EVALUATION QUESTION 7: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT IN THE PROGRESSION FROM YOUR PRELIMINARY TASK TO YOUR MAIN TASK

When making my college magazine I was unfamiliar with photoshop and was not sure how to navigate and use the tools around Photoshop, something that had improved on making my music magazine. I believe this is evident in the quality difference between the two products. As well as this I also believe that my photo taking skills have also improved and I have learnt to now frame pictures more acurately which helped me give my music magazine a more professional look than my college magazine. In adittion I learnt that I am able to take better quality pictures in a studio rather than outside the college which will help me to make a decision on how I take photographs in the future.  

Whilst making my music magazine I was also aware of some mistakes that I may have have made in the production of my college magazine such as time management. Although I met the deadline I do not feel as though I gave myself enough time to make my college magazine look good enough, this encouraged me t work strictly to personal deadlines I set during production of my music magazine. 

This whole coursework unit has also helped to learn how to balance media studies with my other three courses, which is something that I feel is very important in preparing me for work life when I am older as I will have other priorities in my liffe aswell as work

However, during both projects things did not always turn out as I wanted because complicated ideas I had and my limited skills on Photoshop. This taught me how to compromse and inturn did help me meet deadlines as I was not spending hours wasting time trying to create a vision that just was not going to happen. For example whilst making my music magazine contents page I tried to add a film reel of pictures behind the models head but due to my lack of Photoshop expertise I was not able to, and so compromised by leaving out this feature and adding a faded version of the masthead instead.  

EVALUATION QUESTION 6: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARN'T ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING YOUR MAIN PRODUCT?

For this course work unit there was an opportunity for me to use many pieces of technology, some of which I was familiar with and some that I wasn’t so familiar with. I used these technologies in the pre-production, production and post production phases of making my magazine.

Pre-production

In this phase I used technologies such as the internet, to create my blog and to gather audience research in the form of an instant messaging conversation. I already knew how to use the internet so had no problem navigating around the different websites. As well as this I used the internet for research on Wikipedia and qwiki and for images on yahoo and Google images.

Production

Within the production phase I learnt how to set up a studio properly and safely. I was also told the dangers of the equipment if not used properly.  I was taught that the soft box (which was the source of light) must be at about arm’s length from the model you are photographing and that when taking a photo with the Canon EOS 400D camera that you must get the red dot provided by the Bowens radio trigger on the models eye to take more precise photo.  Below is a bird’s eye view of how the studio was set up.

 





Post production

During the post production phase I largely used Photoshop, something that I used for first time whilst making my college magazine and so wasn’t too familiar with it but competent enough since the experience of my last use.  

On Photoshop I learnt how to flatten images into a JPEG file so that it could be posted on blogger; this was something I had not previously known how to do before this coursework unit. I also used the lasso tool to remove the model in the photograph from the background and into a new canvas.

EVALUATION QUESTION 5: HOW DID YOU ATTRACT/ADDRESS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

My magazine attracts my target audience by using photographs of people within my target age bracket. This gives readers the impression that my magazine is made for the youth by the youth and that Untouched magazine see’s things from their point of view will further let them feel like they can relate to the magazine. The models in my magazine’s photographs also are wearing fashionable clothing, which could attract my audience as they will be people who share a similar taste in fashion and will see another feature they can relate to in Untouched magazine.  

I have also included information on the latest music and popular artists in my magazine to attract my target audience as they will be people who like to stay in the know and be up to date with the latest music so that they could possibly discuss it amongst their friends.  Also, by making the Jay –Z interview exclusive to my magazine, my target audience will be encouraged to read as they like have exclusiveness, whether it is in fashion or information. In addition the idea of exclusivity makes my readers feel as if they are part of a certified club or privileged clique which in its self most people would like to be part of and so could attract my target audience and others outside of it.

My magazine uses an informal tone and quite urban terminology such as ‘the fix’ which is informal slang for information or get up to date. This will attract my target audience as it will to enable them to feel comfortable whilst reading my magazine and also feel as if they are hearing the information straight from the mouth of a friend. This will also ensure that they are not intimidated by huge words usually heard in Broadsheet newspapers such as the Times or Evening Standard and also feel that the magazine understands the youth.  The use of a rhetorical question on my cover line will also be another factor to draw in my target audience as they will be intrigued and want to find out the answer to the question. This links in with the notion that my target audience like to know the latest news and be up to date.

In my music magazine I have also included coverage on the MOBO (music of black origin) awards, an event which features many artists from the Hip Hop genre of music and so will further attract my Hip Hop audience as they may want to see latest trends set by the artists or find out whether their favourite artist was successful in the award show.  

EVALUATION QUESTION 4 : WHO WOULD BE THE AUDIENCE FOR YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT

My magazine is open for all to read, however, I am primarily targeting it at a UK and American audience. This is because I feel that the two nations are leaders in the music industry and can relate to the hip-hop based content in my magazine the most.

The age range of my target audience is from 16-25 years of age. This is due to the fresh nature of the magazine and youthful terminology used that an older audience might not understand. The topics in my magazine are also ones that will suit the interests of a slightly younger audience than the 30+ threshold. To further make my magazine relevant to my target audience I have include 16 and 17 year old models in the magazines photographs. 

Ethnically Untouched is targeted at all races, but as Hip Hop is seen as being a black cultured music genre, I have included features to further appeal to the black audience. I am aware of other ethnic groups challenging this so have also targeted Untouched at all ethnic groups. I have done this to introduce new audiences to hip Hop and to also make the magazine appeal to other races challenging the stereotype that Hip Hop is for people of black descent.      

