Evaluation Question 7

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

When comparing my preliminary task to my main task, I think I have improved greatly in terms of my understanding of how to appeal to your target audience. Personally, I think that my music magazine looks a lot more professional, compared to my school magazine that looks very basic and undeveloped. In my opinion, I think that this is mainly down to my extensive research for my music magazine and also the fact that when I was creating my school magazine, I was only just learning how to use the software, and therefore had a very basic understanding of what it was capable of doing. Through practice in my preliminary task, I was able to improve my skills and widen my understanding of how important every single component of a magazine is, such as the font you use or the colour scheme included. In my preliminary task, I used the same font throughout the front cover and contents page, just in different sizes. Through research and comparison, I quickly learnt that by using a few different fonts, it can give you an effective and pleasing outcome. I used this knowledge when creating my music magazine, and experimented with different techniques to find out which looked the best. I didn’t know this when doing my school magazine, therefore it didn’t look as good as it could of done, but I think my music magazine looks very impressive considering the facilities and technology I had available to me.

            Through careful planning, I was able to create an exact idea of what I wanted my final outcome to look like, and I am very pleased with the result. I learn from my preliminary task that you can’t just sit down and create the perfect magazine- you have to do extensive research and careful planning to ensure that you have everything you need and have taken into consideration what is actually possible.

Overall, I am very pleased with my final result, as I think it is evident that my skills have grown throughout the project and I have used them to the best of my ability. I put my new-found skills down to plenty of research and planning, and I hope that this is obvious in my finished product.

Evaluation Question 6

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

In order to successfully create my magazine, I had to learn how to use various new computer programmes such as PhotoShop, CorelDraw and Prezi. These all contributed towards my creation of my front cover, double page spread and contents page.

For my photoshoot, I used a digital camera with a standard lens to ensure that I got professional results. Because I took my photos during the evening, I had to use 2 lamps to correctly light the camera shot. After taking the photos, I uploaded my favourite ones to Adobe PhotoShop to adjust colours and lighting. Ideally, I would of liked a different background for my photos- maybe just plain white?- and less shadows. Unfortunately this was not possible due to the facilities that were available to me, so I edited the photos to the best of my ability to make them look as professional as possible. I have experience with PhotoShop due to Art GCSE, so I was pretty comfortable with using it to enhance my photography.

            I used CorelDraw to create my preliminary task and main tasks. This was my first time using the programme, and I found it very difficult at first, but after learning the basics, my understanding of the programme became clearer, and it was therefore easier to create a product that I was happier with. However, I would of liked to of learnt more about what CorelDraw can do, as I feel that if I did have fuller knowledge of how to use it, then my final product would have been of a much higher standard.

            This project also introduced Blogger to me, which I have used to present all my work on. Although it was my first time using it, I felt that I grasped the concept of how to use Blogger fairly quickly, therefore ensuring I was able to successfully document my work clearly and efficiently. I really liked working on Blogger, as it was easy to upload photos and write about them. I also learnt how to create labels for each of my posts. These tell you what each post is about so it is easier to find what you are looking for. I would probably use Blogger again as it wasn’t difficult to understand, and it was very simple to use.

            During the creation of my magazine, I also tried using Prezi. Honestly, I didn’t really like using this website as I had no clue how to work it and there wasn’t clear instructions. I managed to make one prezi and post it up to my blog, but I decided not to use it again as it took up way too much time by just trying to figure out how to work it. I decided I liked the simple way of just typing up my work and posting it onto Blogger, it was much more efficient and I wasn’t wasting time trying learn how to use various programmes.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

By keeping in mind the ages and gender of my target audience (females aged 15-25) throughout the creation of my magazine, I was able to adapt everything to attract them, such as the colours used, the model and the poses she did, the content of the magazine and the language used.

            I always liked the idea of using bright colours to capture the attention of the target audience, and even though some people may say that it’s nothing new- the majority of magazines use the technique of bright colours- it is obviously proven to work otherwise no one would do it! They make the magazine look fun-filled and exciting to read, therefore attracting the attention of fun-seekers and young people.

            I chose my model very carefully as I had a specific idea of what I wanted her to look like. I specifically wanted a blonde female, as her blonde hair would enable any bright clothing or makeup to stand out. I then did her makeup using glitter and bold colours, meaning that it would draw potential readers’ eyes to the centre of the front cover. I then told my model to pose as if she was having loads of fun with her friends, and was care-free. I told her that I didn’t want the photos to be too ‘sexy’ as I wanted the character of the popstar to be loved by everyone and ‘squeaky clean’, so she did a variety of innocent poses such as her laughing and joking around with props such as a tiara and cat ears.

            When writing the coverlines on the front cover, I felt that it was important to keep in mind that it was a chart music magazine specifically for 15-25 year old females. Because I am personally in that group of being a female aged 17, I found it pretty easy to  identify what my target audience would be interested in, such as going to concerts and festivals during summer, a strong interest in current boy bands such as One Direction, and wanting to look like your favourite celebrity. I used this knowledge to my advantage and created a front cover perfectly suited to my target audience.

