Jake Herga

1. Jake Hergas music magazine evaluation

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products In my media product I have tried to see some of the conventions used in real indie magazines such an NME and other music magazines on a whole such as XXL and top of the pops. One main feature of NME was the fact that they went into depth in the interviews I therefore thought it was important that I did this and maybe to an extent go deeper than NME to in order to try and gain a specific audience who like finding all about their music heroes. The colour red although used a small amount in NME, is used more in my magazine in order to show danger, which I hoped would challenge the things that are associated with indie bands such as calm and relaxed people. I think that my media product accepts many of the normal conventions of a music magazine such as the pictures and especially, for an indie magazine, the checkered shirt. I also think that indie products are all about exploring simplicity and looking into inside beauty. This is why I had such simple backgrounds for my work such as wooden doors and brick walls.

3. How does your media product represent particular social groups? My questionnaires showed people liked Indie music, this is part of a whole Indie scene so I had there tried to incorporate this into my magazine. A lot about the indie scene I believe is about acceptance into society. This is why my indie musician talks about accepting different ethnicity's (in this incident Asians). There is a live fast die young attitude in Indie culture, hence the greasy café food is involved an the fact that he is taking his Grandad to the pub. Audiofunk is meant for teenagers therefore there celebrity is in this age, this allows people will be able to associate with the celebrity and are more likely to idolize him. He is always happy as if he has no worries in his life like the teenagers who are reading the magazine A person might buy this magazine to fit in with people who are deemed “cool” as one of the pages is about tips to be like a indie kid. Therefore they are not trying to express there individuality.

4. What kind of media institute might distribute your media product and why? Bauer Consumer Media would be the media institute behind my magazine. As I believe that if they controlled the 3 main competitors to NME then, people would rather have a Bauer Consumer Media magazine rather than NME as they would not be seen as powerful.

5. Who would be the audience for your media product? I intend to attract teenagers who are into the indie scene but also the deeper beliefs about musicians. I hope that I would constantly be able to get the top bands/singers therefore people would want to find out about beliefs of there idols and favourite people. I also think that the teenagers parents would be happy with them wanting to read this as it is quite educational and may lead to there child having better knowledge and views about the society they live in. This could be for men and women. The main article probably is more for men as it is about a male musician rather than a women or a musician who tries to look good looking or “fit”. However on the contents one of the articles is for women ““The best way to do it” is back and will teach girls the indie way ” This therefore broadens my target audience.

6. How did you attract/address your audience? I have tried to attract an audience by the name, the font and the pictures. I used a big bold font which hopefully would be noticed. I believe the name “Audiofunk” is catchy. The main picture has been edited to make it bright in order for it to stand out in the shelves compared to other magazines. I think there a lot of “followers” around and the tips to make yourself like an “indie girl” may attract a lot of these. I have tried to get people who are not only interested in music, but Indie in specific and have a authentic interest in it and all about it hence the slogan “for the people who like real music”

7. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? I have gained a bigger insight into photo shop I used the magic eraser many times and to good effect. I learnt how to use an IMac well and learnt the basic things to do such as print screen and use the system correctly. I set up and got my friend to take pictures of me with an SLR camera for the first time. I used a website called samsung master 1.1 in order to brighten and contrast my pictures. I believe this gave my magazine a professional finish.

8. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to be the full product? I have how to do most things on my own without any help at all this is a big step from the preliminary in which I needed the teachers attention quite a lot in order to make something look relatively professional. I have found out a lot about the music industry and the fact that many of teenagers from Essex listen and like indie music. I found out about every little detail in a music magazine is taken into account. Everything must be in the picture for a reason, this is completely different to my preliminary task in which many things were in there with very little purpose.