Evaluation

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

Front cover -

I feel like general the cover of my music magazine follows a lot of the forms and conventions of real media products.

As you can see I have used a very pale beige colour for the background of the front cover, I chose not to use white as I felt it looked too harsh against the soft colour scheme. This is conventional of the majority of music magazines, as they tend to either use plain white, or a solid block colour for their backgrounds. I think using the pale colour ensures that the reader’s attention is not detracted from the main image, and the cover lines.

The colour scheme I used challenges the conventional colour schemes used in a lot of music magazines. Typically bright vibrant colours are used to grab the attention of the target audience. However for my cover, I wanted to use a soft colour scheme, as it felt more appealing in regards to my female folk-enthusiast target audience.

I used an image of myself on the front cover due to issues I had with the model, I had previously chosen to use for the front cover image (now she is used on the double page spread). But I am a young female, so that fitted my demographic well; I chose to wear normal clothing so that the audience would feel like they could relate more to the "artist". The pose I used is quite common for models on the covers of magazines, and I made sure I centred the image on the front of the magazine (Another typical convention of front covers).

Also, I made sure I included cover lines, and I had them flow down the left hand side of the magazine, a convention fulfilled by magazines, as the eye is naturally drawn to that area first. I highlighted parts of the cover lines to make them stand out to the reader, making them intrigued, so that they would want to buy the magazine.

The masthead is very simple, constructed using a custom font I downloaded from the internet. I think it is quite reminiscent of the “Rolling Stone” magazine masthead, in that the fonts are quite similar. I chose the font as it looked very classic, and complimented the folk/vintage theme of the magazine.

Contents page –

My contents page follows the same colour scheme I used on the front cover of my magazine, as I wanted to show continuity and create a house style, as this is a conventional aspect of real media products.

The layout of my contents page is very organised and minimalistic. The article titles and their corresponding page numbers are laid out in columns on the page. I used one colour for the page numbers, and another for the titles. I then chose to highlight the names of all the artists and bands in blue, so that readers could easily see is featured in the magazine that week. This is conventional of existing media products, as it is a good way of organising the page, and making it more reader friendly.

 separated the content into sections: cover stories, features, and live reviews. This is another feature that real media products tend to use, as it enables the reader to familiarise themselves with the magazine, and they can easily find where their favourite content is located. Also new readers of the magazine will be able to see what the magazine is offering.

 used five different images, one bigger image of the second biggest act featured in the magazine that week (after the artist featured on the front cover), then the four smaller images of other bands and artists in the magazine. Some magazines take this approach, however quite a lot of magazines limit the number of images they use on the contents page, and focus more on showing of the content through written description.

I added a “connect with us” section, which is very typical of all modern magazines, as social networking is used every day by millions, so it’s a very good way to be able to engage with readers and promote the magazines.

Double Page Spread –

I think my double page spread mimics a lot of the main conventions and features of real double page spreads.

I used a plain white background, as this enables the audience to read the article with ease, without having to strain their eyes looking at a bold background. This also makes it easier to use coloured fonts, as I know they would definitely show up, and be readable. This is very reminiscent of real articles, as the vast majority of double page spreads I looked at use a solid white background.

I used another elaborate font for the title as this mimics the font I used for “Acapella” logo, which I thinks enforces the feel of a continual house style. However for the rest of the text on the page, I continued to use the same fonts that I had used on the front cover and contents page; again enforcing continuity.

I again used the same soft colour scheme that I had used on the front cover and contents page.

I challenged the convention that typically there is a larger image of the artist/band on the page, instead I used four identically sized images as I thought this looked more visually appealing with this article. I used an aged border on the images to implement the vintage feel of the magazine.

I used standard columns and pull quotes techniques to mimic the conventional layout of real magazines. The article is constructed in a typical “Question and Answer” interview style, which also reflects real journalistic techniques used in the real world. I used a different colour font to differentiate the questions from the answers, again this is a convention used by nearly all magazines that feature articles of this style.  

