evaluation

By Jade Gaches

Question 1In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products?whilst researching existing music magazines I noticed that many music magazines where

aimed towards rock music and the male market. Then I found this issue of Q magazine which is slightly more female orientated

I decided to go against most of the ordinary magazine conventions and make a music magazine aimed at females interested in mainstream ‘popular’ music!

I followed the conventions of a typical Q magazine by using one image on the front cover. I also used a black and white image on the front which breaks most conventions, so to draw attention to it on the shelves!

To make my brand accessible to the mainstream audience I have used conventions such as –

• Banner/ masthead/logo • Cover lines e.g. ‘Jordan's big proposal!’ • Selling line = ‘all the music AND gossip in one!’• Date and barcode• Website etc www.BLAST.co.uk

Question 2How does your media product represent particular social

groups?

I made my magazine look like a gossip magazine as much as possible, because my target audience was the sort of females who but gossip mags.

I also added a selling line ‘all the music AND gossip in one!’

I wanted the magazine to be aimed at the younger generations from the ages 15-18 so I used a young model on the front

The aim of the magazine was to get more females to buy music magazines and I hoped to accomplish this by making it look more like a gossip mag, which the majority of females buy.

It relates to the reader by using a young female model,

Using up to date fonts

Question 3

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

Mainstream ???

Independent publisher?

I think Bauer would be an appropriate publisher for my brand as they already deal with a number of mainstream magazines and that is what I hope my magazine to be!

Although they already deal with some big music magazines I feel that there is a gap in their market in which BLAST magazine could fit into !

Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?• 15- 18 years• Females• Middle class• Women's lifestyle readers• Wide range of music interest• Channel 4 fans – glee and skins etc• Spend a lot of time with friends• Class B – C2

Question 5

How did you attract your audience?

• Using young models• Making look like a women's lifestyle magazine • Using informal language • Young new pop style• Bright colours on dark colours to make it stand out • Big ‘cool’ fonts

I used a questionnaire as research the sort of magazine people wanted to buy and what sort of things they would want included. I used my media class and friends aged 15-18 to answer my question as I already decided on my target audience.

Once I had made a rough draft of the magazine I got feedback from my class, they said things like-

• Bigger fonts• Brighter colours • Brighten the front cover picture

etc

All of which I took into account and changes accordingly before finishing my brand of magazine

Question 6

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

i used- a digital camera to take the photos and in the process have learnt how

to use different settings to maximise the quality of the picturesInternet I have learnt how to put things on the internet and starting a

blog etc Photoshop, before starting this product I had no idea how to use

Photoshop but now I have a wide range of skills on the programmePublisher I have learnt how to arrange photos on top of each other to

look like a magazine etc Power point I have learnt how to put documents onto PowerPoint as

pictures etc I also used paint to edit my brand logo from the dafont site

Question 7Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the

progression from it to the full project?

It is a lot ‘cleaner’ with a much more professional look, because my ICT skills have developed

I gained a better understanding of how to use programs such as Photoshop and publisher. which made my pictures etc look a lot ore professional.

I know have a better understanding of how to compose music magazines to attract a certain target audience through using pictures and language etc

If I were to do it again I would possible change the colour schemes of my piece and use more Photoshop skills etc to make it have a much more professional end look. I would think more about my cover lines and using some word play etc