My target market will also like to dress well and so will take an interest in the latest brands and trends such as G-star clothing and air force one trainers.  They will also like to attend music events and some will even aspire to make their own music and so will have a passion for it. This will mean that they will like to listen to their favourite artists on all different media formats such as iPods and phones (e.g. Blackberry or iPhone).

EVALUATION QUESTION 3: WHAT KIND OF MEDIA INSTITUTION WOULD DISTRIBUTE YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY



In line with my case study on a publishing company I believe a magazine publisher such as Bauer media would look to distribute my music magazine.

Firstly, Bauer Media currently only publish ‘Q’, ‘Mojo’ and’ KERRANG’, magazines that all appeal to the large rock audience.   

    However, publishing my music magazine would benefit Bauer media financially, as it will help them to expand to a new and just as profitable market in the genre of Hip-Hop, and as there will be no competition from another Hip-Hop magazine within their organisation, they will be able to give my magazine more attention when distributing it which in turn will maximise profits and making my magazine a profitable investment on their behalf.

Secondly, With Hip-Hop being such a large and popular market, publishing my magazine would also be an opportunity for Bauer media to receive extra income from new advertisers within the Hip-Hop industry looking to promote products such as Sean John clothing and fragrances. 

Thirdly, Bauer media have offices in both America and the UK, two wealthy countries. Despite these countries both having interests in Rock, they both also appreciate Hip-Hop. So should Bauer media start to distribute my magazine they will be able to expand in these two well-off countries by distributing two of the most popular genres- Rock and Hip-Hop.

Through my audience research, I found out that many people prefer to subscribe to magazines rather than travel to the shops and buy it off the shelves. In addition we live in an age where people prefer to do things online. Therefore, I would see it key to encourage subscription to my magazine, as it will be a more convenient way of purchasing my magazine by eliminating the hassle of travelling to a store to buy the magazine off the shelves.

As well as making my music magazine available for subscription, I would also distribute it to well known music shops like HMV and well known magazine retailers such as WHSmith.

I would distribute my magazine to shops like HMV as it is an urban and technical store, quite like my target market, and so should be effective in attracting these types of people. I would also distribute my magazine to WHSmith as it is a store dedicated to selling the best reading material and so will promote a higher standard of my magazine.

EVALUATION QUESTION 2: HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA MAGAZINE REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUPS?

My magazine design has been catered to represent a black male audience of 16-18. This teenage age range is one that feels that their voice needs to be heard more and that take a huge interest in Hip Hop to the extent that they try to live their life like a Hip Hop star.

The artist on my front cover is dressed in a hoodie and has his hood up. Not only is this a feature of typical London Gang attire but also how it is worn. It connotes mysteriousness danger.  As the model in my photograph is of black ethnicity my front cover also represents what is stereotypically expected of black youths in London nowadays. The microphone in his hand also represents how black males of this age in London look to penetrate the music business just as the likes of tinnie tempah, chipmunk and tinchy strider have. The Ralph Lauren hoodie the artist is wearing also relates to the current desire that the male youth have to wear the brand and dress to show the money they have.

However, the model on my contents page is also of black ethnicity but is dressed differently. He hasn’t got a hood on and represents the fact that not all back youth in London are hoodies and up to no good. It also shows that the Hip Hop industry does not have the same effect on all youths and they do not share the same role models. Instead of a hoodie this model is wearing a tartan scarf and Burberry hoodless jacket and has sensible hairstyle, this connotes that maybe street fashion is changing to a new more conventional and understated style.

EVALUATION QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS

To begin the coursework unit, I looked at magazines such as Q, vibe and Kerrang. I analysed the denotations and connotations of all of these magazines, and observed how the conventions of music magazines were presented in each of these magazines. I applied a number of these conventions to my music magazine and kept a traditional magazine front cover layout. 

I have followed conventions of a Hip Hop magazine front cover such as having a sans serif font masthead at the top of the magazine front page. I have done this because I feel it will be effective in attracting audiences when stacked on shelves and is the only thing visible, as a magazine’s masthead represents its character, genre and nature and will allow strong fans of hip hop to maybe recognise my magazine more easily.

I have also opted for the model on my front cover photograph to wear a Ralph Lauren top to follow the connotations of wealth that comes with the hip hop stars today. However I have done this in a more subtle way as opposed to the large chains that an artist may wear on a front cover image.

For my contents page, I have included a miniature version of the front cover and have put the Text in columns. However, I have developed the convention of having the heading contents by re-arranging it in a way similar to vibe magazine who also break this mould. By doing this I could attract my target audience by showing them that my magazine is different from lots of others and in away could represent the rebelliousness of youth. The contents also has a link to the magazine’s website which will also suit my technical, urban audience who like to use new technologies and will be able to interact with the magazine’s website and could grow closer to the   magazine and become more loyal to it.  My double page spread has also followed conventions of a music magazine by following the overall colour scheme of my music magazine

This makes my music magazine more consistent and gives it a ‘swagger’ which will also appeal to my target audience as they like to dress with ‘swagger’ (a slang word for dressing well). I have also arranged the text of the double page spread in columns, so it can be more digestible for readers, and have included a quote from the artist. I have also followed the conventions of a double page spread by keeping text on one side with a large image on the other.