Coursework Evaluation

Evaluation - Question 1

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

My magazine mostly uses conventions and forms currently used in current magazines. Some of these convenions include the use of a barcode and a masthead. These are two example features that exist in current magazines that I have used in my magazines construction. The professional product that was the most useful guide was RWD Magazine. Although it is not solely a dubstep magazine, through my research I found that it does strongly feature dubstep as one of its genres. Due to my research, Iused RWD Magazine as a guide mainly because of the simplicity used in the magazines; many of the extracts I viewed were not overloaded with colour but still managed to look stylish and strinking, a style that I wished to replicate.

Comparison to RWD Magazine                                 

 

Above I have uploaded my magazine front page in comparison to a front page from RWD magazine.

As you can see in the RWD example, the colours of the masthead and cover lines match those on the piece of clothing worn by the artist. This is a style I have used in my magazine, where the colours shown on the artist   'Mr Wavez' outfit are reflected around the page.
Similarly to RWD Magazine, I have used a listing style to display the main features present in the magazine. I believe that this listing style is a simple, stylish and effective way to present the contents of the magazine without overloading the reader with information.
Similarly to RWD Magazine, I have used a single image of the artist, Mr Wavez, in order to attract attention to him and to show the reader that this artist is the chief focus. Also, the image of the artist is centralised and the body language of the artist is very striking, which attracts the reader towards the magazine.

The camera-shot I have used is a medium close up which highlights the upper body of the artist. In both my magazine and RWD Magazine the atrist is looking directly into the camera, which once more entices the reader to the magazine encouraging them to pick it up and pay attention to it.
An identifiying characteristic of all music magazines is interviews or articles with/about the artist/group shown on the front cover. This is a trend I have continued with my magazine.

Another convention found in music magazines is that they have interviews with artists that have released singles or are currently active. The artist I have used has recently broken into the 'mainstream' and therefore would feature in the magazine as he is currently active preffered to an artist that has not been active recently.

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I believe that my product's presentation allows the reader to relate easier to the magazine; my target audience are individuals aged between 16 and 21. In my magazine, I have only used people whom are from the same age group.

When I constructed the above image, I wanted the artist to strike an engaging pose that will encourage the reader to pick up the magazine. I also wanted the artist to wear a piece of clothing that was not plain and that could be reflected around the page in terms of colour scheme. I chose to use a medium closed up in order to get more of the artist into the shot. The body language of the artist is that he is ooking directlty into the camera, inviting the reader to pick up the magazine. This is a feature I fund in many magazines. Also, my fornt cover presents the particular age group I am aiming at 16-21, as a fashionable age group because the artist is wearing NIKE clothing, a brand the age group can relate to.

Dubstep is a genre for young individuals because it is quite a loud type of music that encourages the audiencee to dance. That is why the artist I have used is a young model, which reflects the genre.

Evaluation - Question 3

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

I have learnt a great deal about technologies from the process of construction. During the process I have learnt how to use programs such as Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe InDesign CS3.

Websites such as http://www.blogger.com/, http://www.google.com/, http://www.rwdmag.com/ and http://www.mixmag.net/ have all aided me in my design for my magazine.

Photoshop

 

From photoshop, I learnt how to manipulate images for use in my magazine like i did on my double page spread.

In the images used above, I manipulated them by using Filter/Distort/Diffuse Glow to give the main focus of the image, the artist, a glow around his body.

I mainly used photoshp in the construction of my magazine as it was very easy to use and allowed me to effectively display and manipulate images and write text on top of the images. I was also able to customize this text in order to create different styles for my magazine in order to make it more professional. Photosop allowed me to create shadows and outlines on texts, a simple but efeective way to create your own, new texts.

RWD Magazine

The reason why RWD Magazine provided me with such an inspiration was due to the layout and style used in all of its magazines.

The covers of RWD Magazine provided me with the most inspiration as they had simplistic, sophisticated designs where the cover lines and masthead colours matched up with that of the artist, a feature I used.

