Tuesday 10 May 2011

Final Product !

These are my finished pieces.

Front cover





















Contents Page





















Double Page Article

EVALUATION ! - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product and looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

While constructing my project I worked with limiting technologies. This was the first time I had used a proffessional camera which meant I had to experiment with the settings and the way I used the camera. When using the camera in a dark area it automatically changed to make the image brighter. I had also never used photoshop before this project. For me this was a struggle as at first I found photoshop complicated to use. Through out my project I found that I could use different techniques to improve my image. For example I had to work out how to use the cropping tool to crop the main image for my front cover.

The prelimenary task helped me to prepare for my main project as this was the time I got to experiment with photoshop and using the technology. If I was going to do this project again personally I believe I could of planned my front cover thoroughly as I found making my front cover the most difficult. Although I believe I have made successful progression.

Monday 9 May 2011

EVALUATION ! - Who would be the audience for your media product & how did you attract/address your audience?

For my project I have created character profiles of what my target audience would look like further down on my blog.

http://bethshannon1333.blogspot.com/2011/02/character-profile.html

For my target audience I wanted to appeal to both genders. I aimed my magazine at working class people. I did this by having the price of magazine at £3.00. I chose my price by researching existing magazines. At my audience research I asked closed questions in the form of a questionnaire. I recorded my results by making pie charts.


I also asked some open questions in the form of a questionnaire. I prefered the closed questionnaire as I got precise answers and I felt some of the audience did not answer my open questionnaire clearly. I have recorded my results.



I also asked open questions in the form of an interview.
Here is my interview :

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

During my project I researched what company might distribute my magazine. I decided to look at the Bauer website.

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/

These are the largest privately owned publishing company in Europe. I believe that these would distrbute my magazine because as an editor I would trust Bauer Media Company to get the sales I need. I would place my magazine in the women's category although at this moment in time they do not distribute music magazine's in this category. The reason I would put my magazine in this category is because personally I believe most of my audience would be the female genre. I would not put my magazine in the Men's category as these magazines are more on the side of the rock genre.

http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/Brands

EVALUATION ! - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

As I have been creating my media project I have been researching existing magazines and magazines from the past. For my project there could be a slight controversy about the way I have presented my model. This could be because it is a typical musical pose for a front cover of a magazine as she is holding a microphone. Although I have not intended to do this. In the 1990’s women were starting to get their power. Before this our country was set to their traditions as men were more powerful and was in control. There are never any discussions on the representation of men. Women were treat differently. As the 90’s approached there were a group of women starting to appear and got the name feminists. These are women that believe in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes. On the front of magazines women were starting to be shown as more masculine rather than feminine. People could argue that the traditions were still alive as they were trying to show women as men.

Nowadays women are seen differently as we are living in a post-modern society. On the front of magazine covers women are represented as feminine although there are still debates on the way women are shown. The stereotype of a model is they have to be the size zero look. This is making young girls all over the world starving them selves to look like these girls. Some celebrities are pushing the industry into using bigger girls as models but we still are seeing these skinny models taking over the shelves. Although we always see celebrities trying to diet to become skinnier. Feminists are still around today fighting for full equality between genders. Some women are so set on their ways they start acting masculine. Men are supposed to have a physical presence when they enter the room. For example having bulging muscles is meant to be pretty.

Notably different genre’s and different celebrities see genders in slightly different ways. For example my genre I chose which was pop is not dominated by men unlike other genre's of music. In the pop genre men are bothered are about their appearance. Celebrities in the pop genre need to look good.

For my project I have not chose to make my model fit with the stereotype as personally I think the size zero look is wrong. I wanted my magazine to appeal to both genders not just one. I also believe that I have embraced the convention about genders for my genre. I have done this as I think this is what looks good for my magazine. I personally believe that women will never be truly equal towards men as the royals today still have the tradition that men are powerful and they are the rulers of the country. Should everyone follow this?

Overall feminism believes that men control the media and use women as sex objects. The post feminist view was that the women make their own decision and control their own destiny. The advert for the perfume poison with the actress Sophie Doll started the controversy of the feminist view. One women that is important is Naomi Wolf as she believes both sides of the arguments and can understand both points. Personally I believe women do make their own decisions in life.

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