Media Product Evaluation
Introductory slide: Production
The genre of magazine I decided to produce was ‘dance’, with a target audience of 18 to 25 year olds. I went into newsagents such as W H Smith and looked on the internet to research popular dance magazines. The Magazines I looked at were ‘Mixmag’, ‘M8 Magazine’ and ‘DJ Mag’ the reason for looking at these magazines were so I was able to see which codes and conventions worked and which didn’t. This is the product which I produced:
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Slide One ‘Front Cover’
These are the ways in which my media product follows the codes and conventions of the dance magazine genre.
Colour Scheme
Firstly, I created the front cover using Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended and because of this I was able to extend my skills with this software. Looking at the results I have collected from my questionnaire, I decided to include all the colours that were most popular with my target audience, the most preferred colour being green therefore this was the colour I used for my title. Behind the model you will be able to see that there are bright spots of colour which I created using the brush tool – this is to represent the lighting inside a club, as well as drawing attention to the magazine. By rasterizing the word “Rave” I was able to change the colour of each individual letter using the paint bucket tool. I have done this to emphasise the word ‘Rave’ and also signify ‘rave-style parties’ which are colourful and don’t necessarily follow a certain colour scheme.
Title
The font I have used for the title is Bauhaus 93 because it looks modern and represents a neon club sign. Using Blending Options when clicking on the layer of the title ‘neon’, I was able to include a Drop Shadow and Outer Glow which makes the title look like it is glowing, the reason for this is to represent a club sign. As well as this, using the Ellipse Tool I was able to create a small circle to place inside the ‘o’ of ‘neon’ to add a unique style to the title.
Coverlines
I have deliberately placed the coverlines around the model so that there is nothing in the way of her. I have had to separate the articles in half as the hand of the model affected the colour of the articles. The main coverline is the biggest text on the page. I have included ‘buzz words’ in my front cover, for example, “win” to attract the reader and a ‘puff’ is used to give the reader a chance of gaining something more than just the magazine.
Main Image
The model I have used is dressed up in bright coloured clothes holding glowsticks and ‘Kanye West’ glasses which clearly signify the ‘dance’ genre. The model is directly addressing the audience as she is looking straight at the camera – this has an effect on the audience as they feel as if this magazine will relate to them personally. The angle of the shot I used is quite contemporary as it is a low angle shot. The reason for this is that it is very ‘in your face’ which connotes the style of ‘Rave’ music as it is known to be loud.
Other
The positioning statement I have created was: ‘Lighting up the Dance Scene’. This is a euphemism as it connotes the lights in a club but it also signifies how the magazine centres solely on the genre dance. I have priced my magazine at £3.00; this is cheaper than competitor magazines however this will contribute to attracting readers. The date included on the magazine says February ’09, as this does not include a specific date, this indicates that ‘neon’ is a monthly magazine.
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Slide Two ‘Contents’
Articles
The articles in the contents are organised into separate categories: ‘regular’ or ‘features’ this is to help the reader navigate through the page easier. The name of each article is written in bold to help stand out and underneath this is a short description to give the reader an idea of what the article is about.
Images
There are 3 large images with colourful page numbers which anchor the picture to written contents. These pictures relate to the articles and give the reader a visual idea of what to expect. I created the largest image on Photoshop by taking a picture of the model in a sound room, then I took a picture in a club then I was able to combine the two pictures creating a collage. As well as this, I edited the picture containing the wine glasses by cutting around the glasses and fading the background again using Photoshop.
Other
I have included a subscription box that offers the reader the chance to receive these magazines for a cheaper price. The layout of the contents page will become a template for future ‘neon’ contents pages; this will make the reader become familiar with the house style.
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Slide Three ‘Double Page Spread’
Title and Standfirst
I deliberately named the article “Who’s Come A Long Way Baby?” because it is a pun and has a double meaning. First off, it is a reference to Fatboy Slim’s earlier albums and dance fans will be able to recognise this as soon as they read it. They will also be able to understand the other meaning, that Fatboy Slim himself has come a long way. I have included a standfirst to give a short description of the subject of the article and included in this standfirst is a byline to inform the reader of who has written the article.
Article
A drop capital has been placed at the beginning of the article in a colourful font and signals where the reader should start reading. Another technique that has been used is that the whole first line is in capital letters. The pt size of the article is 11. The article is creatively written as I have tried to include my personality and opinions throughout the article. The tone of the article is informal and chatty; this makes the reader comfortable.
Main Image
The main image of the article is of an iPod Touch with the recognisable album cover: “You’ve Come A Long Way Baby”. This dominates the page and breaks the text up so it is more appealing to read. I decided to use this album cover as it symbolizes Fatboy Slim the most. The iPod signifies the modern technology used today and that Fatboy Slim’s early singles are still being included in present playlists. Behind the iPod is a list of all of Fatboy Slim’s singles: released and unreleased. On the third page, there is a picture of a male wearing large sunglasses. I have manipulated the image using Photoshop to make the model look ‘chubbier’. The purpose of this is to represent the model on the ‘You’ve Come A Long Way Baby’ album.
Other
The boxes at the top of each page include the text: ‘Icons of Dance’ this is to signify that this will be a regular feature in the article and the only thing that changes is the artist. I have placed the title ‘neon’ next to the page numbers. The colour scheme of the article is simple with mostly different shades of blue.
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As Mixmag, (belonging to an independent magazine publishing company, 'Development Hell Ltd') boasts it is 'The World's Biggest-Selling Dance Magazine' I have decided that my magazine will be their competitor and therefore belong to a different publishing company. CLICK I have decided that Bauer will publish 'Neon'. The reason for this is simply because Bauer publishes popular music magazines such as 'Q', 'Kerrang' and 'Mojo' which also have a frequency of publication of monthly. As well as this, the 'dance' magazine genre is not an area in which Bauer already cover. By publishing my magazine this will open up a new market for them.
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By relying on the iconic images and the photography of my front cover which will depend on the mise on scene to relate to the audience (e.g. costume and setting) I will be able to make the magazine stand out. Another way in which my magazine will attract the audience will be by using direct address for example I will include personal pronouns such as “you” to make out the magazine is talking to an individual. The model will be looking straight at the camera. This again will appeal to the audience as it will make them feel as if the model is looking straight at them. My product will follow the codes and conventions of a dance magazine and will not challenge any methods. The reason for this is to compete with other leading magazines.
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By easily being able to stretch and shorten images I have learnt that image manipulation can be done so simply. For example when I edited the image of the model wearing sunglasses, I wanted him to replicate the model shown in the iPod, I therefore stretched the image to make the male seem more chubby. CLICK As well as this I also learnt that with the right software such as Adobe Photoshop, Quark Xpress and a digital camera, anyone is capable of desktop publishing and being able to make a professional looking magazine.
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Looking back at my preliminary task I realise the skills which I have improved upon. Firstly, my photography skills have improved and I have learnt the importance of getting the right angle and right mise en scene. For example the largest image on my contents page: the mise en scene there is the club, the smoke and the strobe lights. This is vital in playing a part in convincing my audience this is a club magazine. I also acquired a reinforced understanding of the codes and conventions of a dance magazine. My journalistic skills have greatly improved as I have realised that a lot of detail needs to be taken care of in order to maintain the interest of the reader.
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Looking at the questionnaire research I carried out after my production was finished I can see that the title of the magazine – 'Neon' worked especially well as the colour scheme. The area of improvement was mainly based on the background and if I was to do it again I would make it stand out more, maybe my using real strobe lights.
Overall, I am very pleased with my product and believe my efforts have been evident throughout the piece.
