AS Media Studies Evaluating your Music Magazine Coursework

Evaluation Activity 1In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My music magazine products have many comparisons to other music magazines for example the way I have used many images in the magazine. Mine however are also different to other magazines in the way in which I have used more formal language in the magazine whereas other magazines use more informal and slang language. The first comparison I will make however is my Masthead. My “BEATS” masthead is very similar to the “NME” Masthead. The reason for this is because the NME masthead was interesting and mine clearly stood out on the white background of my front cover. My masthead is different however in the way that the BEATS text is in black on my masthead with a white then red background and the text in the NME logo is in red with a white then black outline. The reason I used black writing is because I think it looked more powerful and stood out better with the white outline of the letters. I think this would attract my target audience at the point of sale as the red connotes power, therefore the reader would think my magazine was more important and powerful that alternatives on the shelf. Also my magazine would stand out well on the shelf as the red is bright and would get the readers attention.

The next comparison I will make is the strap I have used. Most music magazines use a strap to draw the readers attention. Most people look at a magazine from top to bottom so magazine producers have an interesting feature advertised in the strap that will relate to their target audience to try and attract the reader into buying the magazine. As you can see, the NME strap is made up of only three colours, like mine. I think this is important otherwise the strap line will not be clear. I have used the colours red, black and white which goes with my masthead. I think this makes the magazine look professional.

Another comparison is the images I have used on my front cover compared to other magazines. As you can see on this NME cover, there is one artist on the cover, Morrissey. Also you will notice how he seems to be looking down at the camera, this is to connote

power. My image however includes two artists which I think is interesting as although the image is taken from above, power is still being connoted due to the fact there are more than one person. My image is different to the NME image in the sense that the one of the artists is looking away from the camera. This makes the reader wonder what he may be looking at which makes the image quite mysterious. The other model is looking directly at the camera however and looks quite aggressive. This contrasts the image of Morrissey on the NME cover as he looks quite soft and calm.

The next comparison is about the mise en scene I have used compared to other magazines. As you can see from the two images I have put the main image in the same place as where it is placed on the contents page of this magazine. I think the position of the main image is important as it is the first thing the reader looks at. One comparison between the images is that they both contain two people. I think this makes the image more interesting as the reader can see two different people’s emotions and feelings, whereas if there was only one person in the image, you may not be able to tell the exact feeling and emotion in the image. A difference between the two image is the way that I have used other images at the bottom of the page, however the other contents page has used text. I think the photos are more interesting and would be more enjoyable to look at than writing for the reader. I have used the close up picture as I think its is interesting due to the devil horns. The reason I chose to add these is because I think it made the image more interesting and the reader would want to read the article. I chose to put the photos on a dark red background as it made the images stand out well and I was able to use the same colour scheme for the two lower images (burgundy, black and white) I think this makes the bottom third of the page look very professional and I think it contrasts the lighter colours in the main image well. The next comparison I will make is the costumes I have used in my images. As you can see from the image of the NME cover, the two artists are wearing formal clothing which is all black, inferring power.

AS Media Studies Evaluation

Evaluation activity 2

How does your media product represent particular groups?

When creating my media products, I was trying to target 15-25 year old males, who have a preference for indie music. I decided to make my magazine look quite clean and smooth as when asking indie music fans what they like to see in music magazines, the majority answered with formal language and clear, interesting photographs. So for this reason I designed my magazine around these preferences.

I think I have been able to achieve representing that age group in the way that I have used formal language in the magazine so both the younger and older readers will be able to understand the language whereas if I had used informal, slang language, the older readers may not want to read the articles. However I have not used language that is too complex for the younger readers to understand as to make sure they would not be confused by the language. The way I have used formal language in my double page spread article makes the magazine seem professional and suitable for my targeted age group.

Another way I have represented my targeted age group is by the models I have used in the magazine. All the models I have used are in the age range of 15-25, therefore showing the magazine is related to this age range and is targeted at them. Also the way in which the models are wearing indie clothing typical of my target audience, would attract readers to my magazine. As you can see from the image shown, I have incorporated the indie clothing into the image for example, the Adidas jacket and hoodie. The target audience would be able to relate to this clothing and would instantly be interested in the artists therefore would like to read the magazine article featured about them.

