Friday 9 January 2009
Music magazine Front Cover
Music magazine(Manic Rock) Powerpoint - in video format
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oS_GSob_qIY = Link to video
Evaluation
How does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My music magazine uses many common conventions of the industry as it is a new magazine and not yet ready do begin its own tangent away from the normal. I use a unique masthead which can be easily recognised by customers and a main image that is linked to the primary lead heading secondary lead and keeps with the rule of three. When researching the many different music magazines I noticed that they all only featured famous bands that had record deals and contracts. Seeing as there are many bands that are good but have not become famous yet and all great bands were once not well known, my unique selling point is that the magazine will also include reviews and interviews with bands that are not yet famed. With the magazines publicity the band is more likely to become big, and the bigger the band becomes the more promotion the magazine will get for a good taste in music and being the founder of the next music phase. Magazines, even of the same genre, each had there own house style layout, especially in the contents page and main story pages. I realised that they were so different because of the varied target audiences they had, and that not only what the reader liked in a style, but what the audience could actually understand. If aimed at a younger audience then the content would need to be simplified and be fun to focus their attention. I have taken this into account with my magazine as it is aimed at 15-25 year olds which is a difficult age gap to cover as their is often a major maturity and difference in interests, however this magazine revolves around the interests which to not change easily when growing up. That is taste in music, having fun and laughing whilst maintaining a mature atmosphere to fully inform the readers about the new, old and famous bands featured.
Many of the rock magazines I looked at used a tool in the contents page called a band list that helps the reader not only find articles they might be interested in but particular famous bands too. To keep with forms and conventions of the magazine industry, I saw it necessary to incorporate one of these into my magazine also and help my readers navigate themselves around the pages easier so that they could see the simplicity and continue to purchase it. I challenged the convention of the layout of double page spreads I believe, by using the majority of a page for a main picture and including writing on that page. The introductory paragraphs are viewed on the picture of the band itself, which I have not witnessed in any of my researched magazines so far. This works as a total reminder that this is the band you’re reading about and so aids the audience. The audience would be interested in rock bands I believe as when I handed out a questionnaire 75% of the returned results stated that rock was the most favoured of the music genres.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My music magazine represents people who are passionate about playing rock music and live the lifestyle of being a rock star. Whilst this is its focus point for stories and interviews that will be included, this is not necessarily the audience it will attract. Many readers of my magazine will be young, aged 15-25 and will have access to disposable income though not much but lack of other financial responsibilities will make them able to afford it. A part time job or a money arrangement with parents are likely to be the source of the money, and as many persons over 18 and under 25 a some form of student, they have access to money intended for them to live on. Costing 3.99 per month, it works out, as our target audiences will notice, cheaper then most media entertainment to date. No particular sex was aimed at as this is widely a unisex topic of a magazine, though much of the audience will be expected to be males.
Many young people around this age are either into having a fun time and enjoying their youth, or are worried about something happening in their life, e.g. school work. But both these kind of people can find the people represented in this magazine as inspirational. Much of the attitudes of rockers, especially ones featured in my magazines are those with a zest for life, who are never down trodden and take bad luck in stride. They have fun doing what they do regardless of the consequences, and whilst some can see the irresponsible nature of this, the fans feel the need to do likewise every so often. This magazine is aimed at a younger audience; however a more old school rock audience may be drawn to it as it does commonly feature the legendary bands of the past. This will help to go against the common misconception an older generation believes that all younger people are into hip-hop and rap music. My use of language in my media product shows that although it is aimed at a younger audience, they are educated and intelligent as the word level and vocabulary will not be childish, this will also help to bridge the gap between old and new generations and eventually draw in a massive and diverse audience.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The pure potential of my magazine would make many media institutions want to take on the job of distributing because not only is their money to be made, but I believe that there’s a gap in the market for this kind of magazine. Many rock music magazines exist, just as there are a huge variety of magazines aimed at young persons, however mine is unique and stands out so because it is a rock magazine aimed at the newer generation with old rock still featured within it. The aim of the magazine is to make a connection with as many people as it can; I believe it would succeed in this when using a large media institution as it has many benefits. Money and funding would be more stable than if an independent one did as it would not be able to provide the additional publicity, which is a key factor to getting an audience. The extra publicity that a larger institution could provide would be an already established link with radio, television and other forms of written media. The Internet will also be vital in drawing in a younger generation, as more and more children become aware of the Internet at younger ages now, and so with the right advertisement on the internet, it could easily attract and draw in our target audience. When researched other magazines and there institutions, I found a strong link between the successful magazines and having a website, radio station and television channel, such as NME. This use of synergy needs cooperation because advertising on a show with a very different target audience would be a waste. The benefit of being a magazine with an independent institution is that you can become known for yourself, not who you belong to, however my magazine will just consider it a means to an end.
