Ø In what ways does
your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
Out of the nine models I used, four
were female. Stereotypically, magazine of this genre use mostly male models and
artists, to appeal to their predominately young female audience. Also, the rock
genre is still seen as a male dominated, so I tried to challenge that
convention by using an almost equal amount of female models to males. Also, I made
this a ‘Christmas issue’ by using a Christmas tree in the background of the
cover photo, which most rock music magazines do not do.
However, some typical magazine
conventions were used. For example; the masthead was at the top of the page,
the colour scheme was fairly typical, and it had many cover lines, with the one
describing the cover model bigger than all the others.
Ø How does your media
product represent particular social groups?
My
magazine’s target audience is young people aged 16-25, and I represented that
group by using models in that age group, of both genders. The models were
positioned in
Ø What kind of media
institution might distribute your media product and why?
My
magazine would first be handed out at public places, as a free introduction to
the magazine, then it will be available online, or printed subscription sent to
the reader’s address. The online and printed version prices will vary because of
the cost of printing and producing the magazine. The online magazine will be
99p whereas the printed copy will be £1.95.
Ø Who would be the
audience for your media product?
From
my case studies, I found that the target audiences of similar magazines were
females aged 16-25.
Ø How did you
attract/address your audience?
I
used models that belong to the target audience, and a colour scheme that would
appeal to this demographic.
Ø What have you learnt
about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I
have learnt how to use Adobe Photoshop and InDesign more effectively. I used
various forms of equipment, such as a Nikon DSLR camera, and a laptop/ computer
to utilize the computer programs. I learned that InDesign in best for creating
more text based documents, whereas Photoshop was better for producing an image
based document, like the front cover.
Ø 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 how to use the software more successfully, and I gained a better
understanding of the mechanics involved in the production of a magazine. I now
know the things to think about when constructing this sort of media product,
e.g:
-
What
the product is saying.
-
Who
the target audience is.
-
What
software packages are best suited for producing a music magazine.
-
What
style is most appropriate.
-
And
the best way to distribute the product.
