Magazine Feedback

In my focus group, i asked for the group's opinions on subjects such as the header, the genre, the title, the target age group, what sort of enticements that could be used to attract readers, if new bands should be advertised in the magazine, what colour the front cover should be and whether a glossy or a matt finish would be more appropriate.

The group felt that the magazine header was possibly from an incorrect genre as they suggested it could be rap rather than indie.

We discussed the title of the magazine and the group consensus was that the title was bland.
I asked for opinions on the best type of front cover and the group felt that something similar to the cover of "Q" magazine would be more appropriate.
When the group were asked about the target age group, they felt that the target age group should be 15-25.
When asked, the group agreed that they would buy concert tickets advertised in an indie magazine.
I enquired whether new bands should be included in the new magazine and the group felt that they should be included but only as links to known bands and not as a main feature.
When i asked the group if they felt that it would be appropriate to offer a free CD with the magazine there was a mixed reaction. Some felt that it would be better to offer a free download or have links to apps. It was also suggested that giving away a free CD may cheapen the image of the magazine.

We discussed the best colour for the magazine and the general opinion was that the cover should be pale and pastel colours.

When we discussed the paper finish for the magazine there was a mixed opinion from the group. Some felt that a matt finish would be more appropriate while others felt that a glossy finish would be more professional.

I have used the group feedback to perfect the magazine final product for example i omitted offering a free CD. I chose yellow which is a pale pastel colour, for my header. I drew similarities from the "Q" magazine cover and i also included new bands on the magazine cover but avoided placing them as the main feature.

Magazine Evaluation

Media Magazine Evaluation

Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Music magazines are recognisable by their use of standard forms and conventions. Examples of these conventions are the masthead, which is always at the top of the front page of the magazine. This can be seen on the front page above right. I have followed this convention in my MC Music magazine, above left. However, I have altered my masthead from the example on the right to attract the reader’s attention. I did this by using a particular font style, and using speckles of the background colour on the actual letters to make it more attractive and interesting to the audience ( this can be seen in detail by

looking at the snap shot below). By attracting the reader’s attention and interest in the magazine  increases the possibility of sales.

Other conventions, which I have copied, are highlighting the main feature of the magazine, Smith and Sons, in large font and clear, white print. Like the cover on the right, I have also advertised an opportunity to win tickets and I have used a barcode.in the same position as on the right front cover. Also, as on the cover on the right, I have advertised bands which will be playing at a forthcoming concert in 2013 on the bottom left side of he page, in the same position as they are on right front cover. Like the cover on the right, I have also chosen to put a statement from one of the interviews in the magazine above the masthead, in an attempt to attract the reader. My choice of  background and font colour  are similar to the right front cover as I felt that these colours were attractive to the audience, reflected a younger image and blended well together.

Unlike the right hand front cover, I have put the date and price of the magazine above the masthead instead of in the barcode box. I felt that it was more clearly visible to the reader here.

To enable the audience to focus on the main feature, I have avoided using any other images other than the main feature. This challenges the convention of normal magazines as my magazine relies on one single image to attract the audience, whereas the right front cover features six other images as well as the main feature. Though I have followed the convention of showing one main character central on the page, I have photographed the individual to create a three dimensional impression in an attempt to make the reader feel as though he is pointing directly at them. This should attract the reader more quickly to the magazine when it is on the shop shelves and will also appeal to the target audience who are teenagers and people up to their mid thirties as the target audience will feel that this creates a personal touch.  

The contents page which I have created, top left, has many similarities to the professional publication, top right. I have retained the convention of  the white background and black writing of the professional publication, as this allows the reader to clearly see at a glance what is featured in the magazine and which page it is on. The only additional colour used is red which attracts all audiences, as it is a vibrant colour. The combination of white, black and red also has an Indie theme which relates to my magazine genre.

Like the professional publication, I have stated that this is the contents page in the top left corner, but unlike the professional publication I have put emphasis on the heading i.e. “Contents” with the date in small font underneath. The professional publication put the date in larger font than the heading.

