Harmony

Pictures and mastheads I didn't use!!

My magazine uses many of the normal codes and conventions of any music magazine including a masthead, main image, cover lines, barcode and price. Which is mostly essential for creating a successful magazine.

My magazine was inspired by this issue of top of the pops. I tried to follow the design and contents of the magazine very closely…

After much research I discovered that there is a lack of these types of magazine in the market after the termination of smash hits. I took advantage of this and challenged myself to create the newest pop magazine

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

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

• The social group I was looking to attract was young females ages 11-17• To successfully appeal to them I needed to create a very pop theme, fun and bubbly.

Pop is a very limited genre not very diverse and only appeals to a youngish age. People who are at the beginning of discovering their music interests and becoming an individual!!

• I feel my Magazine has represented this social group well being:• Fun• Bubbly• Fairytale like• Loud• Cheesy• The images I uses reflect these all well using lots of soft colours ( pink, yellow and

purple). The striking poses, heavy makeup and cheesy grins. I wanted to create a role model for young girls and I feel I have achieved this

• Throughout the magazine I have used a very informal, chatty way of writing allowing the reader to feel involved and making it seem like they are talking to a friend. This I feel is what my aimed social groups like.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

• My magazine is not a specialist magazine just an ordinary pop magazine.• I can see it being distributed in many mainstream shops such as..• Tesco• HMV• Whsmiths• Any small newsagents or convenience stores

As it is a mainstream magazine featuring mainstream artists like is competitor top of the pops I would suggest it would be distributed

in a similar way. There is a specific audience but there is a lack of magazines of this type so I feel it would easily find a place on the

shelf of any magazine selling store.

I would also consider distributing my magazine online using smaller distributors such as Bauer or IPC.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

• The audience for my magazine would be…• Females• Between the ages of 11-17• Into pop music• Like the latest gossip and celebrity updates• Working/ middle class• Interested in listen to music channels such as Smash Hits,

The Box, TMF and The Hits.• I personally have aimed my magazine at young girls who are starting to

develop an interest in music, Who appreciate soft, fun and cheesy music. They would be very venerable seeking an idol to copy in music, fashion and persona.

How did you attract/address your audience?

• To get feedback on my magazine I created a survey on survey monkey!• After analysing the results I found that I had attracted and addressed my audience in a

number of ways…• 87.5% of the people who answered my survey thought that my magazine was excellent and

only 12.5% thought it was okay• Out of the people I asked 50% of the people liked the style of my magazine the most and

50% liked the text.• 100% of the people I asked thought that the genre of my magazine is pop• 12.5% of the people I asked thought my magazine was aimed at 10-14 year olds and 87.5%

thought it was aimed at 15-20 year olds• 75% of the people I asked thought my front cover was the best and the rest liked my

double paged spread• 75% said they would not change anything on my magazine• 100% of the people said my magazine would not look out of place in any mainstream

shops.• Overall I am really happy about these results and feel I have met the needs and wants of

my audience and have successfully attracted them to my product

• I feel I have really been able to be successful due to the survey I had done earlier in the project asking a potential audience what they would like to see in the magazine. They all wanted lots of images and exclusive interviews which I have included in my project!!

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

• At the start of this project I was very inexperienced in any sort of technology or media but throughout this project have learnt how to do various types of things I have never done or witnessed before and have really benefitted.

• Photoshop - I have learned how to edit images at a high standard using curves, hue/saturation and contrast.

• Using layers, text editing, magic wand tool, cropping images• P S Brushes – Downloading brushes to Photoshop to then apply them in any colour,

shape or size you want (I used a lot of brushes)• PowerPoint – I have used a lot of PowerPoint and my skills have really improved• DaFont.com – I have learnt to use dafont to get hold of plenty of weird and wonderful

fonts to use on your project which has been really effective as my survey proves. • Blogger.com – I have created my own blog which I had never done before and have

become confident in using it.• Issu.com – I have learnt to use for word documentation issuing and allowing you to

upload word documents onto your blog• Slideshare.com- I have learnt to use slidershare to turn your powerpoint into a

suitible form to be able to upload it to your blog by and embed code.• Surveymonkey.com – I have learnt to create surveys which has been a great help for

pre production research feedback• I have also learnt how to use technical equipment such as a video recorder and high

standard cameras.

Editing example!!

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

• I have learnt to use Photoshop in a much more professional standard. I am now capable of working independently and just for fun. I have made an immense improvement overall as I was a Photoshop virgin.

• I have developed in my research skills finding it easy to complete my research by PowerPoint or on survey monkey to give the best possible start as the research is the most important part.

• I feel all together I have just progressed so much and if I was to do this preliminary task again I would make various improvements. (or just start from scratch)

• I have learnt a lot about media itself as I had never bought or seen a music magazine before this and picked up a video recorder so it has been a huge and long learning curve for me which by the way I have thoroughly enjoyed!

• I also feel as if I have developed my own personal style of media work which I never thought would happen.