Name: Chloë Barrow

Candidate: 284

Centre: 33435 Aquinas College

1. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Music Events

RavesConcertsClubsSilent Discos

Who are you most likely to listen to?

Chase and Sta-tus

Otto Knows

The Weeknd

Fat Boy Slim

The Chemical Brothers

In my magazine I included these three..A

B C

A, B and C were all specifically included in my magazine as I felt all these questions would help me find out what the reader wanted. For me it was important to provide the reader with promotions and pugs on new venues for raves, clubbing etc (linking to C). Furthermore, the final sub genre for my magazine was electronic as it was voted most popular so I related this to the artists I chose to put on my cover lines e.g. Crystal Castles, Fat Boy Slim and Friendly Fires. I felt my audience would be similar to Wonderland Magazines audience, which is between the ages of 16-21 (teenagers/young adults). Concerts and clubbing were the most popular, so throughout my magazine I should mention this as a feature.

Sub Genre

ElectronicHouseDrum and Bass

My magazine is aimed at.. A more feminine audience, this shown through the colors used and who the articles are actually about – so I personally think a female audience will be more inclined to buy it. At the moment there are only a few electronic dance magazines e.g. Muzik, EDM and Mixmag, these do not seem to be sold in smaller newsagents they seem to be more a specialist magazine which are usually only available through larger retail news outlets e.g. WH Smiths and Morrison’s. I want my magazine to be easy to find anywhere, not just in specific shops. My audience may consist of people still in high school (year 10/11) though it is aimed more at people in college and university, the magazine regularly features pieces on the night life in different towns and cities, as well as the main theme of the magazine which relates to electronic dance.

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The mode of address was to intrigue the audience by relating to them through the main star I used on my magazine cover, I did this by using someone of the same age as if I had used someone older on the cover I felt maybe people would of looked past it. My magazine included social events to go to e.g. clubbing, going to raves and gigs and also fashion, which wouldn’t appeal to an older audience, as these events are only appropriate for a younger age group. However, the younger readers of my magazine (16) cannot join in with these events, as a lot of them can be 18+, I wanted to direct some of my articles/pugs and promotions at a younger audience so they could get involved in going to under 18 nights etc. I felt like this would make my audience wider for my magazine, as it focuses on a wider demographic.

Mainstream Audience

I want the audience to be a more mainstream one so it attracts a wider demographic, as previous dance magazines haven’t been as successful as the more mainstream magazines/genres e.g. NME, Kerrang. I feel as if this outfit is something you could purchase off the high street, which is relatable for the reader. Especially with the audience I have chosen, this image relates to some of the images I have used throughout my magazine, the style of clothing worn is very similar. I think as a reader an audience would be able to buy this outfit, this is also part of a mainstream fashion trend. From what she is wearing, she looks

like a rebellious teenager which reflects my magazine cover – age as well as style.

Similar clothes, for a teenage audience looking up to there idol and ideal self – teenagers don’t always want to be perceived positively.

I needed an audience to be able to afford the clothes on the cover – making them simple and relatable for a reader. Teenagers stereotypically have a negative representation, stereotypes are often just read from how they dress – teenagers embrace different clothing more than an older audience would so they are much easier to target.

This representation of people who wear what's in fashion in the moment wouldn't’t interest particular social groups, an example is goths.

There are more and more negative stereotypes in the media, down to how teenagers dress and where they get there inspiration from. Profanity as well as inappropriateness and vulgarity is seen as much more common now, which links to how an older generation will see a younger audience. Here are a few examples:

All of these people are more targeted towards younger people, as they are considered to be relatable – however clothing they wear could be deemed to be unsuitable, as they look up to this they will start copying this. Linking to the negative stereotypes of how teenagers are perceived.

Niche Audience

A majority of people will look up to this, but this image reflects a more niche audience as I don’t think this would target a wide audience. Her direct gaze with the camera makes her look provocative, I’d say this targets the older audience to my magazine which is mid 20’s – from what she is wearing she looks quite

elegant, this is something you would wear if you were going somewhere sophisticated. However if you are a teenager, I don’t think this would target them as well as an older audience – as they need more affordable clothes, as they are on more of a budget in comparison to an older audience, who have an income.

Her weight;aspirations of a teenage girl, this being another reason why they can relate.

• Long blonde hair• Thin• Sultry looking,

attractive • Sophisticated

A younger audience are less likely to go out to formal situations – so I think this will target a smaller niche audience, who enjoy the genre of my magazine and go out to events like these.

