2. Introduction. I worked on my own to create my magazine front cover, contents page and my double page main cover story.
3. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? I chose my music magazineto be a pop genre magazine, the conventions that I have used are the layout of my magazine, position of my magazine title, Feature article photo position, Naming my artist on the front page, name of article position on my double spread page, Main article of magazine layout, cover boarder, price of magazine, Barcodeand Date. It is vital to use these typical elements because the customer doesn’t like to see anything they aren’t used to in a magazine but it is also good to slightly change your magazine so it has a different edge from the others and attracts the readers. My unique selling point was the age group I decided for my magazine as I tried to make the front cover appeal to younger and older teenagers as most magazines only appealed to the older ones. I think this was successful as in my survey were aged 12- 20.
4. Comparing my magazine covers with real media magazines. Similarities: The heading is on the top of the page in bold to stand out with a boarder giving extra information above them. Also it features a main picture of a celebrity with the name in bold to stand out and their story in the magazine. Both have information of what will be in the magazine. Differences: The type of photo shots taken and the position they are in, the layout of the Information and the ranges of colour’s used. Mine has a boarder around the edge.
5. Comparing my magazine covers with real media magazines. Similarities: The headings have the same kind of structure, my magazine it going across the top and down one side, whereas the other magazine has the heading in three sections. Near the contents headings both magazines have the magazine name /logo. Also both magazines have the same kinds of topics e.g: features. Both magazines have boarders to make it look like it all fits in together. Differences: The range of colour used to attract different audiences, I have two people on my contents page my main pop star and another artist whereas the other has one artist and the camera angle is different. The layout is similar in ways but the information writing is spread out around the page to attractthe attention of my audience.
6. Comparing my magazine covers with real media magazines. Similarities: Both have a bigger picture on one page and a text box on the page. Also page numbers and bold headings used. As well as the magazine name or logo. The articles in magazine rows which makes it look professional and not in one block with sized writing small enough but also readable. Differences: The real media magazine has a sub heading and a heading along with a small paragraph below. This magazine also uses one whole page for the picture and has a different photo shot angle.
7. How does your media product represent particular social groups? I have represented a teenage girls singing career from when she first started at the age of 17 and 5 years on. The young girl in my article name kyra-sky fits the perfect genre For this kind of magazine and the person I wanted to represent is Justin Bieber, as kyra started her career at a similar age and from similar backgrounds. Also I used Miley Cyrus as another representation because she is a teenage girl Singer and would have the same audience. I went for a casual look for my singer with toned and casual make up and her hair Down for a more feminine and professional look but not over the top. The props that I used were earrings and a stripy black and white top to keep with the same Colour tones. The pictures taken for my magazine of Kyra-sky was used with a relaxed, happy and Successful body language as she is smiling and laid back. The lighting used had a Golden tint to it to brighten up her main facial features
8. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? Songlines is the world music magazine covering the world's most exciting music from traditional and popular to contemporary and fusion. Songlines is packed full of the latest CD reviews and artist interviews. SWPP Publications are the publishers of the popular pop music magazine Q, Each monthly issue is a mini-book stuffed with loads of reviews of albums coverage of key events in pop music history and writing that revels in an edgy sense of humor. the UK's biggest music magazines, music news, reviews and world exclusives with the most important bands The magazine is aimed for young people who like pop, RnB, rock music . This magazine has the same genre as my magazine. Q magazine has a young age group and cost £3.99, where as my magazine only cost 2.99 and is also for young people but with a wide age range. So swpp would be my institution.
9. Who would be the audience for your media product? My magazine is aimed at both males and females with neutral and a range of colour’s used on the front page, the age group is from 12-20 year olds. My magazine includes unreleased photos of the pop stars e.g pictures for new albums etc. upcoming concerts and competitions, the pop stars latest clothing's so its not all based on music and opens a wider range of customers. In my questionnaire people did like the idea of having other things involved such as clothing to make it more interesting.
10. How did you attract / address your audience? An eye catching front cover with bright pictures and an eye catching photo that is big but doesn’t over take the viewers attention from other information on the page. When I did my survey I asked school and college student s which genre they listened to most, and what would make them want to buy a music magazine most, the most popular response from my pie chart was pop music magazine and appealing front cover and contents was seen as most important in a magazine. As you can see here I have used bright colour to make it more appealing and just enough information to catch the attention of the audience The front cover had a lot of interesting information on it with the story line of the pop star revealing secrets about upcoming album to inform them of the Interesting story inside. Also I have used a large, bold and bright title which automatically catches the customers eye with a catchy slogan underneath.
11. How did you attract / address your audience? The contents page was filled with Information and had a big heading fitting with the typical elements of a contents page and the title name underneath. Also it had a different picture of my main artist cover feature and another famous artist which would interest the reader and want to know what was in the magazine about these artists. It has bright colour’s and boarders with information in them such as free posters and up coming concerts.
12. How did you attract / address your audience? The main article stands out because of the Large title across the top and a big picture at the side of one page, with a good layout with columns for my writing and different ranges of colour's used to make it more attractive. A quote from Kyra was made larger and put next to the image to show a bit of what the article was about.
13. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? I learnt how to fully construct a magazine and learnt the functions such as layouts and boarders that would make the magazine look more professional I used sites such as Google to research other magazine covers and contents pages. I also learnt how to use InDesign and Photoshop which helped me to create my magazine and cut round my photos. I took all the photos my self and had to learn how to use all the equipment to do so. When doing this task I used a digital camera to take all my photos, then using a computer with all the correct programs installed to create my final magazine. When using these programs I learnt different techniques and how to use the correct tools such as the cutting tool which aloud me to cut around all my pictures and place on a different background were I also used different fading techniques.
14. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? My preliminary task isn’t as professional and looks very simple as it is plain and not filled up enough, it doesn’t have all of the important information on it such as the barcode, the price or a boarder to make it look more hole. Over all I feel I have learnt from this task that i can create a professional magazine independently with no help from othersusing in design and Photoshop. Also I have learnt how to take better pictures using correct lighting and props.
