Evaluation
In what way does my media product use and/or challenge conventions?
I chose the music genre of "Rock" for my magazine, I chose rock because I have an understanding of the common conventions that often make up a Rock music magazine, I also have an interest in and enjoy rock music therefore I also have some personal knowledge that I was able to apply throughout the planning and construction of my magazine. Rock music magazines as a whole generally share the same common conventions and the most popular Rock music magazines such as Kerrang! Consistently stick with them.
My music magazine follows the same conventions as Kerrang! This is primarily because I used a Kerrang! front cover, contents page and double page spread as both an inspiration for my production pieces and a template and foundation to work from and develop. As you can see below my magazine follows the same conventions that make up a Kerrang! Magazine such as: a strong masthead, straplines, a heavy use of sans serif font, pull quotes, promotional banners and offers, a predominant main image and shattered/cracked font and many more. Therefore my Rock music magazine as a whole rarely strays away from any common conventions of rock magazines and it follows the same set convention formula as the most popular rock music magazine Kerrang!. The only conventions I didn't feature within my magazine that is common amongst most rock music magazines especially upon the front cover is a puff or pug, I chose not to use this feature as I believe they appear immature and unprofessional and I thought that featuring them upon my front cover would drag down its professionalism.
My magazine is aimed at primarily white males, who are either working or middle class and are into rock music as a genre. Therefore because of this target demographic I made sure that all of the models within my images throughout my construction pieces fall into this category (as you can see above) in order to appeal to the target audience, having models similar to that of my audience will appeal to my audience due to them being able to distinguish a link between themselves and the 'artists', making it more personal for the reader, as if the magazine is made for them specifically. Because of this any white, middle or working class male will feel obliged to read the magazine as they will feel that it is specifically tailored for them, which is an effective tool in enticing my target audience to purchase and read the magazine. I feel that with the use of my models I have represented the social group of white working or middle class males as 'rockers', following such stereotypes as rebellious personalities, dark hair and clothing and apathetic facial expressions and body language etc.
What kind of media institution might distribute My media product and why?
I believe that Baur Media Group would distribute my rock music magazine as they are well established international publishing company who have had nothing but massive success with the rock publication most similar to mine Kerrang! Therefore if Baur Media Group where to publish my magazine they would be confident that there would be a certain and profitable return due the fact that my magazine follows the same formula as the most popular and most successful international rock music publication Kerrang! My magazine may not surpass Kerrang! in terms of readership but it will most definitely attract some already loyal Kerrang! fans, fans who are getting somewhat bored of Kerrang! and just anyone who enjoy rock music in general all of which will be immensely lucrative for Baur Media Group.
Who is the audience for my magazine and how did I attract my audience?
My product as a whole follows typical codes and conventions that white middle or working class teenagers and young adults (13-21) stereotypically enjoy, especially those who enjoy rock music. Furthermore my audience also includes both males and females. Moreover I also ensured that my product appealed to a wider target audience rather than a specific target group. I implemented this by firstly using a colour scheme that isn’t stereotypically linked to either gender, for example I didn’t use the colour blue throughout my construction pieces as it is a colour that is stereotypically linked with masculinity, therefore if it was featured upon my for example my front cover either heavily or minimally it may be deemed dismissive and displeasing for potential female readers as they will feel that it isn’t made for them.
Therefore throughout my constructed pieces I ensured that I applied a colour scheme that wasn’t gender specific for instance the predominant colours featured throughout my magazine are: black, white, yellow and red. In my opinion none of these colours are bias towards either gender, which makes them a useful tool when attracting, enticing or retaining a wider target audience that is made up of both males and females. In addition as I tried to follow the typical colour scheme of a rock music magazine I will most probably also attract certain social groups such as ‘goths’ due to the gothic theme that my colour scheme creates, ‘goths’ stereotypically listen to rock music, this is also another factor which would tie this social group in with my overall audience.
Furthermore as a whole my rock music magazine would attract any rock music fan as it follows all the same codes and conventions of other rock music publications such as Kerrang! Therefore any fan of Kerrang! Would most certainly be a fan of Amped (my magazine), however my magazine may attract rock fans who perhaps are particularly interested in magazine due to its rebellious appearance and bravado, both of these factors are themes that are typically linked to rock music as a genre due its renown use of rebellious lyrics and bold sound.
The somewhat cluttered and overcrowded structured appearance of my magazine will attract my young target audience as it ties in with be young, because young people are infamously renown for being messy and unorganised therefore my magazine’s structure appearance will attract this younger audience as it is something that they can relate to. Also my magazine also has interactive features such as a guide and a quiz, both of these are selling points to a younger target audience as it is something they can get involved and have fun with, rather than simply flicking through pages reading text.
Furthermore my magazine also features freebies such as posters and the promotional offers such as the potential to win a signed guitar, both of these features would attract a younger target audience as they are always interested in keeping up with the latest band merchandise therefore potentially having a signed guitar could be a selling point for some young people. Moreover the middle and working class especially young people who fall into these classes don’t necessary have a lot of surplus money to spend on luxuries such as magazines, therefore having freebies such as free posters is sometimes deemed as worth the purchase by those who wouldn’t necessarily use there minimal disposable income on what they would deem as a luxury item.
What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Throughout the construction process of this product I feel that I have developed my skills, techniques and abilities when using photo editing software such as Photoshop, I now have a much more in depth understanding of Photoshop and its tools and features, I have also taught myself how to use the program efficiently and correctly, being able to apply what I have learnt confidently in order to create a an overall high quality and professional product that I am proud of.
Furthermore I have also developed an understanding of WIX and its tools, learning how to use its features and tools efficiently allowed me to display and publish my work with a professional appearance and with ease.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my Preliminary task work I can say and see that I have improved massively, my first attempt at creating a magazine wasn't bad but it wasn't good, but my ability to create an overall high quality product that resembles a real life magazine has develop massively over this year, I am now confident that I can create almost any type of magazine as long as I implement the correct planning and use the right tools.
How does my magazine represent particular social groups?