EVALUATION.

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

My product uses conventions of real media products in many ways. For example, firstly there is a masterhead at the top of the page. I have used a photo as my background linking to a story within the magazine. 

I have also stuck to a colour scheme of black and white, with the colours coming from the pictures. The reason I have done this is because I feel it looks young but sophisticated. 

The reason I chose this particular photo for my background, is because it is a bright photo, although her dress is black and white, her hair is red so it makes a nice contrast with the rest of the colour scheme. It is also a particular pose that is popular for magazines. 

It is clear that the magazine is a music magazine by the title “VOICE”. The reason I chose this title is because I think it is simple but also interesting. My magazine is about all types of music, aiming more for a younger teenage audience to link in with my inspiration “We Love Pop” 

I have included a strap line to make my cover look more professional and believable. 

Although I haven’t done cover lines, the reason is because my photo makes a big impact on the reader, and with cover lines I didn’t want it to look too busy and tacky. My photo would be of a well known singer so the audience would know straight away what my magazine was about.

One of the photos I have included shows a guitar, so my audience would see this and know it was a music magazine. 

My cover CHALLENGES the conventions of a music magazine because it is simple. Normally you would find many photos, cover lines and different colours for a young music magazine but I wanted to be different and choose a different route. 

My cover also develops the conventions of a music magazine because I have placed a photo of a girl with a guitar, and the title shows it’s clearly about music. 

CONTENTS PAGE.

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

It has been thematically organised into “Inside this issue” “exclusive” “take a peak” “volume” and “extras”. These different categories are common of a magazine and make it look more professional, it also makes it easier to read.

The page numbers are bigger than the rest of the writing so readers can access the page easily. 

There is a montage of images of different people and ages appropriate to the target audience.

My contents CHALLENGES the conventions of a real music magazine because there would normally be an editors note, and I haven’t included this. 

I have used a montage of pictures, whereas normally there might just be one main image. 

My contents DEVELOPS the conventions of a real magazine because I have a continuity of colour. The grey and red. I chose a grey background with red writing. The reason I have done this is because I wanted the red to stand out, and the grey enables the red writing to do so. 

In one of the pictures, it is the same model from the photo on my front cover. Displaying a continuity throughout my magazine. 

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD.

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

My double page spread develops the conventions of a real music magazine, because I have used a sub title underneath the main title, explaining a little bit more about the magazine. 

There is information about the artist at the end of the article. 

I have used a quotation from the article which normally occurs in a magazine double page spread. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

All of my photos, show young teenage girls. I have done this so that my audience know the social group at which my magazine is aimed at and enables the audience to relate to it.

I have also chose teenage colours such as red, black and white. These colours could also symbolise the Rock And Roll genre, but due to the words and photos I have used it is clear that my magazine isn’t a rock magazine. 

Although it is a teenage magazine, I have aimed it at higher class group, due to the colours and simplicity of my magazine and because there is more writing than there is photos. 

I think it represents my social group well because in all of the photos the models are smiling and look positive. 

On my double page spread the model is looking directly into the camera, and looks very confident which puts across a good image for my music magazine .

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

I think IPC Media could distribute my music magazine because it is a multinational company, which means they would have the skills to ensure that my magazine would be successful in the music magazine industry. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience for my media product would be upper class teenage girls. Between the ages of 16-19 due to the layout, colour scheme, and topics within my magazine.

How did you attract/address your audience?

On my front cover I places a box displaying things within the magazine, such as “Advice, Posters and Gossip” to ensure the audience would be attracted to my magazine and want to read it. 

The main image of the girl looking away from the camera, dressed unique and not mainstream, shows femininity and will attract female audiences. 

The informal font I have chose for my title and cover line makes the audience feel comfortable. The language used is also informal and at a friendly tone.

The two images placed on the front cover are of posters that would be within the magazine, and they would make the audience want to buy it. 

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

I have learnt many things from the process of constructing this product. 

I have learnt how to use InDesign and Photoshop. 

With InDesign I learnt how to make a magazine cover, from scratch, something I was nervous about as I have never done anything like that before. I learnt how to place photos, text, different colours, backgrounds and more. 

When learning how to use photoshop, I learnt how to crop images, editing the photos I had added, adding different texts and images, and including shapes. 

I have also learnt what looks good. I realised that you don’t have to place everything on one page for it to look good. 

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 that the magazine cover must include certain things. Such as a strap line. 

I have learnt that you cannot use a wide range of different colours on one page, and different text fonts, as it does not look professional and would make it difficult for the reader to read. So I have been able to use colours and text more effectively with a neutral background.