How does your media product represent particular social group?

The social group that is primarily featured in my music magazine are young females that are either part of a band or a solo act.

Double page spread image

On the front cover, there is a young female in her late teens. She has a soft expression which makes her seem more approachable, which is the feel I wanted the magazine to have, I didn’t want my target audience to be intimidated by hard expressions and designer clothes. This also fits the typically English stereotype of being well mannered and friendly.

Throughout the rest of the magazine females continue to be featured, for example on the contents page there are three images of female artists, and only two images of male artists. All of the artists are young and British.

How did I represent this social group?

Contents Page Image

 I used images from real folk festivals that I have been to in the past, I changed the names of the artists though to be more fitting for my own magazine. So the mise-en-scene is perfect for my magazine, as they are wearing clothes that fit their genre (e.g. bohemian/unique styles). The way I edited the photographs also relate to the social group, as I added soft effects to the images and made them look more feminine and vintage looking.

Front cover image

For the image on the front cover, I thought a lot about mise-en-scene, as this is the image that would in theory attract readers to buy my magazine. So I lightly curled my hair, wore light make-up and pastel clothing to create a soft friendly feel meanwhile retaining some folk aspect in my look. I kept the lighting quite natural and organic, as I associate harsh lighting effects with more edgy genres of music like rock.

For the model on the double page spread, I curled her hair, and messed it up a little bit, so she didn’t look to put together and perfect. I chose for her to wear a variety of pastel bohemian patterned tops that enforced the folk aspect, and again made her seem more relatable to the audience. I used light make-up to enhance her natural beauty, and keep with the delicate feel of the magazine.

Contents/DPS image.

The camera angles and poses I used reflected the amicable feel of the artist. She is smiling in every picture, and makes eye contact with the camera; this allows the reader to feel like they can connect with her. I didn’t use any high or low angles, as I didn’t want the readers to feel intimidated and I also didn’t want the artist to feel underappreciated and vulnerable; so I used a neutral level angle.

Social groups recognised in absence –

In my magazine there is a lack of ethnic social groups, this is because early on in the planning process I decided that the magazine was going to only feature British artists, and British festivals and music events. I did this because I think it would be good to have a magazine that solely focuses on the success of British stars as we always hear a lot about international artists (from America etc) that are maybe more well known, however sometimes this can lead to the British being overlooked. So this magazine would give them a chance to shine and become well established and recognised in the UK among their target demographic.

There is also a lacking of older people, I did this because magazine is aimed at young women, and even though they may enjoy older artist’s music, I think they would relate more to younger musicians regarding:  fashion, language, common interests etc.

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

I think my magazine could be circulated by either independent or conglomerate magazine distributers.

In some ways I think it would be more suitable for the magazine to be distributed by publishers that are part of a conglomerate, like Bauer (that own magazines such as Q) and IPC (that own magazines like NME) because even though the these magazines are quite different to the one I have created, they will still feature some mainstream artists and music. Also the magazine has quite a broad demographic as folk music has become more popular over the last couple of years, with the rise of bands like Mumford and Sons.

However independent distributers like Future PLC (who own magazines such as Classic Rock and Guitarist) might also work well regarding distributing my magazine, as they tend to produce magazines that target niche audiences. Also I decided because the magazine is only going to feature British artists it’s not going to be distributed internationally so wouldn’t need as much funding, which makes it more achievable for independent publishers to produce; as they lack the major funds that conglomerate institutions have access to.

To create funds for the magazine we would use the same method as all other magazines, and run adverts for products and events that would appeal to the target audience of the magazine. For example advertisements regarding: Festival and concerts, new albums, music download sites (e.g. iTunes) music shops (e.g. HMV), artist merchandise (fragrance, clothing lines, etc.) (An example of pricing would be: for a company to run a two page advertisement insert in Vogue would cost them around $130,380).

