Evaluation

Media Evaluation. I have created a music magazine which follows conventions of a typical magazine under the genre of Electro pop. I have created a front page, contents page and double page spread all linking with each other and fitting the forms and conventions of the similar products of music magazines. At first I started out working in a group with another girl, but unfortunately that didn't work out, we couldn't decide on the similar images, colour schemes or layouts. We decided on the genre of the magazine and the name but other than that, nothing matched up so we decided to go our own way and make our own magazines. The person I was working with changed her name of the magazine. I think this was a good move because then we were both able to express our own ideas for our magazines and do it however we liked without having to run it by each other first. We took some images together for our magazines at the start when we worked together but again, they didn’t work out too well, so I went in my own direction and decided to take some pictures of my sister and edit them to look vibrant and attractive to the reader. When I was planning my magazine I decided to use suitable things on it such as the layouts through out the magazine and the colour schemes to match. I wanted to ensure that I met the acquirements for my target audience; which is within the age group of 16-23 year olds which is a mass market for that age group. I used various popular artists which can relate to the audience as there are many likable choices on there. I used a house style which I made myself which I emulated throughout my magazine, I decided to use bright colours, writing and word use to capture the audience's attention. I wanted my magazine front cover to look quite crowded, fun and vibrant to reach the target of relating to the electro pop genre. The person I used also will add to the market of the magazine because the costume used for the cover is bright and colourful which reflects the target audience, the electro genre is sort of collaborated with bright colours and themes which include really 'out there' vibrancy and eye catching techniques which, of course catch the audience's attention. The lighting I used for the image on my front cover is artificial average room lighting as it gives a warm feel to the cover which goes with the bright tones of the other conventions of the cover. The pose of the model connotes fun and also matches to the other conventions also the model is looking directly into the camera but is wearing some retro style sunglasses which gives the effect of her looking directly at the audience, but still having some mystery and a typical style to suit the particular genre of which my magazine falls under. The shot I used was quite close up to her face but still showing her shoulders and a part of her bright clothing, as it grabs the attention much more effectively rather than using a long shot. The language I used on my front cover is quite informal but to the point. It gives information away that will still make the reader want to look inside and read the articles or see the other features in the magazine. The typography for the cover is simple easy to read fonts, such as Gill sans. I thought this font would work best because its not like the usual, boring ones you see, it is slightly different and looks as though it belongs with my magazine front cover. The title “CLUB ELECTRO" is the biggest domineering text on the cover so that it stands out as being the title of the magazine and not just a strap line or kicker. Although the kicker about "EMELECTRA" is quite bright and bold, the title is still the main attraction because of the bright red colour and the size of the font. It allows my magazine to be easily spotted on a shelf so it would attract more people to buy it and read it. My contents page follows on from the front cover as it has the same house style and consists of the same fonts, colours and includes some good imagery of a popular band and some original images I took myself, of two people posing like they are both music artists. I also used an image of T4 on the beach I took, to go in one of the columns where I give some examples of festivals, so the image advertises it. I divided my contents page into three columns like a usual magazine contents page would do, and I included things which would appeal to any audiences and readers, I added in competitions, gigs and information on new and popular artists. Again, I haven't used any backgrounds for my original images, I just used a white wall which is effective and it also adds to the simplistic but bright and effective theme throughout both the cover and contents. Emulated from other magazines I have used words such as "gigs" and "festivals" to make my magazine more realistic, I also used "competition" because in magazines there almost always is a competition or two, and I wanted my magazine to be more effective and appeal to the audiences. The typography is similar to the cover page as I have used the same font and colours in order to keep a recognisable font throughout. For my contents page I have not based the layout on any particular existing magazine, I wanted to make it original but obviously clear that it is a contents page and to be recognizable as one. Like the front cover to the magazine, I have made my contents page bright and busy to follow on and to match. I wanted it to all go together and to be recognizable as one magazine instead having a range of colour schemes and one page that is plain and one that is busy, I wanted it all to be completely matching and clearly continuing from each other. My double page spread is laid out in the house style of the other pages in the magazine, but I have done it so it is similar to other magazines; I used a picture I took of the model and made it large on one side of the double page spread and added her name, and a quote to make it look like a poster. The wording I have used conveys the atmosphere of the interview. Throughout the images I have taken the costume, the brightness and the makeup stays the same so that the images don't seem to be taken at different times. The images follow the cover and contents pages connotations of young and bright clothing which brings the pages together. The main colour scheme I have used is red, white and blue with also black as the background for the text. Like the cover and contents the language is simple and easy to read as it’s a friendly interview between the "music artist" and the interviewer. The layout represents the social group of 16-23 year olds as it is easy to follow and bold so it makes it stand out above the rest . For my magazine I wanted to target a mass market so I could attract as many buyers of the magazine as possible. I have included something for everyone of the age range of 16-23 as they are the ones most likely to listen to the music that is included in the magazine and what it is based on. The places that would most likely distribute my magazine would be anywhere from drugstores such as Boots, or Superdrug, to corner shops and well known newsagents. The people who are most likely to buy the magazine are people who are into electro music, partying and all round having fun, being vibrant and different from other people. This magazine is mostly aimed at females, although it doesn't follow a particularly "girly" array of colours or bands, but it is more populated with female artists and cute guy bands that girls would be into. However the males can also enjoy the magazine as its not strictly aimed at one sex. To attract the audiences to the magazines, I used bright, bold colours and fonts which make the magazine look interesting and eye catching, I wanted it to stand out from other magazines you would find. During making my magazine, I have learnt a lot about using the technology, although I was already quite capable and good at using the computer and the photo shop technology, I think I improved on the layouts and what would be suitable to use in the magazine as it has a large range of tools and options. From creating my magazine, I have learnt how to fit the conventions and the general styles of magazines whilst keeping it original with my own, initial ideas. I learnt how to make my magazine as eye-catching as I could, but still enjoyable to look at and read, instead of being blinded by bright colours mashed together, I still kept the colour schemes and some simplicity to my magazine. From the preliminary task, to make a school magazine front cover and contents page, I have learnt about how to construct a magazine front cover and contents properly and I also learnt why there are certain rules about how many fonts, colours, and images are used so that the cover stands out and isn’t over crowed which could put the readers and audiences off looking at it Overall I am pleased with the outcome of my magazine, although I was meant to be working in a small group, I think it came out the best it could when I worked alone. I think the colours, fonts, layouts and images all go well together and fit the general conventions of an electro-pop magazine would.