Evaluation

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

forms and conventions of real media products?

FRONT COVER

Masthead

When it came to the Masthead (Fig 1), I wanted to create something that was simple but at the same time something that would catch the audiences eye. I wanted to use a font similar to Fig 2(Rolling Stone), this is because I think sans serif fonts can be a bit boring for a Masthead. That is why I chose the font Lighthouse, because it is simple but at the same time interesting. I chose to use black on my Masthead because I wanted the colours on the front cover to stand out and keep the masthead a bit more simple. And I think the font it self is nice enough on its own, so I think if I used a colour an the masthead this would look as nice.

My masthead is then a mix between Fig 2(Rolling Stone) and Fig 3(Kerrang)

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Main Image and colour scheme

For my main image I have used a medium close up of a girl. I think my front cover is not as conventional as “normal” front covers. It was taken in a studio and which is normal for a front cover picture. But the way my model is posing is not as conventional. Usually the artist/model stands in a more feminine pose if it is a woman, but I did not want my front cover picture to be as conventional. Therefore I used a picture where my model is smiling and it looks like she is having fun. As well she is not wearing a feminine shirt. She is wearing a oversized shirt and it is buttoned up. Compared to Fig 2 where the model is wearing a dress with cleavage. While my model is not showing cleavage at all, just like in Fig 3. But both the modes on Fig 2 and Fig 3 has fixed their hair in a feminine way and both of the models has curls. While on my pictures my model is very simple with straight hair and not that much make up.

All of the three covers has red a one of their colours on the front cover. That is way I chose to have red, black and white as the colours in my colour scheme. I think the red colours on the front cover looks good with the red on the shirt the model is wearing. I wanted to use red because I think red is a colours which really stands out, but at the same time it is not to bright.

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

CONTENTS PAGE

Masthead, Headline, Issue Number and Date

On my contents page I decided to use the same font on the masthead that I used on the front page. This is because I want the magazine to have the same look through the whole magazine. Which creates a nice look throughout the magazine. I was really inspired by Fig 2(Billboard) contents page, and I liked how the layout of this contents page. So as you can see both Fig 1 and Fig 2 is quite similar. Again I used the same colour scheme as the front cover. The font I used on the issue number and date is a sans serif font. I decided to use this font because I think it is easier for the audiences to read the date if the font is written in a sans serif font.

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

Layout

As I said in the other slide I really liked the layout of Billboard’s (Fig 2) contents page. So I made my contents page really similar to that contents page. I like how the contents page is split up in three different parts. The layout is simple but at the same time it is a bit different from all of the other contents pages I looked at when I did the research. Fig 3(Rolling Stone) has the same colour scheme as my magazine and I think the red colour is really nice in a magazine.

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3

Double page spread

Headline

On my double page I decided to use the same font as I did on the front page and contents page. And I chose to do this to have make the magazine have the same look throughout the whole magazine. If I compare my headline to both Fig 2 (Q) and Fig 3(Clash), I would say that mine is really different from both of the headlines. My font is bold and I think this appeals to the younger audience, which is the group I am aiming for with my magazine. The headline is placed in at the top of the page which is conventional at a double page spread. I decided to use black as the colour because I wanted the headline to be simple and let the picture be the main focus. I also think that a black is a nice colour to use on the headline.

Fig 1

Fig 3

Fig 2

Layout and main image

My double page spread is very conventional if you compare it to other double page spread. The reason I chose to have this layout is because I think the layout is really nice and can appeal to the younger audience. Again my picture is not as conventional as a “normal” double page spread picture. The artist were dressed plain and that is what I wanted and she is not posing in a feminine way. By not posing in a feminine way the artist is not putting herself in a sexual way, which reflects on how she is as an artist. This can inspire girls that reads the magazine to be like her.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The audiences for my magazine is mostly youths and younger adults. Therefore in my magazine all of the content is aimed for younger adult and youths. The musicians that are represented in my magazine is approximately in the same age range as the audiences. When it comes to ethnicity my magazine only represent white people. This is because the majority of rock and pop artists are usually from a white background. In my magazine the majority of gender which is shown in the magazine is female. This is shown through the pictures and colours that I have chose to use. But since my main artist in the magazine is represented in a not so feminine way, the magazine can appeal to the male gender as well.

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

Bauer Media Group already publishes a

magazine which is in the same genre:

• Q magazine, is a monthly magazine, published by Bauer Media group. The magazine is manly aimed towards male gender and 68% males read the magazine, while only 32% females reads the magazine.

Bauer Media Group publishes Q magazine which includes the same genre as Monitor, I want Bauer Media Group to be the publisher for my magazine. Since Monitor is more aimed for youths an younger adults, Bauer Media group will get a new audience. While the “common” Q reader is usually a male in a bit older age then what Monitor will be aimed at. Monitor will aim more to the female gender in younger age than what the “common” Q reader is. In that way I think Bauer Media Group will get an even bigger audience than they already have.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I did a survey and an interview to find out who my target audience. From my survey I found out that my target audience should be aimed towards girls in the age range from 16-24. In my interview the respondent told me how the she wanted the layout of a magazine should be.

Now that I am finished with designing my magazine the target audience have not changed that much. But instead of just focusing on the feminine female gender I have also incorporated a bit more masculine female gender. Which can appeal to both females and males.

The musician that I have written about in my magazine is wearing a Paramore t-shirt in two of the pictures. This can attract Paramore fans and make them want to read about this musician. And then again make them want to start subscribing to this magazine.

How did you attract/address your audience?

In my interview the respondent talked about how important a simple layout was important. And that I should use to much colours because she thought this could seem a bit tacky. She would rather buy a magazine with a simple and clean layout, than buying a magazine with many strong colours and a messy layout. I decided to use one colour, but after my magazine analysis I found out that many magazines used red as a part of their colour scheme. And therefore I wanted to use this colour as well.

I used a medium close up for my front cover. She is looking into the camera and she is smiling. The pose and expression she has is not conventional to what a front cover use to have. But she looks like she is having fun and in that way she is connecting with the audience in a positive way. The audiences will immediately look at the front cover and think positive thoughts about it since the artist is giving the audiences such a big an realistic smile.

I have incorporated four pictures on my contents page. This is to give the audiences a sneak peek of what the articles in the magazine is going to be about. I have also put in a info bar where the magazine tells the audiences about events and how to contact the magazine. This is to make the audience feel like they can be a part of the magazine and always know about what is happening.

On my double page spread I have used one big image of the artist. The subheading is written in a red colour. This is to get the audiences attention toward what the article is about and then make them want to read the whole article.

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

• I have used survey monkey to create a survey, and now I know how I can easily collect information when I need it.

• To create my media product I used Photoshop to edit my pictures and InDesign to create the layout. I have learned different ways to edit an image and how to use InDesign properly.

• I have learned how to use Slide Share, where I can upload my PowerPoints and easily share them on the internet.

• For my interview I recorded it on my iPhone and then I put it in iMovie where I created a audio file that I could post on my blog.

• To take my pictures I used a Canon Eos 550d camera and studio lights. Therefore I learned which settings I should use and how I should light a model in the studio.

• I have also learned how to upload films, pictures and slideshows on my blog on Wordpress.

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 my preliminary task I can see how much I have learned since the beginning of this project. I have learned how the layout and contents of a magazine can appeal to the audience. I have learnt a lot about planning. The planning is really important and the expression “Plans are nothing, planning is everything” has really been shown to be true. There has occurred problems or new ideas throughout this project, which has shown me that the first draft often is not as good as the final project. I never thought that the research we did in the beginning would be as important, but as we got further into the project the research showed it self that is was really important when I was working towards a final product.