Sunday, 27 December 2015


7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back I feel that I’ve learnt so many new thing from when I made my college magazine which was more like a trial. When making my college magazine, I learnt how to navigate all the simple things but even then I still had to ask for some help. But after this and more lessons on learning how to use the apps I got better and better.

What I could say was an improvement that stood out for me is my mast heads. When I first ever made my college magazine I didn’t really know how to make a great mast head, so it was very plain and simple. After a couple lessons and time spent learning how to use publisher and various apps, I learnt how to make a mast head properly.


 

As you can see from the images above my masthead was very plain and simple compared to when I came to make my music magazine.

Friday, 25 December 2015


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

Making my magazine required me too use various different new technologies that I have never used and also some that I have used but didn’t really play close attention to it. I learnt how to use DSLR camera, compact, digital cameras, PhotoShop, InDesign, web design / blogger, slideshares, timetoast, prezi and other apps; uploading/ embedding video content.

From using all of this I developed new skills and learnt how to access these different apps with or without help from the teacher.

For example with InDesign I had used that to create my double page spread for my magazine. I learnt how to export and import. I also learnt how to place images in and resize them, so that they can fit into the box that I created for my a3 sheet and also the use of rulers to split my page into two.

Another app that I learnt how to use was prezi. I learnt how to use this when I wasmaking a presentation to show to my class how my magazine, mast head would look like and also the colour scheme  and this was recorded and posted on youtube for my magazine proposal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOHHHfys4dA

5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

The main focus when making my magazine was not just who I was going to write about or who would feature in the magazine, but also my audience. The people who would buy the magazine and actually read it. From class discussions and getting a general feedback from everyone on who to target and my style of writing I chose my audience.

I feel that the elements that attract my audience are the images and also my front cover because of the featured artist. When young readers will see it n shelves it will push them to pick it up and read it also the cover lines on my front page of featured artist will also make them want to read the magazine. I also done a survey with my friends and people within the college that if they saw my magazine on a shop shelf, would they pick it up and read it. Majority said yes they will and the ones who sad no it was because they didn’t interest themselves in the particular genre that my magazine was based upon.

Thursday, 24 December 2015


4.  What would be the audience for your media product?

For my magazine I chose to pick the age range of 12-18. I chose this based on the age of the featured artists themselves and also the lyrics that are used in their songs.  The boys talk about having fun, going party and girls and as teenagers that is what going through many young boys mind and they can relate to this. My main article about AHM, the boys are from the borough of hackney, so their audience starts off with those who live close to the, knows them or even attends the same school as them.

My inspired magazine was XXL, but rather than having a young audience like mine XXL goes for a little older audience because of the people featured in their magazines. As I said earlier by looking at my magazine you may feel that is more for a male audience rather than a female audience but I have included images of females within the contents that there’s no specific gender that can read control dat but everyone.
           2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?


My chosen social group is working class and also teenagers as well age 12-19 because the artist featured in my magazine are in that age range so they would be interested but there is no limit with the age of who can and can’t read the magazine. The message that I’ve tried to get across especially in my double page article and also my front page is that no matter your age, background or the way you were raised you can do something and it can have a big effect on people.

 For  example the artist mentioned and projects mentioned in  my magazine are all about young people who had the initiative to do something that will not only be for their own benefit but also the benefit of other people. In my article I didn’t use slang that much but I did write in a way that was easy for any reader to read whether you’re young or you’re a young adult. The representation of my magazine is rather positive than negative because it mentions the good deeds young people are doing in society than the negative.  
1.    In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?



My music magazine Control Dat challenges forms and conventions of real magazines because I used a real music magazine for me to form my own magazine buy adding new things onto my magazine. Although my layout is a little different to the XXL magazine, I got an inspiration from this, having my artist in a sitting down position and having them focused on the camera just like the XXL magazine shot. I have various cover lines on the side of my image. Just like XXL I have chosen a grey background and a colour scheme of red and black instead of red and white. Unlike XXL I include a competition, a chance to win a ticket to my featured artist concert on my front page.  Overall: similar layout, cover lines.

The shot size of my shoot is quite close and not too far away. I didn’t really think about what angle that I was going to take my picture with but I took the picture and my camera was in a straight position and the photo came out well. For the models outfit it was more of his choice but I advised him to wear something comfortable but also still gave away that kind of rap/grime gangster look, and he followed this by wearing a hoodie and baggy jeans. For my masthead I was inspired by the artists that I had written about and their hit song control that, all about young boys who have entered the music industry and have controlled the scene. I didn’t want to fill my front page with so much writing so I kept it small and clean just like XXL. 

Wednesday, 23 December 2015




I had followed XXL idea of having two separate content pages for my magazine control that.