Harriet Price: 2010

Friday, 12 March 2010

These are my final Pages

What I have done on my Final pages so far

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? I have learnt how to edit pictures on gimp and used how to use many of the different buttons to help me to make my magazine look professional. I also used this blog which i have never used before. I worked well with a digital camera changing the lighting and flash.

How did you attract/address your audience?
I used really feminine colours such as pinks and purples and bright colours. Pictures of young female pop stars will attract the girls to see what they look like and what is going on in their lives. The front cover is cluttered so the girls think they are getting more for their money. It has girly and bold writing to catch the girls attention. The main pictures of Molly and she has eye contact with the reader, this grabs your attention. The cover lines are big and lure the reader to buy the magazine. It is a valentines special which would interest girls of that certain age. The price is attractive as it is not to expensive compared to other similar magazines, I found this out due to audience feedback. The cover lines are interesting and the use of the word exclusive makes the girls think that it is unknown information that they will be the only ones to find out. The mode address is very informal, it is written as if the reader is chatting to a friend and gossiping with them. People would want to buy my magazine as the front cover is packed full of interesting stories. The colour scheme is eye catching and the pictures are of top stars.

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

I have learnt that you have to focus completely on the target audience through out designing your product. Even in the way you write things and the pictures you choose. I have learnt have even the layout depends on your target audience and colours and price. The research was very important and helped me a lot. I did not do much research in my prelim task, so i found it hard. I have learnt that certain fonts can make your magazine look more professional than others do. I learnt that little things like putting a website address and strap lines can make your magazine more professional. I have learnt how to use a lot more programmes to make my magazine the best it could be such as gimp. I think that overall my front cover of my main task is alot more proffesional than my pri-lim front cover.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My Music Magazine is aimed at young girls between 11 and 13. It is for girls who usually rely on their parents financially. They would use their pocket money to buy this magazine. They would have an interest in music, but more interested in the individual's lifestyle and image and they are heavily influenced by what they read. They would want to know the gossip about the individual over information about the music. This magazine is for girls that need role models to look up to. It is for readers that are confident in most aspects of life and have a wide group of friends however, they could sometimes use some advice to help them along. The reader will be interested in all aspects of music maybe starting to learn an instrument or getting involved in a school musical.

What kind of media institute might distribute your media products and why?

The BBC publishes ‘Top of the pops’ which is a music magazine for young girls which is very similar to my magazine. I can see a gap in the market for my magazine as it is trying to inspire girls to follow there dreams. It has a problems page to help them, which Lily Allen writes. Tips on how to look like your favourite stars will also inspire the girls. There is also pages each week to teach the girls how to play a musical instrument but pop pieces of music which are well known. No other teenage music magazines have this feature so I think institutions would want to distribute my media product. It offers positive role models and is a bridge from kids magazines to teenage magazines. My magazine could be published by Bauer as they publish a lot of music magazines. But it may be better suited to Natmag as they publish a lot of female magazines such as Cosmo girl and cosmopolitan . My magazine is for younger teenagers so it is for a different target audience to any of the other magazines. It is a music magazine so this would make it unique to any of there other magazines published by Natmag.

How does your Media product represent particular social groups?

I have represented female teenagers from the age of 11 to 13. They are just learning about music so need a helping hand. They are not only interested in the music but more so on the individuals and the way they look and dress. Pop stars are the main focus of my magazine. I have used images of young inspiring female pop stars looking good. This gives them role models to look up to. The pictures of the girls do not have too much make up on and they look natural and classy yet cool. I have also used pictures of attractive young males. I chose not to use too many as it could put across the wrong impression to parents. The percentage of pictures to text would be about 45% to 55% on he double page spread. I wanted to keep it balanced so they are learning and finding out about the stars but can also see what they are wearing. The colours I have used represent young girls I have used pinks and purples. Also bright colours to show a sense of fun. I chose the colours depending on audience feedback. I Have used simple language which the girls will be able to relate to. The writing is all informal and is written in a friend like way. Like they are just having a gossip with a bunch of friends. Abbreviations such as ‘OMG’ are used to relate to the reader this is the sort of thing they would say if they read this magazine. The writing is very girly and the features are too.I have represented teenage girls in a very stereotypical way.

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

I have used conventions of a real media magazine by having my mast head at the top of the page which the customer would be able to recognise and identify even if it was covered up by the photo a little. This would be my brand identity, this is how the buyer would distinguish it from any other magazine. This also includes ‘the sweetest sounds in music’ this is a little saying that is catchy and easy to remember this makes it clear it is a music magazine. There are cover lines on the front page to summarise the most enticing features and articles which lure the reader to look inside the magazine. I have used a banner along the top of my front cover. This is used on many front covers to show competitions or free gifts. I have used a few different typeface as this is what young female magazines usually include. I have put the page numbers on my front page which makes the magazine look more realistic. The layout of my magazine is very realistic, it attracts your attention and is cluttered just like other teenage music magazines. There are free posters and gifts this is offered in most magazines. I have one main picture which fills most of the page. The person is looking at the camera this is common on lots of magazines. I have also used lots of smaller pictures which is the same on the front cover of ‘Top of the pops’. They also use big numbers to catch peoples eye so that they think they are getting more for their money. I have used this convention on my front cover too. They put exclusive stories on the cover lines to lure the reader inside and to make them think that they will be first to find out about the stars. I have also used this technique on my front cover. On my double spread page I have a large picture of my pop star and then an interview with the star herself. This is usually what a double spread page consists of. There are quotes from the interview enlarged to attract your attention this is a convention which is often used. I used a headline to make it realistic which is also a quote. My contents page is well laid out so it is easy to read. There are pictures to go with the text. I have used page numbers which are always used. I put in a editors message to make the contents page realistic and like other music magazines. It has a large masthead of contents. I have put my website on each of the pages and the masthead. ‘The sweetest thing’. I have pushed the boundaries of the normal convention by using a Masthead for my magazine which is not related to music. This could be seen as risky, i am relying on my brand identity to get people to keep buying my product. My contents page is less cluttered than the usual in a teenage magazine it is more sophisticated and clear. I also went for a special edition of a valentines theme, which also pushes the boundaries as a lot of magazines don't always have a theme as focused as that.