours, feeds and pod casts. Therefore using downloads in my media product tells us that this is a modern music magazine and this is a modern audience. For the front cover the cover lines are not as twee as would be seen on a pop music magazine, for example ‘Reveal the Killing of Kate,’ therefore would tell you this magazine is for an slightly older audience. But bearing in mind when she is older she would like to work in the music industry and then might have a family or life of her own. This would tell us that she is not too old due to that she is still in development stages. Within my contents page the layout is of a fair amount of wording and some images are used. This then tells us that the audience would be fairly educated, of being able to read rather than a contrast of a magazine for younger audience which uses more images. Also because I written about two famous people in my double page this would tell us that the audience are fans of theses artists.

How did you attract/ address your audience?
Using famous people on the front cover of my music magazine this would have attracted my audience to the magazine, and also because they have been recently been on the newspapers, this would enable the fans to have a close insight view of their artists. Also both of these models have two slightly different personalities shown through my double pages of how and what they say and wear (pink cheeky, red sexy serious.) The use of the gesture of Patricia hand on the side of Kate’s face, this can also show emotion of protection & love. Theses two would attract the female rebel audience as they would look up to theses people as role models and would therefore effect how the audiences behave. Also using a pink and black this would create contrast, making people pick out the pink in the magazine. For example in the double page the names of the artist are in different tones of pink to show individuality and to be picked out and recognised by the reader. The contents about ‘how a band has split, or music updates, tour dates,’ within my contents page and front cover. Theses cover lines have been specifically designed to draw the audience’s eye to the magazine. The fonts ‘Algerian, Viner Hand ITC Italic’ used have been to tell that this magazine is for a rock style magazine due to the connotations of the style of writing. The language that has been used in the double page has been informal, due to that it is an informal/entertaining content. Also the use of expletive indicates the personalities and emotions of the duo. This also tells us that they are at the moment living the rock style life style. This therefore gives an mode of address that the audience would then start to copy there role models making them live the rock style lifestyle, for example increasing use of alcohol, sex & drugs. But the main point of which draws the audience to the magazine is on the front cover of the USP of which is ‘Free downloads’, in modern terms this would be the same as putting a cds on the front of the magazine. But being as downloads this is a more effective and modern way of gaining music, therefore the audience can pick and choose of which exactly what music they would like.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
The technologies which I have learnt about making this magazine is that they are fairly complex but are still easy to use, therefore making it very easy for anyone to do a certain job example – making a music magazine. The technologies have developed through time enabling use to edit images give certain effects. Then that lets us exactly get the true product we want, as how I edited the background for the front cover. Then even if editing needs to be done to our final pieces then it will let us do that as well. The types of software I used for my music magazine was Fireworks, Photoshop, Microsoft Photo Premium 10, Paint, Photo studio 5.5. All enabling me to edit images very easily as for making different sized shapes with angles, background for writing, text effects, throughout the production of the music magazine. Although I have found when making my double page that still physically making up a shoot is still very basic and that really all the technology used in that is a camera. The rest is in the preparation of look, scene, costumes, outfits, makeup, pose, posting, angle, and camera type. The editing is mainly the technology is being used. But saying that some of the technology that is available I think could be improved, therefore more effects could be given in programs and then if effect are given make it easy for novice users to understand. Also that may have been even better in the technology side is changing the media to film therefore you could create an online magazine which constantly available updates and then let the audience see the magazine to be even more visual to the eye (tour review films.)

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I have found the editing to be challenging in my main product, which has made me learn that every single detail matters. So comparing my Preliminary task to my main product it showed me that the Preliminary task wasn’t so complex. This is shown through the layout of my contents page in my Preliminary task & main music contents page is very different. My main contents page is a lot more complex with the contents within the page, font, colour, layout, size of font, type of font (rock style). So therefore tells you it is an attractive media product. As on my front cover being able to make the magazine visually appealing & making the audience draw there eyes to the right places (main cover lines, Images, Company name and USP.) Also using a house style across the magazine is very important (black and pink.) This therefore tells the audience that the magazine belongs as a one. Also on my double page of the use of preparation and time within the photo shoot is very important which we didn’t have to do for preliminary task. So this would then enable you to then create the right mood, and assumptions about that person and the magazine. How my knowledge developed was by learning throughout lessons, looking at examples of real media products & information for the internet & books, for example layouts, use of images, colour schemes, fonts, institutions, audiences, media products. But how my technical skills developed was by making a preliminary task therefore giving me a taster of what I would be doing and almost use that task as an experiment to spot what errors I would not do on my full product for example a better contents page. Also the other way I learnt my technical skills was by making the product and using trial and error, then re-doing mistakes on my mistakes on my full product, to get it to the best overall quality.

By Ann Print
2,169 words