Who would be the audience for your media product? (Reader profile)
Males aged 15-25 will predominately be my audience, although it is friendly towards either sex. They will fall into the C1C2D category as, being young; even if they have begun to work they are likely to not have a high income not yet be considered skilled. They are at the awkward age where they are old enough to be told they should be role models whilst being looked down upon my most of the adult world as being inexperienced to mature problems. Therefore, my magazines mode of address will be to provide an escape from these issues by being fun and entertaining, intelligent but without belittling the reader. The audience will be fans of in particular groups, mostly re-appearing bands that are commonly doing something to deserve an article in my magazine. Music magazines will give our audience a new outlook on the world, and a sense of community. The magazine will change the reader slightly, making is language patterns shift as he becomes a common customer, and people will listen and respect his informed opinions about the latest and oldest music despite his age. He has a phycographic of an explorer in the way he is the first to try new brands and typically a student, but yet he’ll still stay loyal to what he loves.
How did you attract/address your audience?
Our target audience, having the phycographic of an explorer, consider themselves individualistic, and is the first to try new brand. We therefore put a lot of thought into the rule of three on the front cover. The magazine name with ‘Rock’ in it instantly tells the public what kind of magazine we are and therefore what genre. The almost psychedelic colours grab the attention of any shopper browsing the magazine racks in a newsagents or supermarket. Being distributed by a large institution, many advertisements will have been put into action for similar audiences that could be potential custom. These advertisements would include, on radio shows and television mentions. Using language to my advantage on the front cover, to attract the right audience I used terminology that only modern music lovers would understand such as “Gig” and “Rocker”. When using the words in the correct context it makes the music lovers feel more at ease with our opinions that we aren’t just trying to get money and do actually have another aim. Using a picture of a band on the front, along with a caption that doesn’t give away the awesome story to accompany it, it makes them curious to buy it and find out. The band featured on the front is called Casino, and they’re not very well known as they have only just signed its first record deal, proving our USP correct. When researching other magazines so that I could decide on a truly Unique Selling Point I noticed that the vast majority of magazines only featured very famous bands that had record labels and deals even though there are so many bands that are good but do not. My USP is that we have feature length articles about unknown bands just as much as the already recognised rock legends. My choice of font was also thought into a lot as it needed to be fit for purpose whilst reflecting how fun the magazine was and could be. I believe it gives of the right impression to attract the right audience for my magazine.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Prior to the creation of my product I had used none of the technologies involved in the making of a magazine and so it was a huge learning curve for me. Using the digital camera was fairly simple and I grasped the basics of turning it on and taking a picture very quickly. However, soon after I learned these photographs were not good enough to be used, as I had not taken the lighting into account, or my camera angle, and when the pictures were reviewed in full on the computer, it was slightly out of focus. I quickly learned how to use the menu on the digital camera and then when all the elements of the picture were taken into account I had a picture that was of the degree I was after. The settings I took under consideration were costume of the models, their poses, lighting and angle. I believe I took 40 pictures total for my magazine of which 15 were good enough. I learnt that on digital camera’s there are many different settings for taking pictures, each for different photographic pictures. I learnt that auto-focus was the most helpful in taking my kind of picture.
I learnt during this project, how to use Macromedia Fireworks, which is the program I used to do all my picture editing and magazine creating. My skills in this field have always been limited but I managed to develop them greatly in the weeks I took creating my magazine. I needed to be able to use it easily as many features of my magazine are complicated settings of Fireworks. The kind of editing skills I needed to use fireworks for were cropping and editing the picture, e.g. removing background, and inserting the masthead.
I used many technologies during the course of the project, such as the internet to do my research and Microsoft word for my questionnaire to research further; however my knowledge of these programs was already substantial as I have had much previous contact with them.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
My preliminary task now looks, having completed my music magazine, of very poor quality and knowledge. Whilst the type of magazine I did in my preliminary task was very different and therefore had a totally different target audience, the way in which it was unsuccessful in achieving its aims was relevant to all media magazines. At that point I had a poor understanding of Demographics and phycographic’s and did not know much about the forms and conventions of a magazine. I feel that I have grown greatly since my first attempt at building a magazine, as now I understand the Rule of Three and the need for good quality pictures. I have learnt that photo’s need to be carefully planned, especially if you wish to cut the background out of one but the model’s clothes or hair resemble the background colour, or the hair is in a style which is difficult to cut round. Doing the preliminary task helped me develop my skills in fireworks ready for the more serious work, and educated me as to how difficult it was to use, and therefore allowed me to estimate how long it would take to complete each task and plan my work accordingly.
