Evaluation Question 7

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

Overall, looking back at my preliminary task and my final products and pieces, I feel that I have improved most on my knowledge on computer programming and how to use colours, language and layout effectively for my coursework. On the prelim task I used Microsoft word to construct and edit my music magazine. However in this product I have managed to accesses a more advanced technology known as Adobe Photoshop. With this I had so many more options available to edit photos and text, etc. I also feel I have improved on my knowledge of codes and conventions for media and how they are used in the magazine industry. Doing more magazine analysis and reading over conventions in more depth.

Secondly I have improved using my camera. At the start it took me a while to get the right angle and lighting for my pictures. However in this project the knowledge come to me a lot quicker and with practise I got a lot better at using my camera and knowledge of lighting. I learnt more about editing the contrast and saturation of photos in order to make certain things stand out and draw the attention more of the target audience. Also the props used in my photographs related to my audience a lot more accurately and were a direct mode of address to the readers that the magazine was about the Dubstep genre. (See my folders for these photographs).

Evaluation Question 6

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

Whilst I was creating this product I learned a lot of information on many designing websites such as Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Fireworks and Cinema 4D. I learned a lot of information on Photoshop when going through the process to create my magazine. Microsoft Word seeing as I am very familiar with this program as I use it for most of my work. However, I soon found whilst trying to design my draft that there are many limitations to using this program such as you can't edit photos very well on it and that things overall aren't very easy to move around and position etc. I therefore downloaded the trial of Photoshop. This benefited me very well as I could go into further editing to make my magazine more visually interesting as a product. For example my artist images appear to have a white background. To do this I selected round the artist in the image carefully then secondly inversed the select to the background, after doing that I turned the background white with the brush tool or I even deleted the background completely. Doing this means I can then use the image on any background as there will be no elements of distraction in the image and no existing background to the image will be shown.

As you can see on my from my first prelim task front cover to my music magazine front cover I have improved a lot on visual interest. On my prelim task I used Microsoft word on all of this and didn’t have access to Photoshop. However on my music magazine I did have access. This therefore improved my editing skills and I could go into further skill and techniques to improve my magazine covers. For example the text is alot harder to see on my prelim magazine front cover as the background is busy and full of different shades of colour. However on my music magazine front cover i have removed the background around the main image so the text is 100% visible with no elements of distraction. I also learnt about pixelating images and making them fit perfectly on the page so that it didn't stretch the pixels. This was some of the main feedback I got on all my pieces about how the images seemed pixelated. This was because I had set the dimensions for the Photoshop page too big compared to the photo dimensions I was trying to put on there. This was something I never knew about before so this will probably come in handy in the future to know.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

I have designed my product to appeal top my target audience in many ways. Firstly I have used informal language to appeal to the younger audience (14-25). As a lot of my target audience will be students and teenagers middle class and working class they will be used to reading information informally. This would therefore be more comfortable to them. Secondly the main image and other images used in my magazine show a dubstep artist ages 18. This music artist is a similar age to the audience, therefore this would make the audience feel more comfortable and involved with the magazine as the artist is liked the reader.  Thirdly on my magazine front cover I have used puffs like “Win an £15 ITunes voucher” to attract the younger audience to the magazine. ITunes has become very popular over the last 5 years and is used a lot by college students and teenagers. Therefore offering them a free voucher would be suitable for this situation. Also Dubstep is a new genre to the world today. It has become popular with the younger male audience all over the world. Therefore Dubstep seemed a suitable genre of music to feature in my magazine and to attract my audience. As Dubstep is listened to more by the male audience I then decided a masculine colour scheme used in my magazine would then make the male audience feel comfortable and not embarrassed to read the magazine. Also on my contents page I have used a student style layout and design to attract my audience. For example I have used crimpled paper as a background with post-it notes as the article space. I did this as a lot of students will read my magazine and therefore this will fit to their study lifestyle. Lastly the article on my DPS references to a lot of teenage dreams. For example I told a story of an artist on how he become famous making the music he loved. This is an everyday teenagers dream as they want to become “Super Stars”. This would therefore get the readers excited and involved with the magazine.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the target audience for your media product?

My core target audience would be a male audience ages 14 – 25. I gained the exact right information that would help along the development if my music magazine. From the results the target audience was ages 14 – 25 of the male gender. I kept the colour scheme masculine and bold so the male audience would feel comfortable reading this and not feel embarrassed.

The Dubstep genre evolved from other genres of music such as UK garage and drum and bass. Therefore other groups of people may look into my magazine and buy it as the genre is closely related to others.

All these genres are very popular in the 14 – 25 age groups. Therefore amongst the teenagers there interest would be shared and also be very familiar.

