My evaluation of my Music Magazine

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

4. Here I have used a sense of
direction, showing when she laughs. This
is a technique used in other magazines
so I thought I would do the same.

5. I have used
iconic codes and
conventions to add to
the realism of my
magazine. Earlier, I
circled a few codes and
conventions that have
been used in a real
magazine and that I
have used in my
magazine too. A few
features I have used on
my front cover are a
main image, magazine
title (in the corner), a
quotation with oversized
speech marks, a sub
title, strap line, bar
code, issue number and
price and a “Free
Poster” sign.

6. On my contents
page, I have used the
logo of my magazine
title, column
layout, more
photo’s, features that
will appear in the
magazine and page
numbers.

7. On my double page spread, I have included a main
title “Cover Story”, another sight of the magazine title, more
photo’s, an introduction, column layout, quick fire
questions, album promotion and a tweet to interact with the
social media i.e. twitter.
Overall, all of these codes and conventions I have
used contribute to the realism of my magazine.

8. How does your media product
represent particular social groups?
My music magazine represents particular social groups
through the genre of “pop”. Such artists in the genre include
Nicole Scherzinger, Pixie Lott, The Saturdays, Olly Murs,
Michael Buble, Britney Spears etc. I saw that the “pop” genre
in magazines has a very large target audience as it has been
going for a very long time. I researched “pop” magazine
and I realised that there are many “pop” magazines out
there in the market so I’m
confident that mine will sell.

9. The models I used in my magazine are dressed appropriately
for the photographs so they would represent the social groups that I
have aimed my magazine to. I also did this so the audience can
relate to them, feel inspired and it will represent them as they may
be their idols. The females are dressed in dresses so it has a feminine
touch to it and the males are dressed in suits and look smart.
Therefore creating a “classy” and sophisticated look which will
represent the audience and that social group. Whereas, if the
models were dressed in black and were related to “Goths”, then it
would be very inappropriate to the audience and social group that
I'm aiming at.
Males Females

10. This is the image I tried to
replicate. For my front cover. It’s simple
with a classy look and the social groups
and audience would be able to relate
to this look that I have used.

11. Holly Willoughby is who I would use
to describe my magazine. She is
feminine, sophisticated and has a
“clean” edge to her. She resembles
purity which I’d like to think is what
my magazine represents.
Also, she is featured in my
magazine on the contents page,
some of my audience would see
her as a role model and if she
appears in my magazine then it
would appeal to my audience.
Holly would also belong to
the social group and audience
that my magazine is aimed
towards – a sophisticated young
woman.

12. What kind of media institution might distribute
your media product?
I think bauer media group will be the best media institution to
distribute my media product. They have more than eighty influential
media brands spanning a wide range of interests, including
Heat, Grazia, Closer, FHM, Magic 105.4, Kiss, Kerrang and 4Music.
I know they are a successful company as all of these magazines
I have mentioned are successful. It’s an advantage how “Grazia” is
there as that is a magazine who’s audience I would include for my
magazine. As well as this, it sells lots of music magazines which is ideal
as mine is a music magazine so I think Bauer Media would be the ideal
institution for me to distribute my magazine.

13. Who would be the audience for your
media product?
I researched different types of music
magazines and found that “pop” magazines were
one of the highest selling types. I thought I would
challenge myself, as this is a tough and highly
competitive category. However, I have slightly
changed my audience from the typical “pop” music
audience, for example, I have a slightly higher age
group of 16-30 years and is aimed at females. This is
slightly different to other pop music magazines so it
may stand out. It’s not childish and aimed at young
teenagers, it is a sophisticated magazine aimed at
young women.

14. My audience would be
interested in pop music. Examples
include Michael Bublé and Pixie
Lott. These are the kind of artist who
I would include and associate
within my magazine.

15. I would NOT include
bands such as ACDC and
The Rolling Stones within my
magazine as these bands
appeal to completely
different audience to what I
am aiming at. The average
16 – 30 year old female
would much rather prefer
Pixie Lott and Michael Bublé
than these two bands.

16. I’d like to think
my magazine is a more
sophisticated version of
this “We Love Pop”
magazine. It's because
it's not just about music.
They have a fashion
section and celebrity
gossip. Mine will be a
more sophisticated
version as it's less "in-
your-face" and more
gentle and spaced out.

