Evaluation

Evaluation

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?

The first thing I did when creating my magazine was look at already existing example of magazines. I closely looked at Kerrang as this was the type of magazine I wished to create. Firstly, my front cover is very conventional because of several reasons, it has a masthead in large at the top of the page; it has cover stories; it has smaller images to go with cover stories; it has special deals (“posters from a cold haunting”) and it has a barcode. All of these are key and basic features of a magazine. To develop these features, I have things such as a colour scheme, red, blue, black and white. I have also integrated images and overlapped them, with the main image of my models head overlapping the masthead, but the smaller images and cover stories overlapping her. This creates depth to the product and makes it look much more like a real magazine as it is formatted correctly.

For my contents page I decided to have a large image at the top which is often used to make the page more appealing and use up spare room. The image links with one of the articles described underneath. I also used subheadings for my articles and this is a commonly used convention to allow readers to find a particular article or their specific interest easier and quicker. I included a little editors note on the side in order for the magazine to feel more personal and like we really care for our readers, with the important head editor taking time out to write to them. This is written in a informal chatty way, in the way the editor would say the words, this is to highlight the personal edge to the magazine.

For my double page spread I went against standard conventions slightly. Most double page spreads are done as one image on one side, either with a white background or just the one image. For mine I used one image to spread across both pages. I did make sure that my model was to one side so that he would not be cut in half by the centre fold. I did use conventions as I have a large title with varying fonts, and a quote in large at one side. I made my questions lager and a different colour to the answer as this is also a convention of a interview article.

I have page numbers at the bottom of the contents page and double page spread which fit with the colour scheme of the magazine, this ties all three pages together nicely and makes them look like they're from the same magazine. I also used similar type fonts, as in they vary largely but many of them are grungy looking to fit with the appearance of the magazine.

How does your media product represent a particular social group?

My magazine is aimed at young teenagers, in the social group of being grungy, maybe a little alternative at time. So teenagers essentially. I feel my main image in my contents page represents them in a sexualised way. My model is still a teenager and she is wearing suspenders and a short tight dress. To add to this representation, my model is in a pose which could represent teenager as being on drugs. This is because her face is back and eyes half closed in a enjoying the moment type pose often associated with drug taking. Also, the way her hand is on her leg, and her hands specific position, you can almost image a cigarette or 'spliff' being in her hand.

This representation is further developed with the colour scheme, red is often associated with danger and blue often with depression and sad emotions. This could represent teenagers as being angsty and rebellious. The two colours also contrast quite a lot perhaps representing teenager as breaking off into, often very different, sub social groups. The black the the white connotes a basic “good and evil” ideology on the world, which teenagers may often have.

Although this would be considered a negative representation to most people, and admittedly it is, many teenagers will not see this as necessarily negative. This is because they are represented in this way because this is what they think is “cool” to do.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product?

One similar to Development Hell, in going into music. But maybe less club music based and more rock music based, with lots of live gigs and festivals. I would want a distributor that could get my magazine to the audience of Young rebellious, and one that already had experience in this type of distribution.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My media product is aimed at teenagers, aged 13 to 18, who enjoy rock music and maybe metal. My target readers would enjoy things like online music and live music events, such as concerts and festivals. They have a psycho-graphic of 'experiencers' as they want to do many things and enjoy their younger years, this also often makes them rebellious.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I aimed this at them by using younger models so that they can associate with the artists and models more. As these models are supposed to be artists, I guess I also used young musicians which young people are more likely to listen to than older musicians. I created the mise-en-scene to attract younger people, by creating the style and look of my models costume as being young and hip and fashionable. Linked in with how my magazine represents teenagers, they will also find their representation “cool” and see it as a fashion statement, associating themselves with a grunge and rebellious lifestyle suggested by my images.

The front cover is aimed at my target readers by several techniques. Firstly I used a very grungy font for my masthead for the title of this entire magazine, this means that it is young and hip and alternative, attracting those with a rebellious attitude. The other fonts used in the cover stories and such are also quite grungy further developing the attraction. The layout it “messy” (in a aesthetically pleasing way) which goes against some magazines look of being neat and tidy and in lines, which also highlights the attraction to the rebellious kind. I used several colours for my colour scheme which will attract young peoples eye more than neat and tidy 2 or 3 colour schemes. I used the yellow as a contrasting colour, going against the colour scheme, to highlight the free posters included. This addresses young people as they often wont have too much money and so free things and extra things are more appealing to them. Also my target audience tend to be more likely to have posters up on their wall than other people.

In my contents page I made it black, which goes against magazine conventions. This, as well as many other things mentioned already, is attractive to the rebellious nature of my target readers.This is further developed with the formatting of the sub-titles for the articles, which have a blue tint behind them. This makes it look broken and blurred, like graffiti, which is seen as young and rebellious. I edited my image for my editors note so that it looks dark and grungy once again, also once again highlighting the appeal of rebellion.


My double page spread is slightly different. The main image has blurred fairy lights in the background, which addresses the slightly softer side to teenagers and their need for comfort and a home. The page has a kind of warmth to it, with more red than blue on it. It is much more homely and warm. This also with the fact that my model is supposed to be a well known and loved artist, means this page is seen as comfortable and more relaxing than the others in the magazine

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

To never upload coursework online. It will bug out and it will delete a large chunk of your coursework and you will cry.
More seriously however, I learnt a lot about a few different softwares and online programmes. Serif Page Plus is the biggest, I learnt how to use it. I learnt how to cut an image from it's background, how to send images to the front or back, and to overlap. I learnt how to insert images, edit them, crop them and place them in specific areas adjacent to other images and text.


I also developed an already solid knowledge of how to use the site “pixlr.” I know how to heal faces, by removing blemishes and dark circles. I know how to make people thinner or thicker, how to change the contrast and lighting to the most attractive level. I learnt to change the colour of an image, with vibrancy or a tint. I also learnt how to create collages, add borders and put on text.

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 how to create a magazine.
From my research I learnt what the codes and conventions of a magazine are and how they look. I also learnt how they are distributed and how much planning goes into creating one. I learnt what kind of magazines people are interested to and how the magazine industry is doing in such a technological world.


From my planning I have learnt exactly how much work and effort goes into creating just 3 pages of magazine. I also learnt to avoid doing coursework online if possible. But I learnt how to piece together a magazine, all the technological skills I learnt were learnt at this stage. I learnt to concentrate on even the smallest of details when it comes to a magazine. Ii learnt how to integrate photos and use a variety of shots to get a legitimate magazine looking final product...



As for the final product, I learnt Serif Page Plus' export option is floored and corrupts colour on an image. I learnt that using the snipping tool makes you loose quality. I learnt to compromise and choose the one that lost the least amount of quality.