Media Coursework L1A

2010-02-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Evaluation

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media magazine would be 16-17 year olds, which I would want to be mostly male. I want my magazine to appeal to people of different backgrounds, but it’s a magazine focusing on Rock and Metal, but I want a more mature and musically intellectual audience for my magazine, because I want it to focus on the sub-genres of rock and metal, and so the people reading it are likely to have a more refined taste.

How did you attract/address your audience?

In the research stages of my magazine, I did a questionnaire to find out the preferences of my target audience. I handed it out to a mix of people, but the mix was focused around males between 16 and 18. I used a few females and a few people just out of the age range, because they would be my magazines secondary market. I also researched the current markets of music magazines to develop on what they do so I could make an original magazine. I aim to attract my audience by making the magazine use the results of the questionnaires so that the audience can get a magazine that they feel fits the criteria of something that they would want to read,

I tried to address the audience of my magazine by what I actually put in the magazine. I tried to make the cover of my magazine look very visually pleasing by using a photo and caption that would intrigue anyone looking at the magazine, and so I quoted the person that the cover photo was on. I also put that there were free posters included on the cover, so that the audience would feel like they are benefitting from reading the magazine, but not just from reading the magazine.

I also tried to address the audience on my cover by the tagline that goes with the name of the magazine. I used the words “This is Our Rock” as it could make the audience feel like they are include with the word “our” which gives it a sense of community under the common enjoyment of rock.

In the articles of the magazine, I did a double page spread with someone from a band doing live reviews, because it makes the reader feel like they have a more personal relationship with the bands, and that they get that from the magazine.

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

When creating my final product, I tried to challenge the conventions of normal the standard rock magazines like Kerrang! and Rock Sound, but I also tried to focus on the things that make them popular so I could develop them in my own way. The main thing about magazines that are already on the market, is that although they focus on rock and metal, they are very mainstream about it, and don’t seem to focus on the different sub-genres too much. I wanted to include these as the main part of my magazine, because from my questionnaire, I found that people wanted to know about the different types of rock and metal, and not just the standard.
I really wanted my magazine to not just be the standard rock magazine, which is why I chose not just to focus on the overly mainstream rock. I also wanted to avoid some of the stereotypes that people have about “emo’s” and “metallers” so I used people in photos that were average rock fans rather than average stereotypes. This challenges conventions as quite a lot of rock magazines use these stereotypes to attract those people in, but they end up putting off the average rock and metal teenager in the process.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I feel that my magazine represents the social group of 16-19 adolescents who are into rock and metal. I feel that my magazine represents a mixture of particular social groups of teenagers, as my magazine focuses on different subgenres of rock and metal music, so people who are into straight edge metal would be able to read it and find bands that they like from a very niche market, but at the same time, people who enjoy Hardcore music would also be able to find articles on bands that they like.
Because of the results of my questionnaire, Christian Metal is featured a fair amount in my magazine, and as a lot of Christians and non-Christians can enjoy it; it represents Christians but shouldn’t put any other potential readers off.

I also tried to use images that would represent the social groups, so on my front cover is a male aged 17, who has the stereotypical hair and clothing of someone who enjoys rock and metal. By doing this, particular social groups can see someone on the cover that they can relate to.

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

For my magazine, I would want it to be published by Bauer Media, because they already publish Q and Kerrang! Which are both well established rock magazines, which means they already have experience in publishing rock magazines. They are also an international company, which means that they are very successful, so they could potentially make the magazine international if it ever got really successful.

I would want to sell my magazine in a variety of places, but music shops would be the main institution that I would choose, as in a shop like HMV, I could get the magazine put near the rock and metal music section to draw in the audiences that I would want.

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

Constructing my magazine, I had to use a variety of different technologies. I learnt a lot in the preliminary task, when we had to use Photoshop. It was the first time I had ever used it, and was learning lots of new things, from changing colours to resizing things, and adding texts. I also had to get used to taking photos whilst trying to capture the mood that I wanted for my magazine. I spent a lot of time playing around on Photoshop and manipulating images to get used to it as it was such a new thing. Because of the time that I spent on Photoshop, I feel like I managed to grasp a better understanding of the software and create a better quality magazine than I expected.

