Draft No. 2

Evaluation Q7: What Have I Learnt After Looking Back On My Preliminary Task

This is a video I created and uploaded to Youtube, explaining some of the things I feel I have learnt and done better from my preliminary college magazine, to my final rap music magazine.

If the video is unavailable to watch on a mobile device, iPad or other tablet, the reason will be because the music may be copyrighted. Please watch on a computer, because Youtube allows the video to play on that.

Evaluation Q6: What I Have Learned About Technologies

Clicking this link should take you to Prezi. The Prezi on display will be my Question 6 of the evaluation of my coursework on what I have learned about technologies while doing this production.

Evaluation Q5: How Did I Attract My Target Audience

Evaluation Q4: Who Would Be The Target Audience For Your Media Product

The target audience of my magazine is a niche one of 16+ years old, predominantly males are interested in the rap music genre. The reason for this is because the magazine will include specific articles related to rap artists and music

The contents of the magazine would only be beneficial to the specific target audience because people that the magazine isn't aimed at may not understand what is inside the magazine or know what is being talked about. This means the contents really needs to be presented professionally to attract the target audience to ensure the audience it is aimed at, are attracted to it and they should feel like they want to pick it up read it and continue reading it all and like the product for it to be a success.

Evaluation Q3: What Media Institutuion Might Distribute Your Media Product and Why?

The media institution that would distribute my product would be Bauer Media Group. The reason I chose this media institution, is because they are already proven to be reliable and successful as they publish magazines such as Q and KERRANG and also because they have experience publishing music magazines, which is the type of magazine mine is. This therefore means they would help successfully distribute my production to its intended target audience and achieve good sales as the target audience would see who it is published by and their confidence in the reliability of the magazine would be increased, due to the magazines they have previously published, meaning there is a higher chance my magazine will be bought.
This publisher will help with the success of the product as they have experience with music specific magazines. This will benefit the magazine as it is rap genre specific which will have a  very niche audience so it would be best being published by a music institution, which will also help the target audiences reliability of the product.
It would be on sale on both mass and niche scale, in supermarkets and post offices but also in music shops such as HMV along with others. This is because, the mass scale will help boost sales and also attract more of the target audience and boost its publicity, as more people will see the product on sale, alongside other popular magazines. Being alongside other popular magazine would make the target audience realize it is a professional magazine that is able to be placed next to and compete with other top magazines. But niche scale sales would also benefit the magazine. This is because if it was sold in a place like HMV, a very popular store that is known for selling many music related products, it would be seen by many people interested in music, and there would be an increased chance  of it being noticed for often by its target audience, as many people interested in rap music will go in to this shop and therefore see the product and potentially buy the product. Being sold in music stores would mean it would be exposed to music lovers more than it would on a mass sale as people who go in the shop, will be there for some sort of musical interest.

Evaluation Q2: Representation of Social Groups

My magazine represents rappers and individuals who are interested in rap music. The reason for this is due the contents of my production. The front cover represents rappers as thugs. This is done by the main image consisting of a rapper with a not very welcoming, serious facial expressions, along with him holding both his hands up, showing a come at me or bring it on pose, which links to someone who is rather rude and doesn't care very much about what might happen as he isn't afraid of anyone. Another thing that contributes to representing rappers as thugs is on the contents page, it is the article relating to drugs and alcohol. This helps represent them as thugs as drugs are illegal and aren't advised to be taken, again indicating that rappers, don't care and don't follow the rules.
My magazine also represents rap artists as successful too,  although they are shown to be thugs, which are two things that may not really be associated. The reason for this representation is because of on the front cover, contents and DPS, rap artists are shown to be successful through text. Firstly, the front cover has sell lines advertising articles, about a breakout album, and top 10 singles albums which are also mentioned on the contents page. Secondly, the contents page mentions what i just said along with most wanted tours. Finally the DPS' headline mentions a guide to success along with the article contents being about being successful. Each piece of my production represents rappers as successful because each section states a positive, successful thing about rap artists. For example, most wanted tours represent success because if the target audience wants a certain rapper's tour, they most be successful to be that popular. Also, top 10's represent success because if a rapper is within the top 10, or better that at number 1, they must be successful, again to be that poplar and have so many people like their music. Lastly, a guide to success represents a rappers success, because they are giving tips on how to be a success, which must mean they know what they're saying.

