EVALUATION

I decided to base my music magazine around the genre of 'Country/indie', this idea was generated from bands I enjoy listening to such as Mumford and Sons. The use of the country genre was easy for me to produce and create as it was something I feel passionate about, I used the opportunity to take advantage of my rural setting and captured images on the farm and various other areas. I used the rural photos and created a country and western feel to them by editing the photos to create a hot/sunny effect. The use of tractors, hay bales and the clothing worn by people feature also contributed to this.

I used a variety of software to enable me to produce my coursework:

1,

SERIF PAGE PLUS

SERIF PHOTO PLUS

  BLOGGER

MICROSOFT PUBLISHER

1. Serif Page Plus: The use of Serif Page Plus enabled me to create and edit my magazine designs. As well as allowing further editing to my photos, it also allowed me to finalise my magazine to the standard of that on the current market. I found this software especially useful.

2. Serif Photo Plus: The use of Serif Photo Plus allowed me to adjust and edit my photos in a more professional manor. Whilst being able to create an image to a certain quality, it also enabled me to cut out and change the quality of the photo, again allowing a professional attempt towards my magazine design. Although at first I found this software hard to understand, it became an essential tool in the creation of my magazine pages.

3. Blogger: Using Blogger as a base for all my coursework aloud me to electronically access my work pretty much anywhere, it also enabled my teacher to access my work without any unorganised problems, which allowed me to continue to create and finish my coursework in a smooth and easy manor. I found Blogger extremely simple to used, however it did bare a small problem as it took a large amount of time to upload photos etc.

4. Microsoft Publisher: I used Microsoft Publisher as a replacement for Serif Page Plus as I didn't have that software at home. It held a very useful application to have on my computer as it allowing me to carry on with coursework when I had free time etc. Although Microsoft Publisher created a good substitute for Serif Page Plus, it did however have minimalistic tools and the point of editing was very basic, and that held a small down fall for the software.

5. Picnick: Picnick was used to edit the contrast and brightness of the pictures, I used it to make my photographs appear they had been taken in the heat allowing the effect of a hot environment. The only downfall to the use of Picnick was that a lot of the applications available on it were not free.

6. Samsung Camera: I used a basic Samsung camera to take all of my photos, I was happy to use this as my source because it did what I needed it to do. However, I would have preferred to use a slightly more high-tech camera to allow for more detailed angles and settings to be created.

I feel that my media product uses and develops forms and conventions by relating to my specific genre. I think that I aimed my product at as younger audience, however it still was accessible and relatable for a wide and older audience. I allowed my article to relate to the photos and style edited in the magazine which allowed it to continue the Country genre style. In comparison, I think that my magazine challenged forms and conventions by using the genre of Country music. This is because it isn't widely popular or recognised by a larger popularity. However more recently independent bands and pop stars have been reproducing these styles of music in example - Taylor Swift and Mumford and Sons, which simultaneously reflect older bands such as The Wurzels. I particularly enjoy country and I think that's why I found it easy to relate to the magazine and create a certain image. But, I also found the creation of the product challenging because the genre itself isn't widely popular which found research particularly harder to acquire.

My media product represents particular social groups by aiming to relate to a vast audience. I think that it does this because I have chosen to photograph and feature younger artists, which is typical of the media's portrayal of what is 'in' at the moment and it also reflects a tendency of the music industry to introduce younger fresh faced artists to take over e music industry - as we see less and less of the popular classics such as Whitney Houston, Madonna and of course Beyonce (who ironically is still incredibly popular, despite dominating the industry for such a long period of time.

I think Vinyl Index would be distributed in the well known institutions such as WHSmith and other large news agents. You may also see it in institutions such as HMV or specialist online areas. With a lack of popularity by the majority it may be hard to sell it in smaller institutions, however it may appear in smaller music stores which specialise in the country genre/instruments. 

My main audience for Vinyl Index would be those that are interested in country music, and although it is stereotyped to an older audience I believe that it will attract a wider audience as the music doesn't necessarily reflect to a particular age group. During research and discussion I retrieved information that the genre will reflect mainly from 'late teens' to those in their early 50's. The research that i have retracted allowed me to believe that Vinyl Index will be successful in the industry because it relates to a wide-spread specific audience and there a less of this particular genre's magazine on the market.

I attracted or addressed my audience by copying techniques of more popular/well-known magazines such as Mojo or Kerrang, by which they use newer or popular artists to feature in the magazine, which for many is the initial attraction to purchase the magazine. Then once you begin to read the magazine your audience retrieves much more from it which enables magazine such as the above to be successful. Another particular technique used by popular magazines is that of offers and prize's or 'SHOCKING' stories - because realistically although you are aiming your magazine at the media audience, it still reflects many of the modern day 'gossip' magazines - as this is what attracts an audience; of no matter what type.

In the production of my music magazine I learnt about techniques of the music industry such as: Pull quotes and Cover lines. I have also learnt how to use software from Serif to Blogger which has enabled not only my media knowledge to grow, but also my ICT. In the beginning lessons, leading up to the creation of my coursework we learnt about using different camera angles to portray a different setting, mood or effect in that image. In addition to this I learnt about very minor things such as constructing and editing photos. As well as photo scanning written work.

I feel that I have learnt to excel in the use of a lot more of the applications in the software accessible to me, which, in turn, has allowed my media product to be presented to a higher standard than that of my peliminary task. From research and work I have completed I grew to understand how to relate and adjust to what your audience wants. This allowed me to finalise my product to a standard I felt acceptable to my particuar audience. I also believe I understand much more about how institutions attarct their own audiences and how this also occurs with the artists imaged themself, and that everything is created and designed to relate to the audience - something which I particularly experienced when writing my magazine article.