Like the professional publication I have listed the contents of the magazine in column of black font but I have used the same shade as black throughout, using larger font to create headings. I did this because I felt it had a clearer, tidier appearance compared to the professional publication, which used a bold font to create the headings.

I have placed the main feature of the magazine in the photograph to the right of the contents listing, just as the professional publication has. However the professional publication has used bold, dark capital letters to advertise a drummer, which is descriptive of drumming as this is generally hard and bold. In contrast, I have used “Chalkboard” font to create a softer, gentler emphasis to reflect the music of the guitar.

To stay with the theme of my front cover, I have kept my contents page un-crowded and simple using just one main image and one smaller image. This allows the reader to focus on the main feature of the magazine unlike the contents page of the professional publication, which has multiple images and can distract the focus of the reader.

I have, unlike the professional publication, used the contents page to advertise an opportunity to win tickets.

Many magazines are consistent with the colour of their front cover and contents page, but I have broken with this convention by focusing on a clear red, black and white theme for my contents page whilst choosing a colourful front cover.

Like the professional double page spread publication, top right, I have put my text on the left hand side and images on the right. I have also retained the convention of using black font but have differed from convention with my choice of grey background and black and white images rather than colour. I felt that the choice of a grey background would be attractive to the reader as it differs from convention. I have used black and white images to allow the reader to use their imagination, which would not be required in the professional publication on the right hand side, which is a colour image of a band who are using their instruments as props. I chose to use cards displaying four different types of music as the props in my images. I have photographed four people looking in different directions – straight ahead, down and to the side. I then positioned the images so that it appeared as though three of the people were looking at their neighbour whilst the one holding the title of the magazine “MC Music” was looking straight ahead. This was intended to symbolise that the people who read MC Music magazine are self-assured and do not need to look to others. This would be attractive to the target audience.

The professional publication has a black and white image in the centre of the text page, where as I have chosen to use a colour image in the centre of my text page as it contrasts well with the four black and white images which I have used.

The professional publication, above right, states the name of the magazine and page number at the bottom of the page. I have avoided convention and not put either on my page. I have however followed convention by having three columns of writing on my double page spread as it is normal to have two to four columns. 

Q2 How does your media product represent particular social groups?

 

My magazine is aimed at two target audiences. Firstly those who like indie music, and secondly people aged sixteen to thirty six. To emphasise this I chose a model who is clearly wearing a school uniform (see image on the left). This will make the magazine attractive to the younger social group, those in the mid teens. However, the model looks mature and well groomed with a smart haircut and appearance. This will appeal to the more mature social group  (people in their 20’s and 30’s) which I would like to attract as readers of this magazine. Those who enjoy listening to Indie music will be attracted to this magazine because the groups which I have advertised on the front cover are Indie groups. The Indie genre is a genre enjoyed by many people in the sixteen to thirty six age group. This is  why I have chosen the contents and layout of this magazine to suit my particular social groups.

I used a mixture of colour schemes so  that it would appeal to a wider target audience as many people in this age group like black and white whilst many others prefer colour. I chose a colourful front cover, but opted for black, white and red for my contents page and primarily on my double page spread (only one small colour image was used).

The front cover image I used was a smartly dressed young man with facial hair, who also had a nose and ear piercing and was wearing a bracelet. This is an Indie image, which will attract people who like Indie music. I photographed him pointing directly at the camera so that this would give the audience a feeling that he was pointing individually at them. This image would appeal to the sixteen to thirty six age group.

The images which I used on my double page spread were less conventional as I chose black and white instead of colour images to provoke the imagination of the reader. I also positioned the images to make it appear that each individual was looking to another for advice, apart from the person holding the card which had the name of the magazine on it. Many possible reasons could be given for this, one of which is that the MC Music reader is confident and knows their own mind. This would be a very attractive concept for the target audience.

Q3.What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A distribution company who may distribute my magazine is Conde Nast.

Positive aspects are that Conde Nast distribute  a wide number of high calibre magazines such as “Glamour”, “GQ”, “Tatler” and “Brides” which cover a variety of genres. These magazines appeal to the same target audience (sixteen to thirty year olds) as my magazine, MC Music. This assures me that Conde Nast are in tune with my target audience. They have also proved their success by distributing so many successful magazines.