This doesn’t particularly represent the audience of my magazine, Cara Delavigne wouldn’t go out to gig, a rave or a club like this – it is to formal in contrast to my genre.

Q3: What kind of media institution might distribute your product?

My magazine will be a sister publication to Thrust publication, they publish DJ Magazine – I would say this is for an older audience than my magazine as it was first published in 1991, so regular readers will be much older now and will know DJ Magazine from when they were younger – my magazine will be the new generation, just like DJ Magazine is a part of the 1990’s generation (in music, style etc).

An article from a recent issue of DJ Magazine, about a club from 1992 – Targeting an older audience.

Issue from 1995.

It is a variant on DJ magazine, Thrust Publishing have teamed up using an extension strategy to make a wider readership, this is like Vogue and Teen Vogue.

A N T H E M

http://www.anthem.com

Brand Recognition

For downloading music, attracting an audience as its easy to access from anywhere

ANTHEM

Gets the reader involved, its another way of experiencing the magazine

ANTHEM

Another way of getting the reader involved – liking Facebook groups

This means there is one than more platform, so anyone can access it

Advertisements which inform the reader

AA

CREAM FIELDS

sponsored by Anthem Magazine

E.G.

Accessible for everyone, as Apple products are widely used now and now most people have some sort of apple product.

SPONSEREDby

ANTHEM

SPONSEREDby

ANTHEM

Q4. In what ways does your media product use,

develop or challenge forms and conventions of

real media products?

My magazine uses some typical conventions of a dance magazine however, it also challenges them. I have used

other genres of magazine to help my overall product become more new and exclusive as a lot of dance music

magazines take on the same conventions and are not particular different to any other you can buy. I felt both of these had some similarities and differences I could

compare to my own.

E.g.

Her direct gaze with the camera shows the aim of the photo is for her to appear as quite provocative, this is shown through the open mouth and how she holds herself back as if someone is coming towards her. Which could also show vulnerability.

From his posture it look like he is standing over someone, which shows us his male dominance; this could showing how big they are as musicians.

The image on my front cover was quite typical, overall I wanted look image to look verisimilitude. I tried to make it relate to the audience by the age of the star on the front, I felt my magazine represented a stereotypical teenager this shown through the clothes I wore and the facial expression suggesting rebelliousness. Also, how I hold my jacket portrays an arrogance which makes the reader assume I am confident. The way my mouth is open also suggests a provocative nature, which once again relates to how teenagers are portrayed throughout todays society.

It’s a typical convention to see the masthead right at the top in the centre

The main cover story goes typically in the middle, to show it is the main story

Secondary cover stories on the left or the right, nowhere else – showing they are not like the main article

CONVENTIONS

Hot Pink colour; suggesting stereotypically it’s a feminine magazine, its quite new, fresh and bright relating to a young audience. Also, linking to lust and love – linking to how a reader may feel about the star of the magazine.

The green background is quite grungy, earthy looking – it looks vibrant however the main focus is the star of the magazine, her being the direct gaze.

CODES

Varsity Jacket – teen fashion, relating to more of an American audience rather than English which links to the magazine being multi-national and broadly based.

White connotes purity which contrasts with the main cover story – the mode of address is to interest the audience just from the front cover

Similarities between Mixmag and my magazine Anthem

• The mastheads were very similar, I used large block text.

• Both used taglines to inform the reader about the magazines content

• Both use vibrant colours

• Both use one dominant and main image, without any secondary images. Only one image to draw the reader in (one main focus).

• My image was a lot more mellowed down in contrast to Mixmags (setting, make up, dress codes).

• My front cover was quite basic, however they use a lot of features to engage the reader not just one.

• The use of pugs/promotions.

My influences were..The front cover used a basic masthead and basic colours, the mode of address is to intrigue the reader, I used one main focus which would be the one image I used, I didn’t use any secondary images. However, FADER is the only dance music magazine on here. This is why I felt my magazine challenged the typical conventions you normally see, I personally don’t think they are as big as magazines like NME or Kerrang as it is only aimed at a niche audience. I felt by including different artists, modern as well as some older musicians/DJ’s would entice the reader and the specific age group who read these music magazines. I’d say the main target audience is from young adults (17) to mid 20’s.

The actual magazines I took influence off were fashion magazines, this is why I think my magazine challenges the genre as it didn’t stick to the typical conventions e.g. Mixmags masthead

My masthead was basic, the font I used was bell gothic – I wanted it to be memorable but also simple so it did not take attention off the cover star.

