When researching I had to fully learn about
different theories which should be included into my full product so that I
would follow conventions of a magazine product. I had to learn about these
theories in order to understand and use them in my product. The theories which
I had to learn about were Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, The Male Gaze, The Uses
and Gratifications Theory and Hyperreality, I found that these were vital
theories which I must consider when constructing my full product in order for
my audience to be interested and attracted to my mode of address. Without
having these theories in my full product it would make my magazine lack
professionalism as they give my full product a way to appeal to an audience. On
my preliminary task I may have used some of these theories but not in the full
extent, on my full product I learnt from these theories things such as how to
show information, different needs and wants such as dreams and aspirations and
how to represent models to my target demographic like editing images. These theories gave me an
understanding of what I should have done on my preliminary task but I improved
and used them on my full product.
In my preliminary task I had a target
audience of student, teachers and parents who I had to aim my school magazine
at. In the creation of this I only had a short amount of knowledge on all three
of these demographics due to the fact I completed the task without conducting
research into their needs and expectations. This put me at a disadvantage as I
did not know what would appeal to my audience from the use of conventions such
as BUZZ words, pictures and textual information. My preliminary task,
therefore, demonstrates only a shallow understanding of all of its demographics
and lacked an appearance which would appeal to all of the target audience.
From this experience I learnt that before
starting my full product I needed to know my audience in detail and that I
should just focus on one target audience, as your understanding can focus just
on them. Therefore, I had to carry out some research which would tell me about
my audience and how I could aim my magazine at them.
Before researching, I set out that my
audience would be young females but I wasn’t sure of a certain age group. I had
to create a survey on a website called Questionpro with around 8 questions to
widen my knowledge on these young females by collecting some quantitative data about there music likes due to it being a music magazine and i had to find out information on them.
Firstly, from my survey I wanted to find a certain age group that I should aim
my magazine at, I found from my survey that most 16 – 24 year old females
answered I choose to stick to this because most my answers would relate to this
age groups choice. From knowing what age group i would aim my magazine at i would have to make sure the textual stories and titles related to this age group. My survey also told me about what sort of music my audience
liked and what sort of people they found attractive. This gave me the idea
of what type of music I should choose to have and who I should talk about in my
magazine. This helped me with the mode of address of my audience as I knew more
about what my audience found appealing and what they found interesting so I
could add this in the construction of my full product. This allowed me to understand about their music interest, where as unlike my preliminary task i just knew basic knowlegde about what the audiences liked about schools so i could not relate the stories directly at them. Also, with my research,
I was able to carry out some qualitative data which was a questionnaire I had
given to a focus group with sets of designs for my front page, content page and
double page spread for them to help me make a decision about colour schemes and
layouts they were interested in and what I could add or change to these ideas.
This was unlike my preliminary was I had to start from scratch not knowing what
my demographics liked to see in a school magazine. The focus group i had about the designs gave me a advantage because i could know what a the audience liked in colours and layouts and actually talk to them about it. Also, I was able to find
conventions which would codify to a audience from researching different existing magazines, I
researched different magazine because I wanted to see what conventions other
magazine used to attract their audience. I learnt from these forms how to
codify to my demographic and what I can add into my full product which was not
in my preliminary task. This taught me that I had to have detailed research and
planning which is vital when I was trying to produce a professional quality of
media text. Within the preliminary i had never really seen how a school magazine was laid out or the information within it was written about so when desiging my school magazine i was not aware of how they should look, from researching about existing text i learnt what sort of information music magazines should have and how an actual music magazine should be designed like.
During my preliminary task I was very weak at
the technical skills and ways of using different software packages to create
the magazine. The images I used were poorly edited or not edited at all and the way I laid out the
actual text and designs were not very appealing. From finding out what my audience
liked such as colours, layouts and music artist I choose to create my magazine in a way which
would appeal to my audience. Firstly I had to learn how to properly create a
magazine layout on publisher; this helped me to include the uses and
gratification theory because I could find how to add the information into my
magazine with it, drawing awareness, I also learnt how to use ‘Serif Photoplus’
which is image manipulation and photo editing programme which allowed me to
make my magazine have the male gaze and Hyperreality theories with my images as i could change the brightness and constrat of models of make the modles more skinier or change airbrushing.
My magazine has images which appeal to my audience because I had to show my
audience I know that my magazine can show their dreams and aspiration which
would make them want to read the magazine I did this by editing them in this
programme and I learned different techniques which I didn't have in the creation on my preliminary
task to make my magazine have a professional look.
Overall, from my preliminary task onwards, I
have learnt and widened my knowledge of theories and production techniques as
I created of my full product, I now understand different conventions and
theories which I used in my construction and couldn't use before. I now know
that when doing my preliminary task I should have researched and planned my task
before I made my school magazine. I needed to know fully about who I was aiming
my magazine at and what they liked to see in a magazine. I have learnt the
value of a good magazine layout and how to research different audiences. I feel
as if I have made a big progression from my preliminary task to my full
product. Without producing a preliminary task and practising with another
magazine before I moved onto my full product I would not have known a lot
knowledge of a magazine and what a demographic likes this has helped me produce
a magazine which has progressed from my preliminary task. I feel as if I have a
greater understanding of magazines from my preliminary task and that the skills
and techniques I learnt I have used well and will be able to use again.
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