Evaluation By Veselina Yordanova

Fortismere School
 Research Process
As a part of my Media Studies As level course, I was assigned to
design a number of publications for a new music magazine. I began
the project by researching several different existing music
magazines in order to examine the layout, fonts and articles
regularly seen in such type of magazines. Before I began working
on my own magazine I critically analyzed and evaluated a variety
of different music magazines and articles. I found this research
process extremely beneficial as it enabled me to enrich my
knowledge on the magazine industry and the features that make a
music magazine an excellent selling product that appeals to it’s
targeted demographic. The research process helped me consider
different styles for my magazine and pointed me out in the right
direction for the production and appearance of my own magazine,
it’s aims and conventions.
For more Information Refer to: Nirvana research
 In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

During the production of my own music magazine I both used and developed
the conventions and forms of a 'typical' music magazine. I felt it’s important
for my magazine to reflect the normal image of music magazines. That’s why
I have produced a front cover and contents page with layouts and mise-en
scene similar to the usual productions. Through the use of a strong central
image on the front cover I have conveyed a certain theme to my magazine;
mirroring the typical rock way of life. I have challenged the convention and
forms of existing music magazines by creating the double page spread in a
more atypical way by using an interesting and unique layout for it. The
double page spread offers the audience an unusual article that consists of
manipulated images and background that have an enormous effect on the
viewer because they are so interesting and engage the viewer by recreating
the ‘context’ of the themes covered in the interview i.e. fire poi, music love,
rock and emotions.

Click to see the processes of production of the Front cover and

Contents page
 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My music magazine definitely represents a particular social group

(and this was one of it’s aims). I wanted my magazine to relate to
the group of people who are missing real life essentials such as
simplicity, music and true emotions. I wanted my magazine to help
those people by presenting them with something new but
desperately missing in the music magazine industry. I wanted my
magazine to appeal to people who are real music lovers and are to
buy the magazine not because of it’s glossy cover and expenses but
because they are interested in reading about people who they can
relate to, people who create music because they love it, people who
they honestly admire and appreciate.
 What kind of media institution might distribute your media
product and why?

There are many different institutions that could distribute my

music magazine for a variety of reason. I have chosen an
institution that would ensure that my magazine can reach all the
people who need it. According to it’s original website The Bauer
Publishing Group “has grown from its humble beginnings as a
printing house into a worldwide publishing empire comprising 282
magazines in 15 countries…and annual turnover of 1.79 billion
Euro”. This information is enough for me to choose this institution
because it is perfectly capable of realizing Nirvana and making it
the international magazine bestseller.

For more information about Bauer Publishing Group visit this

website: www.bauer.co.uk
Nirvana will be distributed through off license shops, newsagents,
book stores, music stores etc. Another characteristic that makes
Nirvana unique is that copies of the magazines will be left in
clubs or places where gigs and other concerts are held. The fact
that nobody will be paying for the magazine is a bit disturbing
because the Bauer Publisher would not agree to distribute copies
for free. That’s why the magazine would have contract with the
organization of the gig which states that the magazine would
distribute for free( i.e. sponsor the event) if the groups
performing or the managers agree to give a review of the concert
in which they will describe the whole process they went through
to put together the big event. I think that Bauer would not mind
it then because the magazine is likely to sell more copies if they
have such an in depth truthful review of the concert coming from
people who had actually ‘created’ it.
 Who would be the audience for your media product?

Nirvana is targeted to people aged 20-25 but everyone who likes

this kind of music is welcomed to read and enjoy the magazine.
I have chosen this demographic because middle aged people
would be more clear and consistent in their buying habits and
behavior. This makes their age group a serious and reliable
target audience. The target audiences consist of people who like
‘natural’ rock and classic music. This music is not changed using
expensive technical equipments in the recording studio and the
musicians are truly talented and don’t create music for free.
 How did you attract/address your audience?
The magazine clearly directs to its target audience through all of its
features including the font, the layout, the pictures and the colours.
The colours I have used create an effective contrast between
dark/cold and fright/warm colours, which creates association with
danger, risk and impulse. It’s interesting how these three words
relate not only to the associations of colours but the associations of
rock music as a whole. Another way in which Nirvana directs to its
audience is its pictures and the ‘celebrities’ featured in the magazine.
All the pictures are of people who look like typical rock stars so they
will appeal to the audience. Furthermore, the actual sell lines on the
front cover and the articles as a whole attract the specific target
audience because they are about the musicians they like and are not
too commercial and ‘teen’ like. The survey also indicated that the
audience likes this type of information to be included in the new
music magazine.
Click on the
figure to see
survey results
 What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?