Dubstep started getting popular around late 2009, early 2010 and according to my research a lot of teenagers listen to Dubstep all around the globe. And Dubstep artist range from aged 16 - 25 Therefore the 14- 25 age group its perfect for this magazine and is the ideal audience to present this to.

Evaluation Question 3

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

For my magazine I think that either a large media institution that covers a lot of music genres such as drum and bass and Dubstep will distribute my media product. For example “Ministry of sound” would be a perfect media institution to distribute my product. Firstly they are one of most popular media institutions around the globe and focus on a wide variety off genres of music. Such as drum and bass, Dubstep, techno and many more dance genres. This would therefore be a suitable media institution to publish my magazine as it’s of the Dubstep genre and my magazine cover references to music what the ministry of sound have produced.

Other larger labels such as UMG (Universals Music Group) have publishing rights all over the world. Therefore this would be able to reach a wider target audience. This would then create synergy between the magazine and media institution as two companies combine to create a finished product. The finished product would be the music magazine and the media institution “UMG” or Ministry of Sound” will sponsor and distribute the magazine.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine represents mainly the younger audience ages 14 - 25 mainly males who are middle/lower class

I priced my magazine at £2.99 which would represent to the younger audience as college students/ teenagers do not have a lot of spare cash.  Also people who listen to Dubstep would be stereotypically described as middle/lower class people. £2.99 was the common price which people would be willing to pay according to my questionnaire.

The name of my magazine was a direct mode of address to the genre of music “Dubstep” as a lot of Dubstep artist compete to get the best “drop” , its also easy to pronounce and quite snappy. This made the name memorable as possible, “TheDrop” and would be remembering by teenagers and college students. Secondly Dubstep is more listened to by the male audience so therefore I took a masculine approach to the magazine. I did this by using a taking a masculine colour scheme “Black and white” and using it throughout the magazine. The main image is a male Dubstep artist and he is used throughout the magazine. He is around the age of 18 and a lot of teenagers today idolise male artists and therefore is good approach to present him on the magazine. The fact he is presented in casual clothes may invite the readers into the magazine as the readers may feel they are similar to him and would therefore be involved deeper with the magazine. I also used emotive language such as “Exclusive” and “best” to draw teenage people into the magazine as they would want to be the first to know the music news.

The language used was quite relaxed and informal also I used bold eye-catching fonts to direct the reader around the magazine which makers it easier to understand. The magazine on the contents and front cover is easy at quick to read this then prepares them for the main article as a lot of college students to not have the time to read a lot of text.

Evaluation Question 1

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

How I used them…

I designed my logo for my magazine so that it conformed to the normal codes and conventions, as most music magazine have a bold title with sometimes it going slightly behind the main image or another feature. This is normally a sign that the magazine is already well recognised which is why I did it to my magazine, as well it meaning that it is using the conventions. Secondly my music magazine front cover also contains an image which follows the similar layout, shot type and structure of a lot of other music magazines. My front cove has a main headline quote to focus on “I finally got into the charts”, I found included in a lot of music magazines today.  Thirdly my cover uses puff’s such as “Win a £15 iTunes voucher”. In a lot of music magazine today they will have music industry related puffs or festival tickets. My contents page uses the typical feature of “exclusive” text to lure the reader in to the magazine and read further on.  Lots of “DJ” magazines always use the phrase “Exclusive artist”. This then makes the reader feel special that he is finding out about exclusive information. My double page spread uses an eye catching bold font as the main article heading. This is then a direct mode of address to the viewer the article is about a certain genre of music. My front cover, contents page and double page spread all use images relevant to the genre of music. For example the image on the front cover is a artist holding a sub-woofer. A subwoofer is what makes Dubstep and its what emphasises the sounds of Dubstep. Therefore if the reader saw this they would instant know the the magazine is about a bass genre such as drum and bass or Dubstep.

How I challenged the conventions…

My main image overlapped the masthead. This is because the main image appeared stronger and more dominant the masthead itself. The image is a direct mode of address that signifies to the audience the magazine is about Dubstep. Secondly I rotated the “Artist titles and incentives” 180 degrees so they appear down the side of the page. This is a different approach to present text as a lot of music magazines have then cover lines and headlines straight on the page. Therefore it gives the cover visually interesting. Also it also points to the main picture so the viewer’s eyes read the cover line and then their focus is brought to the main picture.

How I developed the conventions.

On my front cover, DPS and contents page I have used different designs throughout. The colour schemes vary a bit but, along it’s the same lines. This makes the magazine more visually interesting and each new page is different and therefore excites the viewer and there’s always something new for the viewer to explore. However I have used the same artist image throughout the magazine as the main article is about that artist. This will intrigue the viewer throughout the magazine leading up to the DPS as the readers will want to read about the artist.