For part of out AS media studies coursework, we had to create our own music magazine, double page spread and contents page.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I feel my media product both challenges and uses conventions which are used in professional media products. With conventions on my front page such as a Masthead is used, Pull quote, puffs, plugs and a main image. However, at the bottom of my front page, I feel I have challenged a convention as I have included a lure within my page which displays the names of musical artists which will be featured inside my magazine. The challenging aspect of this is instead of separating the musical artists into different musical genres I feel by placing them together I have widened my target audience for the magazine however, this is something in which NME magazine, or MOJO magazine would not necessarily display on their magazine front covers. NME and Mojo magazine seem to feature only one standard genre in there magazine where as I initially planned out to include many different artists as I personally, like to listen to a large range of music with various different genre: thus I found Rolling Stone magazine large inspiration within media product. The conventions I did use, where usually the most important features of a music magazine, such as a masthead which supplied a sharp, snappy name for the magazine which is easy to remember. A main focus point, being the central image; next to the image being the headline, underneath the headline is the subheading. I feel this are all important stylistic features for creating the magazine front cover more personal and an ideal way to attract potential audiences. The plug which is featured on my front page, ‘Your guide to the hottest gigs of 2009’ is a strong convention which was important to display as features like these are used to attract more audiences, and with the idea of competition with other media institutions, the stronger plugs there are, the more attention from audiences you are going to get. I feel I have also developed some unusual conventions which are only seen on a few magazine front covers, which is a tag line explaining what ‘EMF’ stands for, I retrieved this idea from NME magazine which they’ve also printed it as a tag line.
On the double page spread I feel I have again, used strong conventions, developed my own and also challenged them. The large headline introduces the artist, and as this is the main selling point on the front page I feel the headline had to be strong and bold as this is the main reason the audience has bought the magazine. I’ve also used another convention, pull quotes. These are main focus points as the audience will look at the pull quotes and pictures before reading the story, thus the pull quotes have to be shocking, interesting and some the artist up introducing his attitude and opinions on a topic. I’ve used a subheading, which introduces what the interview will be about, and also introduces the artists for readers who don’t know who the artist is, however are intrigued by the front cover. One convention which I’ve challenged, is the artists usually has one strong image on a double page spread, however instead I’ve used six separate images of which are all overlapped, I feel this represents the artists image however, it introduces the artists a little more, as I’ve used some photos which I’ve taken when I’ve been at a club and, for the reader it will seem a lot more private and intimate if you can see any ones private photos, it’s taking you into their world.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
I feel my media product both challenges and uses conventions which are used in professional media products. With conventions on my front page such as a Masthead is used, Pull quote, puffs, plugs and a main image. However, at the bottom of my front page, I feel I have challenged a convention as I have included a lure within my page which displays the names of musical artists which will be featured inside my magazine. The challenging aspect of this is instead of separating the musical artists into different musical genres I feel by placing them together I have widened my target audience for the magazine however, this is something in which NME magazine, or MOJO magazine would not necessarily display on their magazine front covers. NME and Mojo magazine seem to feature only one standard genre in there magazine where as I initially planned out to include many different artists as I personally, like to listen to a large range of music with various different genre: thus I found Rolling Stone magazine large inspiration within media product. The conventions I did use, where usually the most important features of a music magazine, such as a masthead which supplied a sharp, snappy name for the magazine which is easy to remember. A main focus point, being the central image; next to the image being the headline, underneath the headline is the subheading. I feel this are all important stylistic features for creating the magazine front cover more personal and an ideal way to attract potential audiences. The plug which is featured on my front page, ‘Your guide to the hottest gigs of 2009’ is a strong convention which was important to display as features like these are used to attract more audiences, and with the idea of competition with other media institutions, the stronger plugs there are, the more attention from audiences you are going to get. I feel I have also developed some unusual conventions which are only seen on a few magazine front covers, which is a tag line explaining what ‘EMF’ stands for, I retrieved this idea from NME magazine which they’ve also printed it as a tag line.
On the double page spread I feel I have again, used strong conventions, developed my own and also challenged them. The large headline introduces the artist, and as this is the main selling point on the front page I feel the headline had to be strong and bold as this is the main reason the audience has bought the magazine. I’ve also used another convention, pull quotes. These are main focus points as the audience will look at the pull quotes and pictures before reading the story, thus the pull quotes have to be shocking, interesting and some the artist up introducing his attitude and opinions on a topic. I’ve used a subheading, which introduces what the interview will be about, and also introduces the artists for readers who don’t know who the artist is, however are intrigued by the front cover. One convention which I’ve challenged, is the artists usually has one strong image on a double page spread, however instead I’ve used six separate images of which are all overlapped, I feel this represents the artists image however, it introduces the artists a little more, as I’ve used some photos which I’ve taken when I’ve been at a club and, for the reader it will seem a lot more private and intimate if you can see any ones private photos, it’s taking you into their world.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My front page, I feel represent artists, who make music because they’re passionate about it. The idea of the main image being eye level and direct mode of address allows the audience to connect with the artist and the way the image doesn’t seem glamorized it’s not creating any status division between the audience and the artist. The other artists which are featured with photographs are also not glamorised is anyway and are photographed, looking like they are having a good time; whatever they are doing. It’s representing the idea it is positive to exploit your opinions and be loud with the way you dress. I feel from the front page it comes across as a positive magazine; representing people, as who they are.
