1. AS Media Studies EvaluationBy Jasmine Aduhene

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? When I carried out my research on existing products like magazine front covers, contents pages and double page spreads I identified certain codes and conventions which existed in magazine covering rock music as a whole and indie rock music. There were many conventions that stood out in the existing products looked at, these conventions were:Page Numbers- The page numbers of a magazine are definitely a conventionwhich stood out, this is because page numbers are always on pages in magazinesin general, the page numbers and what will be on pages are also featured in thecontents pages of magazines a guide.Masthead- The masthead is also a very popular convention, because nomagazine is complete without a masthead. A masthead is the main source of amagazine and the same masthead is always on the magazine depending on thecompany/business. For example the Kerrang masthead will always stay the same,however the colour of it may change depending on the colour of the magazinefront cover.Fonts/Writing style- The conventions of fonts and the writing style of amagazine may always change, however the different sizes of the fonts may stay Page Number conventionsthe same because the size of font is probably chosen depending on which size is Masthead conventionsthe most legible.Colour scheme- Another popular convention when it comes to magazines is thecolour scheme of the magazine and whether it works. Magazines usually havecolour schemes relating to the genre and in this case my magazine is based onthe colours black, white red and purple which represent rock and purple tonrepresent the difference in indie rock.Style of photography- The style of the photography is basically based on thepose of the model and the camera angle on and in a magazine. In my magazinethe style of the photography is definitely represented through the poses of themodels. This convention exists in almost every magazine and the pose of themagazine often links to the theme and genre of the magazine. 3. How does your media product represent particular social groups?My media product was made with a specific audience in mind, this audience were people from the age of 16-25. My music magazinerepresents social groups that have a high interest in rock music and indie rock music, this Is because of the very musical them and thelimited edition guitar shown in the magazine. My music magazine doesnt really represent people of different class , however it maybe perceived as representing gender and different social groups.The dominant representation of my music magazine would definitely beage, this is because automatically when someone looks at my musicmagazine the it is most likely that their opinion will be that it is for ayoung audience, and anyone over the age of 26 wouldnt read mymagazine. This is definitely a stereo type. My magazine doesnt necessarily have a target gender, however stereotypically a music magazine which is indie rock themed will be aimed at males, however I incorporated purple into the magazine to aim it at both males and females because purple is seen as a feminine colour. On the other hand my magazine represents gender by having a visual male model, on the contents page there is a female model however her face is not visual.The readers of my music magazine may belong to social groups such as punks,hipsters, indie, goths and many more. My product is based on indie rock so ifanything it definitely represents the indie rock culture the most. It also has a linkto punk and goths because stereotypically they listen to rock music and lastly myproduct should definitely have a connection with the hipster culture, this isbecause the hipster culture and fashion definitely links to the indie fashion.My music magazine doesnt show young children however it shows a young adult, the young adult it showsis the model. Stereotypically my music magazine would only appeal to teenagers because there is ateenager featured in this magazine however that convention is challenged. 4. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? Publishing- The publishing company that I chose to publish my music magazine was the professional publishers association otherwise known as the PPA. I chose this company because there were no magazines that they had published that were similar to mine. I also chose this company because it is well known and publishes a lot of magazine for different well know companies. For example on the right hand side of this page I have put an image of a vogue magazine that the PPA have previously published. Another reason why I chose the PPA was because they also promote magazines for businesses, one way they do this is advertising them on their website. Distribution- The Distribution company I have chosen to distribute my music magazine is WWMD which is short for Worldwide magazine distributors. I chose this distribution company because they are world wide and because they have innovative magazine sales. It was important that I chose a distributor with innovative magazine sales because that means that my magazine sales would be high. An advantage of using this distribution company would be that they know how to increase my music magazine sales and a disadvantage would be that they try to increase the sales of my magazine and they are unsuccessful.I didnt include the distribution company on the front cover of my music magazine, this isbecause it would confuse the audience because it already has the PPA publishing logo on it.The PPA logo on the front cover ofmy magazine 5. Who would be the audience for your media product? The audience for my final product At the beginning of this product I did a lot of research to identify a potential audience for my research and planning stage, I also did a lot a lot of researching other products(magazines) and who their audience would be. Throughout this project I researched and noticed that my audience would be 16-24 year olds this is because of the feedback I got from my questionnaire. This age group is the most popular for music magazines because they are young but old enough to listen to every type of music and choose what they like, for example someone younger would not listen to music with rude words. The gender of my music magazine would definitely be both male and female, because rock music especially indie rock music has a lot of women in bands nowadays, and a lot of the ladies