Evaluation

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

My media product borrows forms of real media, and I compared it to some media products already out there. I took a lot of inspiration from the magazine ‘mixmag’ this magazine deals with the same kind of music audience as my magazine was aimed at, so I took ideas from it, for example the bright bold colours used on the front cover and double page spread. I also borrowed the most conventional uses of media products already out there such as using the most interesting plugs on the front cover to get the readers attention.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product is representing people aged from around 18-30, People who have a reasonably high income of which they can spend most of it on going out clubbing, buying new clothes and new pieces of technology such as MP3 players, iPods and the latest mobile phones. It is representing people who like house/electro/d&b/dance/new wave music and who go out clubbing at least one night a week. My media product is representing these types of people as fun loving, care and attitude free and have a lot of free time to go out and check out new clubs and keep up to date with the clubbing music scene.


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

Any music institution that deals with the clubbing scene and young people. My media product is bright and eye catching witch goes with the personality of the readers, so I think my magazine would work well for any institution who wants to grab the attention of young club-goers.



Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product is people aged between 18-30, male and female, who have a high income and can afford to spend a lot of it on nights out and keeping up to date with the latest music. They will also probably spend a lot of it on keeping up to date with fashion and buying new clothes, also a lot of it will go on the latest mobile phone and MP3 player etc. They will watch very little T.V as when they are not at work they spend a lot of time out with friends checking out new clubs.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attract my audience by bold bright eye-catching colours, these bright colours will attract my audience because club goers are very bright colourful people and often wear bright colours so I think their eyes will go straight to this magazine and interest them. Once I have their attention and they start to read the front cover they will be attracted by reviews of the latest DJ’s which they will ultimately be into, also a major factor which will make them want to buy and read the magazine is the offer on the front about the best club venues in the U.K, my audience will always be on the look out for new exciting venues that offer a great night with an up to date venue.


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

Throughout the process of constructing my media product I have learnt a lot about media technologies such as the production and distribution of music magazines is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but also that simple things to grab your audiences attentions will go a long way, such as using the most eye catching stories on the front cover and the colour and layout.



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

I have learnt a lot in the progression from my preliminary task to the full product, I have learnt how to use media technologies well and to my advantage and I have learnt how to get the attention and engage your audience by doing simple things like using plugs/ads/photos/headings that will grab your desired audiences attention.

Final Front cover, contents page & double page spread

Front cover draft

Here is a rough draft of what I want my final front cover to look like. I've took inspiration from the colour scheme that Mixmag use, shown in the post below. This draft is very minimalistic, my final piece will have a bit more going on then this draft.

Magazines i've taken inspiration from

Here is a magazine called Mixmag, I took inspiration from this magazine because it deals with the same kind of audience I am aiming my magazine at. This magazine is aimed mainly at clubbers and the dance music scene. The layout, text font & colours for this magazine are bright and bold and have a element of fun to them, which goes with the dance music theme, and that's what I want my magazine to be like.

Analysis of Music Magazine

The masthead of the magazine is big, bold & eyecatching. It's a masthead most of us will recgonize.

On the cover is a picture of Brandon Flowers from The Killers, and underneath it reads ''THE BIG HEADLINERS! THE KILLERS'' this is eye catching and where our eyes go after looking at the masthead and the picture of Brandon Flowers.

The Killers are a well known popular band, so they are a safe option for the magazine to use on the cover, as they know alot of people will be interested in reading about them.

Apart from Brandons face the background is nearly alomost black, which matches the frame colour of his glasses. the expression on his face is very serious which also goes with the colour black.

The rest of the text on the cover of the magazine is in NME's famous colours, Red & Yellow.

Next to the plug on The Killers, theres a list of bands expected to be playing at Reading & Leeds Festival. This will draw in a huge audience as a couple of years ago The Reading & Leeds festival was awared Number 1 U.K Festival and draws in crows of over 80,000 people every year. So a massive audience will want to read about the bands that are expected to play that year.

LIIAR Of Music Magazine Project

As I'm now starting my Music Magazine project I'm looking again at how media key concepts can be applied to produce my magazine. I'm using the acronym LIIAR - Language, Institution, Ideology, Audience & Representation.

Language - Layout, text & font. Arrangement of the masthead and the text etc. Look at what kind of language is used in the music media, Is there any slang that the readers will relate to?

Institution - The organization that are going to be producing my magazine are going to be Clubbers, DJ'S, Music reviewers and critics.
For example Mixmag readers are the opinion formers and leaders in clubbing. They spend their money on Nights out, Clothes, Music, and the latest mobile phone and MP3 Player.
72% of the readers are male and 28% are female, they don't read other magazines and watch very little television, especially on weekends.
I got my information from http://www.mixmag.net/content/reader-profile

Ideology - The ideology of the magazine will be to promote club nights and venues, give out a message of always telling people where the best club nights are and who the hottest new acts are etc.

Audience - My magazine will be aimed at Clubbers, DJ's etc. People who spent alot of money on nights out and clubbing, people who are always on the look out for new music, It will be aimed at people who like club music such as, House, Trance, Techno, Dance etc.

Representation - My magazine will represents clubbers to be out going people, always up for a laugh

Evaluation

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

My media product uses the conventions that work well from real Media products such as use plugs on the front cover of the most interesting story’s in your magazine, because then your audience are going to be more interested. I don’t think my media product challenges conventions of real media though, I think it’s pretty much like a normal structured magazine in most ways.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product is representing college students as a social group. My media product represents college students as out going and hard working, and always looking for tips on how to improve work ect. It is also representing them as being creative, as I’ve added on my contents page the page number for ‘’college productions’’ showing that the college students have put on shows and productions.

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

I think Any type of media institution that are involved in making media products to do with further education would distribute my magazine, because it’s inspires people to stick at college and also gives them loads of advice on how to boost their grades and use study time well, things like that I think students would be really interested in.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would be college students, it’s entirely aimed at them, and has everything they need to give them a little bit more confidence in succeeding.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience (College students) by the front cover not being a boring typical education magazine front cover that students would never go for. I got my friend to pose for me, and she posed in quite a humours manner that adds an element of fun to the cover, and would hopefully attract students. I also used plugs on the front cover about upcoming shows in the theatre at college and the Christmas party as well as how to improve education headlines ect. So that the students know my magazine isn’t just all about the education side, it’s about the fun as well and getting involved.

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

I have learnt that the simplest of things will gain your readers attention, and that not being boring will get you a long way. You need to use things that are going to grab your target audience and interest them.

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

At the beginning I was a bit nervous and wasn’t too sure how I was going to go about it especially in terms of the picture etc, but along the way it got easier.
I have learnt that just looking at examples of other peoples work helps too, not to copy or steal their ideas but to inspire you to further your own, because at the end of the day no ones original, everyone needs inspiration from somewhere!