My Finished Magazine Pages

Front Cover:

Contents Page:

 Feature Article:

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

Click Image For Annotations.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I have chosen to use an image of Sam Carter from the band Architects as their music genre is very similar to that of the band featured in my magazine. Both males are also psychographically and demographically similar so they would both attract my target audience. The postures of both males are the same as they are both standing upright but in a relaxed manner where the shoulders are slumped, both images therefore create a relaxed atmosphere. The laid back atmosphere of the images would attract my readers as both males are shown to be easily approachable by the use of the body language they are not seen as trying too hard or superior but are shown to be calmer and relaxed. The clothing worn is also similar as both males are wearing a checkered shirt with a hood, the slight differences are that I have chosen to have my model wear the hood up rather than down and a plain white t-shirt is visible underneath the shirt. Both images are mid-shorts where the whole body is visible. A mid-shot was probably used for the image on the right to show the other members of the band whereas I chose to use a mid-shot to allow the surrounding area to be visible 

The style of the images reinforces the genre of music included in my magazine as post hard-core and metal music are seen as rebellious as they go against the norm, the genre of music is then recognisable through clothing which highlights the important of the mid-shot. The location of each image is also very similar as they were captured at places where the target audience could relate as being similar to the places they visit in their spare time. Another similarity of both images is the gaze; both males are looking directly at the camera which creates eye contact to the readers. The hairstyle is also similar as both males are blonde and have a fringe going towards one side of the face. Both males are pulling a neutral facial expression to give off a “cool” attitude. The lighting is also very similar in both images as very little has been used, this creates a darker effect for both images which then reinforces the music style and the grunge theme of the magazine.

Demographically the two models share many similarities as they are both males and are of the same race. I decided on having a male on the cover of my magazine as I believe a male model would attract both genders; the model would act as a role model for the males and would also attract the female readers. It would have made it much more difficult to attract a male audience with a female on the cover as males may feel put off by an image of a “pretty” female, but a “sexy” image would make the female readers feel uncomfortable and therefore make them less likely to purchase that magazine.

My magazine targets the social classes D-C as it is most likely that my readers will be between the ages of 16-24 and therefore still in education. My magazine is more psychographic then demographic as it targets people of similar interests and those who aspire to be like the bands in my magazine. My magazine also targets subcultures such as “metal heads” and “skaters”; people from other subcultures will also read the magazine but my main genres I'm focusing on is metal and post hard-core music. Subcultures will be targeted through the use of clothing as each music genre has a different style associated with it e.g. post hard-core is normally associated with check shirts and tattoos whereas metal music is recognised through the use of black clothing and long hair. My readers would be inspired by the bands and would therefore enjoy reading about life on tour and exclusive interviews. Because of the clothing associated with each music style different clothing companies could be advertised within the magazine and discounts would encourage them to visit the websites and then purchase from them this would also encourage more females to read the magazine. My readers are mostly males so entertainment companies such as HMV and even Microsoft could be advertised as many of my readers would own a gaming console and purchase items from the selected shops.

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

Distributing my magazine would be an important factor as my distributor would have to attract the attention of my target audience away from other music magazine such as Kerrang and Rock Sound. Attracting my target audience would be done through advertising, marketing and distributing to other sale outlets. It would be an appropriate choice to use a leading publisher/distributor to publish my music magazine “Rock Star” so I have therefore chosen IPC Media as my publisher. IPC Media produces over 85 different media brands which reach approximately 27 million UK adults and their online brands collectively reach 20 million users every month. IPC Media uses Marketforce to distribute their brands which means my music magazine would then be distributed via the same company.

IPC Media already publishes a music magazine called “NME”, my music magazine is different in terms of target audience so therefore my magazine will not be in direct competition NME. NME's readership consists of 76% males and 24% females, the average age of the readers are 23. My target audience is mostly made up of males and are of a different age than NME's so IPC Media would not have to worry about advertising one magazine more than the other. Distributing a music magazine of a different genre would also be beneficial to the company as they would then make more profit and expand their brands further by appealing to a wider range of audiences.

