End Post

 My experience during my media course has been a fun and creative one. I have enjoyed progressing through programmes such as Photoshop and learning how to use InDesign to create my final product. I have also enjoyed using websites such as Animoto and Prezi as it enabled me to present my ideas in a new and creative way. I am proud and happy with the products that I have created in the time that I was given and I hope to receive a high grade so I can continue with media next year!

Evaluation: Question 7

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

 When reflecting upon my preliminary task, I was very new to the programme Photoshop. I used very simple and rather poor skills and due to this I felt as though my preliminary task was at a very poor standard. The images that I used for both my front page and contents were far too similar and lacked creativity. I feel as though I have made a significant progression and it has allowed for me to create a media product to a very high standard that looks very professional. I have also learned a considerable amount more in terms of audiences and institutions. When creating my preliminary task, I had very little knowledge about the audience and what they like and the research regarding audience in my final product (through the questionnaire) allowed me to have a clear idea as to what  my audience and customers want and expect from my product, which helped me to mould my magazine around this information.

 Since my preliminary task I felt as though I have learnt how to use more advanced features within programmes such as InDesign and Photoshop as these were vital in the construction of my media product. Features such as the magic eraser on Photoshop I found to be extremely useful as it made it easy for me to erase backgrounds in an easy and effect way. Manipulation to my photographs I found vital so I had to use and experiment with effects such as brightness, hue/saturation and contrast which enabled me to edit my photos.

 In order to make my final product as profession as I could, I also began to read several magazines myself. I am already a weekly reader of Kerrang! magazine but I also invested in several copies of Mojo and NME to use as inspiration and pick up on the conventions that are typically used in rock magazine. From reading these magazines I found that the colour scheme very often had the colours black, red and yellow in and I also found that the coverlines used on the front cover were a crucial part as they grabbed audience’s attention easily. I put together this research and added the feature to my work so that I made my product as professional looking as possible.

Evaluation: Question 6

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

 

 

 While conducting my research and creating my music magazine, I learnt a large deal about technologies that have helped me to create the best product that I could have made. During the process of my research I kept up to date with my blog and posted on it regularly. This was done through the media service Blogger where I posted the research for my music magazine through the use of creative images, videos and text.

 To ensure that my research and Blogger was creative I had to use several websites and software to show my research. The software that I used included Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop CS6 and Adobe InDesign CS6. I used PowerPoint and Word to showcase my ideas and included annotated work and images to communicate these ideas more easily. Other software such Photoshop and InDesign I used to create my front cover, contents page and double page spread. They were really useful in the construction of my media product and made manipulating my photographs and creating the layout to my magazine much easier. This new technology helped to improve my media product greatly.
 

 I also used several websites such as Prezi, Slideshare, Scribd, Bubbl.us, Animoto and YouTube to make my presentations more creative and appealing. I used the website Slideshare as a way of uploading my PowerPoints to my blog. Another website similar to this was Prezi. Prezi was similar to PowerPoint, as you could create a presentation but looked a lot more fun and creative. I used Prezi for several of my blog posts as I found it was easy to use (though rather time consuming) and was a lot more creative than simply using PowerPoint. It was difficult at first to understand how to use but once I learned how the website worked, it was very simple.

 My blog also included several videos that I found a new and creative way to present my ideas. These videos were uploaded to YouTube and also Animoto. I uploaded a YouTube video where I presented the pitch for my media product and I answered questions about my product and I took on the audience’s feedback. I found YouTube as a very quick and easy way to present my ideas. Animoto was also very quick and easy. It was also very creative and I enjoyed the way in which I was able to customise the style of the video which made even the most boring ideas existing and fun.

 Overall, I have learned a substantial amount regarding new technologies. From learning about the different types of software I can use, to the large variety of creative websites that are available. All of these things that I learned to construct my media product came together to create my music magazine.

 

Evaluation: Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

House Style

 The colours that I used within my music magazine were black, white and red. These are colours that are not tied to one particular gender and would appeal to both males and females. The colours also are conventional rock colours as they stand out and catch the eye. The colour red has connotations for energy, anger and danger and also portrays violence. I used the colours red and white together as a means of contrasting. Black connotes power and darkness while white connotes purity and innocence.
 

Images

 The images that I used within my product attract my desired audience due to the models depicted within them. My audience are working class males and females between the ages of 16 and 21. The images I included in my magazine show young, successful people within the rock genre who are of both genders. They could potentially be perceived as role models to my target audience. The images I used also include ones taken from a typically rock concert and include bright and eye catching lighting. The setting of a rock environment shows my audience that their favourite artists and role models are in close proximity to their fans and also help to target people who enjoy hobbies such as attending gigs.
 

Masthead

 The masthead for my product attracts my target audience through the use of its font. The font that I have chosen to use is unique and stands out against other magazines’ mastheads. The eroded and distorted effect in the font communicates my product’s genre easily to my target audience as it makes the words appear more edgy and enables them to stand out on the front page. The font helps for the masthead to compete with existing rock magazine such as ‘Kerrang!’ who also use distorted effects on their masthead.

 

Language

 The language that I used to address my audience was a mixture of formal and informal. I wanted to make my audience feel as though could relate to the magazine, like it was chatting to them but I also kept a level of formality so it didn’t feel as though I was patronising them like many pop magazines do so. My audience’s attention was also attracted through the use of buzz words such as ‘exclusive’ and also through exclamatory sentences which helps to grab their attention.

