Evaluation Q4

Evaluation

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

There are many ways in which my media product represents particular social groups, for example the mode of address helps determine the type of audience you have. As an encoder I have tried to create a magazine that specifically appeals to the target audience in which I have chosen through the perfect reader. Also the content can influence the audience, for example if I added an image of a car to anchor text it would not appeal to my target audience. Because of this I have added images which would appeal, such as images of bands and other famous musicians. These images relate to the content of the magazine which would relate most to my target audience.   

The social stratification groups are the major ones such as sex, gender, ethnicity and lifestyle. Whereas social groups are for example working class teenage boys. The social groups for my magazine are lower middle class this would be C1 –E in the social stratification. Also it is aimed at young British music lovers.  While created my media product I kept my target audience in mind the whole time.

Evaluation Q3

Evaluation:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product uses many forms and conventions which are appropriate to my genre which is situated in my magazine.  Genre is a category of music that the audience or listener can easily recognize. These elements which can easily be recognized are characters, narrative and settings. My age range which I have decided to set my magazine at is 16 -25, I believe my magazine “Sub Synth” will draw attention to my target audience.  There are a number of contributing factors that I have chosen that help support aspects of a real music magazine.  For example I have articles which relate to subjects that my perfect reader would want to see and read. I have also used a masthead,  this being the name of my music magazine, this applies to the type of genre my music magazine promotes. On my double page spread and front cover, I have used the theme colors of red and white I believe this stands out and makes it look like an authentic magazine. Also it relates to the type of people who would read my magazine, such as my perfect reader.

I used ways to attract the reader and keep the reader interested. I used the most common way an encoder will try to attract the decoder and this is the way the magazine is laid out. For example color, design, text and pictures. I used the colors red and white, these are two bold colors which I believe attract my audience, I used some pictures to anchor the text or interview with a musician.  I have used photographs which relate to the magazine and to the decoder.  Also in my music magazine I provided a double page poster, this is very beneficial as this type of convention is very good at attracting the consumer to the magazine and could persuade them to buy your magazine over someone else.

Evaluation Q2

Evaluation.

How do you attract your audience?

I have made an encoder, decoder test for my magazine, it from Stuart hall’s encoder, decoder model. This is where I made a questionnaire about my magazine. It included questions such as where do you live? What sort of transport do you use? What is your favorite meal?  Click here to view.  I then got a group of people to analyze my front cover and answering the questions about my magazine, they answered them how they thought the imaginary entity would. Through these answers we could make a character profile of which we thought are audience would fall into.  Through Stuart hall’s encoder, decoder model we created the perfect profile of how we thought the imaginary entity’s lifestyle would be.

There are many ways in which the text speaks to the audience, I decided to call my front cover “Sub Synth” this is because it relates to the musical instrument a synth. The heading would relate to the target audience i am targeting. The synth is used in the type of music my magazine promotes and relates to the articles in my magazine, “Sub Synth.” I also used articles which I thought the perfect reader would read, I did this by using the imaginary entity. For example I have album releases and pictures of the album. Also articles about the musicians being arrested, I automatically assumed that my audience would be interested in these stories and want to read them. In turn creating a stereo typical social group that I believe would read this. As I have positioned my magazine in the C1 – E social stratification group, my magazine is not a patronizing magazine but has interesting real life facts, this mode of address means it can relate to the majority of people who buy the product.

Double Page Spread

I have left the lines on my double page spread to show how i have developed my double page spread and help give you as the examiner a better insight into the development stages of my magazine. I believe that this is a better and hugely more effective way of presenting my double page spread and other main task as it shows my work in a clearer and more simplistic way of presenting.

Contents page

Evaluation Question 1

Evaluation.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The music magazine that I have produced includes a contents page, front cover and a double page spread.  The age range which I had decided to promote my magazine to is 16-25 years.  My magazine is predominantly aimed at males but also have female readers. When creating are magazine we had to take in account the imaginary entity, I built our magazine, the front cover, contents page and double page spread around the imaginary entity where the encoder creates a perfect reader, making assumptions and opinions about their ideal audience. When creating and designing the magazine we had make sure we understood what type of audience we were targeting. The categories we looked at to do this were: sex, gender, social class ethnic background and lifestyle.  This leads into social stratification, this is a category decoders fall into A, B, C1, C2, D and E. the social stratification my audience is aimed at is C1 to E.

With my magazine being between C1 to E social stratification you can automatically make the assumption that my magazine will not be read by the decoders from upper class and middle class, e.g. by higher managerial and professional work. The reader might come from any ethnic background and incorporates masculine and feminine aspects. This is shown clearly in the front cover and the double page spread.  It shows the chance to win tickets to the latest festivals this could appeal to both genders.

Meaning I would have a wider target audience than just target  certain sex or gender, for example if I had on my front cover a chance to win jewelry it would target mainly females, this would reduce the size of my audience.

Front page james clark