2. Evaluation Questions
1.In what ways does your media product use,
develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products
2.How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
3.What kind of media institution might distribute
your media product and why?
4.Who would be the audience for your media
product?
5.How did you attract/address your audience?
6.What have you learnt about technologies from
the process of constructing this product?
3. Q1.In what ways does your media product use, develop
or challenge forms and conventions of REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?My School Magazine “Q” Magazine
Masthead-Used in print media to
identify the location, ownership
and management of newspapers
and magazines
Left Third- The left third contains
the main feature article (Exclusive
interview or ‘Puff Piece’), as this is
the core part of what may be
inside the magazine.
Main Image- the main image is
the central image which helps , to
attract readers and is usually
associated with topic in the
magazine
Barcode- shows the
importance of the retailer,
is scanned when sold, also
these little details add to the
professional look
Strapline-under the masthead ,
helps give a insight of the
magazine without turning a
page
Coverlines- The essential articles
inside the magazine are stated
through sell lines, these are
regularly seen at the right hand
side of the cover.
Pug- can either be at the top
left or/and right-hand corners
of the front cover. The prices
of the paper, the logo or a
promotion and helps catch the
reader attention.
Date/pricing- usually are
there to show what time
period the information has
come from and the monthly
issues also the date.
4. Comparison to a School Magazine- Front Page
Masthead- the masthead on both
school magazines is clear and precise
and blends in with the background, also
the use of it being a white font on black
background it that it stands out from
the rest of the magazines , thus
attracting attention.
Main Image- the main images on both
magazines refers to the topics
mentioned within the magazines e.g. all
pictures are about school life or on
school related topics e.g. school clubs,
this also brings the fun side of school
and not just the boring educational side
and helps give the students their 5
minutes of fame.
Photography- the photography used
are all original images and relate to the
school and are not edited to make look
fake ,and are left as original pictures to
keep it simple and helps continue the
realistic feel.
Date/Issue-the date is clear & issued on
both magazines on the top corners of
the magazine so the reader knows what
time period the information is coming
from.
Fonts- the fonts used are trendy ,
stylish and attractive and helps the
younger audience .
Background –the background on both school
magazines is black , however my magazine is
flooded with images and so you cant really see
the background ,but the text still stands out as I
have over lapped the layers , whereas on the
other one the text is on the background and not
on the images
Left Third - my left third, mentions the highlights
of my magazines and include some pictures of
the exclusive topics.
My School Magazine Chosen Hill –School Magazine
5. My School Magazine – Contents page NME Magazine-Contents PageOverall Layout-the same sub -
headings are used, in both
magazines and are separated by
big solid shapes or text.
Shapes- the shapes are used to
separate the title from the rest of
the pages , also to separate the
subheading from the topics.
Images- there is no actual main
images in both magazines , but
small images that show a wider
range of topics mentioned as, the
pictures are all related to the
topics,e.g NME has used pictures
of “Oasis” ,because it is relevant
to the main topic “Oasis Kicked off
their world tour” and in my
contents page , the images used
are all about school and capturing
the school’s atmosphere and
students at the school, this relates
to the school as it is a school
magazine.
Logo- in both contents pages ,
the logos are clearly printed on
the top left or right hand side,
this reminds people where the
information is coming and what
they are reading about , this is
also a form of advertising.
Colour Schemes- the main colour schemes used in both
magazines are Red & Black, these are usually the most
bold and bright colours to go with as they stand out and
get the readers attention , and the colours where also the
same colour scheme chosen in my questionnaire and
relate to the school as they are our house colours
Comparison to NME Magazine - Contents page
6. Comparison to a School Magazine- Contents page
Top and Bottom Strip– I don’t have a top strip, but my bottom one
give essentially the keywords/key concepts on what my magazine
includes and is basically a shorthand term on what the magazine
includes in this issue .
Contents Structure– I didn’t use
the normal column structure as ,
the answers of my school
magazine questionnaire , pupils
said it was boring and too formal
,so I went with this alternative
mosaic look and separated the sub
–headings with photography of
pupils and general images of the
school.
Title – both fonts used are
similar to the ones on the front
cover and also corresponding to
the colour schemes used ,
helping keeping the trend and
also are big and bold ,so people
know what they are reading.