Contents



  The contents within my product reflects the results that I received from my questionnaire and therefore represents what my target audience likes and what attracts them to music magazines. I included an exclusive interview with a popular rock artist to grab audience’s attention and encourage them to purchase the magazine as the word ‘exclusive’ means that the interview is exclusive to the magazine and audiences are unlikely to find the interview elsewhere. The content in my magazine should undoubtedly attract my target audience to my magazine as I collected what I should include in my magazine from my questionnaire.

Evaluation: Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My Audience

My music magazine is primarily aimed at both male and female, aged 16-21 years old. I chose this particular target audience because firstly, the results from my questionnaire told me that both males and females would be interested in my magazine and secondly because magazines of a similar genre such as Kerrang! and Rock Sound have a mixed gendered readership with ages of around 16 to early/mid 20. Rock magazines such as these are extremely successful, which is why I chosen to mould my magazine to appeal to my target audience.

Taken from Question 2 of my questionnaire

Taken from Question 1 of my questionnaire

My audience would generally have a care free attitude towards life. They would be people who love the rowdiness and atmosphere at gigs and festivals, who are not afraid to be themselves and wouldn’t let the opinions of what others have upon them effect who they are. Aside from attending gigs and festivals regularly, my audiences’ hobbies range from skateboarding, playing video games and socialising with their friends and new people. People who tend to enjoy rock music also enjoy the lifestyle of rock and also tend to dress according, wearing dark colours and typically have either tattoos or piercing (sometimes both). My audience tend to classed as “emo’s”, “punks” or “goths”.

 In relation to Blumler and Katz theory of ‘uses and gratification’, my audience would receive personal identity from my music magazine. Because of this, they would regularly purchase my product as my product is based upon not only the music that they enjoy, but also the lifestyle that they live and are therefore likely to gain high levels of satisfaction as they read my magazine.

Evaluation: Question 3

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

 Bauer Media Group however would be the best institution to distribute my music magazine. I believe this because they are an institution whom are already involved with the rock genre of music and distribute popular magazines such as ‘Rolling Stone’, ‘Q’ and ‘Kerrang!’. This would allow for my magazine to be in close contact with the most popular and upcoming rock artists and would also boast my products likelihood of featuring the most popular artists.

Stats by Bauer Media Groups are also sensational. They sell a remarkable 19 million magazines weekly and also distribute magazines in over fifteen countries. These stats helped for Bauer Media Group to earn my trust in making my product a largely successful one.

 Bauer are arguably one of the most successful media organisations, having offices in over 16 different countries worldwide, this would allow for Punk Arcade to be distributed all over the world and achieve international success. The institution would also help for my product to progress through developing the interests and beliefs of various different cultures and classes.

 I chose Bauer Media Group over other institutions such as Spin because they are more known for publishing magazines of the pop genre of music and would be unsuitable for my product as it would not suit my genre. Spin therefore have a lack of experience within my genre of music and would be less likely to succeed when distributing my product. I also chose Bauer over institutions such as IPC because, although they distribute magazines such as NME and Uncut, are not as popular and figures are not as high. I chose Bauer for two reasons – they have a remarkable experience with the rock genre and are extremely successful which is evident through their very good figures. 

Evaluation: Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 My music magazine is primarily aimed at both male and female, aged 16-21 years old who share a passion for the rock genre and also a love for rock’s lifestyle. In my music magazine, I have represented both gender and age, this is evident through the models that I have chosen to use on my front cover, contents page and double page spread and also the colour scheme which I chose.

 Gender is represented through the front cover by the use of an attractive and independent-looking young female as the cover model in my main image. The female model isn’t dressed in a stereotypical bright ‘girly’ outfit, but instead in dark and edgy looking clothing. Compared to magazines such as Top of the Pops her facial expression is also not as welcoming and friendly, instead it is more mysterious. This representation of gender is a counter stereotype as it challenges the social norms of a stereotypical female. I used this model in similar ways that Rock Sound have used showcased a female model, by sexualising them lesser and focusing much more of the attitude of the model.

 Age is also represented in my music magazine as the models I have used are all around the same age as my desired audience. In my double page spread, the members of my band, Kaleidoscope, are all aged eighteen / nineteen years old. Using models whom are of similar age to my readership allows for them to relate to the artists. Young people are much more likely to respond to someone who is of similar age than someone who is not. My music magazine represents age as something that is not a barrier to success, but as a means of connotation to audiences.

 The colour scheme also uses colours which are not tied to one gender. The colours black, white and red are both gender neutral, appeal to both male and female. Together, these colours all have connotations that relate to the rock genre of music and appeal to social groups that I wish to attract such as punks. Social groups such as this will also be attracted to my magazine through the use of the fonts I have used. The typography of my fonts are unique, edgy and rival other existing rock magazines. The font also represents the social groups who will read my magazines, like punks, who are a unique social group and stand out against the mainstream.

 Overall, my music magazine was able not only appeal but also to represent my target audience through the conventions I have included. The representations of age and gender are shown in positive ways. But these representations do not follow the norm, they countertype the generic representation. Females are not sexualised within my magazine and are shown to be more independent as opposed to being an object to look at. I also represented age in a much more different way by using models who are of similar age, when magazine tend to use a model who are older than their audience.