Louise Fairclough

AS MEDIA STUDIES

Music Magazine Evaluation

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

Front CoverTitle of magazine at the top and eye catching.

Slogan

Name of the main story in the biggest writing. All writing off the face of the model.

Quote from the interview inside.

Picture and subheading about different stories inside.

List of bands that have stories based on them

Barcode with date and price on it make it look authentic.

Subheading in bold with a highlighted background make it stand out.

Small description of the story underneath the subheading.

E-mail for the magazine.

Band at the top giving information on an important story

Contents Page It uses a total of 3 main colours that remain constant throughout the magazine.

I have used subheadings splitting up the contents list into sections of stories that feature on the cover and those that are just inside.

I have used a picture of a band featured in my magazine that is also featured in the contents list.

A letter from the editor is frequently featured in magazines. They’re also usually chatty so I’ve replicated this in my own editors letter.

I have got a continuing theme of black, dark blue and light blue lines throughout my magazine.

Initial of the title.

Main image of the main story advertised on the front.

Double Page SpreadQuestions and answers in the interview are in different colours.

Main picture takes up half of the page.

Page number

Continuing theme of black, dark blue and light blue stripes.

Quotes out of the interview that stand out.

Name in huge white letters that stand out.

Introduction to the interview.

Written in columns and set out like a typical magazine interview.

My media product is an indie magazine. The social group that it is representing is a younger audience of indie boys and girls. The sort of music that is featured within my magazine suit this style and would therefore attract that sort of person.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

The magazine that I have focused my coursework on is the NME magazine. This includes the company IPC. My research tells me that the parent company of these is Time Warner which is a multi-national conglomerate that has media companies in television, radio, film, internet and, of course, a record label.If my made up artist, Alice Wonders was to sign to Time Warner, then she would appear in all of these media productions especially NME Magazine.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my magazine would be anybody that liked indie, or rock and roll music. Anybody that was interested in that specific genre would be interested in my magazine as the sort of music they listen to is the main feature of the whole magazine. I think that a younger audience of late teenagers or young adults would prefer it as the music is new and alternative. Modern music like this is usually more popular with the younger ‘MTV generation.’

How would you attract/address your audience?

My media product is an indie magazine. The model on the front demonstrates this with her dress sense and stance. Also, the bands that are listed on the front are well-known indie bands that would attract the sort of people that like that music, which would be indie-lovers.Bands such as The Courteeners, Fenech-Soler, Fyfe Dangerfield, Friendly Fires and Little Man Tate are either not well known, or known and classed as indie bands. Which is what would attract my audience.

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

One technology I have learned about is Photoshop. I have learned the basics of the programme and the skills that I have learned have made me a successful media product as a magazine. I have learned to edit photos and make them flawless and I have learned to make the writing and font from Photoshop to replicate those that would be found on a magazine.

I have also learned about photography cameras. I have learned how complex it is to set up a camera with all of the settings and choosing which one goes best for the situation.

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

I feel that I have learned new skills with computer technology. When we started the pre-lim task, I had no idea how to work Photoshop and now I have created a front page and a double page spread using the programme.

I have also learned how to manage my time better and by doing this, has managed to meet the deadline for my product and evaluation.

I have learnt how to edit photos to improve them and make them look better than the original using photoshop.

I have learned how to set up a photography session and what things to look out for when taking pictures such as lighting, setting and background. I learned this doing my main task rather than on my preliminary.