Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of real media products?
When developing my music magazine front cover I used conventions of real media products to develop a professional layout. I positioned the masthead across the top of the cover the same way real media magazines have done, such as ‘Blender’ and ‘Rolling Stones’. The photograph I took and used for my front cover also matches the convention of a music magazine, featuring a medium close up. I would say I challenged conventions on my front cover due to coverlines. Magazines front covers consist of a main coverline and sub-coverlines, whereas my front cover is completely focused on one artist. The closest thing to a sub-coverline is the free poster, which still relates to the main coverline.
The contents page for my music magazine uses conventions of real media products in creating the overall layout and especially the way in which the contents listed is presented. I also added a small version of the front cover and double spread page as done in many real music magazines I have seen. The only thing I would say I had done differently was not add the editor’s note.
The double page spread for my music magazine uses similar conventions of real media products however I feel I have developed the forms and conventions more. My double spread page consists of one image, a title, and an article. Many double page spreads I have looked at consist of more than one image. However, I have seen some which have one image large enough to take up one side of the double page spread. Magazines which tend to use this idea use a band image, rather than one musician. I however, chose to use this idea and develop it by using an image of one musician.Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
If my media product had to represent a particular social group it would be alternative rock/pop-rock. However, I wanted to make my media product very much like the British Q magazine which focuses mainly on new music, devoting its interviews with popular or new musical artists. Therefore, the subcultural identity for my media product is very hard to identify.
However, I used an alternative rock look for my images. Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980’s and became wildly popular in the 1990’s. It consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene, such as Grunge, Britpop, Gothic rock, Indie pop, and Indie rock. For my model to represent this subcultural identity it had to be a male with a slim build and quite long hair. The costume consisted of a t-shirt, skinny jeans and a beanie hat. I also used a guitar as a prop, helping to create this look. The NVC is quite important in helping give the right look for the magazine product. The models facial expression is quite serious. It’s important that the facial expression is right, if too serious it could come across as heavy rock as the model may look angry.
However, I used an alternative rock look for my images. Alternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980’s and became wildly popular in the 1990’s. It consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the independent music scene, such as Grunge, Britpop, Gothic rock, Indie pop, and Indie rock. For my model to represent this subcultural identity it had to be a male with a slim build and quite long hair. The costume consisted of a t-shirt, skinny jeans and a beanie hat. I also used a guitar as a prop, helping to create this look. The NVC is quite important in helping give the right look for the magazine product. The models facial expression is quite serious. It’s important that the facial expression is right, if too serious it could come across as heavy rock as the model may look angry.
Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
NatMags (National Magazine Company) is a publishing company which publishes magazines such as Cosmopolitan, targeting women. Their portfolio also includes Men’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Bazaar and Esquire.
I would encourage consumers to subscribe to my magazine. Subscribers will receive a discount in order to persuade them to subscribe. This will not only benefit the consumer, but also the publisher because they will have a long term commitment.
I would also distribute my magazine in a variety of shops such as newsagents and supermarkets. Also, due to the magazine genre I will also distribute it in music stores such as hmv. Night clubs would also be a good place to distribute my magazine because it will target my audience in both age range and genre.
Q4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my magazine product is targeted approximately at young people between the ages of 14-25. I chose this age range because young people are into the music scene much more than any other age group and enjoy keeping up to date with the latest popular music and artists. The gender for this magazine would be both males and females as I believe both genders would enjoy the genre of music in my magazine equally (whereas if it was rap music, the magazine would be targeted at young males).
If I had to give a genre for the magazine it would be pop/alternative rock. However, I consider it more to be a chart music magazine including all the latest releases from a wide range of genres including alternative rock, pop, punk, indie...etc. Therefore, the target audience for my magazine is widened even more as people from different music styles and backgrounds can enjoy reading different areas of my magazine which interest them.
Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?
There are many ways in which I attempted to attract the audience. The front cover of the magazine was the most important page in attracting the audience. If 40% of all magazine purchases are determined by the content of the front cover then it is very important in making it as attractive as you can.
