In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forums and conventions of real media products?
Throughout this evaluation I will look at the conventions for a music magazine and how I have followed them or challenged them.
Front cover
It is conventional for a music magazine to have a masthead at the top left hand corner occupying 1/5 of the magazine so I have made sure my magazine features this to be conventional. I have found that it is also conventional for some of the main image to be overlapping the masthead, giving the impression that they are in front of it so by using adobe Photoshop I was able to duplicate the part I want to overlap the masthead and to give this effect.
Another convention I have found relating to the masthead is that they are written in a bold font and in an eye catching colour to make it stand out so I made sure I chose a font that stood out and was appropriate to the genre of the magazine. I have chosen to stick to the house style colours of orange, red, grey black and white. I have chosen orange because the colour represents enthusiasm, enticing the audience of the magazine with their enthusiasm for music. As well as the colour red which shows connotations of desire and passion of which I hope the target audience of my magazine have for music and the industry.
It is conventional for the barcode to be on the bottom right of the page, such as the issues of Mojo and NME I have analysed. To reflect the major magazines, I have made sure my bar code contains a date, issue number and price on the bar code, as well as it being to the bottom right of the page to not obstruct the main articles.
I have found that on both NME and Mojo they have used a splash to show additional information for example NME it was to advertise free posters that are contained within the magazine and for Mojo it was to advertise a free CD also contained in the magazine. I have made sure that my magazine contains a splash and that it contains something of value, which I have chosen to be the opportunity to win some concert tickets. This is appropriate because it is a music magazine and the concert tickets relate to this genre of music.
It is conventional to have a teasing contents on the front cover, for example on the NME episode I analysed it contained the teaser of the main feature which was about The Vaccines; There is a cover line above the band’s name laid out in between some of the band members which says “On the bus and into the arenas with the bands of 2012” which is an exclusive to this magazine. This would persuade people to buy it because you may not be aware of the experience of some bands tours; this attracts the audience and pulls them in making it a teaser. On my magazine I have made sure that I have a teasing strap-line, which conventionally contains a quote from the artist, the article headline or other information. I have made mine into a quote said by the artist which is also the title of the article. I chose the quote "Music is my business" because it represents the artist’s dedication to becoming a famous musician and that this industry is the only business for her. This is appropriate because it draws the audience in and makes us want to read on about why she likes the music industry, how she got to where she is today and what she's planning on doing now.
In the issue of Mojo I analysed, it featured the skyline which adds more information, explaining "John Lennon" in red and "his final masterpiece" in black. When people look at the masthead and see the skyline above it they could be more persuaded to buy the magazine which is somewhat conventional to a music magazine. I have decided to break this convention by having the skyline at the bottom of the page rather than the top. This is because I have the main article headline, "Holly Day"(which is the name of the artist in the picture which helps us understand she is going to be our main feature), and the strap-line towards the bottom of the page.
This is because when the audience look at the masthead first the picture of the main image is obstructing a section of the masthead meaning they are drawn to look at the picture. While we are looking at the picture we notice that the main article headline “Holly Day” the “y” from “Holly” is rotated about 20 degrees which makes it dynamic to the picture behind it as the artist has her hand on her hip making her unzipped leather jacket on an angle, making it in line with the tilted “y” therefore it connects the two, making the audience read the main article headline. Below the article headline is the strap-line, the audience are then persuaded to read that as it contains a quote which they are interested in. As that is at the bottom of the page we are then persuaded to read the skyline at the bottom of the page informing us of a tour gallery which displays to the audience that there is vast content within this magazine. This will encourage them to buy the magazine and also reinforcing the skylines placement.
I have also found it conventional for my front page to contain thumbnail images, such as in the issue of NME
Contents
Through analysing NME and Mojo’s contents pages, I have found that it is conventional to have several images showing what is going to be in the magazine on the contents page, as well as page numbers, article headlines and details about the article content. I have implemented these conventions and have also continued with the house style colours and font by using orange to establish lines around the main feature, other big articles and the rest of the magazine. Because the magazine’s name is AIM, an acronym of “Alternative, Indie Music” I have some targets in white and red which relate to the word aim and this also makes the use of the targets as bullet points appropriate.
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To refer to the page numbers, I have found it more conventional and have a more professional appearance if I don’t use the word “page” or letter “p”. This is backed up with my analysis because to refer to the page number in the magazines I researched they just used a number.
I have chosen to have the main feature’s picture occupying the top left corner; I have taken inspiration from the NME issue I analysed where the main feature about The Vaccines was occupying a large space in the middle. The other features that would be popular I have down the right hand side of the page going down, at the top of this section I have written “Plus” in orange which is identifying the other features. To show they are medium features I have put thumbnail images along the right side in three separate features with captions which indicates the articles content. Also to show the other articles are still of importance I have the page number in a target similar to the main features.
