AS Media Studies AS Media Studies Magazine EvaluationMagazine Evaluation

By Liam SaxtonBy Liam Saxton

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My media product uses and develops forms and conventions of real media products My media product uses and develops forms and conventions of real media products more than it challenges them. The main conventions in which my media product uses more than it challenges them. The main conventions in which my media product uses are those within magazines, music magazines such as Kerrang, Metal Hammer. are those within magazines, music magazines such as Kerrang, Metal Hammer. My media has also developed forms and conventions because my magazine is a My media has also developed forms and conventions because my magazine is a combination of the features and audience expectations of two major music combination of the features and audience expectations of two major music magazines, Kerrang and Metal Hammer. magazines, Kerrang and Metal Hammer.

MastheadThe masthead it self can usually be a word related to the sound of specific instruments (for e.g. Kerrang) or a word related to the genre (Metal Hammer). Feature Article Image

The conventions in which I have used within my magazine are things such as the huge picture of a genre-related artist/band on the front which in most magazines covers the masthead as well as advertises the main feature of the article.

Main Cover LinesSecondary Cover LinesMain cover lines cover the feature article image, this image is relevant to the feature article within the magazine. Secondary cover lines surround the image, or at the top of bottom of the cover, similar to plugs and puffs.

Getting the reader involved

Free gifts and competitions and typically ‘gig lists’ are also main conventions of major music magazines, album and gig reviews are also common.

Most of the conventions make up the codes of music magazines like the plugs and puffs around the feature article image and headline

My media has also developed forms and conventions because my magazine is a combination of the features and audience expectations of two major music magazines, Kerrang and Metal Hammer. I have combined them via feature and layout similarities, such as the contents pages behind very similar in layout structure and the front cover contains various plugs around the feature article images and a puff or two..

The double page spreads contain a column layout just like many magazines, not just music, but also the feature of a big title and a quote or two on the page from the text is also visible.

My media product represents a particular social group due to the fact that it focuses on a specific genre of music, ‘Punk and Metal’, this means that my media products represents the particular stereotypes ‘Emo’ and ‘Indie’. The punk and metal genre consists on a wide variety of different bands and opens up many features which the social groups represented would love.

My media product is a Music magazine, therefore the media institution which would distribute my product would be required to be a magazine publisher, publishers such as Future publishing who are based within the UK. Future publishing and distribute a wide variety of magazines including several music magazines. This publisher is a well known publisher on the shelves so if my magazine were distributed by these, then people may check it out due to the publisher.

The audience for my media product are late teens/young adults who like or even love the music genre punk or metal. Due to the genre of the music, the target stereotypes would be indie or emo people, although any one who loves the genres will benefit form the product. My media product is aimed towards both males and females. The age range for my product would be around 16-25 year olds.

I have not use a high amount of red within my magazine, red can be known to be more attractive to men, therefore this suggests that I am trying to keep the target audience as male and female. The darker colours used within the magazine comply with the genre of music where as the brighter colours contrast the darker colours and make these colours stand out. The informal style of writing within the editorial and articles show that the target audience for my media product is for late teens/young adults. The images used within the magazine are also relevant to the audience, similar age range within the magazine as well as codes such as tattoos or guitar pics are relevant to the genre of music. The use of plugs/puffs also address the audience, the competition on the front cover may be found interesting by many within the audience.

To create my product I used Photoshop Elements 5.0 and 5.1. This technology is very complex to use and to get to grips with but after getting help from friends and help resources, I was able to get to grips with the basics. I used Photoshop to first edit the pictures, and then to create the individual pages of my magazine. To start with I have very little knowledge of Photoshop and what could be done with it, but during the construction of my product I learnt how to crop images effectively and how to add suitable affects to make them more attractive. I have also learnt how to use a digital camera more efficiently.

In my preliminary task I used the codes and conventions of a magazine effectively, although these were only basic. In my full media product I used codes and conventions more effectively and developed them more through the whole magazine. During the production of the full magazine I learnt how to portray these codes and conventions more effectively, things like have the cover lines over the body of the artist and the mast head over the top of the feature article photo to keep focus onto the picture as well as the magazine mast head it self. I have also learnt how to use the technologies more effectively to create a much more professional looking magazine.