1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In my research I looked at conventions of a music magazine, what looked successful and what didn't, and how a feature could be manipulated to be more suited and appropriate. I looked at various features such as, layout, masthead, images, colours too see what conventions worked with different magazines. I found that magazines with promotional offers on the front cover we're much more appealing to potential readers. I have used two offers on my front cover, one advertising festival tickets, and another advertising a free poster offer inside the magazine. I thought that both of these promotional offers would appeal to my audience as festivals are something that is of interest to my audience retaining and attracting a larger readership.
From looking at music magazine I saw that they had a variety of different shots as there front cover image. But most commonly they used mid shots, closeups, or full body shots. I developed this by using a mid shot with a neutral eye level angle. I found this shot out of the many different shot I took and trailed using was the most engaging as the shot angle is eye level the eye contact makes the image look very captivating and direct as the subjects face shows a lot of emotion. I chose to manipulate my image different to perhaps how some magazine would usually, by editing the contrast,brightness and tones in the image, I feel it gives a alternative image which challenges the normal front cover image of a music magazine.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media product is a music magazine which focuses on the rock/indie genre of music, and my primary audience is teenagers, both male and female and secondarily music enthusiasts. The images on my magazine are of artists who all suit this genre of music, typically they look 'rocky' (messy hair, t-shirts, hoodies etc). I have fairly represented the people who are in my magazine, my audience middle class and all of the same age range (primary audience), who all have a similar interest in rock/indie genre of music. They could be stereotyped as a outrage, eccentric and careless. However my magazine doesn't imply that this is how they are. There is a few comments that comply with this stereotype however it doesn't unfairly portray them, I was very careful of this when creating my magazine, as a inaccurate representation of the audience could lose readership, offend or annoy my audience. I have used specific language to appeal to my audience, word like 'epic' 'bring it on' and 'gigs' are words that my audience frequently use, by using speaking in there socialect it makes the magazine seem more understandable and like it is a friend speaking to them, it may also make the audience have more trust in the writers opinions so they continue to read there reviews or articles.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I would like/could see my media product being distributed in various places:
- local news agents & supermarkets ( making it very convenient for any person to pick up a copy of the magazine)
- larger stationary/book stores, such as, waterstones/whsmiths. (large distribution throughout England in various places: service stations, airports, petrol stations, shopping centres)
- subscriptions ( allows repeat buyers to subscribe, free gifts can also be used to encourage people to subscribe. This will maintain a annual readership as they are set as year long contracts)
- specialist music shops ( as my magazine is indie/rock music shops that specialise in this genre of music, places that sell merchandise, cd/records, products, clothing.)
Where I would like my magazine to be published:
- IPC Media - publishers on NME I feel that IPC would have a good understanding of the market and conventions that sell, as they are publishers one of the most successful music magazines. NME is similar to my media product, I feel that it would be a good publisher to use as they realise what is appropriate to the same genre and target audience, whilst being able to differentiate between the two products, giving both who equal selling points.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Originally when doing my research I decided on my primary audience being teenagers both male and females who have a interest in indie/rock music. My secondary audience was older middle class people who have a interest in the genre of music, but perhaps wouldn't be as interesting in some of the content as the primary audience would be. Once I had created my media product, the audiences slightly changed, the primary audience age range is now more suited to people from 16-24, I found that once it had been made the magazine was more suited to slightly old people, not just teenagers 13-19. I found this was because of some of the storeys and offers would be more appealing to a slightly older audience like festivals and tickets. However my secondary audience stayed the same.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
I tested and asked my target audience about there preference on certain aspects of my magazine such as the colour scheme, layouts, images and name of the magazine. I felt that this insured that the features of my magazine we're totally suited to my audiences aesthetic choices.
I used the language my audience uses in everyday speech to address my audience in a way that they trust and understand, instead of sounding too sophisticate or patronising.
The content of my magazine is of topics or issues that would interest my audience, such as bands/artists that my audience have a interest in. Ive also included free offers such as festival tickets and also free posters. Following the uses and gratification theory this is a key element in gaining readership as the audience feels as if they are getting something out of purchasing the magazine, Also giving them what the information they want/interested in.
I tested my products with a focus group of my target audience to see what they like about the product, and what they felt could be improved, I then altered them to suit my audiences preferences:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IQsD01oacQ
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Constructing my product has made me aware of different techniques and skill that are involved in the creation of a magazine. Photo editing is a very key element to having a successful magazine, as it is the images which attract and engage the audience instantly. The original photographs can often look dull and photo editing can create the certain look that you want in your magazine. For example, my front cover image, I edited the scale of contrast making the image a lot sharper and refined making it a much stronger image. I also changed the brightness on the image making it slightly dark, which I feel looks appropriate for this genre of music magazine.
In the creation of the magazine I learned how to use publisher fully, and various tools such as removing the background on a image[used in my double page spread] to create a more professional effect. By using publisher it enabled me to experiment with different text types, sizes and colours which I found a useful tool in enabling me to perfect my publications. I also found that publisher was useful in being able to accurately place and move images so that I could place then where I felt was best suited.
The format where we publish the research and cover is blogspot.com which is a new website which allows to publish and share all the information and products that I have created. I have learnt from this because it is a new process which I haven't used yet. I found it was a good way to create the coursework as It allowed me to access my work wherever I was and gave me to ability it edit, also to asking questionnaires and submit results from my testing.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task was a taster and a learning experience that gave me a insight into different types of magazine publications.It gave me the chance to trial different skills and techniques which I would possibly use in my main task. The research that I carried out into both my preliminary and main task made me realise that the more thorougher and in depth research that I carried into conventions of successful and unsuccessful publications led me to be able to pick out what I want to use, and what I didn't want to use. So I ensured that my tasks looks as professional as possible. The preliminary task led to me being able to adapt skills that I had acquired into my main task, eg photo editing, use of certain colours, language used and aesthetic effects.
I found that trialing and testing my product by asking my target audience about there choice on masthead, colour scheme, and layout was a good idea as I wanted my magazine to appeal to my audience as much as possible. This is a critical step that I didn't take in my preliminary, but I took in my main task, I found this was vital in insuring that my publication suited my audiences preferences.
The preliminary task and the main task showed me how depending on the genre and primary and secondary audience you have to suit your magazine different to each of there needs. This was done through, language used, images, portrayal of social groups and the general aesthetics of the products.
