1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product challenges the conventions of music magazines, the font of my masthead is unconventional, the font reflects the type of Indie genre that the magazine promotes. The background image is conventional in some ways, it is large and mixed in other layers, however, the image itself has no relation to the bands but to the masthead J.Y.C.B or join your countries band, and is a stereotypical image for WW1 and 2 posters with the king as the main image to recruit young soldiers. I conventionally used a barcode and a price as you would see in other magazines, this gives the sense of a genuine magazine and presents a good image. At the bottom of my front over I have included a competition to win a Jimmy Hendrix Guitar, this I feel, links perfectly with the genre of music, it also produces an incentive for my target audience to buy my magazine.

My contents page challenges most conventions of a stereotypical music magazine, however I have integrated layers to form a stylish effect. In my main story that speaks about the “delinquents from Dublin” I have linked the story with the font, in which I used an Irish, Celtic font. My secondary story can widen my target audience, as it is about homosexuality, this can relate to other readers who normally would not have bought the magazine. I decided to use two images on my contents page, this I feel keeps the page simplistic.

On my double page spread I have filed the background with one main image. This emphasises the seriousness of my story. The story is about a band member who was brutally murdered. I have used quotes of the deceased, and of his family, friends and band members. This I feel will create an effect on the target audience. I have used columns to separate the text. With text on each page I feel the attention will be drawn to the whole two pages instead of just one where the text is.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my magazines I have used dark colours, this is because I aimed my magazine at a rock / indie audience and these colours I feel will attract them. The font I feel compliments the colours, black, white or blue. The bands I have included also relate to the audience I have targeted, they are conventional (but made up) indie and rock groups you would expect to hear about in magazines. The homosexuality story as shown on my contents page represents a gay audience well and will also widen my audience. The clothes worn in all my images represent a high social class as hey are well dressed. This however I do not feel will affect those who buy the magazine.

3. What kind of media Institution might distribute your media product and why?

Many institutions sell music magazines. From market stalls to big supermarkets like Tesco and ASDA. Wherever the magazine is sold I feel will affect the target audience, therefore I would choose carefully who distributed my magazine. For example Tesco and ASDA would be obvious choices, everybody shops in supermarkets and for people who buy magazines, they can always visit the magazine isle.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience is for people who like rock or indie music. As stated above I feel all the conventions, texts, images and colours I have used reflect this. However this is not specific, it can be for any age range, any social class or any gender, there are n boundaries to the type of music people like and magazines must accommodate this.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

One of the main ways I have attracted my audience if on the front cover, I have included a competition to win a guitar. However I have aimed this directly at the audience I have used “BUT FREE FOR YOU!” to entice my audience. Also I have used an “exclusive interview” that readers will see, as never seen before this will also draw them in. Finally in my double page spread, I have used “as we remember in silence…” the use of the word “we” unites the audience and brings them into the magazine company, and gives them a feeling of it being their magazine.

6. What have you learnt about technologies in the process of constructing this product?

The main thing I have learned about the technologies used in the process is to save all your work on numerous hard drives and memory sticks in case you lose a copy. I started off not knowing how to use Photoshop, the tools were complicated and the settings were incomprehensible. I now know a small amount about it. For example the cut out tool is on the left and allows you to remove images and copy, cut and or paste onto other images. This is quick and easy to use and the main this I have used with my products.

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

On my double page spread I have learnt that the image must be able to separate into two pages, therefore, image and texts cannot be in the middle. On my front cover I have learnt how to portray that typical genre with pictures and colours. On my contents page I have discovered you must use pictures relevant to the stories, and that linking the fonts and colours with the mood and image that it creates a great effect.

By Marc Wilsher

Finished

Preliminary

Target Audience Analysis

For my magazine J.Y.C.B (join your countries band) I have decided the target audience should be aimed at 15-25 year olds. I have chosen these ages due to the genres of music these age groups listen to and due to explicit language. The type of people I expect to purchase the magazine are musically talented people and people who tend to listen to rock music as that is the genre the magazine accommodates.