My School Magazine- Contents Page
Chosen Hill –School Magazine- Contents Page
Photography– photography
used in both magazines are all
original images and there is a
range of camera angles used
,e.g. long-shot and mid –shot
.These camera angles are used
to show the photo at a different
angle ,thus showing us the true
essence of the image from a
different perspective
Page Numbers – page number are a key ingrediegrent in making a
contents page as without no-one would know what page a particular
article is on, so it is important that the page numbers are clear and
visible.
7. Q1.In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?
I believe my school magazine successfully begins to fit into the codes and conventions of a real magazine , rather then just develop . I think this
purely because I did all my research and from that , I had developed a flat plan and used it when designing my front cover and contents page
,as I kept referring to my flat plan and to the answers I got from my school questionnaires and have included all the extras that are need in a
magazine e.g. Date& Barcode.
Masthead -the masthead is a short abbreviation of the school name , but instead of it being
“HTC MAC” for “Holy Trinity Catholic Media Arts College” , I did it as “HTC MAG” for “Holy
Trinity College -Magazine”. This was a easier and different approach as it has the first three
initials so fit resembles the school and then the word “mag” for magazine , I think this was
a clear way to represent the school and show that it, is a magazine. Also the font is plain
,yet simple , I thought if I did graffiti style then that will only limit my audience as only
young students could read it and would appeal to them , so going simple will broaden my
audience options.
Main Image – the main image I used was basically the school, as it is the base of what the
information in my magazine is coming from , and I have also added side pictures that
relate to the topic mentioned ,e.g. house leaders pictures for my “Who’s the best house…”
article and some more pictures of around the school , all pictures used are original and not
edited as I wanted to keep it realistic and tried to use them to express schools true colours
Strapline- my strap line is simple ,youthful and to the point ,”For all your school infoz” I
used slang and informal language and abbreviated the last word , instead of having
“information” , I put “infoz” this would attract the younger audience also by helping the
magazine communicate to the younger audience it would up the popularity of the
magazine.
Top and Bottom Strip– I don’t have a top strip, but my bottom one shows the sponsoring
governors and investors helping the schools, I think it was important for them to appear
on my school magazine as they are the ones behind the scene helping the school run
smoothly.
Pug– my pug is on the top left hand corner of my magazine and, includes the school’s
logo, as is a simple, yet effective way to represent the school and show what the
magazine is about .
Tag– my tags are the sub-headings e.g,”Exclusives , Interviews & Features” these show
the highlights of the magazines and give a quick insight of the topics mentioned in the
magazine , encouraging readers to continue on reading..
Date/Barcode-I put a barcode on the front cover as is adds
to the professional look and the date is , to show from what
time period the information is coming from.
8. Q2. How does your media product represent particular
SOCIAL GROUPS?
I believe that my school magazine represents many different social groups from different age groups ,so my magazine would speak
to more people and thus more people would be interested and therefore increasing the popularity of the magazine. I think my
magazine represents different social groups in many ways…….
Images- the images are taken of both students and
also teachers and staff, showing that all are, equal
and as important and hence are shown in my
magazine.
Sub-Headings-the sub-headings are divided into
groups or on separate pages , for each typical parent,
student or teacher .There are specific articles
dedicated to them and are all shown in my contents
page – this helps increasing the audience range as I
included information that could appeal to parents,
students and staff.
Teachers- I think teachers would be interested in
reading my magazine , because it gives them a insight
about the school they teach in, also know what
students get up to and what the students are
interested and give them a sneak peak of what a
typical day as a student in “Holy Trinity School”
consist of .Furthermore I have added a sub heading
called “TEACHERS TALK” – which essentially is what
the teachers say ,on what is going on in the school it
gives them a voice and their chance to have their say.
Photography-on the front cover there is more images of
staff and teachers , compared to the amount of images of
students therefore showing the importance of teachers in
the school and they are there to help the school run
effiently.
School Logo – the school logo is not just used to symbolise the school but , it is also a symbol
of unity and togetherness and at Holy Trinity School ,that every person is treated equally and
respected , if I was to only going to base this on students I could have flooded the front cover
and contents page with topics and images that involved the students and no information
about the teachers and parents ,but instead I used a range and mix of topics and images to
create a atmosphere where there is something for everyone one to read.
No Price Tag-I think that it being free ,that everyone
is more willing to read it as it doesn’t cost them
anything and can be read use in spare time .
9. Q3. What kind of MEDIA INSTITUTION might distribute
your media product and WHY?
