Proof of my photoshoot and images which I have not selected

These are some of the images  i had decided not to use within my final magazine publication. Once I had completed all of my research, the majority of the Hip Hop genre magazines had all maintained close up shots, and had very little use of web 2.0 technologies in order to enhance the images. I had decided that I must choose an image which would be simple yet effective to my target audience, therefore I selected a variety of medium and extreme close up shots to appear within my final magazine publication.

Conclusion of analysis and other product research

By successfully analyzing and taking into account the various codes and conventions used by magazines in the same genre as my final piece; I have managed to draw conclusions on elements which needed to be included to my magazine in order to make it successful to those in the same industry.  The main conventions which I had found on the front covers of Vibe magazine for example had all included;

- Masthead: This is the magazine's name and can be easily identified by the target audience through being at the top of the page and being very bold and large. For my magazine to be successful, I will have to have the masthead very big, identifiable and at the top of the page. Furthermore, some mastheads are slightly covered by the iconic figure used on the front cover of the magazine. This shows that the institution distribute the magazine on a regular basis and can be easily identified by the target audience.
- Iconic figure: On the majority of hip hop magazines, an iconic figure is always used because it not only relates to that genre in which the magazine is found but because the use of an iconic figure draws in the majority of the consumers. However for my magazine we cannot use iconic figures but represent ourselves in such a way that we can be seen as someone who has a similar status to them.
- Layout of the magazine: The majority of magazines take a “C" shape layout which psychologically draws readers in as many of us read from left to right. If I include this in my magazine, it will follow the codes and conventions of a magazine therefore making it successful.

Regulation in the media

- Regulation in media publish guidelines which inform media institutions on what they are allowed to publically show and what not.
- £ 4 billion is spent in total on advertising across all media year in the UK.

Media regulation boards include;
- PCC : Press complaints commission
- ASA: Advertising standards authority
- OFCOM: Regulatory body for the communications industry

Subjects which are deemed as offensive or inappropriate include:
- Nude
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Violence
- Discrimination
- Sexism
- Deception
- Animal cruelty 

Media regulations battle offensive and inappropriate information through; watershed advertising (where certain adverts are allowed to be shown at certain times of day), certification (where only a certain age group can consume a type of media), warnings and labels, and self regulations (where media consumers can report offensive material.)

Evaluation on my final magazine

 Here is part 1 of my evaluation: (Please hit the hyperlink below)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w3KWUxHMCA&feature=youtu.be

Q5&7)   What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The type of media institution that would distribute my magazine publication would be that similar to Time Warner. I believe that a media institution like Time Warner would distribute my magazine publication as it falls into the Hip Hop music genre which they distribute. In addition, Vibe magazine has a similar target audience to that of my magazine publication, so choosing Time Warner to distribute my magazine to a similar target audience will save me money on conducting market research, and it will also allow my media product to reach the ideal consumers.Moreover Vibe is distributed globally and appeals to consumers who have an interest in Hip Hop music and culture. I believe that these types of media industries will be willing to distribute my media product as they have a similar target audience which I hope to reach out with my magazine in order for them to maximise the revenue for the media institution.

Q6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

During the creation of my magazine I was instructed to use the software Photoshop to enhance my images to a more professional standard which most of the main media institutions use also to do the same with their magazines. Improvements which I had made to my images that I had used in my magazine were many such as; selecting the main components needed for a particular piece in my magazine, resizing an image to be of an appropriate size, and fathering an image to get it to a more professional look and similar to those seen on the front covers of many magazines published by huge magazine institutions today (these can be seen down below). In addition, I have also managed to use a variety of web 2.0 technologies in order to gain valuable information in order to make my magazine appeal to my target audience through the use of Survey Monkey. I have also managed to upload part of my evaluation on You Tube which shows my creativeness and also the variety of technologies available which many media institutions use also.

My final front cover, contents page, and double page spread for Superbass

Audience feedback

As part of being in the magazine industry, it is vital that an institution has a target audience in order to meet the consumers needs in order for them to buy the magazine when it is published. For many institutions nowadays they conduct market research from the general public in order to establish a certain audience demographic. Once a demographic is in place, the institution can start to piece together many things in order for the magazine to be successful. Things such as, how much an audience is willing to pay for the magazine, what codes and conventions must the magazine include in order for the consumers to buy it once it has been placed on the shelf alongside its competitors, and also what to include inside the magazine itself all have to be taken into account before a magazine is to be published. For my magazine, my target audience are males and females between the ages of 14-18 who are interested in hip hop music. I had conducted an online survey using the software Survey Monkey, where I had distributed my survey through electronic communication to males and females within my community. Here are my results and the feedback received from the audience. By taking into account the target audience's responses, one of the decisions that I have made is to include the colour red quite alot. Furthermore, I will encorporate this colour into the house style of the magazine as this follows the codes and conventions of the magazine in the hip hop genre and will appeal greatly to the target audience. 

My stills shooting schedule