Evaluation Of My Magazine

Produced By Ali Butt

1. In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms and Conventions Of Real Media Products?
Front Covers
Mastheads: All of these mastheads have a similar font, colour, size to represent their magazines. Coverlines: All of these mastheads have a similar font, colour, size to represent their magazines.

Pictures: Similar images have been used in both magazines

Barcodes: All these magazines have barcode which is common for all magazines

1. In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms and Conventions Of Real Media Products?
Contents Page
Main Image: The layout of the main images are layed out in a similar way and the images that are used are large and standout from the text Page Numbers: Both magazines have page numbers that will navigate the reader to the certain page Article Titles: Both magazine article titles are in modern classy style/font of writing Mastheads: Both mastheads are a simple/ easy to read style and font of writing

1. In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop Or Challenge Forms and Conventions Of Real Media Products?
Double Page Spread
Main Image: Both of the main images have took up one side of the A4 side of the double page spread to draw the readers attention of what the article is all about

Article Titles: Both magazine article titles are in modern classy style/font of writing and in the right hand article its written in a funky sort of style that also makes the reader want to read it because it look intriguing.

Layout: Both of the articles are laid out similarly have they have the text on one side of the double page spread and how they have one whole page dedicated to an image that creates an image in the readers mind about the article.

Colour Scheme: Both of the articles stick to their colour scheme which is red, black and white and it is consistent throughout the article it make it more reader friendly and easy to read.

2. How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?

My music magazine represents particular social groups through text, images, quotes, and as I used colloquialisms (frequently used by a vast number of young people) and referred to artists like; Chipmunk, Drake and N Dubz. All of these artists are RnB/Hip-Hop artists who are all common within young people, especially those from under-privileged backgrounds. Furthermore, the whole idea/concept of RnB/Hip-Hop music is Giving something back to the community, Rags to Riches and trying to encourage young people to deter from crime, sex, drugs This is why many young people seek hope and inspiration through such artists.

3. What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?

My magazine will be distributed based on the genre and as my magazine is based all around RnB/Hip-Hop genre and which is my target audience, there is not really a broad market that will be content in distributing my magazine. I believe this as RnB/Hip-Hop itself is constantly under scrutiny and is deemed as materialistic as well as misogynistic. However my magazine promotes a sense of fun, and passion towards music therefore, I feel that institutions like urban music channels e.g. MTV Base and Channel U, music stores e.g. Zavvi, HMV, newsagents and urban clothes stores will be contented to distribute my magazine.

4. Who Would The Audience Be For Your Media Product?

The target audience for my magazine will males and females aged 16-25. I went for a unisex audience so that I can increase the sales of my magazines and also because R&B/HipHop is a huge highly demanded genre that majority of the population takes a keen interest in, however aiming it at one sex is a niche market because I wont be able to maximize sales. I wanted a unisex audience as I featured both male and female dominated articles on my contents page such as subjects on relationships, fashion, as well as interviews from rap artists. Also, the colour scheme and layout of the magazine was quite unisex even though there were only images of females included. The age of my target audience is quite mature as real-life topics like sex, drugs, gun/knife crime which my target audience may be able to relate to. I also wanted to aim my magazine at those less-fortunate and make it enjoyable yet affordable for them. As a 16 year-old teenager growing up in South London, I found it unproblematic writing the article as I myself could relate to a vast majority of the issues included and I was also able to use certain phrases, colloquialisms and subject choices that my target audience could relate to and comprehend. Additionally, I carried out a questionnaire and the majority of my readers were of the above age group.