The masthead was quite basic (Bell Gothic) so I felt with the rest I could use more vibrant colours which would give anchorage to the genre of the magazine. Personally, I felt this magazine was unique to others as it used a simple masthead which contrasted with the cover line used, I only used two main house colours as I didn’t want the cover to look to cluttered and to challenge the typical conventions. Both people in both images have this mischievous look about them, from the way they are posed – they look quite laid back which gives us this idea its for a teenage audience, as it links to the stereotype of the ‘typical teenager’.

Both contents pages are mainly made up of blocked images, with little writing. I felt this would accommodate the reader making their reading experience much easier and enjoyable. I felt the images I used supported the genre of my magazine; the iconography of the headphones, the Addidas top (linking to the idea of the 90’s rave scene, 90’s fashion) and the mis en scene for some of my images e.g. the derelict wood, suggesting this idea of being a curious adolescent teenage, going into the unknown – growing up.

My double page spread used typical conventions e.g. headline, columns, stand first and drop cap text. All these conventions helped to make my magazine conform to a typical double page spread, however I don’t think it took on typical conventions of an electronic dance magazine. My double page spread challenged the normal conventions; a lot of images of people dancing – taken in clubs/raves, bright colours (strobe lighting) however it did use a bold, vibrant pull quote to draw the reader in, I made the main image brighter so it looked like a more strong and better quality photo (making it look more professional).

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

MastheadStrapline

Main Cover line

Secondary Cover lines

Barcode

Date

Direct Gaze

Anchorage

It has various different topics to interest the reader – the mode of address.

Direct Gaze – drawing the reader in

Female on the cover which will attract a female audience (target audience).

Anchorage to a female audience e.g. fashion

Feminine colour – vivid, shocking pink

Background is quite urban, verisimilitude and relatable – teenage audience

The magazine is diverse, it covers a multiplicity of subjects. It has a lot to offer, focusing on lots of different artists which will engage the interest of different audiences.

Though the pink and green contrasts, it makes the front cover immediately more striking to reader.

The block white text looks quite modern, also quite arty on top of all bold image as well as the main cover line. I think this challenges the ordinary idea people have of electronic magazines, its simple and not over the top – the white instantly engages the reader as it stands out against the earthy green colour.

I used the same house colors throughout which were;white, pink and black.

I especially used pink a lot as it targeted a female audience, this is stereotypical and what society associate with women.

The images are all different and they all of women, linking to the target audience again.

I chose to address my ‘electronic’ audience by using language like ‘rave’ and ‘young and upcoming’ as it related the reader and gave anchorage to the text. I stuck to this theme throughout, my cover star was the same age as the audience – this was shown from the clothing and the make up which helped me create the stereotype/labels people give to certain groups of people. This will attract an audience and interest them to buy the clothes, as well as listen to the music (someone you look up to, aspire to be). I used all electronic and some drum and bass bands on my front cover e.g. Crystal Castles, Fat Boy Slim and Goldfrapp etc- these are popular musicians which highlights it is a large and well known magazine, even exclusive. The fonts I used challenged the typical conventions, I wanted my magazine to be unique to other electronic magazines as I find they don’t do as well as Indie, Rock and Pop magazines. Instead of just doing the same typical magazine I thought if I changed it, it would interest a broader audience.Personally, my magazine is similar to Dazed and Confused Magazine and Wonderland in terms of the way it looks but in terms of content it is similar to DJ Magazine, this being Electronic I can compare the two well and improve my overall product.

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

This is anchorage to the audience.

Terminology that the reader will understand.

More than one subject, showing the magazine has variety – it also links to subjects that teenagers will be interested in.

The cover star is the same age and gender as the reader, the colors are vibrant and stands out so the reader will instantly see it.

I used the same house colors to keep it memorable to the reader, I wanted the front cover to stick in peoples minds and also the strap line – MUSIC | GIGS | FASHION | LIFE

I kept my outfit the same for my front cover and double page spread, as I didn’t want it to be a completely different image as I worried it would confuse the reader.

Anthems contents page consisted of lots of different images, I wanted it be easy for the reader instead of having lots of writing – it would simply just be page numbers in chronological order and only little amounts of writing.

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

I layered my main cover line on top of my main image on an angle.

I used bell gothic for my masthead, this was similar to wonderlands typeface: Verdana.

I layered the pull quote on top of my double page spread, sticking to my house colors – pink and white. I did this on Photoshop putting an outline around the white, which makes it stand out.