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

When I started my preliminary task of the magazine, I didn’t know anything about media, or the technology that I had to use for it. For my college magazine at the start, I knew nothing about Photoshop, and so I used really basic tools and techniques, and all I really did was cut out the picture and put it on a plain background. It was very basic, and I used the same techniques for that contents page. On my main task, I used a lot more techniques and felt like I had a better grasp of the software I had to use. Over the time of doing the coursework, I feel like I progressed a lot in my knowledge of how magazines work, and how all the research is necessary in order to create a magazine that would be successful. I also now see how much difference a little bit of tweaking and manipulation can make to a photo.

2010-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Questionnaire Analysis

My Questionnaire was handed out to a range of people, but when I did it, I tried to think about the target audience of my magazine. I asked people who were in to rock and metal music. Because my main target audience is male 16-18 years old, I tried to ask a range of people that fitted around the criteria.

My first question asks about the sex, and because I handed out 20 questionnaires, I asked 15 males and 5 females. With the ages of people I asked, I tried to ask people around 16 or 17, but asked a couple of people just outside of both boundaries, so I could get some information on those people on the border of my target audience.

My third question asked about the subgenres of rock and metal that people would like to read about. The participants could tick as many as they liked. My results came out with the top 4 being Crabcore, Post-Hardcore, Hardcore and Christian Metal, so I decided that I would focus my magazine on these subgenres, but still occasionally feature bands that come under the other subgenres.

I also asked what kind of features people would like to read about. I gave a choice of different styled information that I’d found in other magazines like album reviews, and band affairs and news, so I thought I’d see which were the most popular things to put in a magazine. My results showed that live reviews and exclusive interviews seemed to be the most popular, so I did my two articles on them. I tried to feature the other options on my front cover so that the people who wanted them would still get them, but as less of a main feature.

I asked whether the audience would buy a weekly magazine or a monthly one. The results showed that monthly ones are more popular with my target audience so I decided that my magazine would be a monthly thing. They also said in extra comments that how frequently it was done would affect the price they’d pay, so through that, I found that people would be willing to pay £3-£4 for my magazine.

(For the Charts to Consolidate this, please check portfolio)

2010-02-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

My Questionnaire

This is the questionnaire that I handed around. Please check the folder for the full version.

2010-02-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

2010-02-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

Article Analysis for NME

The NME article I’m analysing is a double page spread on a band called Rolo Tomassi. It’s in a section that is quoted as “the best new music first” in the magazine. The page is very messy, with the pictures and text boxes being at awkward angles, and a lot of different colours and backgrounds used.

The band name is at the top embedded in a blue box, which makes it stand out more, and it’s positioned at an angle that overlaps the text and the main image. At the top left corner of the box is a bright red speech bubble which says NME LOVES in, and it comes just before the band name, which is effective, because it shows the article is clearly about Rolo Tomassi, because as an upcoming band at the time, their name was not well known, so it’s good to have it clear.

The text is in quite a big chunk, broken up by only one quote from their guitarist, and also the two columns, however, NME’s official target audience is men aged 17-30, they are over the teenage stage, and are likely to be more sophisticated, so they can handle reading two columns in a music magazine. The text is very informal however, probably because they did polls which showed that around eighty percent of their audience is in full time work or education, which shows that when they read the magazine, they probably want an informal break, and because they’re quite young, informal language is a good way to get through to the audience.

The picture that takes up the main bulk of the left page is a picture of Eva Spence the vocalist. It’s a picture of her live, in a pose that shows a lot of passion and energy, which references their music. They also have a photo of the band together being intimate like a family, which shows they’re close, but also has intertextuality, as their music is very tight.

