Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt a lot from completing my preliminary task to making my final music magazine. It helped be be able to make my music magazine to my best potential as I have learnt from the mistakes and problems which I suffered during my preliminary task.

At the draft stage feedback I got for my music magazine I was told that I should inject more colour into my magazine instead of it just being black, white and red, I was also told to add more cover lines onto my front cover and to put captions on my contents page. I have made sure I responded to all of this feedback so now my magazine looks professional and suits my target audience.

The Prezi below shows what I have learnt in progression from the preliminary task, draft stage and the final version of my music magazine..The feedback which I got from my padlet wall from my draft pages also really helped, but the feedback from my prelim pages helped me the most.

Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your magazine?

I have learnt about many new technologies from the process of constructing my magazine.

The images below show the tools that I used on photo shop. I used the custom shape tool to make shapes such as the arrow that is on my double page spread and also for the shape that the 100th issue has been displayed in on my front cover. I also used the magic wand a lot when I was editing my images, I used this tool to get rid of the background and cut out the main part of the picture I wanted to so the background was white, so I could then edit it. I also used the crop tool to crop just the part of the picture I wanted so it was easier to continue editing on it. Furthermore I have learnt how to edit images using brightness and contrast etc and how to integrate text and images into my Photoshop to be displayed on my music magazine. 

The photos below show which tools I used on Photoshop. 

I used dafont.com which is a website where you can select from many texts, my favourite text I selected was for my masthead. Its called Cavier Dreams and I think suited my magazine well. It was bold and Sans Serif so was clear to read and also recognisable as the slanted 'e' made it different.

Below are videos showing how I put together my music magazine.


                                                                 Front Cover

Contents Page

Feature Article

                                 

Question 5: How did you attract/ address your audience?

Below I created a Piktochart to show how I intented to attract/address the audience for my magazine. I did this by making sure that the magazine stood out to them. I did this by using images of artists that were appropriate to the music genre, I also used language that would appeal to 16-25 year olds as they are my target audience.

Question 4: Who would be the audience for your music magazine?

This is a mood board for my music magazine. The target audience is for males and females ages 16-25. This shows the types of artist that they would be interested in when reading my RnB magazine and what artists would typically feature. It also shows what type of music shows they would watch or listen to e.g. the official UK top 40. Furthermore it shows that they would be interested in shops such as Versache and Chanel because they are branded shops and high fashion like a lot of these artist, people look up to this fashion. 

Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your magazine and why?

The publisher that I would like to use for my music magazine is 'future' publishing. The music genre for my magazine is RnB so the video below explains why I would use 'future' publishing to publish my magazine and the other types of publishers who publish other magazines.

   

Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Below I have used slide share to present my Powerpoint on how I represented particular social groups in my music magazine. 





                 

Question 1: In what ways does your music magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real music magazine?

Firstly here are my final pages of my front cover, contents and feature article:

In my music magazine I feel that I have used and developed forms and conventions of real music magazines. My front cover, contents page and feature article have followed the forms and conventions of real music magazines. The colour scheme has also used the conventions of a typical music magazine as they usually use the colours red, white and black but on the other hand I added colours on each page like gold, light blue and purple because these fitted well with my target audience and made the page less monotonous.


Below I have analysed my music magazine pages on Word.

                                                                   Front Cover

Contents Page

Feature Article

Here I have shown how the key conventions from other magazines that helped me construct my own:

Front cover

Contents Page

Feature Article 

Final Pages

Firstly here are my final pages of my front cover, contents and feature article:

Media Theory

In class we have explored Maslows 'Hierarchy of Needs' theory and 'Uses of Gratifications' theory (McQuail, Blumler and Brown) and how they can be discussed in relation to media texts and in our cases music magazines.

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Above is a diagram of Maslows hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs (1954) and he stated that human behavior reflects a range of needs, ranked in order from basic news to higher aspirations. When one needs been fulfilled, the next need emerges.The unsatisfied needs are what motivates are behaviour. This applies to in our topic magazines as these magazines promise to fulfill many of our needs to be accepted into social groups and our need for self-esteem and self- respect and this theory offers a useful insight into the reasons we are attracted to a certain products within the magazine industry. Maslow also stated that the hierarchy was dynamic and reversible. He acknowledged that behaviour can be influenced by a whole range of motivations and external pressures.
                                                         
                                                         Uses of Gratifications theory

This theory suggests that audiences actively use advertisements and magazines to meet some of the needs identified by Maslow. Magazines may be used by some members of their audience to compensate for a lack of self-esteem or social success. This is shown in their example of girls' teenage lifestyle magazines, which address their audience as 'best friend' rather than an authority figure.

McQuail, Blumler and Brown(1972) defined four major areas of need which the media in general seek to gratify;

• Diversion- an escape from our routine and problem, an emotional release
• Personal relationships- companionship, feeling part of a social group
• Personal identity- exploring or reinforcing our own values, through comparison with others' values (this would include the values of media producers and celebrities)
• Surveillance- the need for a constant supply of information about what is happening in the world

The coverlines

'So Whats So Bloody Good?' may satisfy someones need because it is going to explain more about Lana Del Rey, they can find out more about the celebrity and that is why they buy it. The word 'bloody' is used cleverly to link with the key image on the cover as she has blood on her face, this gives her a more edgey unique look and adds to the interest.   

                                                 

Mode of Address

'The Muppets Will See You Now' the personal pronoun 'you' is used to draw the reader in, like its personal to them and they are involved in the article inside. The article seems quite informal 'fueds, fights, feathers!' it is clearly aimed at younger people.

Planning Original Images

Below is a chart of my original image plan, these may change as I go through the process but it is good to have a rough plan so I know what I need to do.

Font Selection

Here are some possible fonts that I could consider using in my music magazine. I have selected these fonts because I think the sans serif font is good to use for a masthead because it is clear and easily readable, I will also make this font bold so it is clearly the masthead. I looked at some different fonts for the coverline, maybe more interesting so could be serif so they stand out well on the page.

Font ideas

Masthead
I've chosen to use either one of these texts below, I like the first text because of the italic 'e' as it could link in with music more than just a basic font because its showing movement which links with rhythm. The bold one is good because it is very clear as the letter are spaced and would stand out well on the front cover page.

Coverline

In the coverlines above I have picked a serif font because these are more interesting fonts. I am still not sure what font I will use for my magazine but I have gone on dafont.com and seen a variety, I will decide closer to the time what one I will use as I will know what fits in the magazine pages.

Planning ideas for Music Magazine

Here is a mind map that I have created on ExamTime which shows the ideas which I have thought of.

by mallory.furness