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

Well, it has been one bumpy roller coaster! It has been difficult, and I admit I'm probably not the number one student in my class, but truthfully I have come a long way from the Preliminary task! When I planned the photos for my Music magazine front cover, I knew that I didn't want to cause a shadow like I had on my preliminary. Although shadows can be used effectively, I haven’t found out how yet. I have circled the shadows in red on my Preliminary magazine photo below and have shown how, in my opinion, the lack of shadow in my Music magazine photo looks a lot better.

I've also learnt how to layout my page better and how to fill in any gaps. You will rarely find and empty piece of page on a popular music magazine. In my preliminary task I had quite a lot of clear space. This made the magazine look boring and uninteresting whereas my music magazine has less space and looks full and appealing. I could possibly have improved it by adding something else.

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

Since I began constructing my ideal magazine, I have developed skills I never thought I could have. I obviously began by using Adobe photoshop.

This taught me how to use many basic skills, such as how to overlay images on top of each other, drop-shadow and how to use text-wrap effectively.

Furthermore, throughout creating my magazine I also analysed the creative aspects that would be needed to make my magazine look like a magazine. Although this sounds simple, the hours it took to find the right colour for the right font, or how to make the picture fit in well with the text were some of the most difficult I have ever had.


I also developed my picture taking ability. This meant that I would have to understand the properties of lighting for the picture, and also how to effectively work my camera. Such a simple thing such as the flash on a camera could make a shot, or ruin it. This took almost as long to find the right picture, and to edit as it did to do the rest of the magazine.

I also learned how to use adobe indesign, which although it doesn’t have as many of the picture editing abilities and effects that photoshop has, it was much easier to text wrap, to align all of my text and to make the article look realistic. This made it ideal for my double-page spread.

 











I also learnt how to operate a mac. This was completely new to me as I only use a HTP laptop at home. After a long time trying to figure out how to turn it on let alone use it, I finally managed to get to grips with it and the way it is suited to the Adobe programmes made it much easier for me to make my magazine.

The final technology I have learnt how to use is Blogger. Although it seems like an easy program, to make each post look presentable and professional was very difficult. But the benefits far outweighed the problems as the interactivity of it, along with the neat way the data is recorded, allows me present my work in an easy-to-read way which makes it easy for me to find any simple textual mistakes and to correct them.

 

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

Now that I know WHO I am selling my magazine to, I had to work out HOW I was going to sell it to them.



One of the ways I am going to do this is by offering the readers the chance to subscribe. Below is a picture of my subscription and a subscription from an NME magazine. Both our offers are on the contents page so that readers have to open the magazine to find it.

Offering the readers a subscription will not only attract readers but will also keep loyal readers. The promotions are bold colours that stand out well upon the page as to catch the reader's attention. The fonts are also bold and big so that the readers feel pulled towards it. The subscriptions use persuasive language and money saving offers so the readers feel they are benefiting from it. It makes them feel important and unique.


I have also used a unique selling point (USP) that will help sell my magazine. I have managed to only place one picture on the front of the magazine so that the attention is not shared. It shows the importance of the band on the front and it also leaves space in my magazine that not many other magazines have. It makes my magazine stand out from others and readers will be able to easily pick it out from a number of magazines.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?

To find my ideal target audience I had to research the audiences of similar magazines to mine, such as Kerrang! and NME. Here are a few stats I found that will help me decide who my audience will be.

For the full page click HERE

As you can see from above the last stat is ABCe Unique Users. ABCe refers to the social economic groups that magazine buyers fall in to.


A (upper middle class) – professional or at director level


B (middle class) – senior management


C (lower middle class) – junior management and clerical


E - Casual labourers, pensioners, unemployed e.g. pensioners without private pensions and anyone living on basic benefits


The groups above give an idea of my magazine's target audience. However, I also found that people are separated into different youth groups according to hobbies, interests and lifestyles. These groups include "Smart urban", "Goths", "Emos". To find out more about these groups visit HERE


From the information above, I am able to see that my ideal target audience are "Emos". Here are a few pictures of my ideal audience.

