AS Media Studies

FOUNDATION PORTFOLIOEVALUATIONMolly Simcox

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

STROBE magazine makes use of existing media products by taking inspiration from the conventions of graphology, form and structure of existing magazines. The most prominent institution of which had a significant and influential aspect on the crafting of STROBE magazine is fashion magazine Grazia.

STROBE has evidently developed from the conventional aspects of existing music magazines, however it still obtains the essential elements but instead implements its own unique, modern and intriguing presentational devices. The colours and presentational devices such as ellipse and auto shapes have allowed me, and my group members, to defy the codes and conventions of writing in standardized textboxes in horizontal lines. The auto shapes eliminate the normal and mundane aspect of magazine articles allowing me to convey my textual information in a fresh and intriguing way to engage interest and excitement from the readership. STROBE magazine plays challenges the formal conventions of existing media products as we have amalgamated the genres of funky house and pop to create a “rebirth” of the funky house genre and ultimately deviate from it’s initial demographic of audience.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The fact that STROBE magazine intends to appeal to a young audience, mainly demographies of materialists and lifestyle seekers from middle and upper classes is reinforced by the predominant theme of fashion throughout the magazine. This concept is mirrored by our careful selection of clothing and styling. Semiotics are the one of the main focuses of STROBE in order to appeal to our particular social group or demographic, and these particular semiotics are conveys by the artist “Alice Worboyes”, whom of which I created using stylistic influences from the genre.

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

Institutions such as magazine publishers might distribute my media product as it obtains a wholesomely unique selling point: it is an amalgamated hybrid genre of funky house and pop music. STROBE would be an ideal media product to invest in and distribute as it has the potential to make a colossal impact on the music magazine industry. It is a fresh and cutting edge advancement on the formal codes and conventions of music magazines, deviating away from the traditional focus of Rock and Indie aesthetics and artists and establishing an entirely new and broadened demographic of audience; this is ensured as STROBE implements aspects of all existing magazines into one medium for example prominent Pop artists, the rising stars of the Funky House Nation, Rock and Indie artists, prominencey of fashion and semiotics.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My magazine appeals to an audience of young materialists as the theme of fashion is predominant throughout the front cover, contents page and double page spread. This concept is mirrored by my careful selection of clothing and styling. The double page spread concerns rising funky house/pop artist "Alice Worboyes" and the promotion of her new album "Wonderland" and the article conveys how the artist expresses herself not only through her music, but also through her clothing and fashion sense. Our reasoning behind selecting "STROBE" as the title of our magazine is justified by it's contextual relevance to the predominant elements of the funky house genre; strobe lighting is a common feature of the nightlife and clubbing scene that young materialists and lifestyle seekers experience on a daily basis. However, strobe lighting is also a predominant element in the world of fashion. Strobe lighting is used in photo shoots and for showcasing catwalk collections for maximum impact and memorizing effect. My magazine emblematizes or incorporates our amalgamation between the theme of music and fashion. In my issue of "STROBE" magazine I have focused on the messages and ideologies conveyed through the compound genre of pop and funky house with a matured outlook on the genre of bubblegum pop. The issue includes articles concerning important musical events such as the V Festival which are mainly attended by young materialist and lifestyle seekers belonging to upper and middle class social groups (generally people who can afford to live such a lifestyle).

How did you attract/address your audience?

Alice Worboyes conveys or represents the ambiguous yet intriguing aspect of our sub-genre mirroring the mysterious yet inviting expressions of the computer generated figures predominant on the covers of the Hed Kandi CDs; her warm and conventionally “pretty” aesthetic combined with her delicate clothing is contrasted with the masculine element of a top hat conveying the idea that this artist is bold enthusiastic and unafraid of experimenting with fashion, and ultimately her music. Her dazed expression displayed on the front cover, her puzzled expression shown on the double-page spread and her inviting and content expression shown on the contents page reveals the underlying aspects of her personality as a hybrid artist, but also the ambiguous element of the newly crafted genre which is represented by STROBE. The idea that the artist is unafraid of experimenting with her music and also her fashion ensures an appeal to the social group of anti-authority rebels, whilst the clothing and general aesthetic of the artist appeal to an audience of lifestyle and pleasure seekers from middle and upper class audiences.

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

Throughout the process of constructing this product I have learnt that Photoshop software can manipulate and transform images so that they can be conveyed in an effective and intriguing manner. I learnt that you can create realistic and effective magazine layouts following the codes and conventions of magazine construction and graphology, form and structure through the use of text boxes, auto shapes and image manipulation tools such as the polygonal lasso to cut images in a professional manner and the blur tool to create an effective finish on the outline of images implemented. The layering tool is also effective to show my thought processes and development of my work as Photoshop enabled me to reorder the layers revealing the my working in order from start to finish.

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 your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Upon analysing my preliminary task in contrast to my foundation portfolio I have learnt to relate the layout, form and structure of the front cover, contents page and double page spread to the overall theme of my magazine and to consider my demographic of audience constantly; this should be consistent throughout the pages of my magazine with obvious references to the context of my amalgamated genre of funky house and pop music. I have also learnt that I must consider the formal codes and conventions of magazine production and layout and not only implement these elements into my own work, but develop them in an informed, exciting and imaginative way. Therefore I have evidently implemented the conventions of magazine structure and layout into my front cover with the headline or name of the magazine traditionally at the top of the page with the image as the central focus, with all other pieces of textual information placed around the main image, and also the tradition of the bar code, price, date of magazine issue and web address. On the contents page I have traditionally written the main features and there page reference number accompanied by additional images. I have made this aspect of my magazine unique by using various auto shapes and colours to convey my information.

Development of Front Cover

Here I have implemented images of my magazine during various stages of production to show how my work has improved and developed.

Development of Contents Page

Development of Double Page Spread