Evaluation

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents the indie rock group. This has been achieved through the
use of my selected images and the overall house style of my magazine, as they all reflect
the indie rock genre I was aiming for. This can be seen in my front cover image, the subject
is specifically posing with an electric guitar. This conveys the indie side to the magazine to
the audience, as they will be able to link the guitar to the genre. Moving over to my
contents page, I have used a range of four images which the audience will be able to relate
to some. This represents the indie rock social group as they will have likely been there and
enjoy doing them kind of things (concerts/gigs). They also reflect what the group is all
about and the kind of things they relate themselves to. For example they revolve
themselves around the indie rock music, therefore the music is representing them.

The articles I have used in magazine represent the audience to being avid music lovers
and want to know everything thats going on in the music industry. This is shown as the
articles mainly focus on what bands and artists have to say about themselves and others.
This further suggests they are reading the magazine for both educational and
entertainment reasons. The actual articles themselves aren't very lengthy implying the
audience is dont like reading a lot of writing. This further suggest they are young males
from a working class background. The regulars content also shows they like going to gigs
and concerts and are interested in discovering new bands to expand their playlists.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
After researching multiple media organisations I have decided to go with Bauer Media
Group to produce my magazine. I have chosen Bauer Media Group, because they have
good reputation publicising indie/ indie rock magazine which would be ideal for my own
media product. Out of the 100 best selling magazines they publish 27 of them which is a
promising figure. And with 34 million readers, it makes them the largest publishing
company in Germany.

I also plan on distributing my media product to these place: HMV, WH Smiths, Tesco,
Asda,co-operative, Sainsburys, News agents, Gigs, concerts and also make a online
subscription available. I have selected these locations as they will have a higher chance of
selling as they are were my target audience will most likely be. As my target audience is
16+ males, I have good reason to believe that

Who should be the audience for you media product?

 Name- Sam reynolds

D.O.B- 13/2/2000

Age- 17

Education- First year studying at Priestley College. His

chosen courses are Business, Media and Film studies.

Hobbies- Plays the guitar and plays football.

Life style- Sam is an average teenage boy who is

strongly into his music and loves going to gigs and
concerts when he can. He is likes to keep up to date with his favourite bands and also likes
to discover new bands, through his friends, Spotify or music magazines.
How did you attract/address your audience?
I have attracted the eyes of my audience by following key codes and conventions
throughout my front cover, contents page and my double page spread.
For example, on my front cover I have made sure that my masthead is the largest font on
the page and is positioned at the top of the page. This helps catch the readers eye as it
stands out off page. The colour red also makes it more prominent as it is such a bold
colour. My main image is the biggest and only image on the page, linking directly to my
main headline. The subject head is also slightly covering the masthead. He is making
direct address with the reader making them feel more connected to the magazine. The
main headline has been positioned with the main image and is the largest headline/
coverline on the front cover. This makes it stand out from the rest of the coverlines as it is
more important. The most important words have been put into a different colour and have
also been put into a bigger sized font. This helps make the more important information
stand out from the rest and then further attract my target audience. I have framed my main
image with multiple coverlines, to attract my audience and make them want to find out
more about the article. The coverlines also educate the reader to what is inside the
magazine and if its something they like they will be more willing to buy the magazine.

I have further tried drawing the audience in by using similar codes and conventions within
my contents page. For instance, I used a range of four colours: red, black, grey and white.
These colours are very suitable together as they contrast with each other making it easy
for the audience to read. They are also eye-catching but not to distracting. I also listed the
page numbers in numerical order making it easy for the reader to understand and find
what they're looking for. I arranged the contents into three columns making it manageable
and easy to navigate through without getting confused. I also used a range of four images
linking to contents, this will make it more enjoyable for the audience to read as it gives
them something to look at rather than just writing. The pictures will also help draw the
reader in as they will want to know what is going on and find out the story behind it.

Moving deeper into my media product, I constructed my double page spread with the
audience in mind. My main image has been framed so that it is taking up for than half than
of the double page spread. This makes the article look less daunting as there is more
image than writing and therefore more appealing to the audience. The paragraphs have
been kept short to create the same effect and help brake up the article.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this
product?
Throughout the production of my media product I have used a range of softwares and
expanded my knowledge on how to use them more efficiently. I have adapted to multiple
roles in the production which would have normally been done by different people.