Evaluation - Question 4

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

Music magazines are most often sold in supermarkets such as Tesco or stationary stores such as WHSmith. However, it is now becoming common to find them being sold at music venues, festivals, clubs and especially at fashion or clothing retailers.

Magazines in supermarkets would be displaed on shelves and fighting for attention amongst the other magazines, whereas at the events, there would be more time for the target audience and potential readers to view the magazine before purchasing.



Magazines displayed on shelving



As my magazine is a Dubstep magazine, I believe that it would be distributed at festivals, clubs, music venues and retailers. This is because Dubstep is not a mainstream type of music such as 'pop' music, it is an underground type of music that originated from South London and therefore, scenes that are typical of the genre such as clubs and raves would be ideal for the distribution of the magazine as these scenes will heavily feature my ideal audience rather than an audience that will have no interest in the magazine.
Also, as in my magazine there will be a guide for the readers detailing events, the venues of these events will be an ideal place to sell the magazine.
The process of distribution in such locations could be having vendors whom sell the magazine at events such as festivals and music venues. As these events will feature music that is or is related to Dubstep music, it will be much easier to reach the audience. I believe that by having these vendors, quite a lot of money will be saved by the publishers as the magazine will be distributed directly at venues where the target audience is present.
I have also included fashion retailers as an ideal route of distribution because the target audience that I have focused on is a young, cool, stylish age group who are very fashion conscious. I believe that by distributing the product in fashion retailers, it will portray the magazine as a must have and a very fashionable item.

Evaluation - Question 5

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Th e target audience for my magazine Club DUB would be: both genders, aged between 16 and 21 and who have a keen interest in music.

The reason why I have aimed the magazine at both genders is because I do not believe that the Dubstep genre is a genre that can only be consumed and enjoyed by a single sex; it can be enjoyed by all as listening to the music and also going to events is an experience.



An example of members of my target audience.





An example of a scenariop in which my target audience will be involved; a party, rave scene.



The target age is 16-21 because I believe that this age group is perfect for the type of music that the magazine presents. Dubstep music is quite loud and aggressive and may be too much for older, more mature individuals. Dubstep music is a type that encourages the listeners to dance and I believe that this age group are an age group with lots of energy and enthusiasm.

A keen interest in music is encouraged as it will allow the reader to relate to the magazine much easier. An ideal audience would be young people who listen to music and enjoy going to events, festivals and clubs.

With my audience of young, out-going, fun-loving aspirer's in mind, I intended to create a magazine that they would find very easy to relate to and easy to access. My intention was to make Dubstep fashionable and 'cool' for a wider audience.



Evaluation - Question 6

How did you attract/address your audience?

I intended to create a magazine that would be instantly attractive to my audience. As the genre I am covering is a genre that features loud, brash sounds, I believe I should attempt to incorporate both this and the origins of the genre in my magazine.

I wanted to attract my audience through the layout of my magazine, which although simple would look stylish and sophisticated. The image used is of an artist that would be classified under the 16-21 bracket of my target audience and this would further attract the youthful audience.
From the catchy title, Club DUB, I wanted to attract the audience as I realized that such a title would be easy for the audience to remember and would easily stick in their minds. 'Club' suggests that the readers would become part of an exclusive group and increase the prestige of the magazine.

   

I once more have attracted my audience by focusing both the cover and the double page spread on an artist who has made a breakthrough into the mainstream; this both addresses and attracts the audience as a small section of people I was targeting were aspirer's; individuals whom wanted to better themselves. An article on one such individual would surely attract the audience.
Also, this would provide the audience with the feeling that they were gaining an exclusive insight into a brand new artist and they would be first to discover his talents. The artist is presented very similar to the audience due to the clothing he wears; a NIKE hoodie. This piece of clothing can be bought in many shops and therefore the readers will be able to feel in touch with the artist.
Although my cover used a simple layout for my cover lines, the masthead had references to the origins of Dubstep as it was written in a neon light style of text.