Conde Nast do not actually produce any music magazines, so this would reduce the competition faced by MC Music and  this should increase the likelihood of Conde Nast wanting to distribute my music magazine. Also,distributing a high class music magazine such as MC Music would be beneficial and profit making for Conde Nast.

Negative aspects are that Conde Nast have never produced music magazines in the past and this may inhibit the sales of my magazine. Because they have not produced magazines in the past they may not have links with the best outlets for music magazines.

I would like to consider a subscription to my magazine as this would secure a regular income from the magazine. I would distribute through shops such as W.H.Smith, Sainsbury’s and Tesco as this would offer the magazine to a greater variety of people. I would also like to distribute my magazine through independent newsagents and vendors close to bus stops and train stations as many people in my target audience travel to school, college or work on public transport. Therefore shops close to stations and bus stops would be useful outlets for the target audience to access the magazine.

The link below  shows “Cubes” interviewing a member of the Conde Nast personnel and on the 40^th second of the clip, the viewer can hear the Cubes member describing how Conde Nast distribute a variety of magazines from varying genres. See link below. Having watched this clip, I am convinced that Conde Nast are the best distributors for my particular magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6S7DpI9Hs

Q4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience for my magazine is both males and females who like Inde music, aged sixteen to thirty six. The age range covers a large group of Inde lovers who may come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may be attending school whilst others may be in full time employment.

The price of the magazine is £4.99 which is affordable for all, including people who are still at school as the magazine is to be published once a month. This makes a weekly cost of just £1.25 which is cheaper than many weekly magazines.

The magazine features music articles only, therefore would not appeal to someone looking for variety such as beauty tips or fashion articles. It will appeal to people because it is purely focused on music and the music industry, so people know what to expect when they buy MC Music and they won’t be disappointed!.

The colours which I have chosen for the front cover will appeal to both males and females in this age range and the choice of primarily black and white on the contents page and double page spread, including the images, will appeal to the target audience as this runs with the focused theme of the magazine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UER4Gppc2ic

Having studied the link above, I was inspired to use the same hairstyle for the man in my magazine cover.

Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my audience, I focused on the front cover as this is the main feature which attracts customers to buy the magazine. I used a variety of attractive colours without making the magazine appear cheap or loud.

I followed the main conventions of using a coloured masthead, but added speckles of the background colour to the yellow font to make the heading stand out on the shelves. I also adhered to the conventions of using cover lines, just like the professional publication shown. This would appeal to the target audience as these will be people looking for a magazine which is focused on music and the music industry. By clearly stating exactly what is featured in the magazine and where to find it will be appealing to the target audience. To maintain the clear theme, I avoided the use of street slang. I primarily used Arial font with minimal use of brush script on the front cover, just to add a little variety,

The date of the magazine and price are clearly stated at the top, unlike the professional publication where they are placed in the barcode box. Again, this clarity should appeal to the target audience.

Keeping the theme clear and uncluttered, I chose just one image for the front cover, which was very dominant. The image represents a member of the target audience. He is an eighteen year old man who loves Indie music. He is smartly dressed, though slightly unshaven with a few piercings and a bracelet. I photographed the man pointing at the camera so that it would appear that he is pointing at the customer when they see the front cover. This should be attractive to many people as it personalises the magazine for them.

I kept the contents page clear and uncluttered, in line with the focused theme. The double page spread had a grey background with black font and black and white images. Again, this ran with the focused and clear theme of the magazine.

Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I feel as though I have improved my photography and IT skills during this production. On the front cover I have placed a photograph of a young man pointing at the camera. The photograph was taken in a photography room with a white backdrop. This allows excellent lighting and surroundings,  which can be easily changed using Adobe Photoshop. It took me many shots to achieve the result which I was aiming for, but I finally found that taking an eye level, close up shot achieved it. I used magnetic lasso on Photoshop to edit the background of the image and create the colour background, which I was aiming for.

Adobe Photoshop also helped me to create the cover lines on the front cover and also to alter the colours of the font.