I firstly started off by using Photoshop to create my magazine front cover. Within this
software I used a range of tools to create certain features on the cover. For example I used
the text tool to add in all the writing on the cover, like the masthead:

After I did this I wanted to bring my subject head in front of the masthead. I did this by
using the pen tool to cut out the shape of his head and then copied and pasted it onto a
different layer. I then positioned that layer above the masthead. I also used the paint brush
tool to patch some the hair up where the pen tool hadn't captured all of the details.
I then used the shape tool to create a banner for the skyline and the positioning statement
to go over. This help make them stand out and separate them from everything else on the

page. Once this was done and positioned correctly I used the text tool to add in the text for
the skyline and positioning statement. I also found an image of a barcode on google image
to copy and paste onto my front cover.
I then proceeded to add all of the coverlines onto the page. This was done using the text
tool and then positioning them around the main image, framing the subject. I also used the

shape tool to create a splash which I then wrote the text for it into the circle. using the
shape tool again I created a 50% opacity background for my headline. Then I used the text
tool to add the headline over the background.
In the production of my contents page I used the software Quark to contract the page. I
started by creating a blank A4 sized file. Just like on Photoshop I used the shape tool to
create a banner for the title contents. Then I used the text tool to add in the specific writing
at the top of the page.
Following this I used the same, text and shape, tools to further expand my design. This
involved things like adding a banner for the title regulars to rest on and separate that from
the rest of the contents page. I also used the text tool to create a vertical list of all the

regular content and positioned it below the regulars title.

After the content headlines had been positioned I then proceeded to put the page numbers
next to each one. I did this buy using the shape tool to create a square with I then layered
the page numbers over. creating this effect:
After this I used the same tool and techniques I had already used to expand and develop
my contents page. This include adding the features title and all the featured content to go
along with it. Then with the contents came all of the page number which I used the same

technique as I did with the regulars content to create the page numbers. The last stage
was adding the four images into the contents page. Once they had been positioned
correctly I then used the text tool to add page numbers onto the pictures so that they are
being linked to an article.
I also contracted my double page spread on Quark. However, I started of by using
Photoshop to make the background of my image black and white and my subject in colour.
After that I imported that image into Quark. I started of by using the text tool to add the
page number, headline, standfirst and byline.
I then used the shape tool to create a rectangular banner for the quote insert to go on. This
helps make it stand out of the page because of the colour contrast. Then using the text tool
I wrote the quote and positioned it over the rectangle shape.
After that, I used the shape tool again to create a ,50% opacity, rectangle for the body to
go over. This is so that it makes it easier for the audience to read the article. Then I used
the text tool to paste my article into and then positioned over the black rectangle.

In the production of my work I have used a wide range of technology to present my work. I
have used Powerpoint to create slide shows and then from there I have had to used
Slideshare to be able to present them onto my blog. I have also used Prezi to make
slideshows to be presented onto my blog. To create my videos I used iMovie as it was

easy to use and the most available to me.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have leant in the
progression from it to the full product?
Looking back I can see a huge difference in the standard of work. I believe this is due to
my understanding and knowledge, of how to effectively use these softwares, being
developed and expanded.
One of the most important things I have leant is to stick to the codes and conventions as
much as possible as the outcome will be more professional and will get a better reaction
from the target audience. In my preliminary task you can see that my understanding for
codes and conventions were not what they are now. This is a big factor as to why my
preliminary task looks the way it is:
After my first attempt at a front cover I leant that I needed to follow the codes and
conventions for a magazine front cover and develop my Photoshop skills to allow me to
effectively execute them. One thing that I found to be really unprofessional was my original
colour scheme of my front cover. Due to my lack of Photoshop skills I was stuck with the
original background of the image, unable to change it. I also think that my colour matching
skills were not the best as there didn't seem to be much colour coordination. The sizing
and proportion of things we also very similar are very wrong. For example the headline is
almost as big as the masthead which goes against the codes and conventions of a
magazine front cover.
As you can see my second attempt looks a lot better than my first one. This is down to my
better understanding of codes and conventions and my improved Photoshop skills. I have
stuck to three colours for my colour scheme which all link to my genre. The proportions
and sizings of things are all correct. I have also made sure to stick to all the codes and
conventions for a magazine front cover. For example, my headline is the largest
headline/coverline on the page and it directly links to the main image. My photoshop skills
have also improved as I am now able to do things more effectively and things that I
wouldn't have been able to do before. For example, I used the pen tool to cut out the
subject head which I then copied and pasted into a different layer and then placed that
layer over the masthead layer.