Charlotte Thandy Candidate Number: 5295 Centre Number 31030 G321: Final Submission

1. Charlotte Thandy Candidate Number: 5295 Centre Number 31030 G321: Final Submission

2. Evaluation After producing a music magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread I will be evaluating different aspects of my magazine and comparing the features to actual music magazines. How does my magazine resemble actual magazines on the market today? Front Cover I think my magazine does in fact resemble magazines in the market today this is because it has the certain convections which are employed on magazines today, especially on a rock genre magazine. I limited the number of images on my front cover because my target audience thought having a lot of images made it clustered, but by having two more images excluding the cover story gives the audience a glimpse of what will be inside. Also it resembles an actual magazine through the headline ,they stick out to the audience, for example the word sex is enlarged to make it stand out and makes the reader want to know more.

3. How does my magazine resemble actual magazines on the market today? Contents Page In my opinion my contents has aspects which would resemble an actual magazine on the market today. It has certain convections which support it, it includes numerous images of what is to be expected in the magazine further, not just the cover story, therefore it appeals to different kinds of people within the target market. I have included images of actual rock artists., for example rock band Paramore and The Pretty Reckless which would appeal to my audience. However I have still made sure that the cover story is the main focus on the contents page similar to other magazines, for example the Q contents below. I have divided the contents into sections, for example news, reviews and features. This is very common in actual music magazines to have sections. In majority of music magazines they include news, reviews, features and competitions, but to make ‘Index’ its own I have included live sessions, your say and ultimate gig guide. However an criticism about my contents page is that compared to actual magazine on the market it has too much space, by having the white background it makes it look like the space has not been used effectively. Double Page Spread I think my double page spread is the best aspect of my magazine as its the best representation of other magazines. The enlarged image on the left side is the main image in the double page spread which is very effective as its fits in with the content of the article. The images at the bottom have an artistic effective in which are used similarly in a magazine I analysed. By having a quote as the title it employs convections which actual magazines use, it gives the reader an insight of what is going to be in the article. To make my double page spread relevant to the audience, I have also included twitter and Facebook pages, I have seen this in a small number of magazines, therefore to keep up to date I have included it in my double page spread.

4. Does it develop any features and if so, what impact do you hope that it may have? There are many features I have used on my magazine for example on cover I have used a number of unique selling points. Obviously the star on the front which I have created is an unique selling point, I have emphasised the main artist by using the adjective ‘exclusive’ which makes the consumer think it is only in this magazine, it must be worth reading. Also I have made the artists name stand out therefore the consumer can straight away identify the cover story of the magazine and it may be the reason they purchase the magazine. I have used a quote from the cover story to give the reader an insight of what the article will be about. I have made the word ‘Sex’ larger than the rest so it catches the readers attention because they may question and want to know more about what the article is about. Another unique selling point I have on the front cover is the free poster. Some consumers may just purchase the magazine because of this unique selling point, I have used an image of what the poster would be to entice the consumer further, also by using such a well known band to this genre for the poster it may increase the consumers as they may just purchase because their favourite band is in it. The contents page has some features also, I have included multiple images of well known artists in the contents to entice the readers and give them further insight of what will be in the magazine, they may flick to the contents before purchasing to see what is in the issue and an image of an artist they like may catch their and may purchase it for that reason. The layout of the contents is very effective in my opinion this is because its divided into two sections, a section with photos from the cover story and the section in which displays the content of the magazine. It divides the In the double page spread I have kept to the same font as the front cover and contents to keep continuity for the reader, therefore they do not feel overwhelmed from the text. As I previously stated I have used social networking sites at the bottom of the page to keep it relevant to the target audience, to makes them feel that the article does not have to end here. The image I have used as the main image is very effective on the reader because it is very striking and shocking to the reader, it fits in with the artists image and style. In the bottom left corner I have used tour dates for the artist, this promotes the artist further and also again gets the reader involved.

5. Does it contain any traditional or new convections of magazines? In my opinion my magazine does contain traditional conventions, for example the layout of the magazine is quite traditional compared to other rock magazines. The front cover sticks to using traditional conventions, it includes a image of the artist from the cover story like usual magazines. Also to support this cover story I have used bold headlines to catch the readers attention, therefore the cover story is the main focus. The fonts on the front cover have been chosen very carefully to fit with the genre of the magazine, they are very bold and fit in with the rock style. I had to research with other magazines before choosing these fonts. I have obviously included the prices and issue number on the front cover as this is an essential convection. On the contents page it has stuck to many of the traditional conventions again. I have included numerous images on the contents to give the readers an insight of what will be inside, however I have still kept the focus on the cover story of the magazine as that is the main story in this issue. For the pages I have kept a traditional route too by including the regular news pages, features and reviews. However I have included a section on gigs and competitions to therefore it interests the target audience even more. On the double page spread the layout is quite similar to other music magazines that I have researched, there is a image on one side, then the text is on the opposite side. I have included tour dates in the bottom corner this is because the target audience would be interested in this, in addition it refers back to the article in which the tour is mentioned a few times. The artist name in the corner is in the corner emphasised as it is an important factor but does not need to be the main focus because the readers would of identified it already, also it is surrounded by a boarder which I have chosen because it fits in the style of the artist.