Target Audience

Name: Joseph Maughn

Age: 24

Location: New quay

Occupation: Phsyciatrist

Relationship: Married

Favourite band: Muse

Favourite TV show: Scrubs

Favourite Film: Outpost

Favourite food: Ham Egg & Chips

Favourite Music Magazine: NME

Car: Ford Fiesta

Favourite place in Britain: Brecon Wales

Contents page analysis

The colours of this contents page of "Q" is conventional to the magazine, red, white and black are used in many music magazines to produce the rock star image. This pages design separates the pictures from the main texts, features and monthly features are in a left hand column, with images taking up the vast majority of the rest of the page. There are two images on this page, the first is of "The Courteeners" and the second is of "Nick Cave". In the "Courteeners" image they are standing casually on a grassy hill, they are all wearing jeans and t-shirts and all have long scruffy hair which equals a stereotypical image of a rock star. Words are used here to stand out to the consumer, they are all in Capitals and all the important headings are in bold for example "REVIEW" stands out to the reader so they can know what to expect. The language used is short, informing words that will give the reader an insight into the magazine such as "every month" to show what's happening once again in the magazine which appears every month. Also quotes are used such as "he's just showing off". The overall impression is a good one, you are being informed of the contents as well as constantly having the conventional magazine style thrown at you due to colours and images.

The colours used on this contents page are gold black and white, this is unique to the "Kerrang" magazine and this shows it is different to other music magazines with their conventional red, white and black, the colours also stand out to the consumer. The design of the page is very busy, the images and the texts are once again separated, but tightly packed with many small images cramped together. There are 11 small images cramped together on the page of varied artists and bands including "Slipknot". All poses are of either the bands or artists singing together or posing as a group especially for the magazine.The lettering's are varied between capital and lower case and bold. This stands out to the reader and key events that most people would want to read are instantly seen. The language used is plain information, it informs the reader as to what is inside and includes the snippets of the articles. The overall impression of this contents page is OK, it could be improved by larger snippets to entice the reader more into varied articles and unconventional but bold colours and different text styles stand out to the reader and can entice the reader without extracts.

The colours on this contents page are conventional to NME, black white and red are constantly used by this magazine to produce the rock star image. Once again the words fit around the picture which creates a busy but factual page. The image is unconventional to contents pages as it is of a venue rather than a band. a "tribute to three decades of gigs at one of the world's greatest music venues" "The Astoria". The words on the covers are as usual in bold capitals, this brings back NME readers from previous issues. The language used is typical to music magazines with words such as "Live" giving the effect of being at a gig watching the bands live. The overall impression from this contents page is a bit dull, it does stand out to the reader and does unconventionally use a picture of a venue rather than a band, however the conventional colours of NME have been seen before and are not particular exciting combined with the design.

Double page spread

On this double page spread a conventional red, black and white colour scheme is used to give a stereotypical rock star image. The design of the spread is simple, the lettering for the masthead is in bold and in capitals, the text is around the images and mainly on the left page, they directly attract the reader’s attention before they tend to look at the picture. The pictures are of “My Chemical Romance” a well-known band that readers will instantly recognise. The lead singer Gerard Way looks like a conventional rocker, he has long messed up greasy hair, but this just adds to his image. The masthead is used in bold text; this attracts the reader’s attention straight away and gives them something to focus on. You can quickly identify the contents due to the strap line “My Chemical Romance invite Kerrang to their recording studio…” This shows us that we will have an insight into the bands rehearsals, and probably an interview with members of the band. The language grabs the reader by using terms such as “were” which make you also feel part of the Kerrang team and or part of “My Chemical Romance”. The overall impression of this double page spread is a good one, it is conventional to music magazines that include rock bands, however things such as colours could be seen as too conventional and I feel that Kerrang should breach the boundaries more in order to attract new readers.

