Evaluation-Question 6

 From constructing my magazine I have learnt many things about the world of media and technology. I designed my magazine using the software Photoshop. I haven’t used Photoshop before taking media so took me a while to get used to the ways in which it worked.  I realised that by using this specific software I was able to make images look more appealing to the eye and overall create something that looked professional.

Advantages; The Photoshop software is available at college which makes it easy to access. It’s also recognized as being one of the most popular editing software programmes available in today’s world which helped me a great deal and allowed me to create something that looked extremely realistic.

Disadvantages; Photoshop’s main disadvantage is that it is quite technical and if you aren’t used to the software and don’t have it available at home it can come across as quite a hard piece of software to get to grips with.

I like; within Photoshop there are many ways in which you can explore and experiment with different effects to create a more professional, unique piece of work.

We also used Blogger, I loved working with this type of technology as it was a way in which I could present my work in  a whole new way.

Advantages;

Evaluation-Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

When my magazine is first launched it would be likely to appear on shelves in the supermarket, newsagents and shops such as WHSmith. This is a popular ground base in which magazines that circle music, fashion and lifestyle are distributed and sold. On my cover I’ve used an image of three girls using direct address; this draws the reader in and makes them want to purchase the magazine, it also makes the customer feel involved within the magazine. The cover lines that featured on my magazine were short and simple which made them grabbing for the audience. By doing this, I made sure I used different style of fonts to make it look both attractive but also eye drawing. They are all in similar font sizes, the reason for this is that I didn’t want my magazine to have a main selling point. 

The masthead is big, black and bold which gets the attention of the reader. The colours I’ve used are a mixture of three which means the magazine throughout doesn’t appeal messy.  I found one of the easiest ways to attract the audience was by relating it to things they aspire to. I wanted to make sure the language I was using was very much similar to how my specific age range was likely to speak; this was a way of enticing the reader. I tend to use eye-catching images that give the impression that the magazine revolves around fashion. Overall when creating my magazine, my main priority was to keep the stereotypical girl key interests at heart.

Evaluation-Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

 My product is aimed at the stereotypical teenage girl who is inspired by fashion, music and all the latest gossip. Within my magazine I tried to pursue the outgoing, wild and care free nature of my audience through the use of images and context.  I used images that portrayed girls messing around and enjoying themselves. Throughout my magazine I wanted to have something that a majority of girls could relate and aspire too.

My main aim was to create a magazine that had all elements that were most likely to appeal to my target audience. I also used specific colours that connected with the them I had throughout my magazine. This made the magazine flow better overall.  This also would appeal to my target audience and make it clear that my magazine was aimed at girls.

The register of my magazine is quite informal and casual; the reason for this is that the language this age range uses is usually slang based. If I was to have an older target audience, the language in which I would use would be a lot more formal and could maybe be described as ‘more appropriate’ for this age group.  A typical reader of ‘FLY’ magazine would have a key interest in the newest music, the latest fashion and trends. Likely to buy their clothes from shopping brands such as H&M, Vans and BOY London. They would have a great interest in appearance.

My mood board reflects my targeted audience. The images within my mood board present just some of the main interests of my reader. My target audience would be girls that are likely to be outgoing, fun and enjoy themselves. Throughout my magazine my main aim was to present this in someway.

Evaluation-Question 3

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

When thinking of the way in which I’d distribute my magazine. I needed a large company that have the resources and financial support to advertise my magazine. I have chosen a well-known, leading distributor/publisher Bauer media. Bauer media is an international media empire that offers over influential magazine brands, offering to a wide range of interests.

I feel that this would be a suitable choice for my magazine as currently there isn’t a magazine that offers a similar product, this would allow Bauer to broaden its horizons and take interest in a new magazine that would gain a new audience that Bauer is not yet used to. However, Bauer does already publish both ‘Yours’ and ‘Closer’, these magazines are based around lifestyle opposed to music and aimed at a much older target audience. This initially means that there is a gap in the market. This means my magazine could reach out too.

As my magazine is targeted at a young age group, I would have to choice suitable places in which the magazine could be advertised. Social Networking would be one of my main aims, the reason for this is that a majority of girls of that age range live on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  The Radio would be another great way of advertisement as this reaches out to a high audience. Banners, Posters, Television Adverts are all ways in which I’d advertise my magazine. I would also have a ‘Spotify Ad’, I feel this would reach the exact kind of audience I want for this specific magazine as ‘Music’ is the key theme of my magazine. It would also advertise on all the big festivals reaching out for my targeted audience.

My magazine would be sold at most newsagents, supermarkets and bookshops. I would also feature it as an app available on ‘Android and Itunes’, the reason for this is that most girls of this age range are familiar with this type of software and use it on a regular basis. This would allow you to buy a copy that downloads straight to your media device which many girls would find easier and accessible. My product is aimed at female festival goers that are into fashion and music; I feel Bauer is the perfect advertiser and would allow my magazine to fill a gap in the market which is currently lacking in the public today.

Evaluation-Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product is designed at teenage girls that are festival goers. When looking at typical content that is published within magazines of this age range it tends to be based around music, fashion, beauty and boys. I think my magazine represents my target audience perfectly. All girls aspire to be like someone whether it be a model, singer or actress. They all want to be like someone in some way, shape or form. Within my magazine there is rarely any context that refers to a male audience which suggests that no males are likely to purchase this magazine.

The colour scheme of magazine is mostly pinks, whites and black, this supports my statement that this magazine is specifically aimed at girls. The reason for this is that the combination of those three colours would not likely be seen on any male related audience magazines. I found that this helped me pursue my magazine and target audience more clearly.

