AS Media Evaluation

Molly-May Watson

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

real media products?My magazine maintained a consistent colour scheme throughout, of red, white and black, similar to Q and NME. These existing magazines are the same genre as mine, which is a blend between indie, rock and alternative. My magazine, IRM, which stands for Indie Rock Music, also uses a similar layout to the existing magazines above. For example, the placement of the masthead on the cover is in the top right hand corner, with cover lines around the main image, which fills the page. My magazine shows that it is mainly based on one artist, which is a conventions of music magazines. The name of the magazine is initials for a longer title, and consists of just letters, similar to Q and NME. I have challenged conventions of typical media products however, by using a taped photograph effect, but it still fits in with the edgy image of my magazine.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The language I have used in my magazine is informal which suits my target audience of 16-25 year olds, most likely working/lower-middle class. Also, my model is 16 years old, making them able to relate to her. The photos show her in casual, relaxed yet effortless and flattering positions, making the reader feel comfortable and gives the photographs a friendly theme. Her clothes are similar; very casual and all black, which is how I imagine my target audience to look and dress. The camera shots and angles aren’t from above or below, they are all level, showing the model to be ordinary and again, the target audience can relate to her, as she isn’t above them, despite being ‘famous’. The cigarette used in the photo shoot is convention of the rebellious ‘rock and roll’ genre which the hardcore/young alt tribe would relate to.

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

I think Bauer Media would distribute my product. This is because they distribute similar magazines to mine, such as Kerrang, Q and Mojo, showing they would invest in and distribute a magazine of similar genre, like mine. However, it is not completely the same, as it has other aspects that are different, so Bauer Media would want to grab the opportunity to distribute a product that would fill a gap in the market.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would be males and females aged between 16-25. It could possibly be seen to have a female skew due to the fact that the main model used is a female, and the audiences could relate to her easier if they are female. Also, women buy magazines more often, and would enjoy the ‘gossip’ feature of my magazine, shown on the front page. My target audience are of no specific ethnicity, however my model is eastern european, so this could draw in more eastern european females.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I researched successful magazines of the same genre such as Q and NME to look at features they included to draw in an audience similar to my target audience. I included a win/competition feature, which would draw in any reader, as they can gain a chance to win something. I also used an attractive model, so the female audience would aspire to be like her and the male audience would pick up my magazine because they aspire to have her. I used informal language to make the audience feel closer to the editor and see it is a friendly magazine. There is a letter from the editor, putting the audience at ease and giving the magazine a personal feel, as the readers feel like they are being personally addressed. Buzz words are also used such as “exclusive” and “inside” to grab the readers attention and give them the feeling that they have ‘special access to something that nobody else does.

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

I used my digital camera to take my pictures, instead of a phone camera, to ensure I had high quality images. It was useful, because I could use the screen to see what photos I had taken and make decisions about what ones to keep and what ones to delete. I used a scanner to scan in and upload sketches of my front cover, double page spread and contents page. These contributed to and gave evidence of my planning, whilst also making it easier to improve my products. I used Adobe Photoshop to manipulate my images and construct the layout of my magazine. It was also easy to add in fonts and graphics with this software. Google Chrome helped to build my project by allowing me to research existing magazines and use this information to develop and improve my own magazine. I also use the internet for my blog on Wix. I used the Microsoft Office package a lot for my coursework; I used Word to type up my double page spread drafts so that I could change it easily, rather than writing it on paper. I used PowerPoint to make a diary and show development of my pictures. I also made many other PowerPoints and put them on Slideshare, so that they could be viewed easily on my blog.

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

In the development from my preliminary task to my final products, I now have a better understanding of conventions of different genres of magazines, and learnt to use them to attract my target audience. I improved my Photoshop skills which made my magazine look more realistic in comparison to my preliminary. My photo shoot was a lot better for my main product, I had more locations, more poses and had a certain look (clothes and makeup) for my model to achieve. However, with my preliminary photos, it was opportunity and I photographed whatever my model was wearing and looked like that day, with a camera phone and in front of a moderately plain background.