This is one of the stereotypes I have reinforced in my magazine in the sense that most males between the ages 15-25 are interested in clothing, so I made sure my models were wearing clothes that would attract my target audience.

As you can see from the NME cover image, the models are wearing much more formal clothing and are wearing make up, whereas my models are not. I did not want to make my models look like they were over dressed as I don’t think my target audience would be able to relate to this. You will also notice

that the models on the NME cover have their hair styled, however my models hair is much more natural as I wanted to convey what teenagers are like and I wanted to reinforce what my target audience said, they were much more interested in the content than the over-worked images.

Another comparison of the two images is that there are also two artists featured which is the same as my magazine, however you will notice they are both looking directly at the camera. I chose not to do this as it would add a sense of mystery and I did not want to infer aggression and offensive behaviour from my models. In this way, I am challenging the typical representation of male youth as aggressive and poorly behaved.

The next comparison between the two images is that I chose to take my images from a high angle, looking down at the models, the reason for this is because I think it made the image interesting and showed the general attitude towards teenagers by society, that they are looked down on by other members. However, the image from the NME magazine is level with the camera which could attract a reader as it shows the artists are on the same level as them and the magazine wont hold a pretentious view or think its above the reader.

Another difference between my photograph and the one from NME is the posture of the models. The artists on the NME magazine are stood up straight and look authoritative. However my models are more casual and less authoritative. I think this works well in my magazine as the article is about two teenage artists and the stereotype of teenagers is that they are quite casual and calm, therefore this is one of the stereotypes I have reinforced in my magazines.

A difference between the two images shown is the lighting used in the photographs. On the NME image, there is light coming from the left and below, you can tell this because of the way there is shadow on the right of both the models faces and the shadow below the left models fist. This makes the image look quite dark and mysterious. The lighting on my image however comes from above right, and the left, which you can see due to the shadow on both the models faces. I think this makes the models clear and I set up the lighting like this to make sure the image is not giving any dark, deceptive connotations.

The way I which the models in my magazines show little emotion in the images suggests my audience are not interested in overly bright colours and over the top expressions in the images and are more interested in the content of the magazines. This is one of the reasons I have concentrated on the written content in the articles and made sure the language used us what my audience would appreciate.

One of the stereotypes I have chosen to challenge is the fact that the magazine is very clean and formal. The reason I did this is because my target audience look for this is in a magazine and there are not many formal, clean magazines on the market. This makes my magazine a niche product as it is different from many competitors and has a unique selling point in the sense that it represents male youth as smart, clean and un-aggressive. In this sense, the magazine is very different to, for example, Kerrang. I think this would appeal to my audience as the magazine gives a different perspective about music in a refined fashion.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 3

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

My music magazine is one that is mainly about indie music and one that holds many qualities of magazines such as NME and Q in the sense that it mainly includes well written, interesting articles about up and coming and already established indie artists. NME is published by IPC media who publish many magazines such and Nuts, VolksWorld, Wolrd Soccer and TV times. Showing they produce many magazines associated with hobbies and lifestyles. Q is published by Bauer who publish magazines such as Zoo, FHM, Kerrang, Heat and Empire, showing they also publish magazines associated with lifestyle and entertainment.

Due to the fact that my music magazine is most like NME compared to any other current brands, I believe the best publisher for my media products would be IPC Media. However due to the fact it has a niche quality in the sense that it is quite formal and uses well written articles in the content, may mean it should be published by a smaller publisher as it may be less mass marketed than NME.

By using a large, respectable publisher like IPC with respected and well known magazines, would tell potential customers and readers that my magazine was good quality and was worth reading, this would be an advantage of having a large magazine publisher publish my magazine. However, if I was to have my magazine published by a smaller company, who specialise in publishing niche products, the magazine company would be able to target retailers who would be able to sell the magazine. If readers wanted a specific quality such as the formal language and clean lines in my magazine, they may be willing to pay more for the product as there is nothing on the market like it.

One advantage of using Bauer instead of IPC is because they produce more magazines to do with the entertainment and media industry. For example, they produce; Empire, Kerrang, Mojo and Q. Meaning they have lots of experience in producing magazines like mine and would be able to use advertising and marketing to improve my magazine. However IPC produce NME which is the magazine my media product is most similar to.