A digital edition would be released of my magazine,
that would be available for kindles,
tablets and smart phones.

A lot of money can be raised through offering advertisements, because it allows companies to directly target their demographic through the magazine, and it works well because usually the companies and their products share the same target audience as the magazine. (An example of this method would be during the day time ITV show adverts for cleaning products, baby products, and female related products as the majority of the viewing audience are female, and maybe stay at home mums or house wives.)

Acapella would be sold in many different places including: Supermarkets (Asda, Sainsburys), Newsagents (W H Smiths) and Corner Shops (Tesco Express).

 There would also be a subscription option for dedicated readers, in which they could apply for a yearly service and save money per issue.

The magazine would have its own app, that readers could download
for a fee, to have access to extra content (like this one
from NME).

 Also, because my magazine is aimed at the younger generation it makes sense to release a digital version which would be available through smart phones, tablets, and kindles.

To further advertise Acapella, they could have a website and a dedicated app, so that readers can find out extra information; and find out more about the magazine itself.

 Social networking would also play a massive part in the advertisement of the magazine, as nearly every young person in the UK has access to a social network account (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube) so this would be the primary way to grab their attention and promote the magazine. These sites also have options to share content, so the readers could share information regarding the magazine, to further promote it to their friends, whom might not be readers of Acapella, therefore reaching out to a bigger audience. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The primary audience for my magazine is females between the ages of 16-26 (approx), they would have a keen interest for festival going and folk music; and be of the working/middle class category (not excessively wealthy or poor). I chose to aim my magazine towards the female gender, because while I was doing my research I noticed that magazines tended to either be dedicated towards males or a unisex audience.

Profile of a member of the target audience -

The model I used on the double page spread of my magazine is a prime example of the kind of person that I imagine reading my magazine. Her name is Angie and she is 27 years old (she is slightly out of the target age group however younger females may also read the magazine, it just depends on personal preference, but generally it would be 16-26 year olds). Angie is a very creative individual, and works for the IT department at Dyson. She has a passion for folk music, and has attended a lot of folk music festival in the past (e.g. End of the Road, and Pump Festival), some of her favourite bands include: First Aid Kit, Mumford and Sons, and Francios and the Atlas Mountains. She lives in Corsham, in a house with her fiancé, and enjoys the relaxing atmosphere that Corsham has to offer.

Her personal interests include: gardening (growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers), running (she has fun 5 half marathons) socialising and attending events and finally scouring carboot sales and antique fairs in search of quirky house decor.

She is also very passionate about the environment and strives to be as eco friendly as possible.

How did you address/attract your audience?

I addressed the audience of the magazine by fulfilling the general codes and conventions of magazines, including: images, colour schemes, language, fonts, and articles.

Front Cover ­-

Cover lines.

Masthead.

First of all I chose to use a pink colour for the masthead, as this is a very feminine colour and will grab the attention of the audience when the magazine is displayed on the shelf. I chose this font as it’s very reminiscent of the fonts used in vintage publications, which is the style I was trying to modernise in the creation of my magazine.

I used teasers for the coverlines on the front cover, to entice the readers to buy the magazine. The coverlines also reference artists that will be featured in the articles, so readers can indentify if one of their favourite musician appears in the magazine, as this would be another incentive for them to purchase the magazine.

Badge.

The front cover image depicts a warm approachable person (“folk singer: Eliza”), this attracts potential readers, as they feel they can relate to the “artist”. Having a recognisable figure also draws readers in, as it’s more likely for them to recognise a face than a name.

Sell Line.

I have also used a positive sell line: “The UK’S best selling folk magazine”. This firmly cements in the readers head, and reassures them that if they’re interested in folk music, this definitely the magazine for them.

I also included a badge which advertises a competition, this attracts younger audiences as they tend not to have excessive amounts of money to buy tickets to musical events or to buy the latest iPod, so including a competition will make them want to buy the magazine in order to find out how to enter the competition, therefore be in with a chance to win the prize.

