Question 1

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms of conventions of real media products? Front Cover

I followed the basic conventions of a typical magazine for the front cover. I stuck to the main image that is going to be featured in my DPS. At first I put two images of the main feature model on the front cover but then decided it was too much as he was going to be features most likely in my contents and DPS, the front cover also looked very busy. The shot was a mid-shot; I then changed it in Photoshop to black and white as I felt if it was left in colour it would avert from my colour schemes and been a bit too out of place. The cover lines stick to the right with different sized fronts and different styles including online generated fonts. The skyline at the bottom features the website address and free merchandise which is always related back to professional magazine. The barcode, date and issue number look realistic to those on media products of today. The features on the magazine include the main story, and have promotions of gigs, concerts, new fashion which relates to my genre of magazine. The masthead was made by me in adobe Photoshop using strokes, bevel emboss etc… to give it a 3D kind of look. The colours are tied in with my colour scheme, the slights slant of the masthead as well as the style of font makes it look realistic like for example the Kerrang! Font with the smashed mirror effect. I made my front cover quite vibrant and clumped purely down to the fact rock is seen as mental and very in your face genre. With the layout not being as simplistic it relates more to my audience which is the key in the real world of selling media product.

Contents I constructed my contents page three times because of

the layout and relation to the front cover was out of place. After given feedback for my 3rd contents page I decided to re-edit slightly. I have used one simple column down the left hand side and an enlarged full shot of a model which doesn’t feature in my DPS, again the image is black and white to link with my front cover. The colour scheme of the contents page is heavily red but still includes the black and white within the page this I think looks better if a colour from your colour scheme dominates on every page because it doesn’t get boring which could challenge a stereotypical magazine. I have included the a informal editor’s note which is seen in near enough every music magazine because it invites the audience in and gives a warm welcome and start to your magazine. My magazine doesn’t feature many texts boxes due to the fact there is hardly no space on the page and it would look too busy which is not the idea of a contents.

Double Page Spread

DPS

For my double page spread I created my background on adobe Photoshop to challenge you boring white background or solid colour backgrounds, this I feel turned out very successful. I used two different images of the model of the story on each page towards the edge again in black and white to relate again to my front cover and contents page. The variety of fonts and sizes vary throughout my DPS which again can be seen as challenging it and again I feel it was successful. My DPS included page numbers relating to the contents page, making it look better slightly and more professional. The columns of my DPS are equally spaced and sized and everything looks in proportion.

Question 3-What kind of media

institution might distribute your

media product and why?

Some of the media institutes that might distribute my magazine could be at local gigs and concerts this is because my magazine is the rock genre and like Kerrang! It’s distributed at the Kerrang! Tour. I think this would be ideal for my genre as it would probably get more consumption figures because many younger people in my audience range attended gigs and concerts rather than local newsagents

Another way my magazine might be distributed in the media industry is through webzine (Magazine published on the internet) this is because of the technological advances of today more and more people, again relating to my audience range use the internet and has done the majority of their life. Offering my magazine on the web means it’s easier to access and pay online as well as if my magazine was offered at subscription price. This also means that people wouldn’t have to go out to find a place where my magazine is distributed via newsstand therefore it would be an easier way of distribution by giving my magazine to the consumer via online and downloads. My magazine could also be distributed through app subscription for smartphones, nowadays there are now more people from my audience age range that will have access to a smartphone ie of there own, parents, friends etc. This again means that my magazine is consumed through a more efficient way and requires just a click of a button.

Another way my magazine could be distributed is via newsstands in local newsagents like McColl’s for example or bigger superstores like Tesco, Morrison’s, Asda and Salisbury’s. By distributing my magazine through these well known stores means that my magazine has chance to be noticed by the majority of people passing through the stores each day increasing the chances of consumption through this way of distribution.

Question 4Who would be the

audience for your media

product?

My target audience were ranging from 15-35 year old. This was because throughout my research and planning at the start, analysing rock magazine, compared to others I found that most rock magazines were aimed at a younger age group of today. Rock is more of a wild teenage, youngster genre because of its heavy metallic screaming, guitars and drumming as well as the reckless, wants to be rebelling bad boy, meaning that older people don’t find it very appealing and see it a typical teenage stage. My audience range has also near enough grew up with the new way of rock oppose from rock and soft rock of the 60’s and 70’s. This new generation has been exposed to the new heavy metal rock along with the exotic black emo clothing and punk rock bands. My audience did change throughout the process as I would have had to have changed my genre which meant scrapping the majority of my work. I felt that my target audience worked well with my constructions and I felt that I did make my magazine appealing to my target audience with my magazines design and style. I found meeting the demands towards my target audience fairly easy, there were parts I had to consider throughout keeping to my target audience, especially when choosing and planning my DPS. My choice is as a result based on my personal influence of music, I’m very mixed when It comes to music, but straight from the off with my coursework I knew I wanted to base it round a rock genre as it’s a personal favourite.

Question 5How did you attract/address

your audience?

I like to think I did well in attracting/ addressing my audience through a

variety of things.

Images: - the use of images on the front cover, contents and DPS I

believe to be very appealing. All the images I have chosen related to

an article or target audience. I edited my photos so they were black

and white this was to make then more appealing, attracting my

audience and putting aside my colour scheme for the images and

concentrating on putting it more on text etc. my front cover displayed

the model who is featured in my DPS this is appealing to my audience

because it intrigues the onlooker to look and want to read more as

well as the catch cover line.

Colour scheme: - my colour scheme was red, white and black. These

after doing my research were the most obvious colours used

throughout rock magazines. I stuck to these colours as they are very

drawing and address my magazine openly to the audience as a

rockfish genre. My colour scheme is carried throughout, but not so the

audience becomes tedious of the same old colours, I mixed them up

throughout along with different fonts and effects.

Manipulations: - the fiery manipulations within my constructions, the use of black and white images throughout also relates to my audience and visually attracts them.

Style: - the style of my magazine is very busy and in your face. This relates to my audience of rock because they are mostly hyperactive and at gigs very expressive which is mostly seen on the front cover and my DPS.

Article: - the article is very expressive and emotional. This attracts my audience because its related to the rock world today and wouldn’t realistically be seen in another genre of music magazine

Promotions: - promotions, there are not many within my work, but where they are they do link and address my audience for example the free posters, upcoming tour dates and the skyline at the bottom. This makes the audience want to look inside

Price: - The price of my magazine links to my demographics of E- C1/C2 mostly related to the students and lower class of society. The cheap price of £2.20 when the magazine is monthly is a very effective economically friendly. The price is one of the main attractions of my magazine I’d say.

Genre: - the genre was clear throughout and just from looking at my front cover shows that it is related to the rock genre.