in the bands are lead singers. Sop this is where women become more involved with their genre of music. Through my questionnaire results it was evident that 4 more males answered it than females, however this doesnt show that the audience of my music magazine would be more men. I think that the audience of class for my music product would be everyone, it definitely doesnt matter what class someone is to read a music magazine, the only thing that matters is their interests and whether they are interested in reading an indie rock magazine. However some classes like the middle class may be more interested than other classes, so my audience would definitely be young adults and adults who are of any class and of any gender.These two slides are evidence of how I collected who the audienceof my media product would be. 6. How did you attract/address your audience?When making my magazine an initial idea was to attract an audience, I worked on doing this by researching indie rock music andresearching who my target audience would be, because without a target audience I wouldnt know who my magazine wouldappeal to the most. On and inside my music magazine I chose to attract my target audience to my magazine firstly by the bright,attractive colours of my magazine and the pose of the model with the retro, wooden looking guitar. On my contents page themethod I used to attract my audience was to get a rebellious image, and that image was of a model flicking her hair, this attractsthe audience because of the sharp red colour I used and what the colour red sands for, which is passion, I also used the colourred because it is an attention grabbing colour. On the double page spread the way in which I chose to attract the audience wasto make half of the double page spread a full image which fully represents music, and also by the colours of my font.The audiences definitely has an impact that plays a very huge part in the making of the magazine, I had to makesure that my music magazine addressed my audience. In honesty I dont really think my music magazineaddressed my audience that much because I didnt use a conversational approach in my text however makingmy double page spread title Why is Indie so Indie, invited the audience in and not only had the answer in thedouble spread but also gives the audience a chance to answer that question or ask themselves, why indie is soindie.This is an example of how I used text to address the audience, Iused quotation marks to make it seem more conversational, likesomeone is peaking to the audience.This image attracts the audience more than addressing them ,this because it looks as though the model in this image is playingto a bunch of people. 7. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?In order to do this whole process of making my indie rock themed music magazine I used avariety of software and equipment, all of these equipment and software enabled me to make mymagazine, and make the production of it more realistic. Below are the listed equipment anddifferent type software and websites I used. Photoshop- Throughout this whole process I used Photoshop, from start to finish, Photoshop played a very important role in the making of my music magazine, it enabled me to edit the photos I took, make the front cover, contents page and double page spread of my magazine. I also used Photoshop in the beginning to make my style sheets and my flat pitches, my preliminary task and my mood board.Microsoft Word- Throughout this process I didnt use Microsoftword a lot. I used Microsoft word to research indie rock andindie fashion. I thought this was efficient because I didnt wantevery form of how I present my work to be the same. 8. Google Chrome- I used Google Chrome and Googleas my main source of research on indie rock andimages for my mood board. Google chrome wasvery important because without the internet Iwould have been able to blog my work.Nikon/Canon camera- At the verybeginning of this magazine makingprocess I used these two types ofcameras to take the photos. I t wasessential that I used these cameras beingthey produce really good quality photos.Apple Mac computer- To do this whole process I usedapple Mac computers, these computers were difficultto use at the start due to the different software,however I did get used to using them. 9. Microsoft PowerPoint- When working on the blogging of the whole process if my music magazine I used Microsoft PowerPoint to analyse magazine covers, magazine contents pages and other magazine double page spreads, I also used it to analyse my questionnaire results. As well as doing that I am now using it to make a complete evaluation.Slideshare- I used Slideshare to post my PowerPointpresentation, I chose to use Slideshare because I found thatit was the easiest way to upload my PowerPointpresentation to my blog. I also found that putting myPowerPoint on slideshare made it very easy to access.WordPress- Throughout this project I used Wordpress,Wordpress is a blogging website and every piece ofwork I did went on Wordpress. 10. Survey Monkey- Throughout this process of finding out whatI need for my music magazine and how it came across to anaudience when it was finished, I used survey monkey, surveymonkey was very convenient and all I had to do was post alink onto my blog to give easy access to those who wanted toanswer my questionnaires. Paint- Through this process I used paint to changefiles and images into JPEG images at home, this isbecause I didnt have Photoshop at home and itwas the only alternative. I also used paint to cropimages as well as turn them into JPEG images.DaFont /1001 free fonts- In order to get some of thefonts for my music magazine like the mast head I visitedthese two websites, DaFont.com and 1001 free fonts,these websites were very good because they had avariety of fonts to choose from which related to thetheme of my magazine. The way in which I used thesewebsites was that I got the fonts I wanted and savedthem to Photoshop. 11. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?At the beginning of this magazine making process I made a preliminary task, this preliminary taskmagazine on the left was made when I was just getting started and knew nothing about Photoshop. Iproduced this preliminary task without any research, very little planning and very little knowledge of thesoftware and hardware I was using. I think that overall I did a good job however it took time an d patienceto get my head around Photoshop. Although I produced this preliminary magazine without anyknowledge of software I managed to learn how to put text in front of the image, change the colour andsize of the text and choose my preferred font. I also learned how to alter the image by using the croppingtool, place a barcode I got from the internet on the bottom left of the page and place the mastheadbehind the model. One of the most important steps of using Photoshop was using layers, I learned how touse the layers correctly in order to put everything into place.Whilst learning how to make my music magazine I was able to develop a lot of skillsusing Photoshop and other websites like survey monkey and slideshare. I learnt how tocrop and edit images using tools such as contrasting tools and the black and white tools.I also learnt How to use the font tools to change colour and size of the fonts.When comparing my preliminary task front cover to final front cover, it was very noticeable that theappearance of my preliminary task was very basic, this is because it doesnt have a lot of detail on itand there are not many skills being shown. However on my final front cover the skills are beingshown and there is more detail. The skills being shown are the different range of colours, which lie inthe fonts, another skill is the masthead, this is because the masthead font in not basic and was nottaken from the Photoshop option, I downloaded off the internet so that was also a skill I learnt.Making the background image black and white was also a skill I learnt because I didnt just make itblack and white I played around wit the image a little bit to make some aspects darker than otherslike his hair and some lighter like his arm and his shirt, this is also why I took the background awayfrom the from the barcode because it is Perfectly clear to see because the models shirt I white.All of these developments led to my final product and were also evident in my double page spreadand my contents page. 12. Evaluation questionnaire feedbackIn my evaluation questionnaire I asked 10 questions in a whole, these ten questions basically were asked to anaudience of people to find out what they thought of my music magazine, the way it made them feel and many otherquestions relating to the magazine . Below I will explain and describe what these ten questions meant and how mymusic magazine was seen in the eyes of an audience. I got 1o people to answer my questionnaire.What kind of genre does the magazine make you think of?- When asking this question it was very important that thetheme of my magazine was identified, all of the audiences selected that they thought my magazine was of Rockgenre, this showed that I was able to get information and tips from the first questionnaire I had made from theaudience and turn those tips into a magazine that would reflect what I purposely aimed to make.Which of the following aspects catches your eye first when you look at the front cover?-When looking at the frontcover, showing from the answers I received on survey monkey, it was evident that the most attractive aspects of thefront cover firstly was the pose of the model, which received 100% of votes, however I allowed this question to havemultiple options and the audience were allowed to select more than one answer. The other aspects which werechosen that caught the eye of the audience on the front cover was the photograph, the colour scheme and the text.How do you feel when you look at the front cover?- I asked this question purposely to find out how my musicmagazine makes the audience feel and what sense they have when they look at it, the responses were mainly thatthey felt it goes with the theme of the magazine, and it gave them an insight of what is inside the magazine. Theaudience also felt that it is a good magazine that is full of interesting and fun things to read and look at, otherspointed out the fact that the front cover looked very powerful and had that impact, mainly due to the pose of themodel.Is the title a direct representation of the magazines theme? Why?- When asking this question the response Ireceived on survey monkey was that 90% of people who answered my questionnaire said yes and the remaining 10%said no, the reason why that person said no was because they thought the name collaboration was not versatileenough for an indie rock magazine, however on the other hand the reason why others said yes was because the namecollaboration represents music in a way in which the beats, the tunes and people work together to form one, or inanother form collaboration stands for people coming together and performing music like in a band. In addition to thisone person linked the representation to the title because it fades and has a fiery red colour. 13. Evaluation questionnaire feedbackAfter looking at the front cover, would you like to know more about the genre featured in the double spread and why?- Whenasking this question I aimed to find out whether my music magazine seemed and looked interesting enough to make my targetaudience want to know more about the genre featured in the double page spread, the responses I got were that they wanted to knowmore about the genre they also wanted to know more about the artist featured in the double page spread, however my musicmagazine is not based on the artist and is more based on the genre of indie rock.Does the image and the font on the front cover help you to understand the genre and contents of the magazine and why?- Whenasking this question, I wanted to obtain information on what impact the image and the font on the front cover had, and whether myaudience could understand by looking at these what the genre and the contents of the magazine would be. The feedback I got back onsurvey monkey was that the audience said that the font and image represents rock and roll and stays true to the genre I amrepresenting in my magazine, other answers were that the look and the pose of the model with a retro, vintage style guitar remindsthem of indie rock music.If any part of the magazine was set out differently, do you think it would be more effective- which part and why?-This question was asked because I wanted to know my faults with the magazine and how it could have been more effective. Some ofthe audience that answered said that if the double page spread was laid out differently it would have more effect sand also If the fonton the double page spread was more legible then it would be more effective. Others said the positioning of the text would have madethe magazine more effective because it would be easier to read. Lastly 30% of the people who answered my questionnaire thoughtthat the magazine was laid out really well and no other changes could have been made to make it more effective.What do you think the whole magazine is trying to communicate?