Media Evaluation

Media evaluation

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Finished Two Page Spread

Finished Contents Page

Finished Magazine Front Cover

Audience reaction to magazine front cover

To get a better idea on how my target audience (15- 25 year olds)will react to my product I decided to put a near completed version of my magazine cover on the social networking site Facebook. As all the people who commented and liked it are in this boundary and do like the genre that this magazine would be about, I can get a good idea on whether it would be well recieved on the market. Due to the positive reaction to it, I know that my product is a success.

Extra details- CD cover

For my media product I decided that to make it more convincing as a music magazine I would have to include a CD cover for the artist featured in my interview. In the interview, I have detailed that both his fictional second album and the background on the front cover were drawn by the artist, so I decided I would hand draw the CD cover. I decided to name it Styx, after the river in Greek mythology that leads people to hell.


my initial drawing















My finished CD cover that will appear in my two page spread. I have also developed a Deluxe edition version of the cover, but I have decided to use the normal version in the final product;


























And this is my audience reaction to my CD cover on the social networking site Facebook

Background of Front Cover- Inspiration

After cutting out my picture I was left without an appropriate background. I needed one as without it, the cover would look less refined and less like one that would be sold on the market. I thought the gradient and fill effects for the background on Photoshop looked too amateur and more to a GCSE standard, so I chose against that. I decided to make a good background for it I would have to take a picture of something, but all the pictures I took didn't look appropriate for the magazine I was making. In the end, I took inspiration from The Mighty Boosh star Noel Fieldings book Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton, in which he uses a variety of self drawn doodles and scribblings as backgrounds for images. To mimic this effect, I scribbled various drawings on a wipeboard and built up a large image. After finishing, I took a picture of it. Here is an unedited version of the image and the book I took inspiration from:

Editing of Image

I wanted the image to look striking and iconic, so I put it in black and white except for the sunglasses, which I made a deeper, more prominent red. I set the contrast higher to make it look sharper and to draw the eye onto it, and I have removed the dull background so the image looks stronger and is engulfed by the person featured

Main Image Inspiration

For the main image on my magazine front cover I wanted to create something iconic, in the way of the John Lennon and Yoko Ono picture on the front cover of Rolling Stones. If I couldn't achieve that then I at least wanted it to look memorable. I got inspiration from the Special Edition DVD cover of the film The Big Lebowski, in which the main character The Dude is photographed in black and white, but the shades on his glasses are red. I tried to recreate this image but make it look more conventional to a magazine cover, and this is what I achieved:

Name of magazine

After careful consideration of what should be the name of my magazine, I have chosen the name as ALVA. I chose this name as it is the middle name of Thomas Edison, who invented the gramophone, so it gives the magazine authenticity and a cultured name, and links it straight to the start of music, music at its core. This title is short and snappy, in the same strain as NME or Kerrang, and if marketed it could potentially be linked to music forever. The title is also original and will not be mistaken for any other magazine if marketed.

Complete audience research and theories

Audience research

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Target Audience Model

For my target audience I decided to give an in depth analysis of the 'model' of my magazines target audience. I have listed everything that my target audience would need and want, including their ideologies and interests. All these aspects will be taken into consideration whilst producing my magazine front cover.

Generic Conventions of Music Magazines

For all music magazines, there are some basic conventions that I will have to take into consideration in the major production stages. These are the basic things that will make up a magazine cover, and will make it look realistic and professional. These include ways of marketing, such as the date of publication, price (usually around 3 pounds in UK currency), the barcode so it can be sold at shops and the name and logo of the company who have made it (e.g. Bauer, Future etc.). Other things to consider and include is giving it a recognizable and simple title and logo, such as Kerrangs logo for its brand which is now culturally recognized and linked to rock music. There is almost always text to communicate with the audience and to often name drop bands featured in a hope it will be bought. Conventionally, a main picture is placed centrally and usually is the major focus of the front cover, and it is often medium shot of a singer or a long shot of a band. It is generally accepted that whoever/ whatever is on the cover will be the major focus of the magazine and it will have a lengthy interview/article inside on them. This is often the major reason fickle readers would buy the magazine, if they are a fan of the band/ singer featured. There are usually puffs down one side to give further information on what the contents of the magazine will entail.

Ideas for Questions in my Magazines two page spread

For the two page spread, I will need an effective interview, one that will maintain interest for the audience and perhaps giving them something they've never heard before. I have thought of a few questions which are typical, conventional ones that would be found in a music magazine:

1.) When did you first want to be a musician?

2.) Who are your influences, musically or not?

3.) What is the first instrument you learned to play?

4.) You’re often in the news for problems in your personal life, how do you respond to this?

5.) Do you have any interesting stories from when you were on tour?

6.) Where was the best gig you played, and why?

7.) What is the pinnacle moment of your career?

8.) What keeps you going?

9.) What would you see yourself doing if you’d never got into music?

10.) What do you think defines your career?

11.) What is coming next year?

Ideas for Naming my Music Magazine

For my magazine, I have to carefully consider the title of the magazine. A unique and recognisable name is needed if it were to be a success on the market, and ultimately to make money. It should also be short and snappy, or otherwise be able to roll off the tongue. In some cases, the name should reflect the ideologies expressed in the magazine. The most popular music magazines in the UK use these techniques, and if I want my magazine to look authentic, it needs to have an effective name

Q- The music magazine Q has possibly the shortest title of all the music magazines in the UK, and thus makes it unique. It expresses its class and style, which shows in the magazine, being a monthly issue with high standards of photography and printing. The title also comes from Cue, as in cueing a record, which shows it has an older target audience

NME- NME is an abbreviation of its original title, New Musical Express. This shows its authenticity but has been updated for a modern audience. The name is now synonymous with music magazines.

Kerrang!- This odd title was given after the onomatopoeic sound made when striking a chord on a power guitar. This immediately hints at it’s audience, probably aimed at rock lovers. The Kerrang name and brand has moved over to mediums (e.g. radio) and is now closely linked to the rock genre.