The footer at the bottom of the cover page reads 'The UK's Number One Dubstep Magazine'. This suggests to the reader that they are reading the very best magazine of their chosen genre in the UK.
In addition, the colour scheme of grey and yellow allow the eye to lead around the page easily and the use of the Bauhaus font attract the readers interest due to it being in a bold state.
The language I used on both the double page spread and on the contents page listings was quite an informal style of writing with some abbreviated and colloquial terms used. I used this style in order to stay further in touch with the young audience and to not disorientate them whilst they were reading. The double page spread was a question and answer format interview which would provide the reader with answers to questions that they were desperate to know.
Included on my contents page is a web address (www.clubDUB.com) a link to another format for the readers who will believe that they are getting more magazine for their money as there will be more content available online.

Evaluation - Question 7

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

• I learnt how to manipulate my photos in Photoshop, something I did not do in my college magazine.
• I used Photoshop more effectively as I was able to create and modify my own fonts and found it as a whole quite easy to use.
• I still would like to improve my understanding of InDesign as I hardly used it during my construction of both tasks.
• I have learnt that there are many possibilities in constructing a magazine cover page, double page spread and contents page.
• Simple cover pages can look stylish and striking as much as the cover pages that use contrasting colours.
• Music magazines should relate to their genre and target audience profile.
• Colour schemes can be used throughout both the page and the magazine in order to create a flow and a sense of unity in the magazine.
• I have learnt how to pick shots relevant to the concept; the college magazine was a end of exams edition and featured students at prom whereas the music magazine features a single artist with whom the most attention lies.
• The shot used on the front page; the body language and clothing choice can entice and attract the reader.
• Although I mainly used Adobe Photoshop CS3, there are still aspects that I could've attempted to understand further such as the lasso and magic wand tools which I rarely used.
• Placing an artist in front of the masthead highlights their importance.
• I have learnt about what people in the actual magazine industry have to consider when they launch/release their magazines.

Completed Music Magazine Double Page Spread

Above, I have uploaded my completed double page spread. I have once more continued my colour scheme of Grey and Yellow on this spread. The artists name appears in the same font it was written in on the front page and contents page. Through the influence of RWD magazines double page spread, I have used a single large image of the artist on the left handside of the page and the  artist is looking directly at the camera which draws the reader in to the article. The format for the article that I have used is a question and answer format with the questions in black and the answers in white. Another convention I noticed in articles is that they start the articles with a large font on the first letter, a style I have used in my article. On the right hand side of the right page, I have included a section about the artist in the interviews new/current album. This is a feature I saw in different magazines; the main reason why the artist is in the magazine is probably due to them releasing a song or albuma and here I have made a reference to the album which is 'out now'. The language I have used in the article is quite informal and will allow the audience to connect with the article easier.

Music Magazine Double Page Research

I am now performing research on double page spreads for inspiration for my magazine double page spread. In music magazines, double page spreads usually consist of an interview or question and answer session with an artist. There are various styles used on double page spreads.





In the example above, there is a large image of the artist used on the right handside of the page, that slightly transfers onto the left hand page. The large text used in the piece is similar to a newspaper cut-out style; there is not a consitent size to the font although it is all the same style. This style makes the font more eye-catching to the reader as it takes up a large part of the page. Alongside the eye-catching font, the artist's pose is effective as she is looking at the reader, drawing them in to the article. The make-up of the artist draws the reader into her eyes. On this example, most of the attention is drawn to the artist and the main heading of the text.




The above example is taken from RWD Magazine. Already, I prefer this example to the previous one as although the colours used are quite plain, the use of them make the page stand out and look stylish. A concept I would consider using in this example is the way the page replicates the clothing worn buy the artist; the left page has 3 stripes in red, matching those worn by the artist which makes the page more connected. The main image only takes up half of the page; a style i want to replicate in my magazine as it brings reader attention to the artist. Again, the artist is looking directly at the camera once more, enticing the reader to read the article. Also, the magazine uses a question and answer format, a format I will use in my magazine.

