Evaluation

 Evaluation of My Product

I have completed and am pleased with my final product. The final product is different from some of my planning and drafts. The layout is slightly different, I changed the title of the magazine, my original main image I thought was to close up so I changed it, and I expanded the target audience of my magazine.

In making this product, I have learnt the process of planning and creating a media product, and the codes and conventions included in a magazine. I have also learnt to use Photoshop extensively.

My media product uses typical codes and conventions of real media products. Primarily gossip, TV and music magazines. I have used a Masthead, banner headline backed with main image in the centre and headlines and captions all in a familiar layout to these types of magazines. I develop these conventions to create a certain type of style. The magazine covers subjects from sports to studying, but I have tried not to make the magazine look either to fun or childish, or to serious, giving connotations of an intellectual product. I tried to make the lead as outstanding as possible. I used the typical layout and style as TV, gossip and music magazines. I believe the anchorage is solid. The signifiers portray to the reader a certain type of theme through then fonts and names of the titles. The masthead ‘Wyke Life and Leisure Magazine’ was originally ‘Wyke Life Magazine’. However, I added leisure into the masthead because ‘life and leisure’ reflects the subject matters of the magazine. My original main image was from the shoulders upwards. I decided to discard this image because I looked to large on the page and left limited space for the background and any writing on the page. Basically, it would look too cluttered. The picture I chose instead looks more like it fits. The magazines house style I have kept consistent. The main colours I have used are blue, purple and white (with the exception of image colours). I have also used only two fonts throughout, Showcard Gothic and Comic Sans MS. I chose them because they reflect the moods of the magazine. They look fun but at the same time tidy. Furthermore, some text boxes and images are in a certain style of box, to make them stand out and look similar.

The media institution to distribute this magazine would be Wyke, through print, the internet and word of mouth. Wyke would be the distributer because to target audience is primarily students and any person involved with Wyke, so it would only be distributed within the college.

The morals and values this magazine gives is to be active and involved, and also to show an interest in college. The purpose is to encourage students to do these things, and give students and anyone else interested into an insight of Wyke College. The audience primarily is students. The target audience for my magazine will be for male and females, primarily around the 16 to 19 age range, but generally any slightly younger persons (considering joining Wyke) and even parents or jobseekers looking to see what Wyke has to offer e.g. P.E. job. The 16-19 people would read the magazine to find out more about subjects, leisure activities and college events. Mainly, the bottom three section of the S.E.G. table. Additionally, the audience would be mainly outer-directed people looking to achieve and join clubs for example. Firstly, I attracted my audience with the headlines. Headlines such as ‘Clubs and Chaos’, ‘Chess Tournament’, netball news and parts to do with subjects, all appeal to students with hobbies, who play sports and wish to achieve high. These appeals to Niche audiences of different types. Secondly, I think the layout is appropriate because it doesn’t look bland or boring, so students might be attracted to the fact that it looks like a fun magazine. Furthermore, the title ‘Life and Leisure’ also backs the anchorage and connotates the subjects discussed.

This product represents students in general, and the College itself. The magazine is accurate and represents the students positively. I have tried to make it as realistic as possible, deriving the attitudes from truth, and basing the stories on some real events. Also, the stories and content convey to the audience that Wyke is a thriving college and the students are active and involved. The magazine doesn’t stereotype students, but show them in a realistic manner. The denotations point the audience in the right direction. For example, ‘Life and Leisure’ and ‘Ex-sport student talks about his struggle’ show that this a activity based magazine about news and gossip about sport for example.

In conclusion, I believe I have used the appropriate codes and conventions of magazines, represented the college and students accurately and positively, and appealed to my target audience. Next time, I would spend more time on the graphics, and try to include features like intertextuality.