3) What kind of media institution might distribute my media product and why?

I have decided to use the Bauer Consumer Media institution to distribute my magazine as the magazine industry is dominated by top publishers Bauer and IPC, Bauer Consumer Media has a wide range of publishing rights in 15 countries, showing that my magazine will be read all over the world. Bauer manages an average circulation of 38 million magazines a week showing they are in high demand. One of the magazines I have used to inspire my own product, Kerrang!, is published and distributed by Bauer Media. Seeing as Kerrang! is quite similar to my magazine I feel it will be a perfect distributor. I did a bit of research and this is what I found:
Click HERE for information about Bauer Media

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Before I took the photos for my magazine I had to do a lot of research into which type of audience I was going to appeal my magazine to. After looking at various other magazines that portray similar music interests to my magazine I had an idea as to what my target audience would look like. One of these magazines was NME. I found their website and found some interesting stats that could be useful.
See here

For my photos I used natural light so the picture did not appear too bright or too dark. My models chose what they wanted to wear as I wanted them to be a controversial act. The female is wearing dark eye makeup to enhance the eyes and the boy is wearing glasses to give him a mysterious look, as if he is hiding.

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

I am going to compare some of the points in my magazine to other popular music magazines and explain why I have used them.
First is the banner across the top of the page. Above are two banners from two popular music magazines and the banner I have used on my magazine. I have circled certain words that attract the reader's attention such as "SPECIAL" and "GIVE AWAY". I have used this idea to add words such as "EXCLUSIVE" and "NEW". Using these words make the readers believe they are receiving something completely new and exclusive that hasn't been seen before. The banner also gives the readers a preview of what they will find inside the magazine. Both banner's from the other magazines are red and black where as mine is red and white. As my magazine is black I felt it would be more effective to use a white banner, where as the other two magazines have white magazines, they have used black banners. It is a different colour so the readers can see it clearly but so that it also fits in the page subtly to ensure it does not distract the reader's attention from the main picture.


Secondly is the sticker effect I have added. Above, I have taken a few sticker effects from other magazines and have circled the important words such as "WIN" and "EXCLUSIVE" and have interpreted it into my own magazine. Again, this type of wording attracts the attention of the readers as they feel special and unique. Most magazines have there own variation of this and it is usually used to advertise something about the main band/act. It gives the users a feel that they are reading something exclusive that no one else knows. NME's is used to promote a new album release as is mine, enhancing the exclusive effect.


Below is a picture of my magazine next to the popular NME magazine. I've compared a few of the main features to show where I got the ideas from.

Contents Page

And I finished my Double Page spread :)

I added a few changes to my contents too, so it SHOULD look a bit better now :)

Front Cover

DONE! :)

Since my first attempt I have changed some things, added more effects and here it is:

Let me know what you think :)

Pictures

Here are some of the picture's for my front cover!

I have changed the genre of my magazine to fit around these picture's and plan to remove the boy on the right as he does not want to be on the front cover! How annoying ¬¬.

Magazine Templates

I have finally found two reliable models and will be taking my pictures this Saturday. Due to my models pulling out and my lack of organisation, I have fallen behind with trying to get some pictures, however, this has allowed me to plan all sorts for my magazine; I've finished the interview which will cover my double page spread. I will uplaod this later AND I've finished a mood board of various magazines I like the layout of. I will also upload these later.
I managed to make a few plans for my front cover but I couldn't decide which ones to use and have managed to get it down to two choices.
Here they are:

I think I'm beginning to have regrets about this layout. The Main Band title going down the middle of the page looks ridiculous and you really wouldn't see it on a music magazine. The barcode is too small and the writing covers half of the picture. 

 I like this one better as the writing does not cover as much of the picture as the other layout will. I also prefer the Main Band Title going across the cover instead of going down the middle. It looks more realistic as a cover and I prefer the barcode being this side.