I also had a great deal more research put into what my audience would be and what they would like for my music magazine. Through the use of other competing magazines, internet research and questionnaires I believe I am closer to achieving my aims now then in the preliminary task. This is mainly because, now considering my target audience, the magazine would have had a too childish font and it was too large. I also learnt that certain computer do not have the same fonts, so changing which computer you use can jeopardize the magazine. I found that if you do all the text in a universal font in which there would be no confusion, e.g. ‘Times new roman’ and then changing it all when you’re close to completion then you can cut out many troubles. Once my preliminary task was completed, I could over look it and see all the little details of which I had cut corners were very noticeable, so I learnt to be patient and take your time for the best results.
Music Magazine Questionnaire
20/25 Questionnaires handed back
Please circle your age range
10 – 15 16-18 19-22 23-25 26+
10-15=5% 16-18=75% 19-22=15% 23-25=5%
What is your favourite genre of music?
...............(Rock=75% - R&B=15% - Rap=10%)
Do you currently buy regularly or subscribe to a music magazine? If so, which one?
.........................(no=60% - kerrang=20% - NME=15% - Uncut=5%)
What is your most common way of buying music?
Downloaded (=55%) buying CD’s (=45%) Other (specify)..........
Are you, or have you ever been a member of a band?
.....................(Yes=10% No=90%)
Where do you enjoy listening to your music best?
............................(home=40% - School=25% - outside/traveling(MP3)=35%)
Do you watch television music channels?
......................(No=35%) Which ones? ....... (65% = Skuzz, Kerrrang, NME, MTV2)
Would you participate in more magazine competitions if they were cheaper and easier to do?
Yes(80%) No(20%)
Would you consider Music artist your role models?
Yes (35%) No(65%)
Do you feel the media, heavily influences you?
Yes (10%) No (90%)
Do you own a portable music playing device?
Yes (95%) No(5%)
My music magazine uses many common conventions of the industry as it is a new magazine and not yet ready do begin its own tangent away from the normal. I use a unique masthead which can be easily recognised by customers and a main image that is linked to the primary lead heading secondary lead and keeps with the rule of three. When researching the many different music magazines I noticed that they all only featured famous bands that had record deals and contracts. Seeing as there are many bands that are good but have not become famous yet and all great bands were once not well known, my unique selling point is that the magazine will also include reviews and interviews with bands that are not yet famed. With the magazines publicity the band is more likely to become big, and the bigger the band becomes the more promotion the magazine will get for a good taste in music and being the founder of the next music phase. Magazines, even of the same genre, each had there own house style layout, especially in the contents page and main story pages. I realised that they were so different because of the varied target audiences they had, and that not only what the reader liked in a style, but what the audience could actually understand. If aimed at a younger audience then the content would need to be simplified and be fun to focus their attention. I have taken this into account with my magazine as it is aimed at 15-25 year olds which is a difficult age gap to cover as their is often a major maturity and difference in interests, however this magazine revolves around the interests which to not change easily when growing up. That is taste in music, having fun and laughing whilst maintaining a mature atmosphere to fully inform the readers about the new, old and famous bands featured.
Many of the rock magazines I looked at used a tool in the contents page called a band list that helps the reader not only find articles they might be interested in but particular famous bands too. To keep with forms and conventions of the magazine industry, I saw it necessary to incorporate one of these into my magazine also and help my readers navigate themselves around the pages easier so that they could see the simplicity and continue to purchase it. I challenged the convention of the layout of double page spreads I believe, by using the majority of a page for a main picture and including writing on that page. The introductory paragraphs are viewed on the picture of the band itself, which I have not witnessed in any of my researched magazines so far. This works as a total reminder that this is the band you’re reading about and so aids the audience. The audience would be interested in rock bands I believe as when I handed out a questionnaire 75% of the returned results stated that rock was the most favoured of the music genres.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My music magazine represents people who are passionate about playing rock music and live the lifestyle of being a rock star. Whilst this is its focus point for stories and interviews that will be included, this is not necessarily the audience it will attract. Many readers of my magazine will be young, aged 15-25 and will have access to disposable income though not much but lack of other financial responsibilities will make them able to afford it. A part time job or a money arrangement with parents are likely to be the source of the money, and as many persons over 18 and under 25 a some form of student, they have access to money intended for them to live on. Costing 3.99 per month, it works out, as our target audiences will notice, cheaper then most media entertainment to date. No particular sex was aimed at as this is widely a unisex topic of a magazine, though much of the audience will be expected to be males.
