2. In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
Barcode, price and Direct address is used but
masthead included In both Not on main image
Darker colour
Scheme for a
Depressing
Effect. White
Stands out
I have kept the same House
style and colour scheme Band name slanted where as
throughout my product. Straight on NME
White and black house style to attract both genders.
3. Same font used
Page
Pictures in Numbers
Similar layout In
Similar
layout.
Black and white colour scheme
Direct address
Lots more
writing
Larger masthead
4. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
Liam Keenan
Primary research report
According to our survey, In this research task I found that magazines are still of interest in
young culture, however not immensely popular. As their competition, the internet is
becoming increasingly conventional as the place to receive music news. My research
however was not fair because only females were interviewed that are in the same age
group.
The main reasons the internet is popular than magazines, is because it is: free, easy to
access and is the biggest database in the world. The recipients of this questionnaire said the
magazine could be improved by making it cheaper. Perhaps this is how magazines could
expand their demographics.
NME and Kerrang were mentioned in the questionnaire, these two magazines are expected
to be associated with this age group, as it is the target audience. However they said that
they rarely purchase these magazines, both of them released weekly, yet the recipients
stated that they buy them monthly or sometimes never.
5. What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and why?
IPC distributes the NME. My magazine would preferably be published by
them as some of the magazines IPC produce have similarities to my
magazine.
6. Who would be the audience for your
media product?
Genre – tech grunge
Target audience: teenagers 15-20 yr olds
7. How did you attract/address your
Barcode in dead space audience? Bold to
According to Guttenberg
Principle. Dominant contrast used on Attract attention
Band name to attract reader
Large Bold text to
Attract reader
Shallow depth
of field used in
photo
Band name
Slanted to attract
Younger audience
Direct address used
On some pictures
Price in primary optical Same font used throughout Turn over and subscription
Area and Plus! In terminal
box in terminal area
8. Black connotes death, danger Large Bold dominant text
Red guitar connotes desire. Continuing house style
And short quote from editor.
Band posters
In background
Show influences
Photo
montage
Serious
expression
Baseball cap
Appeals to a
Younger audience
Shallow depth of field Direct address used
Graffiti attracts
In some montage pictures
Younger audience
9. What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing this
product?
10. Looking back at your preliminary task,
what do you feel you have learnt in the
progression from it to the full product?
My Media product uses a lot of the conventions Real Magazines today include. I have been influenced mostly by NME and Kerrang. Existing products use colours and fonts to appeal to different target audiences. They use certain house styles which they repeat in each and every issue of the magazine for example the red house style for NME and Kerrang. I do follow some conventions such as using direct address but not on my main image and my magazine follows a black and white house style to widen my audience and attract both genders and all races. My magazine follows a darker colour scheme to attract more emotional teenagers and not the normal everyday indie rockers.
Contents pages in existing products are normally busy and full of pictures and text. I followed this rule with my magazine. They normally include very colourful pictures on a white background for dominant contrast. I continued my house style by using the same font and stuck to the same black and white colour scheme. I used a similar layout scheme to Kerrang for my contents page. On my double page spread I challenged most magazines by using a photo montage but followed the original conventions with my main images appearing behind my text. I continued the house style but the black and white colour scheme isn't as effective but stands out predominantly over my background images. I include much more text than real magazines to provide lots of information.
My magazine would be aimed at teenagers as it provides information about new upcoming bands and DJs. On the survey I undertook I found out the majority of magazine readers are teenagers aged 15-20 and mostly males. A lot of females read magazines more frequently than males and one was subscribed to the NME. Most teenagers don't have the money to read magazines every week or fortnight but a lot of them who have part time jobs read them but monthly. Many full time working teenagers don't have the time to read magazines. Most teenagers use the internet to find music information as it is quick, reliable and easy to use. My research could be biased as I only asked females of the same age group and mostly males.
I would prefer IPC to publish my magazine as it is targeted primarily at the same age group as NME. I was inspired mostly by NME so made my magazine similar to appeal to the same age group.
My target audience is primarily teenagers aged 15-20 predominantly males as my magazine has many conventions that will appeal to them. Some aspects can appeal to an older generation such as the harrow font and the parka my main subject is wearing on the front cover image. The hybrid genre of tech grunge could also attract an older audience but the magazine also uses genres like future garage and electro.
On my magazine I followed Guttenberg's principle throughout putting the most relevant things in the two optical areas and the less relevant in the dead space. I used dominant contrast on the front cover where the Band name stands out and attracts the reader. The masthead I used was found on Dafont.com and I used the same harrow font throughout to continue my house style and to represent fame through the posh font. I placed the price in the primary optical area so the reader sees this first and direct address was used in some pictures to involve the reader in the magazine a lot more. I put the band name on a slant to appeal to a younger audience mostly disorderly teenagers who enjoy rebelling. The parka my subject wears reflects the mod scene and could also attract an older generation to my magazine. I placed the subscription box and the turn over> text in the terminal area so the reader sees this last.
On my double page spread I used the same harrow font dominantly contrasting with the dark background. My main image on the right hand page uses shallow depth of field and both photographs are low angles expressing dominance of the band members. The band posters in the background of the main image show influences of the band and my main subjects serious expression represents how he feels about his music. The black polo shirt and baseball cap connote death and danger and will appeal to the target audience. The red guitar connotes desire and the Hawaiian shorts show how unique the band are. The baseball cap he is wearing also appeals to a younger audience. In my montage of photographs the graffiti attracts my target audience of rebellious youths and the different instruments show how experimental the band is. The window on the photograph and the jumping photo could represent freedom through music.
Since my ancillary task I have learnt to use Photoshop effectively and I can upload to slide share quickly and easily where as i was insure about both at the start. I can use blogger a lot better now also and can operate a camera better as I have learnt a lot about rule of thirds, shallow depth of field etc.
My ancillary cover uses the same conventions as my final cover but a red colour scheme attracting youths. I have improved my knowledge of layout and can manipulate a photo to look how I want.
I have learnt to use rule of thirds effectively and shallow depth of field using a Nikon camera compared to my earlier photograph taking.