Another advantage of using Bauer is that they produce many radio shows such as; Kiss, Kerrang, Q and 4 Music. This means my magazine would be advertised on local and national radio, therefore gaining publicity. However due to the fact IPC only produces a small amount of music magazines, if my magazine was produced by them it show the magazine would have to be very high standard to be produced by them.

Distribution is another large factor to consider when deciding the publisher. For example, IPC has Marketforce, which is currently a huge distribution company in the UK marketing 23% of the total magazines in the UK. This means it has massive distribution power and is a huge business in the UK. However Bauer has Frontline which is the UK’s leading distributor, however they do not usually tend to distribute music magazines.

I think I would rather sell my product to IPC Media than Bauer with the main reason that they produce NME, which is a magazine I compare mine to. Because they do produce NME, my music magazine would therefore be associated with the magazine which would make it seem respectable. Due to the fact of NME doing things like the ‘NME Tour’ my magazine may be able to expand to these events and have a radio show like NME, which IPC also produce. For those reasons I would like my magazine to be published by IPC. NME magazine is currently declining in circulation, this could be due to the growing popularity of online magazines and websites such as Spotify. However due to the decline in circulation, I believe my magazine would be able to capitalise on this and would be able to take advantage, therefore becoming more popular and making my magazine more attractive.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I think my audience would be 15-25 year olds who are mainly interested in indie music. Here is a picture of what I think my main target audience would be. As you can see, the model is between the ages 15-25 therefore is in the targeted age range for my magazine. You will also notice how my model is wearing typically indie clothing with slim jeans, Adidas trainers and long hair. I think my target audience would normally shop in places like Topman, Philip Brown, Elements and shops that would sell indie clothing. I also think they would shop in vintage shops also as this is seen as a trendy thing to do. The indie image is very much dominated and influenced by music, like most youth

trends. Therefore I think the potential readers of my magazine would be attracted to clothing to do with music such as band tee shirts, jumpers and hoodies.

The sort of music my audience would listen to would be mainly featured in magazines like NME and Q, such bands as The Stone Roses, The Smiths and Arctic Monkeys. For this reason I have incorporated a headline in my strap about The Stone Roses which would attract potential readers as they would also be interested in this band.

The indie image is quite a relaxed one but also one that likes to be on trend. This means they would want to see the latest fashion news. For this reason I have decided to have a

‘Fashion’ feature in my magazine as this would not only interest music fans to my magazine, but also people who are interested in clothing.

The main programmes watched by my target audience would be comedy programmes featuring comedians such as Noel Fielding and Jack Whitehall such as ‘Never mind the Buzzcocks’, which is about music, and ‘Fresh Meat, which is about university students. My audience would be interested in these programmes as they can relate to them. For example the my audience was between 15-25 and Fresh Meat is about university students, this means my audience may be thinking about going to university or already at university, so would instantly be interested in the programme.

I think my audience would eat in restaurants like McDonalds and KFC as the general age group would consist of students who are seen to have little money, so therefore would not be able to afford to go to high class restaurants. This could be useful information as you could then see where you could promote the magazine with things like promotional offers.

When doing my audience research I discovered that males prefer indie music compared to females. Therefore I think my magazine would mainly be bought by males who are interested in indie music. This information is helpful as it could determine the advertising in the magazine, for example I could advertise things that males would be interested in, like; computer games and football accessories. I think these would be the sort of companies I would attract for advertising in my magazine through my audience, things that would relate to the age range and gender of my audience.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 5

How did you address/attract your audience?

Here is a screenshot of my Flikr analysis of my front cover which would attract the audience to buying my magazine. As you can see from the lines above my front cover, I have added notes and analysed important aspects of my

magazine which I believe will attract my audience. These include; The red background of my masthead, which will draw the readers attention, the Front cover image which my 15-25 year old age group will be able to relate to due to the age of the models in the image. Also the clothing they are wearing is relatable for my audience as they are wearing clothing associated with the music in the magazine. The bold, clear font

would also catch the readers attention due to the stroke effect used.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 6

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

I have used many technologies while creating my media product. One of which held great importance was Adobe PhotoShop. This was the programme I used when creating my magazine. I was able to develop my skills in order to make my media products look professional and like they were suitable for the media industry. While using PhotoShop I was able to use many specific tools in the program to enhance my work. One of the specific tools I used was the stroke effect on text. This was a very important effect for me to use in the creation of my magazine as the magazine masthead was created using the stroke effect. This means the whole magazine would be judged by the masthead as this appears on most pages of the magazine.

