Evaluation of Preliminary Task

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

My magazine cover is unusual compared to other student magazines. I previously looked at other examples as research, and generally the covers had a rebellious and edgy style. My cover is more sophisticated looking, but not too sophisticated. This gives a fairly relaxed feel without it being too obnoxious. The articles shown on the cover and contents page are based off what I would expect from a student magazine, even If some are not particularly realistic. The title is fairly short and easy to remember, and the mode of address is fairly informal and relaxed.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I feel that my magazine is relatable for teenagers/students that are both male and female. I have avoided any stereotypes by making the articles fairly wide-spread, with music, film, celebrities and things happening in the college. The images and connotations is not particularly unusual for a student magazine and do not challenge the generic conventions of student magazines.

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

The college itself would be the publisher and it would be distributed to students of Ludlow College. The price would be £1.99, as it says on the cover. It would likely be sold inside the college grounds somewhere, so only the students and staff would be able to get hold of it. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The magazine is aimed at the students of the college mainly. This means males and females in their late teens. There could also be sections more aimed at the staff of the college. The students buying it would most likely have a fair amount of disposable income and may have a job. 

How did you attract/address your audience?

The cover has a large image of somebody around the intended audience’s age, looking pretty and relaxed. This gives the reader a feel of how the magazine is going to be to read, as it may cause them to think the whole magazine is a nice easy read. The images on the contents page depict people having fun and being silly, which gives the sense of the magazine not being too serious.

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

Creating the magazine’s cover and contents has made me realise the work that goes into creating a magazine. I have learned how to use InDesign in quite a lot of detail, and have the ability to make somewhat good quality files with it. I am completely inexperienced with the program itself, but am quite familiar with similar programs by Adobe such as Photoshop. Because of this I recognised a lot of the tools and picked it up fairly quickly.