Many young people around this age are either into having a fun time and enjoying their youth, or are worried about something happening in their life, e.g. school work. But both these kind of people can find the people represented in this magazine as inspirational. Much of the attitudes of rockers, especially ones featured in my magazines are those with a zest for life, who are never down trodden and take bad luck in stride. They have fun doing what they do regardless of the consequences, and whilst some can see the irresponsible nature of this, the fans feel the need to do likewise every so often. This magazine is aimed at a younger audience; however a more old school rock audience may be drawn to it as it does commonly feature the legendary bands of the past. This will help to go against the common misconception an older generation believes that all younger people are into hip-hop and rap music. My use of language in my media product shows that although it is aimed at a younger audience, they are educated and intelligent as the word level and vocabulary will not be childish, this will also help to bridge the gap between old and new generations and eventually draw in a massive and diverse audience.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The pure potential of my magazine would make many media institutions want to take on the job of distributing because not only is their money to be made, but I believe that there’s a gap in the market for this kind of magazine. Many rock music magazines exist, just as there are a huge variety of magazines aimed at young persons, however mine is unique and stands out so because it is a rock magazine aimed at the newer generation with old rock still featured within it. The aim of the magazine is to make a connection with as many people as it can; I believe it would succeed in this when using a large media institution as it has many benefits. Money and funding would be more stable than if an independent one did as it would not be able to provide the additional publicity, which is a key factor to getting an audience. The extra publicity that a larger institution could provide would be an already established link with radio, television and other forms of written media. The Internet will also be vital in drawing in a younger generation, as more and more children become aware of the Internet at younger ages now, and so with the right advertisement on the internet, it could easily attract and draw in our target audience. When researched other magazines and there institutions, I found a strong link between the successful magazines and having a website, radio station and television channel, such as NME. This use of synergy needs cooperation because advertising on a show with a very different target audience would be a waste. The benefit of being a magazine with an independent institution is that you can become known for yourself, not who you belong to, however my magazine will just consider it a means to an end.
Who would be the audience for your media product? (Reader profile)
Males aged 15-25 will predominately be my audience, although it is friendly towards either sex. They will fall into the C1C2D category as, being young; even if they have begun to work they are likely to not have a high income not yet be considered skilled. They are at the awkward age where they are old enough to be told they should be role models whilst being looked down upon my most of the adult world as being inexperienced to mature problems. Therefore, my magazines mode of address will be to provide an escape from these issues by being fun and entertaining, intelligent but without belittling the reader. The audience will be fans of in particular groups, mostly re-appearing bands that are commonly doing something to deserve an article in my magazine. Music magazines will give our audience a new outlook on the world, and a sense of community. The magazine will change the reader slightly, making is language patterns shift as he becomes a common customer, and people will listen and respect his informed opinions about the latest and oldest music despite his age. He has a phycographic of an explorer in the way he is the first to try new brands and typically a student, but yet he’ll still stay loyal to what he loves.
How did you attract/address your audience?