Contents Page –

I used article titles on the contents page, so that readers can easily find out what the current weeks magazine is featuring, and decide whether or not they want to buy it. I also highlighted artists/bands names in a different colour, so then you pick them out easily.

I used relevant images that relate to the articles in the magazine, the majority of the images contain female musicians, as this is a magazine aimed at females, therefore it seemed fitting to primarily use females.

I also used a variety of different feminine fonts, which looked decorative and appealing in the magazine. Using different fonts allowed me to break the page up, and create a consistent house style (which I used throughout the front cover, contents page, and double page spread).

Feminine Font example 1

Feminine Font example 2

I added a “Connect with us” section, in which links to Acapella’s social networking sites are provided. Almost every young person in the UK has a social networking account, so this is a good way to attract the younger audience as they feel like they can join in on the action by having access to extra content via social networking.

Double Page Spread –

I decided to write an article in the form of a Q and A interview. I found this to be a popular style of article, that readers tend to enjoy,  because the questions tend to be quite open this allows for the star to answer how they see fit and give away information that they are comfortable with. This makes the reader feel like they’re almost having a conversation with the musician themselves, almost as if they know them on a somewhat personal level; this complies with the need for personal relationship and identification seen in The Uses and Gratifications Theory.

Throughout the 3 pieces –

Throughout the magazine I used images that contain “musicians” that are making eye contact with the camera, therefore connecting with the reader, making the reader feel a sense of belonging as seen in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

The body language used by the models is quite open and warm, this further entices the reader as they feel welcomed as they work they way through the magazine.

I created an informal and engaging tone using the personal pronoun, “you”, to create a connection with the reader so they feel like they are being directly spoken to, creating an almost conversation like effect. I also used contractions, like “us” (e.g. “Connect with us”) This appeal’s to the younger audience as nowadays we are a lot friendlier in conversation, even with strangers, so using these techniques enforces the sense of belonging.

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

Research + Planning –

-      Internet: The internet helped me greatly in doing the research into music magazines. I found it incredible quick and easy to find the information I needed regarding codes and conventions of magazines, and also finding out specific information, like character profiles and reader statistics. Also having access to the official music magazine websites allowed me to ensure that the data I was using was valid and correct.

-      Blog: Using the blog as a way to display my work was a big change to the conventional way of writing or printing it all out and displaying it in a work book. Using a blog enabled me to include images and links to create a sense of interactivity within my work.

-      Mobile Phones: These were essential in the creation of my final product, as it allowed me to contact my model and arrange a suitable time for us both, so we could conduct the shoot. I also found it vital for taking pictures of my sketches during the planning phase of my project. I also occasionally used it to access the internet and find out information, when I didn’t have access to a computer.

-      Social Networking: I used social networking to also connect with my model after we had done the shoot as she wanted to see the images. I also used Facebook as a research tool, by looking at the Facebook pages of some well established music magazines (e.g. NME) to see if I could find out any further information.

Construction –

-      Camera: The camera I used was a Canon EOS 600D, which I use to take photographs for my A Level Photography course, so I was very confident in using this camera as I pretty much use it every day. This camera allowed me to take high quality images, which were needed to create a professional clean feel within the magazine. I used the white balance option to optimise colour control. I also used an external flash and studio lighting to create a good light source and make sure the images were lit well.

-      Computer Software: I used Photoshop CS6 to manipulate my images, as this is standard industry software therefore I knew I could create the effect I wanted and make the images look as professional as possible; I use Photoshop a lot, so I was comfortable editing the images and achieved the results I wanted. Then to actually construct the magazine I used InDesign; I have used InDesign briefly in the past and during my preliminary task, however I’m not fully competent in using the software, but I feel through completing this task I now know a lot more about the software and feel a lot more comfortable using it.