The double page spread, it’s representing the artists as someone who likes to party. However, the idea of some photographs being private, I feel again my magazine is exploiting the artist how he is, and what he likes to do in general: have fun! The idea of him being dressed in jeans and a thin jacket and out in the snow posing with silly faces, doesn’t represent the idea of him being serious all the time when he creates music, however he’s having a good time what ever he does.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Media institutions such as Rolling Stone would distribute my media product, as I feel is attracting more of a younger audience, whereas Rolling Stone magazine does seem to attract more of an older audience. However, I also feel NME could also distribute it, as NME magazine only seem to feature one genre which is indie-rock, I feel they would benefit for my magazine features most genres, not just one thus my magazine would appeal to a wider audience rather then a certain type of audience who only like one genre.
Who would be the audience of your media product? How did you attract/address your audience?
I feel my magazine attracts the audience for literally anyone who has a passion for music. On the other hand, I feel it could possibly attract the younger audiences more, rather then the older audience. I feel this because of the age of the artists featured, they are all young: thus the older audience may feel this magazine is not targeted at them. However I do feel my magazine is targeted at a both males and female audience and also targeted to different ethnic majorities. The bright colours however, I feel again reinstate the ideas of this magazine connecting with the younger audience, as the colours are bright and sharp and I feel are eye catching to the younger audience as I couldn’t picture a fifty year old man picking up a magazine with bright sharp colours displayed all over the front page.
I feel I attracted my audience, as on the front page I included both female and male artists. This was important as I feel I have to include as many different types of people, as this widens the target audience and also makes the magazine more interesting for the readers, for if the magazine only featured a certain type of bands, instruments and people and had hardly any variation, the potential audience will be narrow. On the front page, I placed a strong pull quote which does attract and intrigue audiences, as the pull quote it very mysterious and does not conclude what the artist was explaining in the pull quote, therefore the audience would have to buy the magazine to fully read the main story. A pull quote is a type of plug, which is there to lure the audience in to purchasing the magazine: it’s a strong selling technique and I feel mine is as strong as a professional music magazine front cover. The main focus point, being the image has being photographed at direct mode of address, which is inviting and eye catching to the audience, it also allows the audience to connect with the artists before purchasing the magazine. The idea of the main image being eye level, this automatically states there is no arrogance with this artists, also the audience and the artist are on the same level, it also states the idea of there is no status division again, between the artist and the audience which reinstates the idea of the artist being able to connect with the audience. I’ve used sharp colours, which I feel are eye catching and will attract particular audiences.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I’ve learnt a lot of things whilst creating my media project, one point would be how difficult it can actually be to create such a media product. A magazine front cover, has so much thought into it which I’d never expect it to have, and the way people who work for music magazines can just put a whole one together, every two weeks I think is amazing as I know how hard it is to complete a magazine front cover, never mind a full forty paged magazine! I originally thought Microsoft Publisher was a simple programme however, now I’ve used it for lots of different publications it’s a large eye opener to now know, what else publisher can do. I feel I’ve gained some more depth into using both Photoshop Elements, and also Microsoft publisher. However, I may have increased with confidence by using these professional programmes, however I still feel the best was to plan your work is simply pencil and paper. I’ve learnt a pencil and paper should never be discouraged as by the first planned drawing of your magazine, you can create so many ideas which is what a computer fails to do.
Looking back to the preliminary task, I feel I have definitely grown with my ideas and very much with my understanding of what a magazine features and includes. I feel I did learn from the mistakes which I made with my preliminary task, however I also established the contrast between each magazine and which features would be more common on one magazine where the other would have a totally different feature all together. I feel it did help establish my ideas for my music magazine by first completing the preliminary task, which seemed to be a good starting point, as music magazines I feel nearly attract all the same audience: a younger one and with creating a college magazine, you where able to already make a start on the music magazine without realising. I feel my knowledge with using programmes such as ‘Microsoft publisher’ and ‘Adobe Photoshop’ was first enhanced by first completing the preliminary task.
If I was honestly to complete this task again, the things I would do different would be down to planning: uploading all of my taken photos onto ‘Blogger’ and updating Blogger more as I tried new things, new ideas, new thoughts. I feel I’ve left a few of my first ideas which would have been positive for showing how my ideas have grown in this evaluation. I don’t believe I would have changed anything else with this task, as I feel I gave my ultimate and I am happy with the end result. I would have liked to spend a few more days on the project, thus I wish I created a timetable which organised how much I would spend on my magazine per night, however, I am overall happy with my end product.