I think that the main media intuition that would distribute my school magazine would be the school, as it is about the school and is a
form of publicity and acts as a guide for parents and carers that are unsure on what secondary school they would send their child and
also for the head governors and sponsors as it lets them know what our school get up to .There is not really a company that makes
school magazines , so if I had to choose some of the big industrial marketing companies I would go for…
IPC Media
• IPC Media produces over 85 iconic media brands, with our print
brands alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 44% of
UK men – almost 27 million UK adults – while our online brands
collectively reach 20 million users every month.
• IPC's diverse print and digital portfolio offers something for
everyone, with a focus on three core audiences: men, mass
market women and upmarket women.
http://www.ipcmedia.com
I have chosen IPC Media for a number of reasons, firstly it
produces many different iconic brands, so adding a school
magazine is only broaden its choices ,benefiting them and my
school magazine, also it reaches almost 2/3 of the UK alone ,
so everyone is eventually going to come across my school
magazine one day. As it is a well-known intuition is helps
promote and advertise the school ,thus increasing its
popularity .The print of paper come at the highest quality so
every picture can last a lifetime.
Bauer Media
Bauer Media is a division of the Bauer Media Group, Europe’s largest
privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a worldwide media
empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as online, TV
and radio stations.
http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/About
I have also chosen Bauer Media ,because it has a wide range
of mass media market , not just magazines but also TV and
radio station and so it will foreword my magazine into TV
advertising and can help advertise the school in other ways,
also it is the Europe's largest privately owned publishing
group so it already had a great reputation.
10. Q4. Who would be the AUDIENCE for your media product?
I think the audience for my school magazine would be students who attend Holy Trinity school since it is mainly about them and their
school lives. However I also think the parents and teachers who be interested so can have an insight into the quality of peoples work and
how they can help them progress in education and what they do outside of school e.g. school club and extra curricular activities . The
parents would be interested because they would want to know what their child gets involved in and what opportunities and paths that
could lead them into higher education.
Q5. How did you attract/address your audience?
I believe I have attracted my audience in many ways ,firstly by using a wide ranges of pictures and of different people and places, e.g.
teachers , students and staffs . This attracts the school as a whole because the images represent the school and the people in it.
Furthermore my topics are not biased or aimed at one target audience so everyone can read it , also there are spefic topics related to
different people so there is something for everyone to read and also the fact that is free, anyone can pick it up to read in their spare time ,
so no money is involved and so people are more likely to read it as it isn't a con for your money. To conclude I think I attract my audience
because it is about the school so , the students,teachers,and staff would be interested to read it as it is about them and what events
happen around the college.
11. Q6. What have you learnt about TECHNOLOGIES from the
process of constructing this product?
In the making of my school magazine I have learnt many things ,these are …
• How to make a background on Adobe Photoshop and then save as a jpeg,file and
then convert it onto Adobe InDesign, where we had to create the magazine.
• Then we had to edit all the images on Adobe Photoshop and then save and
convert onto Adobe InDesign , but we had to place the images as separate layers
so the images overlap and do not bleed into one another and then mess with the
images so they fit into the desired shape , also the text quality is better on Adobe
InDesign rather than Adobe Photoshop.
• I then learnt how to enhance and edit the pictures so the background is cut off
and so the image, in this case the logo is clear ,precise and of the best quality
• The most important part I learnt about the process of making my school magazines
was how to save it ,so that the layers don’t all convert into one background layer
which is then locked and you cannot convert it ,but to save it as a , Adobe Dialog
file which you can then later open and edit afterwards also at the end we had to
save the magazines as a pdf file which we then opened on Adobe Photoshop and
save as a jpeg file which allowed us to post the magazines onto Blogger.
12. Mistakes made when making my school
magazine
I admit I have made many mistakes , which I will correct when making my music magazine , I have realised that these mistakes
could have been corrected if checked thoroughly, some of the mistakes I made where…
Spelling mistakes- on the front cover I kept miss spelling the word building for buliding and in the contents page I wrote there
instead of their as I was referring to the student and parents.
When I converted the background file from Adobe Photoshop to Adobe InDesign , the file was then locked and I couldn’t
overlap the pictures so it all fit nicely , however next time I will edit the pictures beforehand so they all fit perfectly on my
magazine front cover.
The banner at the bottom of my magazine still did have some traces of white background as I did it in a hurry and next time I
will take care in the detail and precision of my cutting of the backgrounds.
Also I kept using the same pictures on the front cover and in the contents pages – need more pictures next time.
I thought by leaving the images original and not editing them it would look more realistic, - next time I will edit and enhance
my photos to make the images look more interesting.