6. In the construction process of my product I used new media technologies the most. Firstly I used a digital camera in my photo shoot for my cover story, I took numerous images therefore I could have a selection to choice from. For my other artists I took these images again with a digital camera other the course of a year. After I had gathered my images I transferred them onto a PC using a USB wire. The next stage was the image manipulation which took place in Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 mostly (Figure 2). I had to manipulate the images, this was done by filters, enhancements, cropping etc. Once that was completed I needed to layout my pages. I used media technology again (the internet) in choosing my fonts, this process took a while as I needed to choose the font from a variety of them, then insert the text in Photoshop (figure 3). In addition to this I typed up my cover story article in Microsoft Word, this is beneficial as it was easier to edit the text in Word compared to completing the article straight into Photoshop, also it is more visible in Word. How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stage? I used new media technologies throughout producing my magazine. In the research stage I used media technologies through research on the internet. I used Google search engine to find images of different magazines and find out about the history of certain magazines, for example I looked at the website for Q magazine as you can see in figure 1. This helped me because I got knowledge of certain magazines and this helped me figure out what genre my magazine was going to be, as I looked at different genre magazines for my research. Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 2

7. What skills have you employed and developed throughout the construction of your media product? In the planning process of making my product I used Microsoft Word to construct my flat plans, this was very helpful because then I had the design thought through and not just made up in the construction process which would have been rushed, therefore I had something to follow when producing the magazine. Also in the planning I used the internet as a source to produce a mood board for my photo shoot, this was useful as it gave me inspiration for my photo shoot and had a big impact on the photos in a positive way. In the evaluation stage which I am completing I’ve been using Microsoft PowerPoint to produce a slide show to present the evaluation The skills I have employed throughout making my product have been research skills. This was done at the start of the project by looking at actual magazines and identifying the convections of them to help with the planning of my magazine. I then moved onto researching on the internet for my article. This included researching skills for my article, researching on the artist which inspired my artist: Taylor Momsen. This was on search engines such as Google and looking on Wikipedia. I also conducted skills in Photoshop when manipulating my images. I was familiar with Photoshop already, however I developed my skills further as I learnt aspects which I had never come across before, for example I learnt how to use filters on my images which created certain effects for my images. I also conducted skills in the area of photography. As I previously stated this was done over a long period of time, I took some photographs at live events which employed skills, and throughout the process I think it has improved. I also completed my main photo shoot and conducted skills and creativity when directing the actual shoot.

8. Target Audience Who would be the audience for my media product? How does my magazine represent a particular social group? The audience for my media product are aged between 15 to 21, who enjoy rock and alternative music. They are most likely students, both male and female but more likely to be boys as they are the most likely gender to purchase a music magazine. They have a real passion for music if it’s playing music or just attending music gigs. It represents the 15 to 21 year olds by including language they would use and could relate to e.g. Epic and the acronym WTF. How did I attract/address my audience? I attracted my audience by taking in account the feedback my target audience previously gave me. For example my target audience find free gifts appealing, therefore I took this into consideration and placed a free poster with my product and I addressed the audience by emphasizing the free gift with bolder font and by using the lexis choice of ‘Epic’ which is a language used by my target audience. The colour scheme which is red and black was choose because my target audience like to see bold, loud colours. I think that the red and black fit with the genre and will attract the audience because it is common colours used in rock magazines. I addressed my audience in a colloquial manner in the contents. I used acronyms for the artist to make them feel that the magazine knows exactly what they are talking about, make them feel comfortable with the magazine. I used abbreviations too such as ‘Bham’ this is used to fit in with their dialect, it is the shortening for Birmingham and by using their language it creates an informal tone. I used lexis choices such as ‘dudes’, ‘immense’ and ‘awesome’ this is again because it creates that informal tone which makes it more enjoyable and easier to read. In the double page spread I decided to put a quote as the overall title this is will attract the audience straight away as if they are just flicking in the magazine which is mostly likely common with my target audience they will instantly be drawn to the quote and large provagitive image. In the audience feedback I also discovered they like to see tour dates, therefore I made a section for the artists tour dates. This attracts the audience because most of them will have an interest in going to music gigs and will spark an interest to them. Also the social networking websites which I have used are their to attract my target audience . Majority of my audience can relate to either one of those social networking websites and when they see the logo they will automatically recognise it and can relate to it, and will help them gain a further understanding into the artist beyond the magazine

9. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? Media institutions which may distribute my media product could most likely be stores such as music and magazines stores e.g. HMV, WHSMITH and maybe even newsagents and supermarkets which distribute magazines. They would be able to purchase in stores because that’s where magazines are conventionally sold, it is easy access for consumers rather than just selling magazines online. There would be magazine subscription's also for the consumer this is because it will retain the consumer for a certain number of months, and it would work out cheaper for the consumer in the long run. They would be able to get subscriptions through the internet on the magazines official website as they will know it is a reliable website and can trust to buy a subscription from there. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? My main task has improved incredibly from my preliminary task. First of all the research completed in my main task was much more in depth compared to my the preliminary task, I took my time to find style models to help my own product. I identified convections in depth to see what I could include in my product. The planning process was much more thought over, as I took in my account my target audience as I done surveys before I actually started production on my magazine, doing target audience surveys helped me identify what appeals to them. However in the preliminary task we had a vague understanding of the target audience. The photo shoot was constructed better in my main task as I produced a mood board which helped me inspire my photos, and sparked ideas for my photos. Image manipulation was completed in Photoshop in both tasks. However in the main task my skills improved. I used more manipulation techniques for example filters were used in my main task, one tool which I was not aware of in the preliminary task was the clone tool and have developed an skill in it. In the preliminary task I did not clearly recognise the convections of a magazine because I missed out the price of the magazine which is an essential convection.

10. Target Audience Feedback I carried out two survey’s to find out what my target audience thought of my final product which I produced. One survey was on the front cover of my magazine and the second survey was on the contents and double page spread which I produced. Q1. On the front cover, what stands out to you the most? The main response for this question was the main artist image this was because it is the main focus as said by one of my target audience. The font was another aspect which was brought up in this question. They thought it was bold and eye catching which was infact the purpose the font I choose. The colour scheme of red and black was expressed too. The name of the magazine was mentioned also, this is good because the name of the magazine is one of the most important aspects of the magazine as the readers need to recognise the magazine by the signature style of the title of the magazine. I tried to focus the magazine on the main artist as my target audience prefer to see one main image and a few minor images, this was from the previous survey I conducted. Q2: What aspect do you dislike on the front cover? The image of the artist in the corner was mentioned twice by my target audience. This was because they thought it was too much to have on the front cover as the attention needs to be on the main artist. I agree to a extent as some readers might get confused with the artist in the corner because of the way of his body language, it looks like he's pointing to the main artist. An improvement could be to place that image in the contents instead of the front cover. However in my previous target audience survey majority said they prefer to have a selection of artist on the front cover because they can see if their favourite band is in the magazine. Another aspect was the amount of information on the front cover, one thought it was too much information. However that was just one out of ten of my target audience, I do not think there is too much information on the front cover. I did in fact limited the amount of information because I did not want to cluster the front cover, but to fit with the genre of the magazine I put quite a selection of information on the cover. Q3: Do you the colour scheme is appropriate ? If not which colours would you suggest? All of my target market thought that the colour scheme was appropriate for the magazine, they thought that the red and black went well together. I choose the red and black because they are two bold colours which contrast well together, and are common colours used in rock magazines. Q4: Do you think the language used on the front cover is appropriate for the magazine? All the responses were a ‘yes’. I think I have achieved the appropriate language for my target audience. I thought very carefully about the lexis choices I was going to use on the front cover as I was trying to create a colloquial register to my audience as that’s what I found in other magazines, for example Kerrang which is the same genre as my magazine.

11. Q5: Is the price suitable for the magazine, which is a monthly magazine? They all came to a consensus with this question, they thought it was appropriate for a monthly magazine but if it was a weekly magazine it would not be too expensive for them, considering they all students. I think it is a decent price for a monthly magazine considering that Kerrang which is a weekly magazine is £2.20. Q6: Do you think it’s effective having images of numerous artists on the front? Majority thought it was effective as it gives variety to the magazine by having different artists as they can attract different sorts of people as the artists are different in the genre. However someone thought by having more than one image made it too crowded, however I stated reason for this previously, it’s because it can attract more consumers as it gives them more of an insight of what is in the magazine. Q7: What do you think of the layout of the contents? Most of the comments were positive, stating that it’s original and very interesting, engaging and eye catching. That was my aim I wanted it to be unique and not like any other magazine. They thought it was well organised and by having headings it made it easier to read and will made it easier to find what specific aspect they are looking for in the magazine. The only criticism about the contents was of the ‘Taylor’ title in the corner which was hard to read, and from this I will change it as I have previously noticed this. Q8: Do you think there is continuity with the front cover? All the responses were yes, feedback included the fonts used. For example the contents title is been used on the front cover, also all the other fonts have been used on front cover. Also by having the photos of ‘Taylor Love’ on the contents and by having her as a main focus it continues from the front cover. Q9: What aspects of the double page spread appeals to you? The images was a main response, they thought it stood out from the rest with the quote which is next to it. The aim was to make the quote and image stand out as it will be eye catching to them, it gives them a insight of the article and what it will be about just through that quote. Also the social networking websites were mentioned too, one person said the logos catch their attention immediately as they are so familiar with it. Q10: Do you think the number of images used is effective or should there be more or even less? They thought it was a good balance of images which were used and think that it should not be changed. It makes it more interesting and engaging than just having one main image.