The colours used here are not conventional to NME magazine, where red, white and black, blue white and black are used, this works well and attracts new readers. Its design however is conventional of NME one page is separated for an image with a small amount of text over the top, with a vast amount of text on the other page with the masthead covering both. The image is of “The Teenagers” along with the title this aims at younger readers, and also to weekly readers. The pose is of men comfortable with their sexuality with the band all laying on a single bed together, they wear no make up and have a mixture of long and curly, short and long and scruffy hair, which completes the rock band look. The title is of the band which if you know and like directly attracts you to it, the strap line of “Young dumb and full of… filthy tunes” doesn’t suggest what’s in the article. The language used is solely to promote the band and get more people to listen to their music for example “NEED TO KNOW THE TEENAGERS” this will entice readers to listen to the songs. Also “Of course we’re a sexual band. We’re The Teenagers and that’s all they think about” said by Quentin, this will attract young readers as stereotypical teenagers are finding their sexuality and could relate to the band. Overall the impression this double page spread gives is a good one, it attracts different types of consumers due to unconventional but bold colours and bands that people can relate to.

The colours in this double pages spread are conventional to “The Black Eyed Peas” a group normally known for being different and modern. The use of gold, silver, black and white emphasise this difference from others. The background image of the group here breach both pages, with a small amount of text on the left, and a greater amount of text down the far right page around the image. The only image is of the group, three members are slightly faded out but Will-I-am is more defined and in full focus in the middle of the page as the article is about him. The poses are all either smart or casual but this is also typical of the group. Also each member has kept their normal hairstyle for this picture which attracts fans to read the article as it is what they are used to. The Strap line is most eye catching “WILL HE WON’T HE?” This attracts the reader more as they want to find out what is happening within the group to attract such media attention. The language is informal but factual and is more of a descriptive nature of current affairs than of general banter other magazines use. The overall impression is brilliant, it relates to the group and gives you information, it also is bold and will definitely attract reader’s attention.

Magazine analysis

Magazine 1:
Kerrang magazine breached its conventional colours on the front cover; it used a mixture of red, green white and black to emphasize the background picture of “Enter Shikari”. The design is set into three layers, the first being the masthead, then conventionally to the background and finally the band name and promotions. The main image here is the feature band “Enter Shikari” posing as politicians as the “voice of the people”. They hold the conventional rock band image, a mixture of long and short hair but unconventionally wearing suits and looking smart. The words are used on the cover to stand out and catch the reader’s eye; they are all in bold and each coloured word stands out against the background. The masthead is the “Kerrang” style font in bold black. This appeals to the weekly readers, as it is what they are used to. The language used is conventional rock language, of well known band and advertisements such as “win an orange amp” an amp being an amplifier that you plug an electric guitar into. The overall impression is a bit bland and not as eye catching as you would imagine, however it is extremely detailed and provides a valuable insight into its contents.



Magazine 2:
NME magazine used its conventional colours of black white and red to set of the elementary rock star image, the background is set overlapping the title with small texts around the side. A singer from the band “My chemical Romance” is the main and only image, and is dressed in black to demonstrate a dark side. His hands are in his pockets and he is slightly tilted to the reader’s right, his hair is its usual long untidy wind swept mess and he has some black eyeliner on that is typical of his character. The masthead as usual is in bold and capitals, the text around the sides are a mixture of bolds, capital letters and fonts. They use quotes to entice the reader and rocky language that yet again is conventional to the magazine. The overall effect of the front cover is effective, the colours and image all fit together well and it would appeal to previous and first time buyers.



Magazine 3:
NME this week once again used conventional colouring of black white and red. This sets the rock star image that the magazine comes with, once again the magazine is set into layers, the bottom layer is the masthead and a strap line. The second layer is the background image of the band ‘the XX’. This is also the top layer of the magazine along with a secondary strap line, a bar code and “now Biffy’s new band” In the image the woman is facing the opposite way to the men so to demonstrate the difference between the sexes. The masthead as usual is in bold and capitals, the text around the sides are a mixture of bolds, capital letters and fonts. The magazine uses rocky language that yet again is conventional to the magazine. The overall effect of the front cover is effective, the colours and image all fit together well and it would appeal to previous and first time buyers.