On the contents page I took a photograph of a drum kit from a bird’s eye view. This enabled the audience to see the whole drum kit from a very different angle and also added variety to the magazine.

I kept the main feature photograph on the contents page in black and white to maintain simplicity and the focused theme. I also did this using Photoshop.

I took the photographs using a digital SLR which was brilliant to use as it creates very precise, clear images. Using this camera allowed me to take multiple shots and then delete any photographs which were not so good. Using a digital camera allows great experimentation.

When I took the main feature photograph of the guitarist on the contents page, I used the rule of thirds. The main object (the guitarist) was in the first longitudinal third of the image.

I downloaded the font for the masthead from Dafont.com. This allowed me to produce the masthead with speckles of background colour on the font. This alteration was simple though attractive and would appeal to the reader as it is eye catching.

I feel that this production has really allowed me to develop my IT and photography skills.

Q7.Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to a full product?

The process of creating a media magazine has been a long journey. Initially, during the preliminary stages, I made a school magazine front cover and contents page. I used Adobe Photoshop (see image ‘a’ below) to help create the school magazine and at this point I made a lot of mistakes while using it. This was a great learning curve for me as I had not used Photoshop before. However, that was a great help to me as I felt much more comfortable with using Photoshop when I came to produce the music magazine. It was at this stage that I first used magnetic lasso in the production of the school magazine front cover. I used a point and shoot digital camera for the school magazine. When I analysed my school magazine, I realised that I needed to improve the quality of the photographs. I therefore decided to use a digital SLR camera for my music magazine (see image ‘b’  below).

When I was preparing to produce the music magazine, I analysed “Rocksound” magazine which is a magazine for people who like rock and Inde music. I looked at the choice of colour used, language, layout and the articles produced. This enabled me to develop ideas about the sort of magazine which I would like to produce and I started by deciding on who my target audience would be. My target audience would be people aged sixteen to thirty six who liked Inde music. They would be a group of people who would like a focused, straightforward magazine which offered exactly what they wanted in a clear, un-cluttered manner.

Once I knew what I was aiming to produce I focused a lot of energy and experimentation on producing a front cover.

I aimed to keep the cover simple yet informative. I used fellow students as models and photographed many poses  until I found the one which I liked. I particularly liked the one with the man pointing as it brings in the reader and makes them feel part of the magazine.This involved forward planning as I had to make sure that the models were available at the same time as the photography studio.

I used the school photography studio which has excellent lighting and a plain white backdrop. I then used Adobe Photoshop to edit the background colour.

I used Dafont.com to alter the masterhead font and create an interesting end product.

I kept the theme precise and un-cluttered throughout, including the contents page and double page spread as I felt that this would be the theme which would appeal to my target audience.

I learnt that producing a magazine requires good planning, time management and co-operation of others (models). I found it easier to decide on a target audience before attempting to produce the magazine as this helped me to focus on meeting their requirements throughout the production.

Q8.Evaluate how successful your product is with your target audience using audience feedback

Strengths and weaknesses of front cover

Seventeen out of twenty people liked the man pointing on the front cover whilst three out of twenty felt that he could have a happier look.

Sixteen out of twenty people liked the speckled masthead while four out of twenty said that they didn’t notice that it was speckled.

Fifteen out of twenty people thought that it was good to have just one image on the front cover.

Eleven people out of twenty thought that the date and price were badly positioned as they blended in with the masthead and should be repositioned on the page.

Eighteen out of twenty people liked the colours used on the front cover.

Seventeen out of twenty thought that the title of the magazine was clear and not obstructed.

Strengths and weaknesses of double page spread

Eighteen out of twenty people liked the concept of simplicity.

Seventeen out of twenty people liked the black and white photographs and the grey background for the text.

Three people out of twenty felt that more colour should have been used to make the double page spread more attractive.

Strengths and weaknesses of the contents page

Eighteen out of twenty people liked the clear simplicity of the contents page.

Fifteen out of twenty liked the idea that the magazine is focused on music with no other subjects included.

Five people out of twenty said that the magazine would be more interesting if other subjects were included rather than just music and the music industry.