Camera..I used a Canon 550D as well as a Nikon for some of my secondary photos, I didn’t use a tripod - the photos we took were all handheld making the shoot more immediate and spontaneous. I used different zoom lenses at various different focal lengths, I wanted to get as many shots as possible – especially long shots and establishing shots so the background was in shot, as this added to the connotations of the ‘mischievous’ teenager. This tying in with the genre of my magazine and relating to the main target audience. I also used a different aperture and shutter settings to get the best shots, which were both natural and with flash – for when I did not use flash we used a reflector disc to create warm and cold reflections, I wanted the images to look natural and also look like I was happy (once again going with my genre), which reflected the mood from the brightness of some of the images. However, when I used a Nikon I was on manual mode giving me the freedom to get the photo I want to meaning assessing my environment first.

I did this on publisher as a banner, just in Bell Gothic (sticking to the fonts I used). I took the idea from various other magazines e.g. Kerrang and Vogue.

I used a black background to emphasize it was an exclusive interview, also contrasting with my double page spread colors.

I used columns like a typical magazine, I did it in a interview style way and a drop crap, making it look sophisticated.

I used an opening line to give the reader an idea of what the article was about, I once again stuck the font I had used throughout which was Bell Gothic.

I used the font 28 Days Later, it looked scratched, like it was printed on – linking to the theme of teenage rebellion.

I used pink, linking to the femininity of the magazine.

I made the images so they were together in blocks, I also made them brighter – linking to genre, which is known for its bright colors e.g. rave paint etc.

I flipped contents on its side, made INSIDE THIS WEEKS bright pink and enlarged the date; I wanted it look stylish and current.

I kept this in with the house colors once again, just by using capital letters, black, pink and white.

I used larger numbers so the reader would instantly see what pages to go to.

6. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from this to the final product?

My first front cover

• I used drop cap text on my secondary cover stories as it went with my house colors/theme.

• I used secondary images to engage the reader in the text, alongside a promotion to draw the reader in to purchase the magazine.

• I also used a pug ‘Arctic Monkeys exclusive’ to once again draw the reader in, I put it in a big black circle so the reader would instantly see it.

• I used a pull quote to give the reader an idea of what the article would be about.

• I put a website on the top so they have another way of accessing and reading about the magazine/Aquinas in general. • I used bright colors to

contrast with the light background/cover stars clothing.

Front Cover

I highlighted the A, to make this a memorable brand.

I then highlighted this in red so it was visible and as it was the main article.

I made this lighter as it wasn’t a big focus, it was just an extra I added in however it did promote college information.

I used a promotion – with just a black circle round it to make it instantly be noticed.

I used this image as it fitted in with the rule of thirds, it was simple however I felt the image lacks a wide spectrum of color as there is only greys and blacks. However the image I used in my contents page, has a much brighter background and I increased the brightness of the image. I think if I had used a better image for my cover, my magazine would of flowed better – these images seem completely different and I don’t think go together.

Contents Page

My contents page didn’t follow the same house colors as my magazine front cover, I used more pastel colors in my contents. I made my A so it was in italics, which followed the conventions I used in my front cover.

I didn’t use these images as they were both too far away from the , I also felt the backgrounds had too much going on in them to use. I wanted to use a pure white background so the model was the main focus on the front cover. It also looked like the reader would be looking down on the star, I wanted her to be straight in focus.

The original ideas I had for my final magazine cover changed, I changed it to Bell Gothic as I felt it looked a lot better on the final draft. The font was in bold, which made it stand out in comparison the Verdana font which was a lot thinner in comparison. The use of white against a dark background effectively highlights the magazine title and the secondary cover stories. The main cover story is emphasized using a shocking pink tone to suggest youthful femininity

Final Magazine

I used a white font for the title and secondary cover stories because it contrasts well against the dark background so making it more attractive to the reader.

Only a portion of the page was given over to the cover stories, in comparison other magazines such as Q and NME give far more prominence to the written element. However, I reason I chose to use less of the page is because I think it looks more aesthetic – in comparison to magazines like;

I feel as if my second contents page targets its audience and relates to the consumer more – from the images to the colors I used in my overall product. Using the font 28 Days Later – this gives the impression of teenage rebellion, from the cracked, bold writing.

The images I used were only of females of the age 17+ I think this reflected the target audience.

Contents Page

I feel as if my skills have improved, from my first draft, especially when it comes to the different conventions in a magazine. I think the layout of my final magazine is much better, as it all connects together.