As you can see from the image of the masthead, the font is very bold and easy to see due to the stroke effect as the black text is outlined by the white stroke effect which means the text stands out well on the red background. The stroke effect makes the text stand out well and is easily adjusted in the effects menu when editing images, as you can see from the screenshot shown. This allows the user to adjust the amount of stroke on the image, the color, size and fill type.

Another effect I used in PhotoShop was the Hue and Saturation of images. This allowed me to add a tint of colour to images to make them look more interesting than if they were plain. The Hue and saturation was important as my images were quite plain without it, however as I added tints of colour to them, they looked much more interesting. While using PhotoShop I was able to develop my skills and become more familiar with the tools available and I feel I have developed my PhotoShop skills to a great extent as my media products show. I have become more confident and I have learned a lot about the programme.

Another technology I have used while constructing my media products was my iPhone 4S. I used this to take some of my pictures for the media products. The phone has an 8 megapixel camera and face detection which allowed me to take crisp, clear shots of my models. On the phone, I also used the Blogger application which allowed me to construct blog posts on the move. This saved me lots of time and I was able to insert pictures easily into my blog posts. The phone was very helpful while making my

media products as I was also able to search the web for similar music magazines which I could use to help make my media products. This was very important as I was able to use these to help me with the design and layouts.

I also used Apple Mac computers while making my media products. The computers had all the programs installed that I needed to use for my media products, for example PhotoShop and the internet which made making the products easy. I feel I have developed my knowledge and skills while using the macs as before this project I was very unfamiliar with the processes of the mac computers and their layouts, however I am now able to use them with ease.

EVALUATION ACTIVITY 7

Looking back at your preliminary task (The school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it too a full product?

When looking back at the preliminary school magazine task, there is a clear difference in quality of the products, due to the skills I have learned while constructing while creating my music magazine. As you will notice from the of my school magazine, the layout is very amateur and doesn’t follow any pattern. This makes the magazine look unprofessional and poorly constructed. You will also notice how there are no margins, straight lines, interesting fonts used or interesting colours used. This also makes the magazine look unorganised. I think the lack of colour is a problem in the magazine as it would not jump out at the reader, attract their attention and therefore make them want to read the magazine.

However in comparison to the images of my music magazine, there is a huge difference in the class and appearance of the magazine. You will notice how the magazine looks much cleaner, with margins and straight lines, a much better use of colour and white space. I think the music magazine is clearly more presentable and well layed out in contrast to the school magazine. One of these skills is the improved knowledge of photography I have gained while making the magazine. As you can see from the school magazine, the images I have used are simple and uninteresting, however when looking at my music magazine, I have used a range of angles, lighting, expressions, costumes and

postures. This means the images are much more interesting to look at and allow the reader much more interpretation of the images.

Another skill I have learned when making my music magazine that I did not use in my college magazine is the use of margins. This is a very important skill as it allowed me to make sure everything in my magazine was aligned and looked professional. Comparing the school magazine without margins to the music magazine that did use margins, you can see the difference in quality and style. The music magazine looks much more professional and organised whereas the school magazine looks very amateur.

Another skill I have learned which makes the magazine look professional and impactful is the ‘Stroke effect’. This is a simple effect but gives a very professional appearance and makes images and text stand out. You can see the difference between the school magazine and the music magazine in the sense that the images and text stands out considerably more on the music magazine due to the stroke effect which means it makes the magazine look much clearer.

I have learned another important skill which is using an appropriate use of fonts. Fonts are very important as they can say many things about a product, for example, if a product used a text which had serifs, you could assume the product would be more upper class and formal than one that did not have serifs. As you can see from the image of my school magazine, the fonts do not suit the style of the magazine and do not suit the general tone of the product. However you can see the development of my knowledge of fonts from the image of my music magazine on the picture shown. The fonts are well suited to the mood of the magazine and makes the magazine look professional and well produced. <<<INSTERT IMAGE OF FONTS>>>

Overall I am very pleased with the skills I have learned and developed in my media work as I feel I have considerable improvements to my final media products and it is quite clear how I have developed my skills in order to produce high class and well presented work. I believe the progression in my work have lead to the completion of the high class work, therefore I am pleased with the developments of my media skills.