Evaluation-7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

From the progression from preliminary task to the full product I have learned how to make a more professional looking magazine in In Design by using fonts, colors and Photoshop to edit images. I have also learned how to appeal to my target audience more by using the correct mode of address, images, colors and fonts. 

Evaluation-6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?

While constructing this product I learned to use various technologies. 

While designing the cover, contents and double page spread I learned how to use In Design, which I had never used before. I learned how it can be used to create professional looking documents with pictures and text. 

Another piece of software I had never used was Photoshop. I learned how to use this to crop and edit images while working on my photos. 

I also learned how to use blogger and how it is an effective way of archiving and broadcasting work. 

I also learned how to use slide share to embed slideshows in to blogs etc.  

Evaluation-5: How did you attract/address your audience?

To make my magazine look attractive I used a dark colour scheme consisting mainly of black and red, which would appeal to most rock fans. I included previews to articles to try and make the magazine sound cutting edge and exciting- ‘the latest news’, ‘the new album’. I also used a puff: ‘FREE POSTER’ which is written in red and in capitals so it sticks out and hooks the reader in.  I addressed the audience in a fairly informal way, for example I used slang such as ‘stuff’ and ‘toss up’. I think this would appeal to the target audience of rock music fans as stereotypically they are not very literate and that is how they talk. 

Evaluation-4: Who would be the audience of your media product?

My music magazine will be aimed at 18-30 year old rock fans. Readers of the magazine will mainly be from the C1/C2 socioeconomic groups. Some readers may be students working part-time, or be on apprenticeships.  

Evaluation-3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A publishing company such as the Bauer Media Group or IPC Media would publish my magazine. Such a company would publish the magazine in the hopes of reaching a market that has quite a lot of disposable income.

Evaluation-2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My magazine presents young rock music fans in a fairly stereotypical way: obnoxious and antisocial. For example on the front cover I used quite a serious facial expression and a ‘Motorhead’ shirt- a band that are definitely considered antisocial. The language used could also be considered fairly rowdy. For example phrases such as- ‘kick ass’ and ‘sucks’. The text:pictures ratio is around 1:1; this is also fairly stereotypical, as conventionally rock fans would not want to do to much reading. I tried to represent rock fans in this way as it would appeal to traditional rock fans and they would be able to relate to it and would be likely to buy the magazine. 

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

There are many conventions of rock music magazines. They usually contain puffs advertising free gifts such as posters. The masthead is usually at the top of the page. They normally have two or three cover lines down the side of the page relating to articles in the magazine and one main cover line about the main band/artist featured in the magazine. These are all features that I included in my cover. 

Contents pages typically feature pictures relating to articles anchored with corresponding page numbers. They also usually have a list of what is in the magazine, broken up by heading such as ‘news’ and ‘features’. Again, these are features I included in my magazine. 

Double page spreads typically feature an image on one page and the text on the other. They usually have an introduction and then a series of questions with the answers from the person being interviewed highlighted in a different colour. They often have a title spanning both the pages. I included these features in my double page spread. 

Music Magazine Double Page Spread

Music Magazine Contents Page

Music Magazine Cover