Evaluation

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

From creating my school magazine I feel that I my skills of using Photoshop have improved. For example at the start of my school magazine I had never used Photoshop.  Some of the skills that I have learnt is how to cut photos and crop them to the size that I required. I have also learnt how to download different fonts from dafont.com, this is what I used for my title/logo. I feel that I had used more of a variety of techniques then what I did in my preliminary task. To my music magazine I added skylines, and more information that would appeal to my audience. The images that I took for my school magazine I feel didn't have a strong impact unlike the ones in my music magazine. Using the digital camera for my music magazine gave me much better quality photos rather then using a phone camera which I did for my school magazine. Overall from my school magazine to my music magazine I think that my understanding of different software's has improved throughout this project as I started barely knowing anything about InDesign or Photoshop and now I feel my knowledge has improves of Photoshop and this has helped me create a good quality product. I also feel that I have a better understanding and knowledge on how to product a music magazine as my main task is much more interesting and links much better to what it is mean to be and this is due to my improvement and development in the software Photoshop and this can clearly be seen in the comparison to my school magazine.

Evaluation 6.

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

When doing this piece of coursework I learnt how to use many different software's that I had never used before.

The programmes that I used were:

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

PicMonkey

Blogger

Different technologies I used were:

Digital camera

HP Scanner

I also use different search engines so I could research existing products for my planning and research.

I used Adobe Photoshop to create all 3 of my products. Front cover, Contents page and Double page spread.  I had never use this before so I was learning from scratch. At first it was tricky to use but by the time I got to my double page spread I had then got used to it and I was able to do some different things. By using Photoshop it allowed me to get the right scale of the page either A4 or A3.

I tried to use Adobe InDesign to create my double page spread but it was to complicated so I then decided to use Photoshop as I had got used to that.

I used Picmonkey to edit my photos as it allowed me to use a range of effects.

For my work to been seen I had to add it all to www.blogger.co.uk. By using blogger it allowed me to add photos, and links to my posts.

After finishing this piece of coursework I feel that my ICT skills have developed as I have different used different programmes and software's. I also feel that using all these has helped my produce a good quality front cover, contents page and double page spread.

Evaluation 5.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

When starting this piece of coursework I addressed my audience by giving out a questionnaire with questions that will relate to the making of my magazine. The reason why I sent out a questionnaire was to find out my customers wants and needs so then my magazine would attract to them. 

I attracted my audience by using a range of features in my magazine:

Language: I use informal language  to address my audience as it is the best way to grab their attention. As  if I put it in a chatty language then they would be able to relate to the magazine and its easier to understand it, rather then it being formal. I also used explanation marks to make it more informal and to address the audience as its a different way to attract their attention.

Font: The font I use was simple but bold and thick, I done it like this to it would attract my audiences attention rather then it being boring normal text.

Contents: The contents in the magazine reflects the results that I got from my questionnaire. As I added in interviews with well known pop artist and added in information about festivals. I also added in a free poster and things about the chart music, this content should attract my target audience as it is all the information I got from my questionnaire.

One more thing is the Masthead: For my magazine I used a unique one, so it stands out and is bold so it attracts the attention of my audience. I kept it black because I feel it will be bolder.

Evaluation 4.

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

The audience for my magazine would be both genders aged between 16-22.

I am assuming that the typical female that would read my magazine would wear casual clothing like jeans, t-shirts, pumps, ugg boots or converse. She would also go in the high street shops like River Island, Topshop or H&M. Her typical music style would be the chart music which is what is in my magazine, so the artists she would be interested in are people like Rihanna, Justin Timerlake or Bruno Mars. This is why my magazine will be an interest to this typical girl as she will enjoy reading the stories that my magazine provides. I would also assume that would listen to the music channels on the TV or watch programmes such as TOWIE, or american sitcoms.

I also assume that the typical male reader that will purchase my magazine will wear typical casual clothes like jeans, polos, desert boots or vans.converse. He would also shop in the high street shops like Topman, Burton or River Island. As well as the male he will also be interested in the latest chart music, so he would be interested in artists such as Drake, Macklemore or Calvin Harris. These type of people would again be featured in the magazine so this is what would interest them to buy my magazine. I would also assume that he would watch TV programmes like Sky Sports, Rules of Engagement or Big Bang Theory.

Evaluation 3.

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

I think that the different media institutions would sell my magazine would be places like supermarkets and newsagents all within the UK. By the magazine selling in the different places like Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and different Newsagents will let my target audience buy the magazine. As my target audience is 16-22 they are more likely to be at school, work or university so these different places will be the est place to sell it as they will convenient for my target audience.

Evaluation 2.

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

The social group that I have focused on is both teenage girls and boys that are aged between 16-22 year olds. I wanted to focus on both gender groups and I feel that I have done this is by the different stories on the front as both gender can pick it up and be interested in the genre of music. As on the front is the UK top 40 and most people are interested in the chart music. Also I feel that the colour scheme I used suits both gender as I tried to base it around the popular magazines NME and Q which my target audience might read. 

Evaluation 1.

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

One way that my magazine uses conventions is by the style of my title/logo of my magazine. I have used it on both my front cover and contents page this is because I want to show continuity through out my magazine. I decided to keep the title in black because it is simple and bold which hopefully will catch the readers eye. The magazines NME and Q which I have taken inspiration from also have quite simple logos. The name is NM which stands for new music, I chose that because it mean new music relates to the genre of the magazine. I decided to put new music underneath the initials because then people will know what it stands for. 

 The font that I used on all my pages is another important convention. This is because the writing must be readable and clear for people to see. I have decided to keep the black writing on the white background so it is clear for the reader, this is on my contents page. I wanted to keep the writing big, thick and bold this is because I want it to stand out to people. Something I have done different is put the black writing on the maroon background the reason I done this is because many magazine put white writing on dark backgrounds and I wanted to do something different.

The final convention what I have stuck to is having a skyline and different puffs on the front cover. I decided to have the skyline as these always offer something that is free in the magazine and advertising something free might attract people to the magazine. I also decided to add puff this is because many magazine out there have puffs so it is an easy convention to follow also the puffs advertise things inside the magazine and this may attract people to the magazine.