Our target audience, having the phycographic of an explorer, consider themselves individualistic, and is the first to try new brand. We therefore put a lot of thought into the rule of three on the front cover. The magazine name with ‘Rock’ in it instantly tells the public what kind of magazine we are and therefore what genre. The almost psychedelic colours grab the attention of any shopper browsing the magazine racks in a newsagents or supermarket. Being distributed by a large institution, many advertisements will have been put into action for similar audiences that could be potential custom. These advertisements would include, on radio shows and television mentions. Using language to my advantage on the front cover, to attract the right audience I used terminology that only modern music lovers would understand such as “Gig” and “Rocker”. When using the words in the correct context it makes the music lovers feel more at ease with our opinions that we aren’t just trying to get money and do actually have another aim. Using a picture of a band on the front, along with a caption that doesn’t give away the awesome story to accompany it, it makes them curious to buy it and find out. The band featured on the front is called Casino, and they’re not very well known as they have only just signed its first record deal, proving our USP correct. When researching other magazines so that I could decide on a truly Unique Selling Point I noticed that the vast majority of magazines only featured very famous bands that had record labels and deals even though there are so many bands that are good but do not. My USP is that we have feature length articles about unknown bands just as much as the already recognised rock legends. My choice of font was also thought into a lot as it needed to be fit for purpose whilst reflecting how fun the magazine was and could be. I believe it gives of the right impression to attract the right audience for my magazine.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Prior to the creation of my product I had used none of the technologies involved in the making of a magazine and so it was a huge learning curve for me. Using the digital camera was fairly simple and I grasped the basics of turning it on and taking a picture very quickly. However, soon after I learned these photographs were not good enough to be used, as I had not taken the lighting into account, or my camera angle, and when the pictures were reviewed in full on the computer, it was slightly out of focus. I quickly learned how to use the menu on the digital camera and then when all the elements of the picture were taken into account I had a picture that was of the degree I was after. The settings I took under consideration were costume of the models, their poses, lighting and angle. I believe I took 40 pictures total for my magazine of which 15 were good enough. I learnt that on digital camera’s there are many different settings for taking pictures, each for different photographic pictures. I learnt that auto-focus was the most helpful in taking my kind of picture.
I learnt during this project, how to use Macromedia Fireworks, which is the program I used to do all my picture editing and magazine creating. My skills in this field have always been limited but I managed to develop them greatly in the weeks I took creating my magazine. I needed to be able to use it easily as many features of my magazine are complicated settings of Fireworks. The kind of editing skills I needed to use fireworks for were cropping and editing the picture, e.g. removing background, and inserting the masthead.
I used many technologies during the course of the project, such as the internet to do my research and Microsoft word for my questionnaire to research further; however my knowledge of these programs was already substantial as I have had much previous contact with them.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
My preliminary task now looks, having completed my music magazine, of very poor quality and knowledge. Whilst the type of magazine I did in my preliminary task was very different and therefore had a totally different target audience, the way in which it was unsuccessful in achieving its aims was relevant to all media magazines. At that point I had a poor understanding of Demographics and phycographic’s and did not know much about the forms and conventions of a magazine. I feel that I have grown greatly since my first attempt at building a magazine, as now I understand the Rule of Three and the need for good quality pictures. I have learnt that photo’s need to be carefully planned, especially if you wish to cut the background out of one but the model’s clothes or hair resemble the background colour, or the hair is in a style which is difficult to cut round. Doing the preliminary task helped me develop my skills in fireworks ready for the more serious work, and educated me as to how difficult it was to use, and therefore allowed me to estimate how long it would take to complete each task and plan my work accordingly.
I also had a great deal more research put into what my audience would be and what they would like for my music magazine. Through the use of other competing magazines, internet research and questionnaires I believe I am closer to achieving my aims now then in the preliminary task. This is mainly because, now considering my target audience, the magazine would have had a too childish font and it was too large. I also learnt that certain computer do not have the same fonts, so changing which computer you use can jeopardize the magazine. I found that if you do all the text in a universal font in which there would be no confusion, e.g. ‘Times new roman’ and then changing it all when you’re close to completion then you can cut out many troubles. Once my preliminary task was completed, I could over look it and see all the little details of which I had cut corners were very noticeable, so I learnt to be patient and take your time for the best results.
Music Magazine Questionnaire
20/25 Questionnaires handed back
Please circle your age range
10 – 15 16-18 19-22 23-25 26+
10-15=5% 16-18=75% 19-22=15% 23-25=5%
What is your favourite genre of music?
...............(Rock=75% - R&B=15% - Rap=10%)
Do you currently buy regularly or subscribe to a music magazine? If so, which one?
.........................(no=60% - kerrang=20% - NME=15% - Uncut=5%)
What is your most common way of buying music?
Downloaded (=55%) buying CD’s (=45%) Other (specify)..........
Are you, or have you ever been a member of a band?
.....................(Yes=10% No=90%)
Where do you enjoy listening to your music best?
............................(home=40% - School=25% - outside/traveling(MP3)=35%)
Do you watch television music channels?
......................(No=35%) Which ones? ....... (65% = Skuzz, Kerrrang, NME, MTV2)
Would you participate in more magazine competitions if they were cheaper and easier to do?
Yes(80%) No(20%)
Would you consider Music artist your role models?
Yes (35%) No(65%)
Do you feel the media, heavily influences you?
Yes (10%) No (90%)
Do you own a portable music playing device?
Yes (95%) No(5%)
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