Naomi Greenham

Candidate Number 8136

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?My media products used, developed and challenged forms and conventions of real media products that are sold on a daily basis. A conventions is something that is expected of a particular object, for example an music magazine. A music magazine can often be identified with an image of an artist or band on the front cover. This is presented with use of a medium close up and the theme through out the magazine is based upon this. By analysing existing magazines that I had purchased from shops, I was able to identify the convention trend that can be seen through out a number of music magazines with a variety of genres. In my product I used a variety of conventional and unconventional methods to give my magazine a unique style. My front cover can be identified as conventional as a main image is created in the middle of the page and text is surrounding it with relation to the image and the double page spread. In contrast to this, I feel my contents page challenged conventional methods as I feel it is not a typical layout for a music magazine. The double page spread met conventional standards as the layout is that of a typical music magazine, the text is set in columns, images are related to the text and also the front cover of the magazine and pull quotes are used to attract the readers attention to this page. Also the page is introduced as “Exclusive” attracting the reader and also showing the pages convectional method. I achieved this by researching into existing music magazines and paying specific attention to detail in a variety of genres the magazines were based on and I made use of their influences on my product.

Real Music Magazine

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine is represented towards late teens and early adults, ranging between the ages of 16 to 21 who show an interest in music magazines. I have represented this via the choice of direct language towards the reader as it allows them to create a relationship with the text and also gain a greater understanding as to what the text is providing. The language I used is colloquial style making it more relevant to my target audience making it personal and entertaining.

Also the way in which the images, colours and fonts were presented also contributed towards the audience in which my product is aimed towards. The use of colours are attractive to both genders and the fonts are bold with affects. The colours and fonts also represent youthfulness and modernity.

Reflected in the price and the content, shows that my product is aimed towards a middle class audience and this also has an affect as to where my magazine is distributed.

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

I believe that the following are the institutions that are likely to distribute my magazine due to the audience it is based towards. Also, VIBE is a mainstream magazine so the publisher will be a company similar to Bauer or EMAP; who are the publishers for Q magazine and MOJO.

• News Agents

• Music Stores

• Book Stores

• Online Stores

• Super Markets

I believe that these places are beneficial for my music magazine to be sold in as this is where my target audience are likely to shop to purchase my product.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

At the beginning of my planning for my product and from the results of my preliminary and primary research, I was aware that there were few or no magazines that were aimed towards the female gender, so I decided to fulfil this gap in the market. As the progression of my product went on, I found that my images were not producing the way in which I had hoped so I decided to change my original idea and to aim by product towards both genders. The age range in which I am aiming my product towards is 16 to 21 year olds. This is represented in the use of language, the layout, the colours, the fonts and the images. By doing this it enabled my product to be aimed towards a larger proportion of audience so that the chances of sales are also higher.

I asked my fellow peers of their opinion of my product and what they felt could have been improved. They believed that the language and layout worked very affectively for the audience in which the product was aimed at.

How would you attract/address your audience?

Previous to the construction of my magazine, I devised a questionnaire that I asked my target audience who belong to my age range. The questionnaire consisted of questions based upon what they felt would benefit that magazine and what they wanted to see it in, these questions were on genre, colours, fonts and images. The results of the questionnaire gave me a clear insight as to what my audience were expecting from my magazine and as to what they wanted to appear in it.

I also researched into a number of existing magazines and the convections in which appeared in a number of them that would benefit my product.

By the use of large bold fonts and some with affects I created the text to appeal more to the reader and to show a greater interest. The images can also be seen as represented on a slight angle, this is to attract the reader and to make it more interesting and appealing.

I also made use of language that spoke directly to the reader and showed evidence of rhetorical questions.

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

At the beginning of the construction of my product I was unaware of how to use specific programmes to their full potential. But through this I enabled to expand my knowledge of particular programmes and how to use certain tools to create a particular affect and image to its full potential. At the start of the process I made an attempt to use the programme Photoshop, but as I was unaware as to how to use this to its full potential I felt like it was wasting valuable time to I stuck to programmes that I felt more comfortable and confident with. The programmes in which I used through out my main and preliminary tasks were; Paint, Word, Publisher. I found these all very affective and they allowed me to achieve the particular images I had aimed to achieve.

The tasks also expanded my knowledge of the use of a digital camera and the affects that can be put into action to achieve a particular shot.

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

Since finishing my preliminary task, I have increased and expanded on my knowledge of the magazine industry and the way in which they are presented. I also expanded my knowledge about the conventions of existing music magazines and what my target audience are wanting from a music magazine.

I have also learnt a lot about the technologies used to create the media behind the magazine.

I have learnt more about the affective ways in which a front cover, contents page and double page spread can be presented with a variety of fonts, affects and colours. I have also learnt about the style of languages that is affect for drawing in the reader.

My knowledge of convectional language of music magazines has also grown substantially.

What do others say about your media product?

• “Great use of language”

• “Love the colour scheme that is presented throughout”

• “I found the double page spread very entertaining”

• “Exactly what you want from a music magazine”

• “Great content”

• “Modern and affective”

• “I love the images and the affects”