EVALUATION

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

My media product uses forms and conventions of real media products such as straplines, main headings, main images which draw the audience to the magazine as it important to make it appear as proffessional as possible. The uses and gratification model can be used in relation to my magazine as the audience isn't seen to be a victim of media, absorbing whatever is handed to them but they use media to fulfill their own needs. I don't challenge too much aspects of real media products as I feel it would be too ambitious for a first issue of a magazine and it has to appeal to a real type of audience. However, I challenged exisiting media when choosing the image for my front cover, I had the model using an in-direct mode of address as opposed to a direct mode of address which is more typical for a magazine front cover image. Also aspects such as placing cover lines at slightly different angles allowed me to challenge the more typical horizontal layout. Looking at existing media products played an important in developing my magazine as it helped me to identify and develop aspects of magazines that would be vital to use in order for my magazine to appear as a proffessional media product which hails to my target audience.


2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents the age group of 16-25 year olds of both gender interested in indie/electro music. Looking for inspiration in magazines on the market such as NME helped me to achieve the layout and content of the type of magazine I desired. Language plays an important part of getting through to this age group as if formal language was used, it may not be seen to be something to read for leisure as this age group, stereotypically, may be students at college or university who have alot of 'deep' reading to get through and may need some light hearted reading about something they enjoy. I made sure I used male and female models within magazine as to appeal to both sexes, the models are also the same age as the target audience so the audience can identify and be inspired by them. Mise en scene such as costume and props within the images will help to represent this genre to the target audience. The readers will be able to identify certain clothing such as the continuous use of geek glasses as iconography as representing the indie genre. Also the male audience members may identify the male models clothes as being from popular high street store TOPMAN which also represents the indie sub-culture.

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

The main institution that might distribute my media product is a news agents or book shop that sells a variety of magazines and news papers. This is because although technology has moved on and things are greatly being accessed via the internet or television, the most typical way to access a magazine is to go out and buy one. It is also easily accessable for a wide audience whereas there may be some people who may not be able to access the internet etc. Also, people who weren't aware of the magazine's existance may come across it whilst browsing the shelves of a news agents and decide to purchase it and the internet may not have that advantage. Music specialist stores may also stock my magazine as people in that store would clearly have an interest in music so this in a media product which would greatly appeal to them.

4) How did you attract/address your audience?

The most important feature of attracting/addressing your audience is to have an attractive front cover. I feel a large image on the front which is interesting and eye-catching with bright colours will draw the audience in to continue read the rest of the cover. It is important to create a surface realism with the images included as it is important for the reader to be able to identify and relate to the people within the magazine. Keeping this in mind, the model on the front cover is 20 years old which is in the middle of the target audience age which can clarify who the magazine is aimed at. I had to make sure I used aspects of the magazine which directly relate to the target audiences attitudes, values and beliefs and make sure that everything on the magazine front cover related to their interests.

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

At first I didn't know where to start or what program to use to construct my product but after trying out different programs I had access to, I decided Serif Page Plus was the one I could learn to use fairly quickly and I felt it was able to give me the type of magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread I desired. I also used the program Photoshop in order to change the background in certain images. I didn't feel I worked too well with this program so I decided against using any of the photos which I used this program on. I also learnt how to download and use fonts from the website http://www.dafont.com/ which proved to be very useful as it allowed me to choose from hundreds of fonts in order to find one which I felt accuratelty reflected my magazine. I had to complete this task on my own so the progress I made by using these programs and putting together my magazine was through trial and error.

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

Looking back at the preliminary task, I can see how much I have progressed since the first time sitting in front of a computer and wondering where to start. I started with Microsoft Word and realised it was hard to structure and decided to try a simpler program, paint. I found it hard to get it to look to a standard I was happy with and ended up not completing the task. Analysing other existing magazines really inspired me and a helped me manage to identify the codes and conventions needed in a music magazine for it to be successful and I managed to incorporate these in my final peices. I feel my confidence with computers and being able to develop my product successful has really grown and I have throroughly enjoyed this project.