1. Josie Bury Media Studies AS: Foundation Portfolio

2. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

• QUESTION 1.

3. Conventions and Genres

• The music genre I based my music magazine on was Indie/Pop .

• I researched many internet sources such like to current top 40 charts for a clearer idea on ratings and popularity.

• Producing background research of the current music chart gave me a clear selling point and target audience.

4.

• FRONT COVER

• I supported typical conventions of a music magazine such like the logo, subheadings, straplines and images. Using these key conventions is vital when producing the front page of a print product, the public want to known what there buying and what they will get from it.

5. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD Title of article Article Imagery Challenging conventions with editing techniques

6. CONTENTS PAGE Images of main artists Sub-Heading List of main contents of the magazine

7.

• Although I developed these conventions I challenged them with a different style of composition. Editing was the main impact that gave the magazine a different edge to all the current common music magazines. My magazine had an artistic hint to it, which I felt complimented the Indie/Pop genre in a sophisticated style. Indie styles and conventions are known as unique and edgy. Pastel sepia colours, fashion, bands and singer-song-writers are all typical expectations from the target audience I have aimed at.

FINAL PRINT PRODUCTS

8. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

• QUESTION 2

9.

• I have represented Indie mainstream music with artistic cultural conventions and styles. The artists portray this style as they feature in the magazine and make it the Indie genre it is. The celebrities make social links with the public who purchase the media product. I find that the artists are at similar social statuses as their fans.

• My target audience reaches out to both genders, but the artistic conventions may appeal more to females. My magazine is open to all race, culture or nationality. I have targeted my audience on an age range of 16-30, as this age group is most intrigued and entertained by this type of media. Working class-Lower middle class is the social status barrier I aim at.

10. I have proved my target audience works, as the audience I tested my print product on found the conventions supported generic magazines. My test audience was specifically young and of the working social class which met the requirements of my target audience.

11. Question 3 What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

12.

• The two main producers and distributors of magazines in the music institution IPC and Emap.

• Most magazines are produced by IPC as it is supports the more popular media institution.

13. IPC Media

• IPC Media (formerly International Publishing Corporation ), a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Inc., is a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a large portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year

• IPC Media groups its current titles under five magazine divisions:

• Connect (women's weeklies such as Now Magazine and Look)

• Inspire (leisure and specialist)

• Ignite! (men's lifestyle and entertainment),

• SouthBank (women's lifestyle and home interest)

• TX (portfolio of television titles).

Source: Wikipedia

14. Emap

• "EMAP" is an acronym, standing for East Midland Allied Press

• It is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines

• It has 20 magazines in its business-to-business portfolio including: Architects' Journal, Architectural Review, Broadcast, Construction News, Drapers, Health Service Journal, Local Government Chronicle, Nursing Times, Retail Week, Recycling & Waste Management and Screen International.

15. Metro Pop

• I focused on fashion based media as this was the challenging convention I mixed within my music magazine.

• metro.pop is a fashion magazine unlike any other. taking our cue from street fashion, we turn out a national, independent, bi-monthly assessment of clothing, art, music, cinema and literature that embodies the gen X and gen Y lifestyle.

16. Which Media Institution would distribute my media product?

• I believe IPS Media would be the best distributer for my music magazine as it is a large institution and would be willing to take a risk as it varies in its productions.

17. QUESTION 4 Who would be the audience for your media product?

18. Target Audience

• Gender: Males and females

• Age: 16-30

• Ethnicity: All

• Special Interests: Indie/Pop Music, Fashion, Art.

• I specifically targeted this audience because it is tried and tested, a loyal niche audience.

19. Audience Feedback

• The main feedback I received from my audience questionnaire was that my conventions and layout were clear and interesting making them want to read on. This proves my product has used, developed and challenged conventions of real media products.

20. QUESTION 5 How did you attract/address your audience?

21. Front Page

• The audience expects to see the feature star on the front of the magazine. My key image is adhering to the rule of thirds, there is slight use of direct address however her face isnt making direct contact. I believe this makes it more interesting and abstract compared to typical conventions. The positioning of the subject reflects the artists personality portraying her attitude, breaking the rules.

High key lighting had been used to brighten the image and to make it stand out. I layered texture on to the image to give it the artistic effect. The conventions and over all appeal gives the audience and insight into the style of magazine they are purchasing.

22. Contents Page

• The contents page I produced simply informs the audience of the main features they will find in the print product. This challenges typical conventions of a contents page as I have used imagery as the background instead of montaging images of featured stars.

• There is great use of colour however the tones are kept down to create this natural mellow mood.

23. Double Page Spread

• The headline titles what the article is about and informing the audience. I have used the imagery as background and placed the main subject upon the rule of thirds which balances the composition. High key lighting has been used to brighten the feature article but still accompanying the artist style of the magazine. I used an interview style article.

24. Question 7 Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

25. Progression

26. Preliminary task to final product.

• My front cover for the college magazine was basic in the conventions. I just used my own knowledge and processed it. My logo title isnt bold enough as it should be on a magazine. The overall text is too similar in size and font, there is no variety in colour and creativity. More information on what features in the article is needed. The overall appearance looks bland and uniformed.

27. Improvement

• I believe through the process of my coursework I have learnt new skills in applying typical conventions and adapting them in my own style. My final product now looks professional like a generic magazine.

• I have improved on my text layout colour size and font, a variety balances out well through the front cover. I have focused well on my editing techniques and enhancing my knowledge for the professional artist style that I wanted to portray through my product. I have used typical conventions such like the rule of thirds to balance out text and the main subject.

• I have learnt a lot about the conventions of magazines and I have used these techniques and knowledge through the process of my coursework.

28. Conclusion

29. Overall personal evaluation

• I feel that the one weakness that lets me down would be lack of variety in imagery on my contents page. Instead of montaging a couple of images I used one as the background and this challenges typical conventions, I think this aspect lets the professional look down.

• However I am pleased with the final product that I have produced. My blog shows my research, knowledge and progression. I am best pleased with my front cover and double page spread as they represent the typical conventions. I have brought my own style with editing techniques, photography knowledge and composition layout by montaging background, image and text which are inspirations of art and fashion. I have brought something different to a music magazine by heavily focusing on layering and expanding with mixed media in comparison to typical boring magazine layouts.