AS Media Studies - Anthony Sanders

In what ways does your Media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Being a regular reader of magazines such as NME and Q magazine I already had an idea of what sort of conventions apply to a music magazine.I wanted it to still look recognisable as a music magazine so I stuck with a simple layout typical of a magazine such as NME but I moved away from the usual black and red colour scheme, by using a blue and gold. Rather than use a plain white or colour back ground I opted for a setting to give the magazine more character and the picture becomes part of my main article.I noticed that many music magazine front covers are plastered with plugs But magazines such as mojo and Q stick to a cleaner approach with less plugs.This is the look that i went for.

How does your Media product represent particular social groups?
I don't think that my magazine is particularly targeted at a certain age goup i just belive that it is aimed at a certain reader and listener, a listener who s into there main stream pop culture that people would asociate with the younger generation but I feel it is open o anyone.

What kind of Media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I think that if i were to produce and distribute my magazine i would choose Bauer music as I have tried to make my magazine look contemporary but at the same time tried to make it so it wouldn't look out if place alongside clash or Q magazine.Also Bauer is a big competitor in the magazine industry even having music channels and award ceremonies.

Who would be the audience for your Media product?
People who love to listen to indie, rock, brit pop or from bands that are just making it in the music industry to well established bands.Members of the public who like their basic trendy fashion for example brands like Adidas,Lyle and Scott or Ted Baker.
How did you attract/address your audience?
I tried to attract my audience by having a front cover which is different to any other I've seen, I feel i did this by using a car (mini) to attract curiosity as a car on a front cover is conventional to a car magazine.I used the Mini as i feel my magazine is targeted at listeners of Brit pop/rock and the Mini seems to be a symbol Briton and the sixties the era of the Beatles and The Who.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I know now that there are lots of different soft wares that you can use to create your final product for example I have used powerpoint, publisher,Photoshop and microsoft word.Althogh i think photoshop is very good i think that it is very useful for editing pictured but quite difficult to create a magazine using the software.

Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I feel that I have learnt a lot about the production of a magazine and how hard it would be to do it for real I have made two magazines in around five months and have realised alot of effort has to go into making a magazine that looks decent.I have also learnt about photo shop and publisher and that your photos don't have to be edited beyond recognition and that if you just take lots of good quality pictures and choose the best you will get a better result.