17. Also, I have
used this magazine to
resemble the type of
audience. The
audience I want to
read my magazine
will consist of a similar
range of people who
read this “Grazia”.

18. I’d like to think that my
magazine has a similar
audience of both of
these magazine when
they are pout together.
The “We Love Pop”
would have the music
side and the “Grazia”
would have the
sophisticated side to
the audience

19. How did you attract/address your
audience?
I addressed my audience on many different ways. For
example, they can relate to the artists and celebrities in the
magazine. Also, I used a sophisticated female colour scheme
using tones of light pinks, greys and whites. All of this is shown
on my front cover page as this is the first page my audience
will see.

20. The front cover has a
mention of the Brit Awards, which
people will want to know about. As
well as having an advertisement to
get tickets to a singer, “Harry
Baldwin”. They would be attracted
to these items so they would want
to buy my magazine.

21. Also, on the front cover
page, I have included a “Free
Posters” sign so my audience will
know that there are going to be
free posters and this will engage
them to my magazine as they may
want the posters.

22. The contents page
includes the name of artists and
celebrities who are included in
the magazine, these people are
going to attract the audience as
the audience will admire and be
fans of these people so would
want to read about them.
It also shows little insiders of
the topics and stories but not giving
away too much information on the
articles included, so if/when they
want to read about it, they will
have to read the magazine.

23. On the double page spread, I have
included many techniques to attract the
audience, such as photo’s, quick fire questions. I
used a “latest tweet” so my magazine seems to
have tied into the social media network which the
audience know a lot about, after all it’s growing in
the world and I thought I could relate to it. As well
as these, I have included an album advertisement
for Rosie’s CD as well as stating when her next
performance is (on Dancing on Ice) this will attract
my audience as the fans would want to know more
about her.

24. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
Looking back at your preliminary task,
what do you feel you have learnt in
the progression from it to the full
product?

25. School Magazine Vs Music Magazine
A B

26. The first thing that comes to mind when I look at both
of my magazines is how, in A, I never used more
photo’s compared to B:
As you can
tell, here I have taken
on board that other
magazines use more
than one image. This
grabs the audiences
attention. So on my
music magazine I
have used five
images.

27. In my school
magazine, I have
noticed how I
blurred the edges
of the main image
which has left
spaces around the
edges of the
magazine (the blue
background).
Conversely, on my
music magazine, I
have used my main
image to fill the
page. This is done
on most magazines
I looked at, as long
as you can overlap it with other images, writing, a strap line
etc but you can still see the main image clearly. I have
successfully done this in my music magazine.

28. Here I have also
improved on using
codes and conventions,
i.e. barcode, issue
number, date and price.
I never did this before
which makes it lack
realism. Now I have seen
other magazines include
these, I will.

29. I have also included, on my music
magazine, a strap line:
This shows what is included
in my magazine. Hopefully it will
draw in my audience as it is a high
profile topic, “Brit Awards” so
people will want to get the latest
gossip on it and gossip from their
favourite artist who have been at
the Brit Awards.

30. I have kept some things the same as I found
out that they worked from my feedback. An
example of this is the oversized speech marks with
the quotations that overlap them. This worked well
and looks professional so I kept it in my magazine.

32. Front
Cover
One big difference that I
have improved on the contents
page is the layout. For example,
it’s in columns. The school Contents
magazine is as though its split, Page
horizontally, in two. Whereas, my
music magazine is divided
vertically in a rough outline of
three columns. I have also Double
included the magazine logo Page
which, as you can tell, I have Spread
carried on all the way through
my magazine where as before I
never carried this through.

33. I have used more page numbers.
Before I only used a very little amount
whereas now, I have used a lot more.
After my school magazine I focused on
researching other magazine in the music
industry, and I noticed that they have a
lot more page numbers etc than I did in
my school magazine. So that’s when I
realised I had to put more page numbers
in my contents page. I have circled the
page numbers that I have used and you
can tell the difference.

34. I have also
improved on the
technology of editing my
photo’s. As you can
tell, in my school
A B magazine, I just put the
photo on the magazine
whereas in my music
magazine I have learnt to
edit them, put boarders
around them and other
B techniques.
A A B

35. Another technique I have learnt to do is to
“finish off” where I have written text. As you can
see in my school magazine, I just wrote the text
and left it at that, whereas, in my music magazine
I have neatened the text by having it in a pink
box. I also think it adds to the sophistication and
overall makes it look a lot better and more neat
and professional.