To show what pages the other stories and articles are about I have them below the main feature and next to the other features. I have captions below the story/article title to inform the audience about the content. Through my research I have realised that music magazines conventionally don’t have an editor’s letter so I have made sure my magazine contents page abides by the proper conventions with not having an editor’s letter.
Double Page spread
Through my research, I have found that it’s conventional to have a large headline which takes up a third of one page. So I have made sure that my headline follows this. Also I have kept with the same house style of orange, black and white to ensure you can tell all the pages are for the same magazine.
I have also found it conventional to have a large main image which takes up one full page, in the issues I have analysed I noticed that the large main image was on the left hand side’s page. So I have taken inspiration from that and placed my main feature’s image in this positioning. Also in the issues I analysed, I found it was conventional to have an introductory paragraph to engage the reader, I have written a paragraph before the article explaining the content of the article which should attract the audience. I decided for my magazine to have a line containing the photo credit similar to the one in the issue of NME I analysed, this would be placed below the headline of the article.
I also found it conventional to have the article in small font and for it to be laid out on half the page. I discovered that in the issue of NME I analysed it contained a pull quote that could be seen as quite shocking, this makes the audience want to find out more resulting in them being engaged and reading the whole article. The quote I chose as a pull quote is “I had to be escorted out by security ‘cause everyone was going crazy… It was insane” because it makes the audience want to explore the story.
I have included a drop cap in my double page spread because it is a magazine convention. I know this is a convention because through my research of the issues of NME and Mojo I have found that they often do this throughout their magazine on other articles. I did my drop cap in the same colour as the head line to ensure I was keeping to the house style to make it all look appropriately from the same magazine.
How does your media product represent particular social groups
In this section I would be analysing my target audience using stereotypes and representations.
My music magazine would be writing about the alternative, indie and rock genre, similar to NME and Q. The listeners of these genres are stereotyped in the ‘indie’, ‘hipster’ and vintage crowd so these people are my magazines target audience. The age group of my target audience would be late teens who are discovering their favourite genre of music but also up to people in their 30’s who have already specified their favourite music genre to be one of what my magazine covers.
These types of people are stereotypically the people who attend festivals such as Leeds/Reading, Download, Glastonbury and V. This group of people are stereotypically rebellious and outrageous when it comes to music and fashion, for example; not being ‘mainstream’ with what they wear or listen to. However they are still very passionate with their music and fashion choices. The socio economic groups that are going to buy this magazine would be from E, this indicates students at college or university, and D or C2 indicating adults with a passion for this type of music. The orange house style of the magazine reflects the people who would purchase the magazine as those who would be passionate and enthusiastic about this genre of music.
I believe my main images represents the 'indie' and 'alternative' stereotype quite well because she is wearing a leather jacket which implies rebelliousness of the stereotype and the yellow colour top makes the artist appear hipster and desirable.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I will have my magazine published by Future PLC because they are familiar with the similar genre of music, such as Metal Hammer, which I plan to base my magazine on so they would have experience in the genre and appealing to the target audience. I have also chosen Future PLC over companies like Bauer media because they already have magazines established in this specific mix of genre such as Q or IPC media who produce NME. This is because I believe these magazines would be in direct competition with my creation, therefore if Future PLC were to aid me this would gain popularity and readers.
Who would be the audience for your media product? / How did you attract/address your audience?
My magazine would be aimed at males and females aged 15 up to mid-20’s and possibly onwards. Also, it would be aimed at the demographic groups that are inner directed because they would be societally conscious. They would also have to have to be interested in music and be passionate about it to purchase the magazine. This could also mean that they could be semi-skilled or unskilled manual workers because they are likely to be students or in their first job, it must also appeal to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs because they would probably have an active social life.
Because my magazine would be aimed at the D and E socio economic groups, who would be students, in their first jobs or with the expectation of socio economic groups of C2 who still have a great passion for music, I have made sure that my magazine has a mature layout and is written to appeal to my target audience.
I have some audience feedback from my target audience:
Feedback from an 18 year old female whose favourite music genre is pop:
“The front cover colour scheme stands out”-“You can tell the contents page is of the same magazine and it is very informative” –“I would associate this magazine with pop and soft rock”-“Price could be higher like most magazines”-“Very clear photos, good variety, eye contact used well to attract the audience.
Feedback from a 16 year old female whose favourite music genre is alternative:
“I like the colours [of the front cover], I think they work well. The smaller images are good as they show a variety of artists”-“I like the ‘what’s inside’ instead of putting content page. I also think the page numbers without saying “page” looks good”- “the house style colour are continued and I like it because you can tell it’s a part of the same magazine.”-“From the front cover I would believe that the genre of the magazine is indie”-“I think it is a good price for a monthly magazine as it is competitive”-“I like the variety of images you have used.”
Feedback from a 17 year old male whose favourite music genres are indie, rock and house:
“I like the simple colour scheme [on the front cover], it looks attractive and eye catching. The pictures are well organised and look professional. Everything needed on the front cover is there, although it could have a sell like above the masthead”-“I like that there’s lots of picture but it’s not too cluttered. All the pictures look professional. Attractive graphics and colour scheme is consistent throughout.”
