Evaluation of Preliminary Task

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Before completing the preliminary task of designing and producing a new student magazine, I analysed and researched other student magazines, such as Aspire and Campus Life, in order to find typical themes and features that I could include in my own magazine. I found that there were certain elements that all students magazines seemed to like to use. Most of the magazines I looked at had a central image of a student/students or something student related. This creates a bigger connection with the reader, even if they don't know it, as it shows somebody of a similar age to them. They also all seemed to have similar mode of addresses by being quite formal but in an informal manner. They did this by giving information and news about serious things in a rather chatty, light-hearted way. This makes it an easier read and so, for that reason, would appeal to students as they probably want to read to relax. Another thing I found was that the colour scheme and house style should catch the readers eye but shouldn't be to in your face as that may be annoying.
After doing my research I had a better idea of how my magazine should look. However, I did try and stay away from a completely typical student magazine. I chose to have a central image of a student, in order to get my magazine to relate to the reader more but also to introduce a story that will hopefully interest the reader. I chose 'Ntertain' as the name and masthead for my magazine, as it says literally what type of magazine it is but it is also unique, and that will create a connection with some students. The colour scheme and house style that I chose, of mainly pink and blue colours and quite organised sections, relates to both males and females and is also eye-chatching but quite simple. The fonts that I used connote fun and enjoyment but also maturity. This, I feel, is great for students, as they are at the stage where they want to enjoy both childhood and adulthood.
How does your media product represent certain social groups?
I chose the target audience of students at my college. So this is both male and female teenagers between, typically, the ages of 16-18. From completing my audience research I found that students don't want to pay very much for a student magazine. Possibly because they cant afford to spend loads on luxuries and things that are not necessities. So, taking my research in to consideration, I chose to charge only 99p for my magazine. My colour scheme and house style represent male and female students, as it is quite simple and fun. However, it does represent them in a bit of a stereotypical way, as there is pink for girls and blue for boys. On the other hand, my central image appeals to all genders, as it is a picture of something everyone enjoys someway or another - music. The image is also simple and so connotes relaxation and enjoyment.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I would have the magazine produced and sold in college, as it contains local information as well as bigger news. It could become an enrichment choice, for people interested in media and producing media products. It would be a great experience for people who want go into a media based career.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
My audience would be all genders aged 16-18, maybe older for people doing longer courses or started college late, and would be anybody interested in gaming, movies, music and more, as well as college life/news.
How did attract/address your audience?
I attracted my audience by using images, fonts, colours, etc that would interest and appeal to them. My images, especially my central image, showed events and news that would interest a lot of students, so these attracted them. The fonts that I used were simple but bold and eye-catching and this catches the readers eye at the same time as connoting relaxation and easiness. I didn't use to many, which gave a sense of consistency to the magazine, adding to the easy feel. My colour scheme and house style give a similar effect to my fonts, as it is simple but eye-catching, in the way that it isn't in your face but draws your attention to the magazine.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
To design and produce my magazine I used Adobe InDesign, which is a little similar to Microsoft Publisher but just with more possibilities. However, this does make it a little complicated at times, especially as I had never used it properly before. But, all in all, InDesign is relatively simple and very effective in the production of a magazine. the skills I have learnt with this programme will most definitely help with my main coursework task of creating a new music magazine. Another programme i used was Photo Booth. Photo Booth is very simple to use and was an effective way to record information and research for my task.