Question 1In what ways does your media product,

use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products.

If we observe aspects within my media production, such as layout, use of colour, imagery, mastheads, language and attention to media theory as well as real media product comparisons. We can see how codes and conventions of real media products can be challenged, developed and used. As we can see in my magazine front cover my masthead reads, ‘Kent Broadstairs’, the title conveniently fits the genre of a regional magazine whilst giving the specific area covered within it. The masthead is positioned at the top left of the page to intentionally catch the attention of the reader.From conducting my research I have found that my Target audience tend to read from top to bottom and from left to right, meaning my masthead neatly introduces the magazine. This idea of a title in the top left is the common theme for most regional magazines. My title ‘Kent Broadstairs’ automatically gives the reader a clear idea of what the magazine is about and what type of content it is going to contain (information about Broadstairs in Kent), the title is similar to likeminded regional magazine’s such as ‘Northern life’ ‘Bygone Kent’ and ‘Local living’.

The colours used within my masthead conformed to the codes and conventions of a regional magazine because like most magazines, the colour’s I used had as my house style throughout the magazine, e.g. using the same blue for my page numbers, smaller subtext, and directional points. The blue on contrasts strongly with the black next to it, which makes it appear more visually striking and highlights how the magazine focuses on Broadstairs, whilst also attracting potential readers.

I used the font ‘century’ for my masthead and my other texts just as my sell line, this creates a sense of elegance yet neatness. This once again conforms to my codes and conventions of a regional magazine as Broadstairs is considered an elegant and tidy place. I made this decision with the use of my focus group who helped me decide between different font, they decided this pleases to my demographic more than a more formal sans serif font.

The photograph I used on my front cover had been shot specifically to allow for text to be positioned just under the horizon, allowing the primary source of view (the sunset) to not be disrupted. This means the reader is able to see individual area’s of the magazine more effectively. This is similar to the way real media products are presented. However I have challenged codes and conventions as most magazines I had researched used a model as the primary source of focus in order to establish direct mode of address, however I used this photo because some regional magazines such as Kent life use shots of a natural landscape, I used this idea to represent the region I was focusing on in my magazine.

The font used on my front cover and other sections of my media production were heavily influenced by media theory, e.g. I used uses and gratification theory through the use of words like ‘top 15’ and ‘attractions’, as this evokes the reader’s cognitive needs and their desire to learn information which is suggested to be only accessible from this magazine. By giving a listing effect, ‘top 15’ I’m allowing the reader to feel that they are getting multiple accounts of information, which entices them more. This also conforms to the forms and conventions of real media products as my researched all have similar techniques, which aid toward the success as a media product. Again my front cover conforms to stereotypical regional magazines by using supportive information, such as a price tag, a barcode, an issue number and a website address. This gives it an increased sense of realism and professionalism to the magazine.

• If we look at my other media pieces, like my double page advert and my contents, we can see how codes and conventions has been met, for example in my double page spread the content is marginalised to allow the reader to identify and read separate sections of the page. My inspiration, which is ‘Kent Life’, which uses the same 4 sections contents against a white background, this gives the text more opportunity to stand out. I also used a different coloured font to highlight the page colours and subsections of the contents, this follows the codes of conventions of most regional magazines. I have also used the drop shadow tool on my image on my first contents page, this makes the image stand out and gives it the effect of a collage, which is similar to the techniques used in Kent life. This also appeals to the reader as it makes it seem far more personal and also influences the reader to feel that the image (Viking bay) Is accessible to all and has a family orientated effect. This uses and gratification theory, which states that it ‘enhances social interaction’ and focuses on the ‘social and psychological needs of the reader.

• I followed the codes and convention’s again of a regional magazine by putting my title ‘Kent Broadstairs’ in the top left corner of my contents page, this reinforces the name and theme of the magazine. I initially didn’t have this layout and tried to keep my contents simplistic and plain, trying to give it a modern, smart look. However my focus group didn’t agree with this because they thought the region I was working with was more family (fun) orientated instead of being a more modern approach (conventionally somewhere like Kensington or Chelsea).

