EVALUATION OF PRACTICAL

PRODUCTION
MUSIC MAGAZINE

Lorna Inglis
 Music Magazine
 Genre – Alternative/rock/metal music
 Target audience – 16-24 year old interested in
alternative/rock music
 Magazine name – Insight
 Front page, contents page, double page spread,
advert
 Monthly issues
 SKYLINE
MASTHEAD
TAGLINE
PRIMARY IMAGE USP

MAIN COVER
SECONDARY IMAGES LINE

DATELINE AND PRICE

STRAPLINE
BARCODE
 USP

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

• I have based my magazine on similar genre magazine. So therefore is quite

similar. I have researched the ways in which magazines layout their pages
and what I think works the best and in which ways. My final product is
similar in the layout and colour scheme.
• I was influenced by magazines such as Q, KERRANG! and NME. Which I
looked at the typical codes and conventions of and worked from what I saw
most common.
• My magazine follows codes and conventions of similar products by
following the basic layout of similar products. Things like having a large,
bright masthead at the top of the front cover show this.
• The magazine I have produced fits in to the market by being aimed at a
slightly younger audience and having a slightly more rock/metal genre.
There aren’t many magazine that have that specific genre. They normally
have more of a general mainstream rock genre.
 How does your media product represent particular social
groups?

• My magazine represents bands and artists that would appeal to my target

audience.
• I have represented them to suit the genre of music, so quite dark images
for some or classic rock poses for the live pictures. I have represented them
as strong musicians so in most pictures there are instruments.
• I wanted them to be shown as musicians rather than just someone who is
in the media because they sang a song and had a pretty face. I want them
to be seen as people who would dedicate there life to music. So that they
are respected as musicians.
• I have addressed the audience in quite an informal/casual way so it is
more approachable to my target audience.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media
product and why?

• My magazine would be published by by Bauer Media Group who

publish magazines such as Q and KERRANG! which are of similar
genres.
• My magazine would be suitable for this production company
because they produce similar magazines with the same genre.
Because they produce similar style/genre they would know where
and how to advertise and sell the magazine.
• From technology evolving so quickly magazines are not always
only print media they are now consumed online and on
smartphone apps as well. Technological convergence has caused
media to now be produced in many other ways and the institution
would understand and adapt to this.
 Who would be the audience for your media product?

• The purpose of my magazine is to inform and to entertain the readers. To

inform about new music and top rated music. Also upcoming bands and
events that may be happening. It is also entertaining by finding out the
latest on the already famous bands/artists. People find this entertaining
because they have need to know. (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs-at the top)
• My audience profile would be stereotypically any gender, age 16-24, interest
in music, students, lower-middle/middle class. They would have other
interests such as watching films and reading. My audience would fit into
groups E, D and C2 but no higher due to the informality of the copy. They
would read newspapers such as Daily Mail or The Sun.
• I have written my magazine in a preferred reading which is to show the
audiences appreciation of music and it makes easier to read. (cultivation
theory)
• People would read my magazine as a means of diversion to reality so they
can aspire to be well and also to distract from their own life and for the
duration of the reading they wouldn’t have to think about work or anything
that is bothering them (Blumler and Katz uses and gratifications theory)
 How did you attract/address your audience?

• I choose my theme to be red and black. The connotations of these

colours are
-Red: danger, alert, warning, power, strength and passion
I’ve gone for obviously the power and strength connotations of red
because the type of music is powerful and a lot of the people associated
with it like to be known for this.
-Black: dark, mystery, death, elegance, power, negative, fear
Black I have chosen to represent the dark, mystery that is also coming
from the type of the music.
• I have addressed the audience in quite an informal/casual way so it
is more approachable to my target audience.
• The language within the article is very chatty because it’s an
interview it is written as if the artist is speaking to the audience. If it
was written formally I think the audience would feel distant to the
character and wouldn’t be able to fully communicate and empathise
with the artist.
• I choose the name ‘INSIGHT’ to attract the audience and entice
them into wanting to buy it.
Insight - the capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive
understanding of a person or thing. – I feel this is appropriate because
the audience want to know about the band/artist.
• The fonts I haven chosen throughout my magazine suit the genre of
music it looks edgy and slightly gothic which I think it fits into the
genre and target audience.
• All of the photographs have the target audience in mind as well. On
my front cover I have a very dark eerie pose you also cant see much
of his face which suits the metal/rock music genre. When you get
onto the actual article (the double page spread) the pose opens up
and has a very aggressive expression.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
To get audience feedback on my finished product I uploaded my
magazine onto facebook and then asked 5 questions.
1. Does it look convincing as a music magazine?
2. Would you buy it in a shop and at the price on the cover? And which
shop would you expect to see it in?
3. Is it appealing?
4. Is the style appropriate to the magazine?
5. What age group do you think
this is aimed at?
I then collected all of the feedback on
word.
1)Yes
2)If I bought music magazines, then probably, in a shop which sells them3)It's
appealing to me
4)Yes
5)Late teens/early 20s This is the audience
1) yes because of the cover shows bands and album releases feedback that I got
2) yes WH smiths tesco answering the
3) yes questions. From this
4) yes could do with more colour to catch peoples attention I learnt that I proced
5) 14-25
my magazine too
 
1) yes high for the content
2) yes, tesco of it. Also that it had
3) yes clear target audience
4) yes and easily
5) teenagers distinguished
  demographics.
1) yes
2) I would buy it at £3.20 if it came with a free cd or poster or something
3) yes it is extremely appropriate
4) yes, lots of colours!!
5) 16-25
Although I feel I have achieved well, at first I thought it wouldn’t be
as hard as it was! I have learnt a lot about different Adobe programs
and now feel a lot more comfortable with using them. I think I
jumped in with the photography too early and should have thought
about the different layouts first then just placed everything in and
tried it that way as apposed to starting with the images.
I learnt about the pricing of magazines and how they need
promotional offers to be sold at higher prices.
I also had some feedback about my cover image they said that the
person was too covered up and would like to see faces. During the
planning of this image it was to add the sense of mystery and to fit
in with the genre of music. Clearly this was misinterpreted and if I
did it again I would make my cover image more clear without the
hood and the guitar maybe just one or the other.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you
have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

My preliminary was very

basic and I also produced
it on Photoshop. For my
practical piece I chose to
try out InDesign to
produce it. I found to
design layout and insert
photos it was much easier.
I have learnt by
researching more
magazines how to
properly lay out the
magazines.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you
have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Both of the tasks were very

different I found the practical
task a lot easier because you can
find a lot more research and
information on it. For a sixth
form magazine I couldn’t find
any example and had to go on
what I would think a sixth form
magazine would look like
therefore it didn’t turn out very
well and didn’t look at all
professional. Having spent a lot
more time on the practical task I
found many things that I didn’t
know about the basics of
producing a magazine.