My magazine implies that all girls have a great interest in other peoples life’s and like to feel like they’re gaining an insight. My feature article was focusing on a ‘new girl band’. This is an ambition and lifestyle many girls around the teenage age group are likely to want. The questions asked were all very personal which made the reader feel like they were gaining inside gossip that they would not of had if they didn’t buy this magazine, this relates to media fandom.  

The topics in my magazine all come under the category of appearance, this is suggesting that most people around this age group are more concerned about the way they look in supposed to their education and future career for example. Through-out my magazine it spoke mainly of fashion tips and boys which is what most stereotypical girls think about.  I mainly based my magazine on girls that are most likely to go to the latest festivals, however, I also included other context that other girls could relate to so that I was creating a magazine that reached a wider audience. This meant that more types of girl with different interests could relate easily to my magazine.

Evaluation-Question 1

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

The title of magazine is ‘Fly’, this took me a while to come up with as I wanted to have something unusual and a title that you wouldn’t usually expect from the magazine industry. The Masthead of my magazine is written in a font called ‘Musicals’, I found the font on a website called ‘Dafont’. The reason for using this website was it gave me the opportunity to find a more unique font that fitted my target audience.

I used only 5 coverlines but I made sure that they were going to be grabbing for my target audience, the reason for this is that by only using 5 coverlines it makes the main image appeal more striking and doesn’t make the cover look messy. By doing this, it challenges the current media products already on sale as they usually have various multiple coverlines all over the magazine. This makes my magazine stand out from others and look new and unique. Being different gives it a good advantage within the market and could be possible competition for upcoming magazines. I used different fonts for my coverlines as I felt by doing this it made parts of the magazine look more dominant. I used black and pink as my main two colours, the reason for this is it reflects the girly vibes and suggests the magazine is aimed at females more so than males. I made sure my coverlines were clear visible and circled the edges of the magazine to go around the main image as this reflects the conventional way in which magazines are typically laid out.

My main image is a mid-shot image with three people within the frame. The photography is captured with everyone smiling but also doesn’t look too serious which reflects the vibe of the magazine. It suggests the magazine is both friendly and overall a happy magazine to read. The content of the image has been captured for the specific purpose of targeting my aimed audience. The image has a black and white effect which contrasts the other colours on the magazine and makes the other parts stand out. The image in which I chose dominated the page but also was quite striking, most magazines tend to-do this as this is the first part of a magazine which gets the audience’s attention and is the way the magazine sells. Overall I made sure my title page both conformed the magazine industry as well as have some key differences so that it was both daring as well as bringing a new look to the magazine industry.

The costume is stylish and casual and overall reflects the typical clothing of my target audience. Costume is the way in which you communicate with your audience. I wanted to make sure that the models and clothing was something that was easy to aspire to and continued with that idea throughout my magazine.I didn’t use any props in the front cover, however, when creating my feature article the main prop is pieces of paper with words on, this is both simple and gives a creative fleur to the work. It isn’t something you would usually see in a magazine which makes it both different and gives it a place in the market. Overall I feel my images show the youth and society in which teenagers live in and something I wanted to give from my magazine was the element of being ‘free’ and having ‘fun’.

 

I created my double page spread feature article so that it presented a clear structure. I kept to main theme of a black and pink colour scheme, however I intoduced green, purple and blue to add some colour and livliness to my magazine. I also used fonts from www.dafont.com to make the heading title look more exciting and interesting. The way i've used two different fonts challenges most media products, the reason for this is it may be recognised as being quite messy, however, I feel it works considerably well and makes the article more entertaining and appealing to look at. The body of the text is very simular to other media products already on the market. When looking at other magazines i identified some of the key questions that are likely to pop up in most music based interviews,by doing this, it allowed me to create an interview that would be enjoyed by the readers. Magazines are all about creating fandom and by giving the audience 'exclusive interviews' it allows them to fell like they're gaining an insight to the bands life.

I have also left gutters inbetween the text, the reason for this is it make it look more presentable and neat. I also gave my article a kicker, this is the opening line of an interview which grabs the readers attention. My images were all in black and white which went with the colour scheme of the magazine. I think this works considerably well as it makes the actual interview stand out. Overall I made my feature article both quirky and very much imular to real life products.

I made sure my contents page was minimalistic and wasn't covered in writing. I wanted to make it stand out and easy to follow but still give the information to the reader. I had one main image which made the contents page look quite powerful, the use of dark colours in contrast to the pink made the page quite appealing to look at, this is also like the rest of the magazine which gives it that connection and flow. I used this simple look to challenge other media products already in the industry. When looking at other magazines I realised that most contents pages are full of information and can sometimes look quite messy. I wanted to create something that was different and would have its own place within the market. I didn't want the contents page to look overpowering. I had two sub-headings 'On the cover' and 'Regulars', I thought this was a clever idea as it makes the magazine look more structured and the magazine to have a more attractive look and representation. Overall I tried to challenge other media products already in the industry and made my contents page more minimalistic. I felt this was a good choice as it made my magazine look unique and neat.

 

 

Written Analyisis-Advertisers/Target Audience

Written Analysis-Advertisers/Target Audience

The advertisers in which I’ve selected are all aimed at the teenage culture. I selected advertisers of which my age group and above are interested in. I used Facebook and Twitter as my main advertisers as almost all teenagers use this social networking on a daily basis. Many shops and brands have been used such as BOY London and Supreme, the reason for this is that many teenagers are interested in shopping and fashion. When specifying my target audience through my mood board, I’ve used lots of images of festivals and headphones, the reason for this is that most people reading my magazine should be interested in music and going to festivals.