Moreover my contents page and advertisement we can see how I have challenged codes and conventions, this is because they do not challenge a direct mode of address and they don’t contain any direct models facing the reader. Even thou direct mode of address captivated the reader I have decided to go against that as I feel that my images are suitable to present what the magazine is going to contain, I have used text within the photos to highlight what each photo is about. However I have used direct mode of address in the content of my magazine , I ask the audience ‘are celebrities the new bathers’, this gives the reader social interaction and evokes the reader’s companionship motives as they feel part of an actual conversation rather that reading a block of text. Attention to detail such as page numbers, the date of issue, issue number and the magazine name were also placed on the page as this is heavily used in most media pieces as it provides uniformity amongst pages.

I have followed codes and conventions of other media products for my advert by creating a very simplistic, smart double page image of a speaker and a vinyl. Adverts through magazines such as Kent Life appeal to a demographic which are from a higher class and tend to spend more money on products. The adverts are very slick and contain minimal text. I have used these codes and conventions to build my advert, which is just on page mirrored over to the next. The image’s only text is ‘ION’, which highlights the simplistic style and classy look of the product.

Question 2 How effective is the combination of your man product and your ancillary

task?

• By looking at my ancillary tasks, we can see how my billboard and advert both successfully combine with my main product to create a more effective and realistic piece. Trying to find research examples of billboards advertisements for regional examples proved to be very difficult, I based my ancillary task on a billboard for a national magazine and also used my focusgroup to help gain idea’s. For example I found an example of a billboard from ‘Resident Magazine’ where its very simplistic and contains the title of the magazine, and presents the media platforms available to access it. After conducting my research I found that the type of audience who view billboard advertisements only glance at them as they are normally on a bridge or by a road, therefor the idea to keep them simple and informative seems ideal. This research has led to me creating my billboard mainly imaged based so it can be understood by anyone. The use of the IPad and IPhone presenting the cover of the magazine, in this way I'm presenting how I have interlinked technology with magazine’s.

• The limited wording used within my billboard advertisement were the words Mobile and Online as well as the social media links (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and the website are all in large, bold fonts making it accessible to read from a distance and for all ages. Also I am appealing to a younger audience by putting my social media links, as a younger demographic tend to use these sites more than old. This gives it association between social networking (which also act as advertising) and themagazine. The three thumbnail images of social media sites are very well recognised and can be spotted from just a glance, suggesting that the public will feel the need to check them out. The magazine’s title ‘Kent Life’ was also included in the top left in a large font, whilst using the same colour scheme’s as all of my production pieces. This also maintains the link between the different pieces of media and also establishes a brand identity. My research also suggests that the target demographic read from left to right and up to down, therefor by having my title in the top left it will be the first thing read.The use of colours in my piece all work well with the idea of having an eye catching banner. The large bold white text standsout against the dark blue background, which is important seeing as banners are glanced and not analysed. The blue’s used throughout create a sense of calm and relaxation towards the reader, influencing them to enjoy the billboard visually.

My second ancillary task, the website for my regional magazine. I Have used two hyperlinked pages (and a third page that is a store) to create a sense of realism. The use of image’s on the site are all relevant to the region in question. They are all aesthetically pleasing image’s of Broadstairs scenery, therefor pleasing to the needs of the readers (site visitors). I have used the title ‘KENT Broadstairs’ in the top centre of my cover page. I have written a small introduction to the site and Broadstairs, the language used is quite informal and is labelled as being written by the editor at the end. This mode of address makes the reader have a more personal feel towards the site, and therefor Broadstairs. The text used finish’s with ‘take a look’, the use of this imperative sentence coaches the reader into wanting to look at the magazine. The use of the gallery and store reinforces the website with my region, whilst giving the reader an idea of the content they are going to receive in my magazine. The store not only adds to the authenticity of the site but also allows the reader to understand other similar products, (e.g.) the local schools magazine. The style of the website, being simplistic and modern is similar to my style of magazine, which is going to appeal to my target audience.

Question 3What have you learnt from audience

feedback?

My audiences feedback has played a crucial part in the production of my magazine, in all area’s, such as research, planning and evaluation. The ideas given to me helped me develop my layout, colour scheme and photography. This was important as the magazine’s success as a media product is based upon its appeal to the people it is aimed towards. However I had to be careful with how much information I extracted from my audience feedback, because too much feedback may lead to my creativity becoming stunted and therefor meaning I don’t create my ideal production. I have structured my magazine using the codes and conventions collected about other regional magazines. I began by creating a focus group with 13 members aged between 16-35, all who are considered my target audience and who live in the region in question.