The general colours used are black, white and blue, which are house colours for this particular feature in NME. It’s bold, but also good to have specific sections specifically coloured as more than half of NME’s readership read at least 3 in every 4 issues, which means that they can locate this section easily if up and coming music is their particular interest.

The text suggests a musically knowledgeable readership, as in the first paragraph, they throw in some band names like Joy Division, Oasis and Nirvana, who are bands who have quite cult like followings, and are seen as musical visionaries for the music that NME covers. They then throw in some relatively unknown musicians names as a contrast to this, which also shows that the reader is expected to have a knowledge of the music that they’re reading about.

They include a lot of information about Rolo Tomassi, and how they started, and their influences and lives. This is good because they’re expected to become big, so it allows readers a chance to learn about these musicians before they become big and change, like a lot of bands do when they reach fame.

I really like the awkward layout of the article, as it captures my attention because the awkwardness makes it stand out a lot more. I also really like the use of a “need to know” box, because it looks like a little notepad and has facts about them in. It’s a summary of the band for people who don’t want to read the article, and I don’t like the large amounts of text in one go because it’s too much to look at, so the small box is good.

2010-02-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

Article Analysis for Rocksound

I picked an article out of Rocksound magazine called “The Two of Us” which they have every month. It’s a double page spread, and it always contains an interview with siblings that are in bands together. There is a border around the outside, and the text “the two of us” is always in that font.

The picture is a black background with the two brothers from metal core band Architects, and they’re in the middle next to each other. The interviews of them are individual, and the photo of Dan is on the left, as is the interview with him, and the interview with tom is on the right page, like his photo.

There is a very small lead paragraph that says who they are and has a bit of humour in when it says that they’re often mistaken for each other. In the photo, Dan’s body language is very happy and jokey, whereas Tom’s is a very serious face, but done in a way that seems to have humour. In the bottom there is a photo of both of them doing silly poses with silly faces. It shows the audience that they can have a good time, and it also tells the reader that it’s going to be quite a light heart hearted humorous article.

The text is split into two halves and both halves talk about the guys individually. The language used in the article is very light-hearted. They ask questions that would interest the target audience of Rock Sound magazine, which are male adolescents from 15 to about 18 years old.

They break up the text a lot with all the different questions which makes it easier for young people to read, as it is spread out so much. It’s much easier to take in the page when it’s split up. They also have the questions in a bolder, larger font which makes the questions stand out from the audience so it’s clear what text is Rock Sound asking the questions and the brothers answering them.

The byline of the article is just underneath the title in small font, which breaks up the article title with the main sections of text. It’s good because it makes the page clear and a lot more broken up.

They also have a large quote that breaks up some of the text, and it’s quite humorous so you know the tone of the article before reading it.

2010-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

Article Analysis for Kerrang!

The double page spread that I chose from Kerrang! is an exclusive interview with Frank Carter from Gallows, talking about his band’s new album. It has the text on the right side of the page, and the picture on the left. The background behind the text is a grey Great Britain flag, which is used because the Gallows album that they are talking about is called Grey Britain. The text is all black and white and grey, and the picture of Frank Carter is mainly grey, and the only things not grey are his tattoos and his hair and skin. It’s very effective because it looks very boring, and then he stands out a lot more.

The article has a strapline that is a quote from Frank Carter, and it says “this is a fucking depressing album” in very big font across the top. This draws readers in because it’s a quote, and quite a deep one, so it gives the impression that the article is a deep conversation with Frank Carter. There is the word “exclusive in a bold black box with capitals, which makes the reader feel as if it’s exclusive, and available to them, and only them.

The lead section is quite short, which allows the reader to maintain interest for long enough to read about Gallows, so it is a brief explanation of the band and what they’re about. It includes brief quotes which break up text to make it more interesting. After the lead, each paragraph has a subheading to it (the title of songs of their upcoming album) which is outlined with a bold box, which breaks up the text. It’s also in 3 columns which splits it up a lot more. This makes it more visually aesthetic for anyone reading.