Things that are important to these groups would be their image to their peers and would want to appear ‘cool’ so I would want my magazine to be the ‘cool’ magazine for my target audience to read.
Through my research from audience feedback I have discovered that a large majority of people understand all three pages are linked to the same magazine and a lot of the people would be persuaded to but this magazine too.
However, in order to reflect the ‘real’ working process of a published magazine, I presented my front cover to a small focus group of four students considered to be a part of my target audience. They gave me the following feedback:
Student 1: “I think that you need a sell line to explain what AIM stands for – this would make the genre clearer.”
Student 2: “I really like the MCU image from one of your older drafts – could you redraft this with an MCU image? They’re more engaging and leave less empty space.”
Student 3: “Could you rearrange the layout of the main coverline? Maybe it could be a bit more exciting, and interact with the main image in some way.”
Student 4: “I like the cover, but I’m not sure that it tells me enough about the other features that can be found inside the magazine.”
After reflecting on this feedback, I have decided to do a second final draft to ensure my magazine appears more conventional and professional, but to also take the opinions of the target audience into consideration, making sure my magazine definitely appeals to my target audience.
I have decided to add a sell line below the masthead which reads “Alternative Indie Music”, this helps the audience to establish the genre of the magazine.
I have also decided to change my cover image from a medium long shot to a medium close up as I have found this to be conventional and also to make sure that it engages my target audience.
Another change I have made to my front cover is the layout of the coverline. I rearanged the text so that “Music is my” is smaller and next to the name “Day” which makes the layout appear more neat. Also I made “business” to a bigger font and placed it below “is my” and “day” to make the front cover appear more stylish, this also makes sure it is appealing to my target audience.
Also, to fill in some of the free space, I added some extra coverlines on the left hand side of the page so that there are other pieces of information on the front cover which attracts my target audience.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I believe through my time making the college magazine I improved my skills on Adobe Photoshop, this made me even more skilled with the programme when it came to making the music magazine. To make it appear that the main article in posed in front of the masthead, I used the quick selection tool to select part of the image which I want to be over the masthead, then copy and pasted it on a new layer. I next made the layer over the masthead layer which gave the effect of the model being physically being in front of the masthead. I then edited my thumbnail images to make them black and white; I opened them both up in Photoshop, clicked the image > adjustments then clicked the black and white option which adjusted the image to make it black and white.
I used the spot fix tool to amend a few small spots the model of the main image has on her face. I did this by selecting the spot correction tool and clicking on the spots I want correcting then the tool searches for the main colour around that area to make it blend together. This makes the image more professional and appropriate for the main image of the front cover, contents page and double page spread. I also amended the main image by using the red eye removal tool; first I selected the red eye removal tool, then I selected the eyes which contained red from the flash of the camera and the tool was able to correct this, making the picture more presentable as a main feature image.
I decided not to airbrush the images (using the Gaussian blur) too much because the alternative genre of my magazine as conventionally they artists wouldn't appear edited too much, people would expect the magazine to be somewhat messier than a pop magazine where the artists would be airbrushed to perfection, this also relates to the front cover’s strap-line “Music is my business” which highlights the fact that the artist’s main passion and shows that being perfect isn't her main priority, it’s making music.
I have also used a number of layers in my magazine pages; I did this to enable it to have varying effects on it which makes it appear more professional.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I feel that my skills of Photoshop have developed increasingly since the preliminary task of making a college magazine. My original magazine had large thumbnail images which obstruct the main feature image, with this knowledge and experience I made sure that in my music magazine I had smaller thumbnail images and ensured they didn’t obstruct the main image. I also have improved my skills of using the quick selection tool because where the image was selected on my college magazine it appear to be pixelated whereas where I have used the quick selection took to cut something out, I was able to cut it more smoothly.
I also found the importance of using a main cover line because it informs the audience of what the main feature is about and it is important for it to be large and bold to stand out and attract the audience. I made sure that in my music magazine contained the bar code in the bottom right hand corner as opposed to the top right hand corner, this allows it to be more out of the way and also be more conventional. I decided to feature a splash at the top of my music magazine because I think my college magazine appeared to be quite plain without it, I have also found it conventional to have a splash at the top corner making my music magazine seem more professional.
I have learnt a lot since completing the draft of a contents page for my college magazine; for example I have learnt that it is more conventional to have the few big features of the magazine with images on the contents page because it is easier for the reader to find the main article that they would like to read. I also made sure that on my music magazine; the other article pages were laid out closely together because in the college magazine’s articles are spread apart and don’t have much information on it which doesn’t make it look as professional or informative.
I found that it wasn’t conventional to contain a letter from the editor on music magazines so I made sure that my music magazine didn’t contain one. I have also learnt that it is helpful to have captions about the articles because it gives the audience other information about the articles.
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