This focus group was very important as it contained my peers, experts in the area of media and regular visitors of Broadstairs, all of these people were regular users of media products such as regional magazines. This diverse range of people with different interests helped my to develop the best media production I could. The diversity proved useful as the whole group were sharing the same idea’s, this meant that the feedback I received would give me an overall successful and unbiased result.

I collected qualitative and quantative data, for example I used mediums such as questionnaires, group chats on social media sites such as Facebook, and also face to face talks with media experts.. Throughout the construction of my media production I would show various drafts and ideas to my focus group, this led to discussions which highlighted area’s that needed improvement, as well as area’s which they thought were good. This was incredibly useful when I was creating my contents page, this is because my contents page is very text intensive, I initially thought the volume of text was going to deter readers as it was a lot to take in, however my focus group told me that if I structured it in neat columns the text would become easily readable. They also told me to unify my font size, which helped the production to look more organised and approachable. By having this help I was able to fit in with the codes and conventions of other media products.

I showed my focus group a selection of shots that I was considering using for my front cover, this was important to me as it was the first thing anyone looking at my production would see. I had two images, both of a scenic view of broadstairs. However each image had been taken with a separate camera and at different times of the day. The focus group discussed the different photo’s pro’s and con’s, they decided that the image of the sunset over Broadstairs with the better quality image was more appealing as a front cover. They said ‘the better quality of the image mixed with the more intense colour is more likely to capture the eye of your audience’. This helped me to create a faster final production as well as being more captivating.

• I asked my focus group to give me some advice on my front cover of my production, this is the response I got :

Question 4How did you use media technologies

in research and construction, planning and evaluation stages.

Media technologies was an important element in my research, construction, planning and evaluation stages of my media production. Media technologies are an excellent way to convey idea’s and thoughts around a group, for example the use of Facebook, texting and email aided me greatly when I set up a focus group. Another example of where media technologies became useful is the management of producing my magazines, for example I arranged meetings with my models for my photographs and was able to use alarms and timers to manage my time more for different sections of my production. Throughout my production my research was incredibly useful, for example I was a novice when it came to photography with a professional camera, so websites such as YouTube became very useful for tutorials on how to work different parts of the camera (e.g. i.s.o , shutter speed), these tutorials allowed me to develop my skills and therefor taking a better quality image. YouTube gives accessibility to all types of tutorials, I also managed to gain tutorials on how to use Photoshop and Prezi. This better understanding of technologies allowed me to be able to produce work to a higher standard and more time efficiently. Adobe Photoshop was my primary piece of media technology when it came to the construction stages of my media production. The professionalism of Photoshop meant that I was able to produce a piece that had professional qualities to it, as well allowing me to meet the codes and conventions of regional magazines that I had researched. The internet was another good example of media technologies to aid me during my production phase, with access to the internet I was able view other regional magazines in order to collect my research, as well as allowing me to access sites such as dafont which give me accessibility to thousands of different fonts which give me the ability to produce a more professional piece of work. Prezi has also become very useful as it allows me to portray my idea’s, codes and conventions and my evaluation with my friends/peers, teachers and my focus group. This enhancement of communication has allowed me to develop my work to a more precise quality. Initially Prezi was quite a complicated site, however after a few short YouTube tutorials I was able to navigate around it with ease. Prezi allows me to convey my work in an aesthetically pleasing way and making it much more manageable to read than a bulk of text. This was achieved by the use of colours, layout, movement between paths or slides.. Also the use of images allows the viewer to gain a greater understanding of what they are reading.

Weebly, a website set up to help develop a website of your choice. This was the primary software I used for the development of my magazine’s website (ancillary task) as it allowed for a simple yet effective design . It allowed for me to be able to put my own photo’s into it, and gave me the option to put a gallery of image’s of the local scenery, which my focus group suggested I should try and integrate into my production. The template’s given were very useful a it helped to develop a layout which I thought gave a professional look whilst also using codes and conventions of other regional magazine websites. Again I used tutorials to improve my skills of the software whilst I was using it.

The construction stages of my work, were very camera intensive, meaning I had to use the best camera for the job. I picked the Canon EOS 55oD. This camera was fitted with a 18mm 1.8 lens. This lens meant that I was able to capture the best shots of aesthetically pleasing scenery by being able to wide shots and allowing the right amount of light into the lens, as I didn’t want to over/under exposure my shots. The camera meant I was able to capture clear, sharp shots which fitted with the codes and conventions of regional magazines. This meant I was able to produce image’s which had a professional nature and were as similar to the real examples as possible.