The target audience for Kerrang! is 14-17 year old males, but they try to cater to both sexes and all ages. Because of their main target audience, the writing is fairly simple and informal. The use of a swear word could imply that they’re trying to cater to younger audiences, who could potentially look up to people, and it shows the bad attitude and reputation that Frank Carter has. The use of short paragraphs on the different songs is very good for the target audience, as it means it’s so much easier to take in what’s on the page, which is good for young people, because teenage boys are known to have generally shorter attention spans, so it keeps them interested with all of the gaps.

The byline of this article is very subtly to the left hand side of the text, vertically up, in very small font. It’s good that it’s not very noticeable, and also that they don’t include the interviewers questions, and just quotes, because for a reader, it gives a more personal touch and would make it feel like they’re being talked to, and not the interviewer, and all the other readers.

2010-02-07T04:00:00.000-08:00

Contents Page Analysis: Rocksound

The cover of Rocksound magazine that I analysed was very different to a lot of others. It was a double page spread. The left page was very focused around the main article in the magazine, with a photo of the two people it’s on with a black background, so they stand out. It then has the Main Feature page numbers on that side. The right page includes things like the Rocksound publishers information and other small facts like the different editors. It also includes an editors paragraph, and page numbers for the smaller articles in the magazine.

The main image on the left page is very effective, as it portrays the people that the magazines main article is on, and the black background really makes them stand out amongst the text and background. They also have a quote from the people that fits in with the picture in a very effective manner.

On the right hand side, the pictures are used simply as references to the bands and the pages that they are on, and then there’s also a small picture of the editor in a space suit, which goes with his small introduction paragraph. The images all blend in with the text wrapped around, which is very messy, and this possibly ties in with the audience, as it is a rock magazine, so the audience would be stereotypically perceived as quite rough and untidy.

There is quite a lot of writing, like the descriptions of the main articles, and the editors paragraph, and its all very informal, which is good for connecting with the readership that Rocksound is likely to get.

The colours used in Rocksound are very similar to that of Kerrang! magazine, which possibly says that red, white and black are very typical rock colours. The red makes the text stand out against the black and white backgrounds. This is good, because when you look at a contents page, it’s nice to be able to clearly locate the text that you want.

There is a quote from Pete Wentz, which is good because he is a pinup start for teenage girls who may be reading this magazine, and having a quote from him allows them to feel like the magazine is creating a relationship between them and their idols.

I really like the photo that is used on the left hand page, because it makes a very bold message on the article, and the lighting and background together with the image is very good at standing out and drawing readers in. I also really like the use of a live photo on the right hand page, because it includes the atmosphere of a messy live rock show which is very intense, and is likely to draw in fans of live shows as they will feel as if the magazine is a source for live news and reviews, which is very helpful for a fan. I also like the use of bad language in the picture by the editors column, as it sets the tone of a magazine as a rough magazine, but also quite humorous, which is good because it’s likely to draw readers in.

I don’t like the way that so much space is taken up by the information on the magazine itself, and its editors and photos and things, because the contents pages are meant to draw in readers, and instead of drawing in readers, it just makes the magazine look quite dull and boring. I also don’t like the lack of information under the “Exposure, Lives, Reviews, RSVP” bit in the bottom left corner of the right page, I would want it expanded so people get a deeper insight into the magazine.

Jonathan Barter

2010-02-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Contents Page Analysis: Q

The contents page for Q magazine was very unique. It has a big letter Q in the background, with the word “Contents” written through it. It has it almost as the chapter name at the beginning of a chapter in a book, and is central at the top of the page. There is then a rectangle, which looks neat, but then is actually compiled of different images to do with the magazine’s cover article, all compiled into the one rectangle. They then have a large paragraph describing what is included in the cover article. There are also small paragraphs to describe the other articles in the magazine, which is different as in alot of other magazines, this is not included.