5. How Did You Attract/Address Your Audience?

When I was creating my magazine I was always thinking about my magazine having a USP, a unique selling point, which would attract my target audience and make my magazine stand out from competitors meaning that the audience would purchase my magazine over the others. The USP for my magazine is that it is aimed at people who are into RnB/HipHop; therefore I have a clear target as to who I want to buy my magazine. I believe that having a USP is important, especially for an unknown magazine, because the audience will stick to what they know unless if your magazine is appealing to them. I attracted my audience, RnB/HipHop fans, through the house style of my magazine as it was black, yellow, red and white, these are just some of the colours that would attract my target audience to my magazine because these are the colours that are associated with that target audience. Another aspect of my magazine that would attract my audience or address them is the copy I have used, in particular on my double page spread. This is because I have used words which would relate to that music genre which are commonly used. Unlike magazines like classical music, which are quite formal and use sophisticated words in order to attract their audience, my magazine takes an informal tone/approach, relating to my target audience which is RnB/HipHop.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? (Screenshots will help to illustrate this)

1. First of all I created my masthead and changed the background colour to black.

2. Then I inserted my background image and made it dull.

3. Then I inserted my barcode so that I had made space for it.

4. Then I created a footer and created some cover line.

5. Then I created a second image which then I cut out the main focus point which is the character itself. And insert another sub-heading

6. Then I started to focus more on the coverlines which I did and started to add more which I had planned.

7. I continued to add more subheadings so that I can use up all the empty space and makes the magazine more attractable for my target audience.

8. I continued to add more subheadings so that I can use up all the empty space and makes the magazine more attractable for my target audience.

9. Then I started to add the last headlines and then the magazine finally came together.

10. This is my final magazine cover.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? (Screenshots will help to illustrate this)

1. As you can see I first started off to create my background.

2. The I started to insert the main image for my magazine that I will be talking about.

3. Then I inserted the images of other artists that I will be discussing in my magazine.

4. Then I moved further and started to add the headings for my pages.

5. Then I inserted the links to my other social networking sites.

6. Then I inserted some explanatory text under each heading to show what I was doing.

7. My final contents page.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? (Screenshots will help to illustrate this)

1. First I started off by designing the masthead itself.

2. I then moved onto designing the other bits 3. After I designed my masthead I moved onto and pieces to the masthead which will allow it to my main image than im going to use which I stand out. edited and imported into InDesign.

4. I then moved onto writing my actual main article of the magazine which I decided to undertake an interview with Richard Evans himself. Also inserted an image

5. Because the magazine looked bland and boring to look at I then started to add the colour schemes that I have used consistantly throughtout my magazine.

6. Then afterwards I inserted some text that I wrote under the image itself because it looked weird and there was a gap under neath which enabled me to add some text.

7. Then my final piece I added some text on the main image itself to make it stand out and make it reader friendly because before it looked like a random image.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The mains task compared to the preliminary task looks more professional and looks more presentable. There are a couple of evident features straight off that you can see that make a difference e.g. the colour scheme because in the preliminary task we had to use the college colours which meant that we were restricted as to which colours we could and could not choose from., however on the main task we were able to choose our own colour schemes which gave us more flexibility as to what colours to use and also it draw the audiences attention more in the main task. Whereas in the preliminary task there was a lot of bright colours used which made your eyes go funny as well as it never gave out the right effect for each individual feature you had on the magazine. Also the fonts used look a lot more professional and neat in the main task compared to the preliminary task, even though theyre all different sizes, fonts and colours the was they are positioned on the page just makes the cover look more professional. On the preliminary task the cover lines are hard to read and all the text is the same and it just looks rather poorly made compared to the main product. The images that we used on the preliminary task were poor quality so if we made it any bigger it would have distorted, however on the main task we took good quality pictures so that if and when we edited the images they wont distort.

Main Task

Preliminary Task

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The mains task compared to the preliminary task looks more professional and looks more presentable. As you can see the preliminary task isn't as good as the main task. This is because we were unable to choose the colours for our magazine but instead we had to stick to the colleges which were green, purple and blue. However on my task we were able to choose our own colour schemes and house styles which made a big difference as you can see. The fonts used also made a difference to draw the readers attention because it instantly drew the audiences attention because it its more organised and more professional. Also on the main task we were able to advertise the magazine as you can see Ive put links in the bottom left hand corner that they can find out more about upcoming/latest things that are going on in the Beatz magazine whereas in the preliminary task we never had none of that.

Main Task

Preliminary Task