-      Connectivity: Through creating this media product I used a lot of storage devices. I used an SD Card, Memory Stick, and an external hard drive. Using all of these external storage devices made the process a lot easier as I could transfer information from either camera to computer – or – computer to computer, quickly and efficiently; which meant that I could move my work around so that I could work in different places.

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

Personal Skills –

-          Directing and managing others: This is a skill which I have never been very good at, as I am quite shy and lack leadership skills. However I had to direct two photoshoots (preliminary and main task) over the course of the task. The first photoshoot was quite casual, as I was just photographing friends around school, and I just used my camera, I didn’t use any technical equipment (e.g. tripod, lighting etc.) so I didn’t really feel the need to direct this shoot, I just asked them to act naturally. However during the main task, the shoot was a lot more technical, and I had to direct the model on how I wanted her to pose, and I also had technical help (from my mum) holding reflectors and tweaking the backdrop, so I had to also direct her on how to hold the reflector to maximise light on the models face. So from this aspect I think I improved massively from the preliminary task.

-          Working to deadlines: I finished both tasks to the deadlines, so I feel not much improvement was involved. However I have always coped well with working to deadlines, and find it good to have a structured working routine to make sure work is complete by the time it needs to be.

-          Accepting Feedback: During the preliminary task, it was quite hard to hear criticism regarding my magazine, as I felt like I hadn’t created a very good product. But as soon as I worked on the critique I was given, I realised my product looked a lot better than it did when it was just myself judging it. So in the creation of my main product I accepted as much criticism as possible, to make sure that my final product was created to the best of my ability and complied with the criteria. Talking with Phil was a big help in creating the magazine, as he was able to give me a lot of tips on how to make it look overall a more polished and professional product.

-          Dealing with Problems: I encountered a lot of problems during the creation of my main task, as I had to change the front cover image of my magazine as it didn’t fit the genre; however I ended up changing the image and the genre itself and totally rebranded the magazine. This involved a lot of rewriting and editing of my essays, which set me back in the production stage. However I made sure I updated all of my work and handed it in on time. I’m glad I pushed myself, as I did get a bit stressed during this particular bit of the process, however I powered through, and now I’m really happy with the finished result.

Technical Skills –

-          Camera Skills: As I said, I take A Level photography and am very passionate about the topic, so I don’t think my skills improved too much over the course of the two tasks. However I did learn a lot about editing techniques which make images look a lot more like industry approved images (e.g. colour correction).

-          Software Skills: I don’t think my Photoshop skills improved as I am quite comfortable with using the software; however I think I massively improved my InDesign skills, as I wasn’t very confident in using the software at the start of the preliminary task, however as I’ve worked through the process I have learnt a lot about the software, how it works, and how to create different techniques.

Analytical Skills –

-          Decision Making: Both tasks involved a lot of decision making, if anything I think my decision skills got worse as the process went on. When creating the school magazine I had a clear idea of how I wanted it to look, so I found it easy to make quick decisions regarding colour schemes and fonts etc. However when making the music magazine I kept coming up with new ideas and chopping and changing between ideas, which I think held me back slightly. IT also took me a lot more time choosing colour schemes and fonts because it was a lot more flexible in this task, and I had a lot more choice.

-          Reflective Skills: I think my reflective skills have improved greatly, as I’ve never been very good at reflecting on decisions I’ve made, and justifying why I had chosen what I’d chosen. However this process was based a lot around being reflective, so I became a bit more knowledgeable in regards to how to write reflectively (For example this evaluation is a lot more in depth and detailed than my preliminary evaluation).

-          Analysing in relation to industry products: During the preliminary task I found it quite difficult to find examples of school magazines, so it was difficult to judge whether or not I was doing a good job as I had nothing to compare my product against. However when creating the music magazine there were 1000’s of examples I could look at and analyse and compare to my product. This helped a lot as I could establish codes and conventions and apply them to my own work. So I believe I improved massively in regards to this skill.