Because Q is seen as a magazine for more mature audiences, I think the way that the Q is at the top of the page like a book is good, because it insinuates a more mature, well read audience. This sets the tone of the whole magazine as one with in-depth articles for serious music fans.

The choice of images suggests that they want the old rocker to be connected with from older people though, as they show the Kings of Leon causing havoc in a very stereotypical manner, similar to bands that Q would have covered in the past like AC/DC.

The layout of the images is also very interesting, as they have the same insinuations of mature people letting their “inner rocker” out for a bit, because the images are encased in a rectangle, but then they are all wonky and out of place within that rectangle.

The text is quite informal for what you’d expect of the magazine, but it allows the more mature audience to relax with less formal language, and allows a break in the regular lifestyles that they live.

The choice of colours is particularly bland, just being black white and grey, but it means that the photos stand out a lot more, which is nice, because on the opening of this magazine, you want clarity but also a more interesting side to things, which the magazine offers.

I really like the formality of the cover to this magazine, and I think it really opens the magazine up to a sophisticated audience. I also really like the choice of photographs, as they really pick up on the experience that the Kings of Leon’s music offers.

I don’t like the blandness of it all so much though, as I feel like it could potentially put more exciting readers off, when they might actually have enjoyed the magazine.

(See Portfolio for Image)

2010-01-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Mixmag Analysis

Mixmag is a dance and clubbing magazine based in Britain. The name Mixmag suggests that there is a mix of music included in the magazine. It also ties in with the magazine and the fact that they cover a lot of mixes, and they always include mix CD’s with the magazine.

It’s currently published by Development Hell, who also publish The Word magazine, and Don’t Stay In. Mixmag has a certified circulation of 37,139 and a readership of 276,000. It also has a website which is www.mixmag.net/. It comes out once a month.

Its target audience is intended to be clubbers, from 18 to about 23, but it also has a smaller target audience of DJ’s and people interested in their own mixing, as it often contains a lot of information about how to make good mixes, and includes a lot of software that would be useful. It targets males and females, but more females, as it always uses bright, party colours, but they tend to be quite feminine like pink and yellow.

The cover of the magazine is very stereotypically trendy, and it shows the general target audience within the picture. Its very bright and colourful, and it gives the impression of a club, where there’s bright lights and lots of different colours going around. Because it features Calvin Harris on the cover, it manages to appeal to wider audiences because he is a popular electro/rave artist, and so a lot of people who like his music would be tempted to purchase the magazine. It stands out from a lot of other covers by having so much white, which contrasts with the bright colours, so if you saw it on a shelf, it would immediately catch a shoppers eye.

It still manages to look very slick and expensive amongst its “raver” stereotype, partly because of the quality and detail of the picture, and the reflection in his glasses. It makes it look very professional and quality because of the quality of the photos. The cover is a glossy cover which adds to the professional effect a lot aswell. It gives the feel of a classy magazine, and in such a small sub-genre, it seems to dominate.

2010-01-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

Magazine Analysis -

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops Magazine is a monthly magazine that costs £2.20. as the title suggests, it is a pop magazine that focuses on pop at the top of the chart. The name of the magazine is shared with that of the old Television programme that featured the chart, and also, it rhymes, which is catchy, which is good as the magazines target audience is quite young people who would be drawn in by catchy things.

The cover also instantly shows the magazines target audience, as the colours are pink and yellow, which are very standard feminine colours, and the photo is popular young girl pin-up band the “Jonas Brothers.”

Having them on the cover with smiley faces makes the magazine approachable for the young girls that are expected to be reading the magazine.

They use a lot of language that would be expected to be good with the young girls like the use of “OMG!” and “X-Factor gossip.” It also says that the Jonas Brothers are going to come clean about everything, which would make readers intrigued and want to buy the magazine. The play on “Taylor’s Swift Snog” also connects with young people as snog is a very common word with younger girls. Taylor Swift is someone that they would look up to, so it’s likely to be a pun that young girls would actually get, but it also draws them in, as it would make them feel closer to the stars that they look up to.