            Lastly, I also focused on the language I used. Personally, I know I prefer it when magazines are quite ‘chatty’ and write in a friendly, causal style, so that is what I aimed to do. I tried to use colloquial and informal language where possible, so that readers perceive the magazine as a type of friend, and find it enjoyable and pleasurable to read.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience for my magazine is females aged 16-25. I chose this target audience to base the creation of my magazine around because not only are they interested in music, but they are also interested in the fashion, the gossip, the scandal and the lifestyle that surrounds it. I aimed my magazine at people who prefer chart music in particular because it is the most popular genre of music, so there is a lot of other things included in it, such as fashion trends and reality TV such as The X Factor and The Voice, which focus on finding the next up and coming popstar who has the potential to  dominate the charts.

This is my Lifestyle Profile of an average person included in my target audience:

 Female ages 16-24

 clothes shopping, interested in fashion,  music, goes to nightclubs, gym member, busy social life.

Social status: B, C1, C2.

Interested in chart music, downloads music

Smartphone

Uses twitter,facebook,instagram.

Attends music festivals/concerts 3-4 times a year

Influenced by musicians image

Evaluation Question 3

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

It is well known that the most common way of advertising and distributing magazines are in shops such as WHSmith, which have proven very successful for many different varieties of magazines. However, the only way potential readers would be able to see the various magazines is if they actually walk into the shop, and with internet shopping becoming a very rapidly growing industry, I have decided that the internet and social networking sites in particular is the way to go. If I was to advertise my magazine on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram, then the amount of people who see it would be much more than if my magazine was just on a shop shelf, especially as recent studies have shown that more than 250 million tweets are made per day, and over 800 million updates on Facebook! It was also shown that 18-25 year olds spent up to 8 hours a day on the social networking sites, and considering this is very close to my target audience, I think it’s safe to say that they would definitely come across an advertisement for my magazine! The fact that I have included a ‘hashtag’ in the name of my magazine ties in perfectly with the idea of mainly advertising my magazine on the internet, as it has the potential to become a ‘Trending Topic’ on Twitter, meaning that millions of people would see it. Another advantage of using a hashtag and advertising on the internet, means that it has the potential to turn into a brand, as people would simply see the name ‘#beat.’ And want to find out more. During my research, I also found out that many magazines are also starting to put additional content onto their social networking profiles for each issue, therefore encouraging readers to visit their page, which could lead to their friends seeing it and so on. Obviously I would still need to actually sell my magazines in shops, but I love the idea of doing all the advertising and branding on the internet.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The target audience for my magazine is females ages 16-25, interested in chart music and all the gossip, fashion and scandals surrounding it. I wanted to incorporate all these elements into magazine but wasn’t quite sure how to do that, so I looked into a variety of different magazines such as Billboard, Rolling Stone and Q. In addition to this, I also researched non-music magazines that were aimed at a similar target audience as mine, but focused on things such as fashion, lifestyle and gossip, so I looked at Cosmopolitan, Sugar and Glamour. After looking at both types of magazines, I attempted to bring them all together to create one unique magazine that my target audience would love. I feel that I did this successfully, as I took inspiration from the non-music magazines for the house style and general ‘look’ of my magazine, as well as taking inspiration from the music magazines for the content of ‘#beat.’ The outcome is an exciting, upbeat appearance with all the essential musical related content that my target audience would be prepared to pay for.

The model included in the magazine is wearing trendy clothing which my target audience is likely to wear- the brand Boy London is a known favourite throughout young people at the moment. The fact that the model is wearing this popular brand makes her desirable as a role model. Her makeup also plays a big part in the final image, as it is very vibrant, glittery and unique- something which young females aspire to be. I also asked my model to pose in a way that connotes a fun, care-free personality, which I think she did very well. For example, the front cover image, in which she is posing with her hand partially covering her face is unusual, as in most magazines you would expect to be able to see the models whole face, but I quite like the way she is hiding behind her hand- it suggests that she has a secret, and if you read the magazine, you will find out what she is hiding. However, the image is still playful and quite innocent looking, therefore reinforcing the idea that she could be a potential role model for readers. The image used in the double page spread is very much the same, as she is posing with her tongue out- again, something you wouldn’t expect to see in a magazine. This emphasises the whole suggested personality of the model – carefree, excitable, and constantly seeking fun. This gives the magazine a slightly informal feel, which I like because my target audience of teenage females would prefer the idea of a casual, relaxed feel to a magazine.

Evaluation Question 1

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

Through plenty of research and planning, I discovered that to create a successful and memorable media product, the use of forms and conventions is essential. Whether you follow the typical conventions, or challenge them- it all contributes to the outcome of your final product. For my magazine, I decided to generally follow the typical conventions of other magazines- this is where my extensive research helped me. Throughout my whole project I included the use of very bright, fun and eye-catching colours, as I found evidence that this would attract my target audience. During my research, I also found out that the majority of people thought that a music magazine aimed at females aged 16-25 should be very fun and quite informal as it suggests a ‘friendly’ atmosphere when reading the content of the magazine. I really liked the idea of my magazine having a companionable and sociable feel to it, so that people would actually enjoy reading it, and feel that they could interact with it. The use of a ‘hashtag’ in my masthead reinforces the idea of an interactive media product, as readers could get involved with the social networking side of my magazine, but this actually challenges the typical forms and conventions of most magazines, as social networking sites such as twitter are relatively new and exciting, therefore not many magazines include conventions that appear on websites like that. In addition to this, the hashtag masthead is my unique selling point, as there isn’t anything else like that in the magazine industry at the moment.

          The actual layout of my front cover uses the typical forms and conventions of a magazine to its  advantage- the bright colours, eye-catching images and busy lay out all contribute to attracting the target audience.