- I chose to ask this question to an audience of people to finally seewhether my music magazine represented indie rock, and rock at its most, despite indie being at the front of the magazine. Theaudience thought that the front cover went perfectly well with the indie rock theme, in the questionnaire it was also answered thatthe magazine communicated how versatile rock music can be and that fashion does lie within indie rock music.Does the layout of the magazine appeal to its intended audience and why?- The layout of the magazine was not what I planned it tobe fully because the double page was definitely not what I planned in my flat plan however the front cover was and the contents pageincludes some aspects of what I planned. However the answers to this question were that it appeals to a young audience, and alsothat the layout is interesting and draws the readers focus and the use of different colours also makes the magazine better to readDo you think the ages and the genre of this are shown to be realistic and interesting and why is this so?- An answer to this questionanswered by the audience was Yes, I think that rock is shown to be realising and the people in the images portray rock genre and someof the audience said that they thought the theme and genre of the magazine was researched and not just written through little knowledge and this is why t isshown to be realistic. 14. Self EvaluationIn order to made this music magazine I had to use a lot of new software s and websites I had never used before, forexample Photoshop and Word Press. At first these were quite hard to get my head around and figure howeverything worked, however as I became used to using them, everything got a lot more easier. This music magazinealso made me realise that with practice on Photoshop my skills definitely did get better, because I didnt start offon the best foot.Layout On my music magazine , I tried to position everything in a way that anyone could easily recognise thatevery part(front cover, contents page and double page spread) of my music magazine had a link and that they wereconnected. The layout of my contents page definitely worked out how I pictured, because of the colours used andhow I edited the image and all of the text included onto it. On my contents page I went for a simple look with alarge image, and a simple listed contents, the impact of this is that it is easy for an audience to access, becausetheir eyes only have to slide down the page . On my double page I think that I could have worked on the layout alittle bit more and included more font. However I think that everything does flow due to the fact that the imagestaken link and are of the same person and all look very indie.Background- The background on my double page spread where the text lies is white, the white background makesit a lot easier to read the text, however the font of the text is not that easy to read. The background to the contentspage is also very clear, and there is very easy access to read the font.Content- The content of my magazine is about indie rock, and indie fashion and how they are portrayed, I think itsquite interesting however I could have included a little bit more information, and more imagery on indie fashion, inthe double age spread of my music magazine. I t also could have seen more detailed, .because that would give theaudience a stronger insight of a indie rock. In my opinion the content of my front cover looked very detailed anddefinitely would catch my eye.Pictures The images that I took and edited for my magazine definitely suit my work because of the pose of themodel on my front cover and my double page spread, I think it was important that I kept the same model to showthe link in the magazine. I think that they are interesting mainly because of the way they are posing , and anotherbonus is that the picture quality for my music magazine is quite clear, so that makes it more appealing to my targetaudience. 15. Self EvaluationColours In order to choose the correct colours for my indie rock themed magazine I used the answers in thequestionnaire made, most people voted for the three colours: White, Black and Red, I think it was important that Iwent with what a selected audience said because when making a magazine it is most important to know what mytarget audience wanted . I think that these colours did work very well, in addition to that I chose to incorporatepurple into my final front cover to give it that uniqueness, and a difference when comparing to the contents anddouble page spreads. I think that my Front cover is the most attractive out of all the pages I created, this is becauseit has a lot more going on and looks quite realistic.Font styles On my contents page, in order to get my masthead I visited a website called DaFonts , I think this fontwas very effective and represents rock to the fullest, I used a basic font for the rest of the front cover and alsoincluded some italics, and they were easy to read. The font style on my contents page was also very basic and was aCalibri font, I think this is the easiest font to read in the whole magazine and definitely suited the rest of my work.Lastly my double page spreads font was quite trick to get right, I dont think that it is easy to read however I thinkthat the different choice of colour makes It more eye-catching, however that chosen font does not suit my work.Readability I think that the double page spread font is hard to read due to my bad choice of font, however therest o the font on my contents page and font cover are a lot easier to read . There is also easy access when makingour way around each page, because it each page is not bombarded with a large amount of font.House Style The set theme of my music magazine is Indie Rock, how it came about and the fashion that lieswithin the indie theme, I chose this set theme because I thought that it was very interesting and there was a lot tofocus on, and also because it is a very creative theme, and that there were no standards. I think that this set themof indie rock allowed me to easily match everything so in this case, everything does work well together.