STARZ Magazine
Tejdeep Maju
In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media magazine has many conventions similar to that of real media products. Background colours are dark with bright coloured text which is also seen on real media magazines. The images from my media magazine contains images which represent the genre well giving a clear insight into what the music magazine will contain. This is essential in real media products and allows the audience to establish the general genre of magazine initially. Magazines of a hip-hop nature seem to contain minimal content on the front covers. My media product also uses this convention of minimal content with the main image and typeface telling the audience everything they need to know on the genre of the magazine. The language used within the magazine is informal which is a typical convention within a media product of this genre. The name of the magazine also gives a clear insight to the audience, what the genre is. My magazine ‘STARZ’ is generally an informal and is technically incorrect but this is common amongst this genre and can be familiarised with the audience.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My media represents social groups by using relevant colours, text and image. The colours are dark on light which represents a more informal, younger group of people. This social group are familiar with the product through these uses of colours. The text is big, bold and informal which is typical and easily recognised by a younger audience. The magazine title; STARZ is informal yet known as slang amongst the social group targed by the magazine.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Internet is a institution that might be able to distribute my media product. The product could be distributed as a part of a website where its audience can see the product online, on a website relevant to the magazine genre. The audience of the product would be young and therefore would spend time online which would mean they would prefer to view the product on the internet rather than in print. This type of media institution allows the audience to suscribe to the product as well, receiving regular issues by paying via paypal online, making the process easy and efficient.
Another media institution that would distribute my media is print. This is the primary distribution as some of audience may prefer to buy the product from stores and read it in print rather than online. This may be preferable to the people who may not have regular access to the internet.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
My media product will be targeted at a younger audience. From ages 14-25. The language used and content within the magazine is familiar to that from this age group. The language used is informal and slang so would be easily recognised by the audience and is the most relevant for this type of target audience.
How did you attract/address your audience?
The language and colours used within the audience attracts the audience initially. The magazine title; STARZ is informal and therefore recognised by a younger audience which the product is targeted at. Other language such as; mixtape rather than album, usually relates to a more underground, hip-hop type of language which is familiar amongst this audience and addresses to them that this product is aimed at them.
The red colour used within the title addresses the audience as its contrasted on a black background, which is common amongst this genre. The black background stands out to the audience attracting them towards the product as they can familiarise themselves with it.
The image of a ‘hooded’ young black male also attracts the audience as this sort of style; dress-code and pose is stereotypical of the people the magazine is aimed at. The can relate ot this and combined with the colours and title the audience are attracted towards the product.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
By constructing this product I have learnt how to use specific features within adobe photoshop. The layered feature within photoshop allowed me to construct my product to my best ability. Technology like this allowed me to cut out and contruct images to fit my magazines content. The technology of photoshop has taught me to construct a product using images, colours, text, size, layers and editing.
By drawing out the product initially on paper, the technology has allowed me to develop the paper drawing into a more mature, better constructed product by using the various abilities of photo shop. Small things such as positioning of the text and layering of the content has taught me to develop the product further into something more like a real media product.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the profession from it to the full product?
I have learnt to construct a more mature media product through the use of technologies such as photoshop. Realising that the slightest input made a big difference and by making changes and re-arranging text, image and colours I was able to develop my media product. The preliminary task showed I wasn’t very good at constructing this type of product and didn’t really understand the conventions of developing a magazine. But throughout lessons and learning how to use photoshop I have learnt how to add or move things around which in itself taught me that developing a media product is more than just the content but how its arranged and perceived by the target audience.
