Evaluation of Research

In this evaluation of my research I will discuss the reasons why I have chosen to construct and alter the production of the start of my music magazine to the final polished version of the magazine. At the very start of the course the class and I was introduced to different music magazines such as Vibe and Rolling Stone, the use of identifying and observing music magazines help us gain experience and inspiration into creating a professional looking magazine. In my opinion the interview and questionnaire helped me the most due to clear feedback with text receiver's thoughts and because of this I could alter and change my magazine so it became appealing to my target audience; which I found due to the creation of my questionnaire. The interview and questionnaire impacted my final draft due to the alteration in colour schemes to the overall layout to my front cover, double page spread and contents page. The font analysis was very interesting to research because I learnt how the use of different font types can create an atmosphere and also change text receiver's emotions whilst reading my music magazine. 

The image above highlights and shows the difference that my research has created, the entire media studies course has given me more knowledge and skills in the creation of magazines. As you can see the final draft of my music magazine's front cover is more interesting and pleasant to observe due to me learning about new skills and techniques in different editing programs such as being taught Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign; which will attract more people into purchasing my music magazine.

7 Questions 

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

My media product; in this instance is my music magazine follows many of the code and conventions of real life products. Due to researching different music magazines on the internet and also by traveling to my closest supermarket and purchasing magazines that relate to my chosen music genre, the genre I chose to follow is rap. In contrast to the codes and conventions, I followed the codes and conventions of magazines such as using a puff on my front cover on my music magazine which gives the reader information about the specific issue of magazine that has been published. However whilst researching rap magazines I came across a front cover of a magazine which caught my eye, this front cover was the base and foundation for my music magazine front cover.  This means that I developed the existing conventions but made a few alterations. Furthermore my magazine front cover includes a central/main image that creates an interaction and a direct mode of address so that passers-by and consumers will create eye contact with the magazine. Also the use of a direct mode of address involves the text receiver more and become more interested in reading the magazine. 

https://prezi.com/wjtn3lh2wsei/question-1/

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I wanted my music magazine 'LMM' to appeal to all races and genders, due to using content that can relate to both genders. In contrast to equality of genders in my music magazine I have used an attractive male image for each article and story which can appeal to men due to them wanting to be just like the model and to females due to creating an affection and love interest with the model as well. Mis sen scene  played a big role in the production and construction of my music magazine, in this case I used very close up camera angles which helped represent the seriousness and focus that the made up rapping artist have, the use of these angles also helped convey the higher status that the rapping artist has.  

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

The media institution in my opinion that should distribute my music magazine 'LMM' is MTV; this distributor is easily accessible and has an unlimited reach across the world due to being very famous and well known on all types of platforms such as television, magazines, social media and radio. The use of all these platforms will make my magazine more recognizable and gain publicity if MTV distribute my music magazine. Furthermore this institution (MTV) attracts and has teenage/ young adult consumers; which is also the target audience I want my readers of my music magazine to be. Whilst researching the different rap music magazines that have already been published by massive companies i have observed the stories and articles that the magazines include such as exclusive interviews and competitions. My ambitions of my music magazine is to start slowly and to document smaller and upcoming rap artists, which MTV also create and do in their own magazine. 

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

I want my music magazine target audience to involve teenagers and young adults. In my advertisement using pathos that will attempt to evoke an emotional response to the consumer such as happiness. However some other companies and advertisers will use negative emotions such as guilt and pain, the use of pathos can also help create emotions and make the consumer think about different scenarios in real life and implement them into their own live. In my opinion my target audience is chosen logically because this age group is very smart and always operating on social media. However if i want to target this age group as my audience I will need to understand the uses and gratifications theory, my music magazine will have to incorporate why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. This theory is an audience-centred approach to understanding mass communication. The audience wants to be informed or educated, identify with characters of the situation in the media environment, enhance social interaction, simple entertainment and escape from the stresses of daily life. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKRcz6Nh4n0

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my target audience I made sure that my main image on the front cover of my music magazine to create a direct mode of address; with aid of a dominant character who creates a masculine atmosphere for my music magazine, also the use of a dominant male character helps follow the stereotypes of normal rapping artists. In my music magazine I wanted the rapping characters to be based of upcoming and real life famous rap artists such as Big Sean, Jay - Z, Kanye West and many more. The use of a play on words and alteration (such as Jay-E instead of Jay-Z) with celebrities' stage names this creates a sense of comedy and humour in the atmosphere of the music magazine. The main point in how I'm going to attract and address my audience is to make them believe every part of every media message they are told, this is also known as the hypodermic needle theory. The hypodermic needle theory states that they will consume my magazine like a drug straight into the brain, it is the effect of brainwashing someone, the audiences will be passive if the theory is followed, but the opposite of this is the active participant who chooses to investigate and find out more information about the media message than they are told. This is useful if social media is used and links to interact with the target audience and attract them easily. I can link and discuss 'The Uses and gratifications theory' which is an approach in understanding why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs; in this instance I have followed and implemented this theory because I have collected statistics from different participants and people and their views on my media product. 

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

At the start of the Media Studies course I had no understanding and any knowledge in the programs that companies and businesses use to create a magazine, I have a basic understanding on using software such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. When I was first introduced to Adobe Software I thought it was slightly challenging at first but now I am very confident whilst creating and editing images and photos. Whilst editing and using Song Vegas I learned many new editing techniques and strategies. For example when I was creating the lip sync evaluation question I was required to alter and change the timing of the cartoon character's mouth; with the overlay of another video of my voice whilst I discuss what kind of media institution might distribute my media product.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sEwyxQyiPUn

7. Looking back at your preliminary work what have you learnt in the progression from the college magazine to the full product?

When I look back at my college magazine that I constructed at the beginning of this media studies unit and the recently completed music magazine 'LMM'; I can tell that I have become much more confident and proficient at using Adobe In-design and Adobe Photoshop. Whilst playing and understanding these programs I've learnt more about how to edit and manipulated photographs beyond what I did in the preliminary work where I mainly edited the  facial blemishes and to find specific lighting that makes my images look more appealing and professional looking . I also think that I've become more advanced at making the pages on my music magazine more complex and attractive, this is apparent when comparing the content pages for the college and music magazines. Furthermore another reason of why my music magazine was a lot more superior to the college magazine; besides my better proficiency in employing my knowledge of the programs was because I carried out interviews with my target audience. The use of interviewing my target audience is that it gave me more feedback on what worked and what improvements could be made, and made me think about the reasoning whilst editing and creating the magazine. When making the music magazine I also had more photographs available for me to use. I would say that the main task's magazine 'LMM' has followed to the codes and conventions of a regular music magazine when compared to the preliminary work as there was a larger group of examples I could take reference from whilst researching them on the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCy6fc_OT50&t=16s