Completed Music Magazine Contents Page

Above I have uploaded my Completed Contents Page for My Music Magazine. Two features that I have carried on from the front cover are the font and the colour scheme. On the front cover, I mainly used the colours grey and yellow, which both feature on this contents page. I have also usd the two fonts i used on the contents page Bauhaus 93 and Calibri. I previously mentioned that I would be using this Q magazine as my main inspiration:

My contents page reflects the Q magazine as I have included my features at the top of the page on the left handside with a brief description underneath the sub-heading. All of my feature headings are written in a bolder font to attract more focus to them. This is in comparison to the 'Regulars' section in which the subheadings are all written in a smaller font an are not coloured. Included at the bottom of the page is a website address which allows the reader to become more interactive with the magazine and they believe that they are getting more information. Similarily to the Q Magazine I have used one main image on my contents page. Whilst the Q magazine uses a close up shot of the artist, I instead have used a medium close up shot which presents the artist's clothing which provided the colour scheme for the magazine. Underneath the image of the artist i have used a textbox to present the artist and provided the page number and a brief description. I have made this in  a bold font to attract attention to this story. As it is opposite the other listings, attention is also brought to this section.

Music Magazine Contents Page Research

As I have completed my music magazine front cover, I will now begin research on contents pages.
A contents page presents the reader with information about the content of a magazine.

    1                   2. 


Above I have uploaded two contents page examples from Q Magazine. This is because both of the examples differ in styles
Example 1 on the left features a contents page in which the shot of the artist is a close up; no other feature of the artist is shown other than his face.

Both contents pages features two sections; The Features and Every Month. I believe that this layout will be effective for my magazine as it will easily seperate the usual content of the magazine and the special features.
A clear colour scheme is used in both of the magazines; striking bold colours red, black and gold.

This is in contrast to Example 2 in which the main image is of the band. As the image of a band, the shot used is not a close-up but a long shot in which all of the band members are shown.
Another example is shown above from RWD Magazine.
This examble does not conform with other examples that I have seen. The images of artists that are included in the magazine are shown in four squares at the top of tha page. Included at the bottom of the page are the regulars and features in the magazine. Both 'Contents' and the date appear in bold on the page.

After consideration I believe that the style I wish to replicate is that of Q Magazine. Although the RWD Example is quite eye-catching and alternative, I prefer the Q magazine layout as I believe it will lead the reader around the page much easier. Also, the image used on the Q example is a type of image that I will wish to use for my magazine; a close up of the artist and the main focus being on them.

Completed Music Magazine Front Cover

Above I have uploaded my new magazine front cover. As mentioned in other posts, I was greatly influenced by RWD Magazine. This is because RWD effectively utilizes a simpe arrangemet of its front covers whilst also looking sophisticated, stylish and eye-cathcing. Similar to RWD magazines, I have used one main image on the front cover of my chosen artist 'Mr Wavez'. This artist will feature heavily in my issue. Also, similar to RWD magazine, I have ensured that the colours of the text around the page matches up with that of the subject in the image; therefore Grey and Yellow are the predominant colours used on my front cover to show a connection between the artist and the magazine and to make the cover flow well. Also, the text that is presented in a larger size is that of the artists name, as shown in examples i looked at. This attracts a great deal of interes towards the magazine. 'Featuring' also suggests that the reader is getting a great quantity of information for their money.
The shot I have used is a close up of the artist, fitting his head an torso into view. This provides a closeness between the audience and the artiist. Also, as it is a single artist and not a band or group, it makes more sense to have a close up.

An Example of Dubstep Music

Above is posted one of the most popular songs from the Dubstep genre: Benga & Coki - Night.

As you can hear, there is most definitely a strong bass mixed with electro aspects such as the keys and clap.