First draft – Front cover analysis:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? My media product conforms to a conventional structure of a magazine, as it has a masthead, cover line, a main image, bar code, date line, main cover line, model credit and left third. What is more it that my media product conforms stereotypical to the indie/rock genre as it uses the conventional colours of red and white. This was inspired by the magazine ‘NME’, this is because it use the colour scheme of red and white, which are the 2 main colours portrayed by this screen shot of many ‘NME’ front covers, as the colours of red and white are the main wash of colours. This colour scheme does not only relate to a conventional structure yet also establishes a lifestyle (will be mentioned in more detail later). On the other hand my media product challenges the layout/structure of an indie/rock magazine (NME) as it meets a borderline area of the 2 layouts in which ‘NME’ usually follow. The majority of ‘NME’ front covers follow this chaotic/crowded layout such as...

1 2

My media products layout is not as crowded and chaotic as front cover number 1 however it is not as simplistic as easy as front cover number 2. My media product does not completely conform to the conventional layout of both NME front covers highlighting a developed, creative and individual product as it meets middle ground in-between both magazine covers and it also has a sense of creativity due to the unzipped zipper concept.. This convention also relates to the reader (will be mentioned in more detail later). My media product highlights an original concept in which I consider ‘NME’ not to have much or. I consider ‘NME’ as original but not as creative as much due to that concept. How does your media product represent particular social groups? The main cover image demonstrates that my product is aimed at teenagers due to the teenage girl on the front of the cover. The front cover also suggests that this product is aimed at teenagers who have a general interest in music hence the band T-shirt/amp and through the use of cover lines and the left third as they all establish something music related e.g. recording contract. Furthermore the colour scheme also relates to the conventional reader. These colours do not only relate to the genre yet to the public audience, as red connotes passion and desire in which the majority of aspiring musicians and even teenagers will have. Conversely it may also connote danger and recklessness, the trap in which many rock stars and teenagers can find themselves in. The main image establishes the assumed appearance a reader should have: rather dark clothes, tights/skinny trousers, band t-shirts (or in terms character tees) and ruffled/edgy hair. The model looks directly into the camera, giving this endless, not caring glare alluring to the conventional image of a reckless, ‘I can do what I want’ mentality of a teenager. Additionally for its crowded/chaotic structure whereas my product follows more of a simplistic structure, again mirroring the susceptible lifestyle of an audience member as an indie/rocky person are according to their stereotype to lead very simplistic and easy-going lifestyles. Who would be the audience for your media product?

My audience for my media product is aimed mainly at teenagers, aged 13-19.

Teenagers who have a general love for music and a desire to pursue a music career.

Teenagers who are interested in the party lifestyle.

Teenagers who go to musical festivals.

The teenagers who read this are likely to be in a band.

Easy going and easy living teenagers.

Teenagers who are of a working class.

Wealthier teenagers are unlikely to read my media product, as it is not aimed at them.

The price of my magazine is £2.00, as it is aimed at school/college teenagers and students who are not going to have much money therefore it has to be reasonably priced according to my audience.

How did you attract/address your audience? My questionnaire results featured as an enablement tool for me to attract my target audience. As the majority of my candidates whom took the questionnaire were teenagers, this allows me to address and attract my audience directly and where they are at and according to what they think.

The results stated that competitions would appeal to my target audience, so in which I added a cover line stating a competition in which a recording contract could be won e.c.t.

The majority of the votes when asked what the target audience wanted to feature in the magazine rocketed stating that the target audience would mainly want the magazine to feature articles. I appealed to my audience by addressing this via the main cover line, which runs ‘exclusive interview with Code Red.’

The main image of a teenage girl also addresses my audience as the majority of them are teenagers. Also this issue I believe will attract a balance of female and male readers, as the main image being a female relates to many girls just simply because she is a female. Whereas it will also address many males due to the young and attractive girl on the front.

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

Looking back at the preliminary task, I believe I have learnt a lot according to how a media product

and why it needs to relate to the social group, also the different features magazines are made up of.

This is shown evidently as the preliminary task was made on Microsoft Publisher therefore was not

as professional as my actual task, which was made on Photoshop. My skills have developed as my

preliminary task was highly rushed and not well thought about or even planned out; this is shown

through the un-cropped image, condensed/squished images and unaligned text. However it does

conform slightly to the typical layout of a newsletter, following an article on the front page

accompanied by images. It also has a big, bold and contrasting masthead. Similarly, my actual media

product also follows these conventions e.g. masthead, main image and cover lines e.c.t. However

the quality of the photographs have progressed in quality this is due to the difference in quality of

camera’s yet it is also due to the editing tools available in Photoshop e.g. airbrushing, contrast e.c.t.

Also the layout is presented more professionally and not rushed, the colour scheme and

organisation of text and size/font highlights this.