The model for my magazine is a young attractive male. The attractiveness of the model would have helped in attracting the females of my audience. Also, on the front cover I added a coverline which tells the audience there is a free poster inside of the model of my magazine. This would attract the female audience even more knowing they get a free poster of him inside.
The fonts I have used in my magazine for the main coverline, coverlines...etc are basic and bold. This helps attract the audience because it is easy to read. The masthead for the magazine is sharp, making it stand out more. The magazine also has a distinct colour scheme consisting of red, white and black. Giving the magazine a unique look helps the audience to identify the magazine when browsing in shops or online.
Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
There are three sections in the process of constructing the product; Preproduction, Production and Post Production.
During the preproduction stage I used many technologies. I used ‘Google’ to research into real magazine products and magazine industries. This technology was used effectively in helping me learn more about how professional magazines look and what is important in getting it to sell. I also used ‘Facebook’, an online social network, to find out from people what they like to see in a music magazine. I then sketched my own ideas for the music magazine by hand and scanned them onto the computer in order to upload to my blogger.
During the production stage I had to take pictures and make sure I had the right props, models, lighting, and camera settings. The camera I used to take my photographs with was a Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR Camera. The three technical elements that you have to consider when taking an image are the Aperture, Shutter speed, and ISO speed.
The aperture determines the amount of light you let into the digital sensor. A small number indicates a larger aperture, whereas a large number indicates a small aperture. The aperture also determines the DOF (depth of field). The numbers for the DOF are shown on the side of the lens and tend to be from F 22 - 2.4. At F 22 the lens lets in the least amount of light possible, whereas, at F 2.4 the lens lets in the maximum amount of light.
The shutter speed controls the exposure time of the photo, which will determine whether the photo will look shaken or crystal clear. It usually starts at 1/2000 sec and goes up to 30 seconds. If my model was moving and the shutter speed was too low then the photo will most likely look blurred.
ISO speed tells you how fast the digital sensor reacts to the light sent through the lens. It is usually shown through these numbers:
50 | 100 | 200 | 400 | 800 | 1600 | 3200
A small number means it takes a longer time to take a photo, whereas a larger number means it will take a shorter time. The ISO speed 50 is usually used on bright sunny days whereas the 200/400 ISO speed is used in low light conditions. From 400 upwards, it is known as ‘noise’.
I also used lighting in the studio. The equipment consisted of a Bowens Esprit Gemini GM500 flash unit, a Bowens radio trigger, A 60cm softbox, and a circular reflector. The lighting equipment was positioned either side of the model, slightly in front of him.
The post production was the editing stage where most, if not all work was done using Adobe Photoshop. One tool I used was the ‘Magic Wand Tool’. This tool was used to cut my photographs. I used it effectively in cutting the model out of the photograph so that I could place it on top of a black background. Another tool I used was the ‘Horizontal Type Tool’ which I used to create the text throughout my magazine. I also used the ‘Rectangle Tool’ to create a boarder on my images. This is seen on my contents page for the image and the two small versions of the front cover and double page spread.
Q7. Looking back at the preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?
I have learnt many key skills throughout the progression from the preliminary task to the full product, including meeting deadlines, organising equipment, models and props and my awareness on the layout and design of a magazine.
Deadlines are extremely important to stick to. Not only does sticking to deadlines show people how good you are at following orders, it also benefits you. An example would be the photograph deadline. I stuck to the deadline for getting my photographs taken and therefore was ready for the post production to start taking place instantly.
Also, organising equipment has helped me learn more about cameras and lighting. These skills will help me in the future when and if I have to use them again. Getting models and props organised helped me gain basic skills in media. Media consists of a lot of organisation, learning to organise things will become very important if I pursue a career in this industry. Luckily for me, I had a friend which matched the stereotypical look for my magazine, making it easier for me to organise a model. I then got my prop, which was a guitar, from a music department in the college.
The preproduction was extremely important in helping me create a good magazine. Researching real magazine products, sketching my own ideas and getting feedback were crucial parts in creating the magazine because it helped show me how magazines should look, what people want to see in magazines...etc.
Overall, throughout the two activities I have learned more about media products, organisation skills, and a greater understanding of technologies. All of which were used to help me create my very own music magazine.
