While I already had knowledge on how to use digital cameras, some parts of this coursework have been a complete new thing to me that I had to learn to use quickly. Although I had to do this, I feel I learnt how to use them effectively to create my magazine.
Software
Software would include any program on a computer. To create my magazine I used Adobe Photoshop CS3, which I had no knowledge of previously. Although I had to teach myself to use it, I found it very easy to use and I found it very useful for making my magazine.
For creating my article I used Microsoft Word to write it all out before putting it in my double page spread. This allowed me to see what I was writing clearly and allowed me to make any changes to spelling and punctuation that were necessary.
I used Microsoft Paint for small touch ups of my work, for example reducing the reflection of the flash in the eyes of my model on the front cover.
I used a program call GIMP (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program) to take parts of images for specific uses, for example the guitar across the top of the contents page was cut from an image much larger than the space I had available at the top of my page.
Computer
For my work I used the Apple Mac computers at school and my own laptop. While I used the school computers mainly for textual posts, I used my laptop to upload my image-based posts, as this is what I used to create my magazine, so they were all saved on it. I also used my laptop for text-based posts when I was at home.
Camera
I used my parent’s Fuji digital camera to take my images for my magazine, which is very simple to use so it was not problem to understand this.
20 April 2012
Evaluation: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I have 2 options for publishing companies that may distribute my magazine. The first one is a publisher that is well known for publishing magazines in my genre and the other is a publisher who has not produced magazines in my genre before.
One magazine publisher I would consider is Bauer Media Group. This company publish music magazines such as Q and Kerrang! magazines, This would help my magazine to become more popular quickly, as they have first hand knowledge on the best ways to market successful rock music magazines. On the other hand, they may be more reluctant to take on my magazine, as they already have two successful magazines in the genre, so may not see the need for a third magazine, or may not want to cut into the profits of the other two magazines.
The other magazine publisher I would consider is Development Hell Limited, publisher which makes music magazines in other genres. Although I would lose the specific knowledge of the music sector that Bauer would give me, Development Hell would also give me some expertise on advertising my magazine to make it popular. They may also be more likely to distribute my magazine, as they would be able to tap into a completely different market and take profit away from competition in their industry.
Complete magazine
These are all 4 pages that I produced for my magazine, I wanted to put them all in one post for convenience
Evaluation: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms + conventions of real media products
Annoyingly, I had made a powerpoint on this, but it was too large to upload to Slideshare, a website which allows you to share powerpoints. This means I'll just have to type it out.
Front Cover
Front Cover
I kept to many conventions of rock music magazines for my front cover, using colours to draw the readers attention, and having a direct mode of address with the audience. I used the image on the right as a style I wished to replicate, and I believe I stayed true to the style displayed.
Contents
For my contents page I tried to stay close to styles already used in rock magazines. I used highlighted areas to show different sections of the magazine, such as news and reviews. I also used images down one side of the page as previews of whats in the magazine, which is also done in actual magazines.
Double Page Spread
There are several different ways of doing a double page spread in rock magazines. Some magazines for one full page of writing and an image, others go for more writing and some for less. I decided to find a middle ground and have a page of writing and a page with a picture. I quite like the style I used and I feel it kept to the conventions of my music magazine genre.
19 April 2012
Evaluation: Who would be the audience for your media product?
During our lessons we were told about SAGEL, an abbreviation of the terms Social group, Age, Gender, Ethnicity and Lifestyle. I will use these to explain the ideal target audience for my magazine.
Social group
This section refers to the social class of the readers. Generally, rock music magazines would be read by middle and working class youths, as these groups are where the genre normally gains fans and bands originate from.
Age
Generally speaking, magazines in my genre are read by younger readers, aged between 15-30. I would target this age range as I know they buy magazines of this genre and are fans of the music inside
Gender
After reading the NRS (National Readership Survey) and focusing on rock music magazines I discovered that there is a much larger number of males who buy this type of magazine than there is females. Using this information I would focus my magazine more on young males aged between 15-30.
Ethnicity
Although the roots of rock music can be traced to originate in black music, there is very little representation of black people in the modern incarnation of rock music. Due to this there is likely to be very few front covers or interviews with a black musician in a rock magazine. This would probably also affect my audience as there would probably also be not as many fans of the genre who are of an ethnic minority, especially since, when you link this to social groups there is a trend where ethnic minorities live in more built up, urban areas where the social class is generally lower (working + lower classes). In these areas music such as Hip-Hop, RnB and Drum and Bass would be more prevalent as the main genre, so this would mean that I would have a smaller ethnic audience than some other magazine types, such as RnB, would have.
Lifestyle
This would encompass a large group of areas and is difficult to specify, but the features that set the lifestyle of people who are fans of this genre apart from others is probably their passion for the music they listen to. Most fans of rock music are very keen to go to gigs, and are more often than not seen wearing merchandise of their favourite bands. Many also choose to have tattoos, and they are far more prevalent in rock culture than any other music culture.
Ideal Audience
From what I’ve shown here, my ideal audience is young, middle/working class, white males, who gravitate towards a similar lifestyle to the one shown. To this extent, I would use these people as examples of a member of my ideal audience:
Double page spread second draft
After being told i needed to do more for my double page spread, I have redone the page and included an article on the first page, with an image on the other side. I have portrayed the model as a typical rock music character, making them seem like an anti-hero character, somebody who is the opposite of a good role model for young people who listen to the music.
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