Week 19

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

My media product is a Bhangra music magazine double page spread. My media product uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products.

I have place a double page spread on the left. This double page spread's layout inspired me as there is only two colours used in this; black and white, and the page still stands out and catches the readers eyes. This shows how effective it is and shows the importance of layout and allignment of text, because even after the text is placed over an image, it is placed so that the text can still be read by the audience clearly and still show that professional look. 

The double page spread on the right features madonna. This spread also has an inspirational layout as it is also based on two colours; black, white and has hints of red. This spread however has text on only one of the pages, and the other page is fully taken up by madonna's image. Adding a well known icon helps the article and spread be noticed and taken alike to, but the layout and colour scheme and text allignment is also very important within spreads.
 
Using these two professional products, and combining the idea's, I've come up with a hybrid. I will base my double page spread on two main colours like the first spread and insert two images also, except I will layout my 1st page of the spread like the second on this spread and the second as my first. Also like madonna's spread i will keep my spread simple but effective.  

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

My media product is a bhangra music magazine double page spread. I have learnt how to organise my work better. I have done this by using margins and guide lines within InDesign programme. This has enabled me to allign my work better and keep it neat and tidy.  

3.  Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Codes and conventions used within the double page spread compared to the front cover and contents page are similar. It is simpler to create a double page spread without having a first attempt as it is similar to the cover and contents page, except this product consists of two pages. The conventions needed within this task is far less compared to cover and contents. In the double page spread, page numbers, links for fans/upcoming album or tour information, title of article/main story, images of main artist/icon and interview with artist/cover story is needed. Overall, the progression towards the full product I have learned to allign my work better, and to have a neat and clear layout so that the reader can easily find information. Also a good layout enables the product to look better and gives it more of a professional touch. Effective images are very helpful as it aids the magazine be more visually attractive.  

Week 7

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

Within the preliminary task, my media product is a college magazine. In this task I have created a college magazine front cover and contents page.    

On the right is an example of a college magazine front cover. It helped me use, develop and challenge the forms and conventions of real media products, as this magazine is a real college lifestyle magazine. The codes and conventions of this magazine cover is as follows. Firstly, from looking it is clear that this magazine has a colour scheme, and it consists of 3 colours, Black, white and yellow. The magazine background is black and have a masthead located at the top of the cover which is stretched across, big and bold in yellow clear typeface which allows it to be read clearly. The main student featured in this magazine is male, and is holding college related books to show interlect and to give the impression he is a hardworking student, and so is the college he is attending.  

By placing the model to cover some of the masthead, it shows that the magazine is well known and typeface and font is so clear that all letters of the magazine name have to be visible for readers to recognise the magazine. The price and barcode however, is located on the left hand corner of the page instead of the right like other magazine covers I have seen. The layout of this magazine is clear and organised, as the articles and phrases are located on the left and right sides of the page. On the cover, there is an advert for painballing in a pink splat. As the rest of the magazine is black, white and yellow, adding a bright colour like pink would would obviously draw readers attention away. Also the rest of the magazine seems to look quite formal and organised and this just comes in from nowhere so this shows that it is important and the was purposefully placed there to recieve an audience. They may be targetting particular students for the painballing and it seems to be a smart and high reputed college from how the magazine atmosphere is displayed.

On the right, I have placed my college front cover. It uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products. My magazine is similar and uses the same codes and conventions as the college magazine cover above. This shows my magazine also is proffessionally made. My magazine includes codes and conventions such as a Masthead, selling line, date line, price, coverlines, left third and bottom banner. My magazine also has a colour scheme which revolves around Blues, Yellow, white and black. Another consistant factor about my cover is the fontface as it uses only two fonts throughout  the cover. 

On the left, I have placed an example of a contents page. This contents page only has two images, however, within my contents page, which I have placed on the right, there are 5 images. My contents page is quite similar to this proffessionally made contents page as I also have a colour scheme within my contents page. I have used Blue, White, black and yellow within my page. I have included subscription information and editors note. The layout both these pages are similar.

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

My media product is a college magazine front cover and contents page. My media products represents particular social groups such as students, teachers and parents. I have targetted these people by using images of students, both male and female, and I have also used a variety of students within the product, ranging from different ethnicity and races. The colours used will also attract the audience as I have used blue, which is represents "cool" and other relaxed vibes. The clothing is also another factor that represents social groups as there are some iniformed images, there are some school football club images, and classroom images. These represent unity, friendship, trust and equality. 

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

My magazine is a college magazine, similar genre to lifestyle magazines, as it is to do with college students lifestyles and attitude towards college, work, exams and other college lifestyle topics. In my opinion, a media institution like Bauer media might distribute my media product as this media institution distributes a whole lot of lifestyle magazines, and since my magazine is a college lifestyle magazine, it relates to their genre of distribution. 

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for my media product is students mainly. This consists of students in the age range of 16-19, of both male and females. My magazines will target people of all races and ethnicities.