Through the constructing process I have significantly developed my

Photoshop and ICT skills. Photoshop is professional software that is
used by most of the magazine editors in the current industry in order
to correct their publication and make them of a higher quality. I have
used this software so I too can produce a magazine which looks
professional and of a high quality rather than amateurish. Before
starting the course I did not have a basic understanding of Photoshop.
The preliminary task trained me the basics of Photoshop such as
adjustment and layer manipulation. However during the music
magazine project I have learned more challenging things such as
blending pictures together, filtering an image, blending options etc.
The three publications I have created show more than excellence in
using Photoshop. There is a significant progress in my work which can
be easily seen when comparing the amateur school magazine front
cover with the high quality, professional music magazine cover I have
created.
 The Blog
Despite learning how to use Photoshop in a more professional
manner, the project has also helped me gain a basic
understanding of how HTML. By manipulating the HTML of my
digital blog I have managed to create a blog which has well
structured semantics for text and visual images. The blog looks
very organized and presents the work I have done in an excellent
and appropriate way. I have used the HTML knowledge I have
gained from the preliminary task to change the template of my
blog. I have chosen a template theme which relates to music as it
looks interesting, passionate and magical. Its colours work
exceptionally well in attracting the viewer and creating a patter
that helps the viewer understand the text and make connection
between different posts.
 ICT
The music magazine production has also given me valuable ICT
skills such as installing different fonts into a PC and using Power
Point and uploading it into www.slideshare.net. I have used the
www.dafont.com to download more interesting and attractive fonts
for my music magazine which I have installed into my Photoshop
Software. I have used Power Point to create this presentation for
my evaluation because it offered me the opportunity to use pictures
and links with other websites and files. Power Point has helped me
produce an evaluation which is not like an essay but shows the full
use of media advantages such as links, pictures, and graphics. Now
my presentation looks more professional, structured and formal.

I have also used the internet to research past productions of music

magazines and enrich my knowledge by looking at the work of
others and the ideas they had developed.
 Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt
in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at my preliminary task I have developed many new skills and have
improved my work significantly. The preliminary task was of a great value for
me because it was a practice before the real thing had actually begun. I think I
did pretty well in the design of a school magazine. However there is a significant
progress in my technical, creative and organization skills between the
preliminary task and the music magazine project. I am now more independent
and confident with the productions I have created because they look far more
professional compared to the medium quality front cover I have produced for
my school magazine. There is also a progress in my technical language because
I have enriched my media magazine terminology as I have learnt that there is a
different language used in magazines to attract and engage the audience. This
emotive typical language is what keeps the audience interested in the magazine.
This is what was missing in my school magazine but is progressively shown in
the music magazine. Another area in which I show a major progress is the
evaluation itself. In the preliminary task I did not pay attention to all the media
methods I could have used to create an effective evaluation. Now my evaluation
does not look like a school essay but looks professional and more reflective.
 Conclusion
I am extremely satisfied with my final front cover, contents page and
double page spread as they appear unique and realistic. I especially like the
way I have positioned the pictures of the model within the guitar from the
background template in the double page spread. This was very challenging
and difficult to produce using Photoshop. Another aspect I am proud with is
the colour scheme present in all the three publications. Such colour scheme
not only catches the eye of the viewer but reflects the themes of music and
passion. All the publications look professional and realistic which was my
aim at the beginning of the course. If I had the opportunity to go back and
do this again I would improve my work by benefiting from other media
sources such as video and podcast. It would be a great idea to use video
camera to record the evaluation as an interview. However I did not have
enough time and equipments to do so due to problematic time
management. I hope that the modern style, attractive features and up-to-
date content present within Nirvana will appeal greatly to my demographic
and all other people who are looking for something new and exiting.
I hope you have
enjoyed my magazine
and its production
process as much as I
have!