Evaluation Q1: Use, Develop, Challenge Common Conventions of Real Life Media Products

Click this link to be directed to my Question 1 of the evaluation of my media production

Draft No.1

After conducting some research on my target audience. Some changes will be made the above draft. The target audience feels that the date in the bottom left is out of place as it is down to the left out the way. So I think I will change it to the top somewhere around the title to make it clearer to see when looking at the masthead. Another thing that has been suggested is the clarity of the sell lines. It seems that the sell lines are blending in with the background image, making it harder for the target audience to notice and read. I'll change the clarity of the font by either adding a text book behind with reduce opacity, to allow it to look clearer against the image or by making the text bolder so it stands out against the main image.

My contents page also requires some changes to allow it to look better and greater suit the target audience. Firstly, my research has shown me that sections should be added to the contents to separate the articles. This will put the articles in to particular groups, split up throughout the magazine. This will allow the target audience to notice the section headers and be able to easier find the specific article they want to read.

Research has also told me my DPS could include some changes. The first is the positioning of the headline. They feel it is too central, therefore cross the gutter of the magazine. So to make it appeal to the target audience more, I will move the headline more to the left hand side of the page so it doesn't cross that gutter as much and allow the majority of the right page be focussed on the main image of the actor. Another thing the target audience feel can be improved is the font. This is because the article font is all capitals, which looks odd in a magazine as common conventions of a magazine will have the article font be in regular writing with upper and lower case text. So by changing this to a more regular font I may be able to better attract my target audience as it will suit their particular needs and interests.

Front Cover Analysis

Click this to be took to Prezi where I analysed 3 magazine front covers

Contents Analysis

These 3 pictures below are all analysed contents pages from 3 different magazines. The analyses mainly contain how target audience is attracted successfully and why this happens as it is very important that magazines continue to attract target audience throughout the magazine and not just on the front cover. This is because it is the first real informative part that gives the audience an insight on what's inside and is a big persuader in making them buy this certain product. Along with that there are parts where common conventions of a magazine is used as it is essential that magazines, use in the magazine what should be used. This is to make sure the magazine looks professional and believable and doesn't look fake. This again also plays a big role in attracting target audience.

DPS Changes

This above was my initial draft of my double page spread. The font I used was called Trajan Pro and it is a rather classic and basic font which is a reason why I used it as it may typically break the rap genre stereotype as it doesn't really fit well because rappers are seen as thugs rather than classy. Another reason I used it is because it was very simple and looked clean on all of my production pieces and didn't look out of place when combined with photos and other conventions of a magazine.

But after speaking to multiple members of potential target audience, I have altered the production. I was advised of what I already knew but what I decided to go against. I was told that the font didn't fit in with the genre of the magazine. This meant the the magazines professionalism will be lacking as the magazine wouldn't look real or believable. Therefore meaning it wouldn't attract the target audience very well because at a glance, the target audience may not realise it is a rap magazine as they are unable to create a relationship with the contents of the magazine and therefore not buy it and may buy a more professional magazine. Another reason I decided to take the advice on board and change the font is because this new font does relate to the audience more and also suit the genre much better. This is because rap is a modern type of music, so using a modern font, benefits the magazine as the two link together well, to help attract the gaze of the target audience and also makes the magazine look more realistic and professional. The font is also bold, as is rap music due to the lyrics they commonly contain. So this factor, as with the previous one, helps better attract the target audience of rap as they will be able to relate better to the font as it is more associated with rap music and can contribute to the magazine creating a relationship with the reader as they will easily be able to tell the magazine is a modern magazine which it is.