My music magazine is very similar to Kerrang in some ways in terms of target audience however Kerrang focuses heavily on bands that are deemed popular at the current moment in time and disregard less known bands, my magazine on the other hand will focus on the less well known bands at the same time as more popular bands, this will appeal to my target audience who are interested in listening to a wide range of music. Kerrang is distributed by Bauer who is in competition with IPC Media and this would therefore require more advertising to attract my target audience away from Kerrang. My magazine could be advertised on TV and in other IPC magazines to increase it's exposure to my target audience. I could also advertise my magazine in shops such as WHSmiths, Newsagents and Supermarkets who are known to sell magazines. Places like HMV would also be an appropriate choice to advertise my magazine as HMV is one of the leading stores in the UK to sell entertainment goods, HMV would also sell band CDs of those included in my magazine.

My music magazine “Rock Star” would be marketed at a niche target audience which would be made up of a majority of males who listen to post hardcore and metal music, this type of audience has not previously been targeted before as the majority of music magazines focuses on certain types of genres of just publicise bands that are popular. My magazine would therefore stand out against magazines like Kerrang. To advertise my magazine further I could also use the internet, my magazine could have its own personal website similar to that of Kerrang's where news could be updated more frequently and the website could offer special offers to those who sign up to the newsletter or even subscribe to the magazine. My magazine could also have a radio show where the readers are able to request which songs they want to be played. There are a number of other ways where I could advertise my magazine and these would include; through sponsorships, music channels, and even through iTunes.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Audience Profile:

Shops: The Rock Collection, Hot Topic, HMV, Gringstore, Vans, Comic Book Stores.

Products: Converse, DC, Pizza, Musical Instruments.

Hobbies: Photography, Music, Skating, Gigs, Socialising.

Music: A Day To Remember, Slipknot, Metallica, Architects.

TV: Heroes, Misfits, Scrubs, Music Channels, Movie Channels.

Other Interests: Festivals, Parties.

My target audience is specified more psychographically rather then demographically as my magazine targets certain subcultures rather than age or class. The class for my magazine would be D-C as the age of my readers would be 16-24 and therefore still in education. My magazine incorporates my readers music taste and their hobbies through the use of advertisements, e.g. xbox games and gigs. My magazine has an individualist approach which will make my magazine seem more personal and therefore the readers will feel a part of the magazines success. On the cover of my magazine the cover lines show bands that the readers may be interested in and new bands that they may want to read about. The main images used on the cover of the magazine and in the feature article would appeal to my readers as they will recognise the band's style of music through their clothing and this would influence their own personal style. Few fonts have been used to make the magazine appear stylise and non-mainstream as it has it's own unique style that's different to other magazines like Kerrang!

How did you attract/address your audience?

Click Images For Annotations.

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

Flickr:

I have used flick a lot during the coursework to help evaluate my magazine covers. I haven’t previously used this programme before but found it very easy to use. When I have to write about my own piece of work I normally write too much and ramble on so flickr helped make it easier to keep to the point, being able to add notes also made my evaluations seem more organised it also made it easier to read as everything was in its own section instead of being in a single body of text.



Blogger:

I have used blogger to upload my coursework onto the internet I also found this easy to use and it helped keep all my work organised. I was also able to put labels on certain pieces of work so certain sections were all in one place which made it easier to find and locate certain pieces of work. I was also able to upload my photos from flickr so you only had to click on the image to be directed to my annotations.

Photoshop:
I edited all of my photographs for my magazine on photoshop, i increased the levels to make the image appear more darker to fit in with the theme of my magazine. I have also used many different tools when creating my magazine such as the brush tool as this gave me the chance to be use different brushes to create different effects. I also used many layers for each font and image and this made it easier to change the layout of my magazine. I am really pleased with my feature article as i was able to use a variety of brushes to create a grunge feel.