The completion and “need-them-now” bargain’s is a good way for the magazine to gain customers when on a shelf. For a young girl, winning a competition to get signed stuff from celebrities is something they could show off to friends, and so would popular clothing bargains. It’s a chance for them to learn about what is perceived as cool for girls their age, which is good, as they’re generally too young to have very specific tastes.

It looks very tacky as a magazine, and it’s all so cluttered and bunched together. It makes it look like a very cheap magazine, but at £2.30, it’s not bad compared to other weekly magazines. It generally gives the impression of a magazine for girls who love bright colours, and so it works perfectly for its target audience.

2009-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Magazine Analysis Part 1.

Rocksound

Rocksound is a monthly rock magazine that focuses on different sub-genres of rock, such as metal, indie and hardcore.

It’s title Rocksound instantly shows the reader that its a rock magazine, and as it simply says rock, it suggests that it includes a variety of different types of rock. Rock sound is also a way of saying that something is solid, which suggests the magazine is a solid music magazine, that is reliable for rock audiences to find good music, and read up on their favourite artists, all for £3.80

It is published by Rock Sound Ltd, which is a company set up alongside the magazine as an independent publisher. It doesn’t publish anything else. Their readership was 20011 at the end of 2009, and the circulation was put at around 23000.

The target audience for Rocksound is 14-17 year old teenagers, and they manage to cater very well for both sexes, as they have such a variety of music in them.

By looking at the cover, this can be shown in the fact that they have a photo of Oli Sykes, who is a popular pin-up among female teenagers, however, his brutal looks also appeal to male audiences who enjoy his music.

Rocksound really involves potential readers with their frequent free posters and CD’s, which allow the readers to feel like the magazine is giving them something good for their money.

The image of Oli Sykes is quite contrast in light and dark, which links in with the question "saint or sinner?" to the side of him. His pose is very normal, to show that the focus is on him as good or bad person, and not about his looks or the publicity.

The magazine cover has a specialist font rather than colour that they always choose to use, which defines it as an individual magazine. They put a lot of band names that are featured in the magazine on the cover, which appeals to a lot of fans if they see bands they like on the cover. It also shows how diverse the magazine is in terms of the sub-genres of rock.

It’s quite a big magazine, a lot bigger than Kerrang! which is its main competitor, however, it is a monthly magazine whereas Kerrang! Is weekly, so it just 4 weeks worth in. Because its quite a big magazine, its looks very quality, and like it’s filled with good articles, and is very glossy, and normally contrasts a dark overall cover with the light pictures and text to really make them stand out.

Our First Task

2009-10-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

Evaluation:
I tried to make my magazines target audience a mix of students that are males and females. I attempted to do this by using fairly standard colours and design, with pictures of males and females, so that it appeals to both. I hope that it would be also be a good design that parents would like to read as well as students.
Doing the work, I was new to photoshop, so I picked up a lot of new skills with the software. I learnt how to cut out images, so that you can remove things like backgrounds or bits of the pictures that you don’t want. I also learnt how to get the bold bits around text, which make it look like it sticks out of the page a bit, which makes it stand out a lot more than average text. Another technique I learnt was changing the gradient of the background so it looks like it fades out, which I really like, as it adds some interest to what would be a plain background.
If I were to do this task again, I probably would have taken my photo somewhere more interesting, so I could have used the background, which would have been a lot more interesting for potential readers. I would also have taken more photos generally, so I could have used them to show more detail about what was in the magazine. For my main piece, I will try to take a lot more photos, in an interesting environment, so that it becomes a lot more visually attractive to potential readers.

Starting Our AS Media Coursework

2009-09-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Basically, we're starting our AS media coursework. We have to make our own music magazine with a cover, a contents, and two double page spreads, using all of our own text and photos. We also had to get our heads around photoshop over the last week or two, which was a new experience for me, but i tried to explore as much as I could so that I'd know what im doing when it comes to our main magazine.