Question VII

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

I used Blogger as a way to log my progress through production, also as it is an online record it allows other access to it which came of use when refining my product and evaluating it afterwards. I found blogger extremely straight forward to use and a great way to present my work as a whole project. The fact that other types of media can all be intergrated into my work on blogger allowed me to express wider media knowledge in my evaluation in the form of slide shows etc.

I used Quark express to create my double page spread and also my contents page, this was an obvious choice of programme as quark hasthe right tools, and a range of page formats to start your projects on. The programme ensures a professional look as it has tools such as columns. I also learnt how to add text images and using the correct tools was able to wrap blocks of text around or to the shape of an image which is common in alot of professionally produced magazines. I had help to learn how to make the editing look smooth, and professional. I found Quark slightly more challenging than photoshop, and still would see myself as a confident user without assisstance, however without the programme i owuld never have been able to reach the level of prefessionalism which to programme enables you to.

When editing photos for my product i used the programme Adobe photoshop, which was new to me but i got the jist of quite quickly which helped during my production as this was a huge oart of it. Photoshop helped me to edit and refine photographswhich i have used throughout my magazine, (for the main image, spread images and contents).This was also the choice of programme that i used for the whole production of my front cover. The reason i chose to use photoshop over Quark express for my front cover, is because i found it easier to arrange the images and text content in this programme as it gives you a completely blank canvas to work from. Also as functions such as writing columns were not needed at this stage of production. I prefer the way you are able to manipulate images as you are going along, there are also a wider range of fonts and colours to choose from, and lastly because the programme is easy to use, apply to and work with. Through creating my magazine courswork, i learnt more about photoshop, about its layers, and how they can be an advantage with making images and backgrounds look more appealing and professional, and also about the different shapes and line tools they have when creating straplines and screamers. Another function i found useful when producing my cover was the programmes ability i apply effects to images and text, this allowed me to make my cover appear more professional as i wouldnt have been able to create these effects myself.

What type of media institution would distribute your media product and why?

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How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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

In a number of ways my media product is similar to real media products, using similar structure, content and also a similar use of language. Firstly, comparing my own magazine with other music magazines (as shown above; MixMag & ATM), you can see similarities between both my magazine, and the professionally produced magazines. Similar features that are obviously present are that both mine, and the professional magazines have a masthead, straplines, use of mise-en-scene to fit target audiences, fonts, editing, style, use of language, screamers, layout, use of image, use of text etc.

On The other hand there are also a number of differences, its safe to say that the styles and layout differs depending on what genre of music the magazine entails. For example; MixMags choice of colour is specifically used to attract their target audience, using white or predominantly plain backgrounds contrasted with bright colours and imagery is majorly linked with the Ibiza/party scene target audience, although this is an obvious visual difference, in terms of style it could be deemed similar as the use of colour is purposeful and included in order to attract my target audience members.

Both my magazine, and the professionally produced mags have all the parts that make up a basic high street magazine, but are produced by different people and inspired by different scenes, therefore they look to target different audiences. Another considerable difference is the effectiveness of design and the strength of the relation to the target audience, this is likely to be influenced highly by the amount of finance available to the producers and also the programmes used to construct the product.

Magazine Double Page First Draft

Magazine Contents First Draft

Magazine Cover First Draft

Preliminary Sketches

Here are some preliminary sketches of what i intend my front cover and double page spread to look like. The polaroid frame will be filled with images relevant to my target audience but i have yet to decide on the shots i am going to use.

The outline on the front cover sketch will be an image of myself once taken. Due to the results of my audience research and previous magazine research i have decided to wear bright colours in the shoot against a plain background.

Next to those is the sketch on my contents page. This was the image i first intended to use as my main cover shot but due to the positioning of the model in the picture i thought it would be more appropriate as a contents page. Again continuing the polaroid frame theme to remain consistant.

As you can the theme of wood is also apparent. This i believe ties in well with the name of my magazine as wood can be often described as vintage. It also ties in with the current fashion trends as retro fashion is highly in.

Initial Planning

After conducting my audience research a number of ideas sprung to mind to use when creating my magazine. Due to the link found between the music scene and fashion, and fashions new turn back in time to retro clothing, i thought the name 'Vintage' to be quite appropriate. Also strengthening the presence of the link i will also include at article documenting a number of birmingham clothing stores, providing readers with sort after information on the best places to find the latest new garms!

Due to the wrecky nature of the scene i also thought it appropriate to maybe do a sort of 'wasted' scene for the main cover image. I thought that a shot of someone collapsed with sick nearby would be more than an appropriate shot. This would be like shock advertising as people who arent even interested in the genre will still be drawn to the cover image, potentially widening the genres fan base if a non regular readers decide to take a chance with it.

Then for my contents page i intend to carry on the 'wrecked' scene from the front image. My first idea for this was a bunch of friends asleep. After some thought i decided to continue the use of myself as the model to maintain a consistant theme.

For the double page spread in thought that images used within it could be framed with a polaroid picture in order to correspond with the desireable qwerky interior. Although the main shot have been planned in detail i intend to gather interior photos spontaneously in order to carry on the random photo/image theme i discovered in simular prints.

Audience Research

After creating my target audience mood board i placed it onto my facebook site in order for peers to be able to comment on it. I received some positive feedback which confirmed that the ideas i had pre-planned were inline with my target audience. When conducting an informal interveiw with the friend who commented on my post, he said he was specifically drawn to the use of contrasting colours and random imagery, stating that it strongly portrays the 'anything goes' like scene that my magazine intends to. Also commenting on the link that had be made between the music and fashion industries, suggesting that this may sway him to buy a magazine as it contains numerous contents and therefore resulting in value for money (ideal for student audience).

Due to the results of my audience research ive decided on using a plain background in main shots in order to strengthen the contrast of the bright colour that evidently needs to be included. Ive also decided on using bold text to make the magazine an easy read.

Audience Profile

My typical audience member would:

· Have a deep interest into fashion
· Would enjoy a full weekend of partying with no sleep
· Have a secret/public relationship with narcotics
· Play hard with no consideration to consequence
· Have little interest in political issues
· Would again have a love hate relationship with fast foods
· Have in depth knowledge of microwave meals
· Receives great satisfaction from witty humour


Would enjoy television channels such as UK Gold, Paramount Comedy etc,
· Only fool and horses
· Two and a half men
· Fresh prince of Bellaire
· Also may have a secret love for educational programmes suck as documentaries

Films they would enjoy are,
· Chi Ching Chong
· How high
· The ‘Friday’ saga
· You don’t mess with the Zohan

Due to little time to sit down and read my target audience would hear and learn about their favoured music scene through communicating between themselves via social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter etc. Regular messages received from joining particular social networking groups will keep them up to date with the latest news, events and changes within their scene.
In their spare time members of my target audience would most likely be trying to take it easy at home in order to save funds for an upcoming event. Lots of preparation and thought is put into attending events in order to make it a full and worthwhile experience