Realism

The techniques by which a media text represents ideas and images that are held to have a true relationship with the actual world around us. Realism means different things in different texts. And through my research I have figured that it is important to assess how much a text strives for realism, and how much audiences are expected to think it is realistic. So that's why I created an interview that is truth to what was said in the real interview.

 

Constructing the Audience: Text

For me when this such media and text is being planned, perhaps the most important question the producers and myself consider is "Does it have an audience?" If the answer to this is 'no', then there is no point in going any further. If no one is going to watch/read/play/buy the text, then the producers are not going to make any money or get their message across. So this is why I have distinguished that audience research is a major part of any media company's work as well as my own. Part of their research consists of using questionnaires, focus groups, and comparisons to existing media texts, and spend a great deal of time and money finding out if there is anyone out there who might be interested in their idea. Which is what I've tried to do, not so much the money aspect but the element that are free and can be accessed through my own work.

From the research that I made I figured that my audience should be influenced via:

• income bracket/status
• age
• gender
• race
• location

of their potential audience, a method of categorising known as demographics. So once I figured all this I could begin to shape their text to appeal to a group with known reading/viewing/listening habits.

Genre

For me Genre does not simply mean what's in a media text but also on the way it is constructed. This can be important, for example, when what type of music fans you are trying to attract, which can deal with similar subject matter, and look the same — Similar instruments — but belong to separate genres.

A media text is said to belong to a genre, as it adopts the codes and conventions of other texts in that genre, and lives up to the same expectations. Texts from different mediums may belong to the same genre but they all have their separate meanings and this is what I want to distinguish in my magazine production as it is something that is easily mistaken.

My Audience Terms

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT	This describes how an audience interacts with a media text. Different people react in different ways to the same text.
AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS	These are the advance ideas an audience may have about a text. This particularly applies to genre pieces. Don't forget that producers often play with or deliberately shatter audience expectations.
AUDIENCE FOREKNOWLEDGE	This is the definite information (rather than the vague expectations) which an audience brings to a media product.
AUDIENCE IDENTIFICATION	This is the way in which audiences feel themselves connected to a particular media text, in that they feel it directly expresses their attitude or lifestyle.
AUDIENCE PLACEMENT	This is the range of strategies media producers use to directly target a particular audience and make them feel that the media text is specially 'for them'.
AUDIENCE RESEARCH	Measuring an audience is very important to all media institutions. Research is done at all stages of production of a media text, and, once produced, audience will be continually monitored.

Unique Selling Point

Unique Selling Point or Proposition. The attribute of a text or product that is highlighted as being new or unique in the marketing process, something that sets it apart from its competitors. For my magazine I want to create a unique selling point of my own as this would keep the uniqueness going as I want to be an individual in the market with my own audience so I have figured that a key way for this success is to create a Unique Selling Point in which could be something big or small. Whatever it will be I will make sure that it is something that makes the audience decide if they buy my mag or not

 

Product Positioning

With my product I want to establish were I would position it so I've decided to establish it within a niche market as it may not be the industry leader but it will sell to my specific audience due to advertising appropriately to who I believe is my deemed segment of the audience.

 

The main three reasons for this decision is:

Less Competition

Give Market Insights

Build A Brand Loyalty

 

Stereotypes

Stereotypes are usually negative representations of people that more than often rely on preconceived ideas about the group that person is perceived as belonging to. It is assumed that an individual shares personal characteristics with other preconceived ideas e.g. blondes are all stupid, gingers have no souls...             

Although using stereotypes saves a lot of explanation within a text, it can be a very useful way to present something i.e. my magazines. However without being justifies stereotypes may be considered dangerous because as we all know most stereotypes that we see and hear today have been produced by the media as they encourage audiences to think large groups of people are all the same, and often have the same negative characteristics. Which shows how effective the media is.

 

Choosing my title font

For my Music Magazine I am going to choose my title font off www.dafont.com. I have narrowed the selection down to 5 and I am going to show you my decisions:

 

The first font is called Pulse Sans Virgin:

 

 

The reason why this is one of my option is because it links in with the whole Amplitude and Distortion however I know if it will give me the professional look I am looking for.

 

 

My second font is called Action of the Time New:

 

I chose this font once again because of its affect that it adds to Amplitude and Distortion however I think this font will suit my magazine more.

 

My third font is called Rythm N Blacks:

 

This font was the first font I saw however I don't think It will suit my genre or target audience as it gives off to me a comic value.

 

My fourth font called Rough Linen:

This font I thought also added to the Amplitude and Distortion value but once again I don't think I will work in my Music Magazine.

 

My last and fifth font is called Scorched Earth:

 

This last font I think will go really well with my Music Magazine but on the other hand I also think my second font Action of the Time New is a good font to use in my magazine but ultimately I think this font Scorched Earth will be the best font for me to use because it has everything I was looking for, for the title.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ideas for my chosen genre: Indie Alternative / Indie Rock

Magazine Terms

Masthead - The name and logo of the magazine.

 

 

The Lead - The inductor paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.

 

 

Body Copy - Refers to the text of your written articles, which should be produced as a printed presentation to accepted industry standard, e.g. correct use of language, font size, word limits etc. Usually written in columns.

 

Serif Fonts -  Fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.

 

 

Sans Serifs Fonts - Fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters

 

 

Drop Capitals - A really big letter which usually starts off the Article.

 

 

Cross Head - Small sub-heading used to split up large blocks of text.

 

 

White Space - White parts of the page other than text or pictures.

 

 

Mode of Address - How the magazine talks to the audience.

 

Sell Lines - Text on the cover that helps sell the magazine to the audience.

 

 

Banners - Text which usually stands out because it is on a coloured background.

 

 

House Style - Magazines distinctive design that separates it from competitors.

 

 

Borders - The gaps at the edges of a page.

 

 

Gutters - The gaps between columns of text.

 

Leading - The space between lines of text.

Kerning - The space between letters.

Strap Lines - A smaller headline, printed above the main headline.

 

By-Lines - Name of the person who wrote the article.

 

Picture Credits - Who took the picture, where did it come from.

 

Anchorage - The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and visa versa.

 

 

 

The Industry

Cohen's Moral Panic

A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges as a threat to societal values and interests: Its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media: the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right thinking people, socially accredited expert pronounce their diagnoses and solution, ways of copying are evolved or more often resorted to.

 

Alternatively, Moral Panics involve the construction of 'folk devils' that need controlling, which leads to increased social control i.e. regulation: BBFC, ELSPA, etc. This occurs during periods when powerful groups or the ruling classes face trouble times. The panic then becomes a substitute for one real and more problematic to social issues.

 

Features of moral panic:

 

Concern - Behaviour of a particular group represented as having a threat.

 

Volatility - Short lived. Panics erupt dramatically but are difficult to sustain. Negative consequences for the rest of us.

 

Hostility - 'Folk devils' constructed to create a clear division between 'them' and 'us'.

 

Consequences - Widespread acceptance of the threat posed by this group. Not necessarily reflecting national concern, but the campaigner will be very vocal whilst the opposition will be weak and disorganised.

 

Disproportionality - Wild exaggeration of evidence. Not only the number of people involved but also the scale of the problem.

 

 

Target Audience

Through weeks of work in the class room and out of school looking at popular magazines and my results I have received back from my Questionnaire, I have finally chosen my target audience. The age that I will be aiming my magazine at will be from 16-21 the reason for this is because being at the age of 16-17 like myself you find yourself more involved in media and music so therefore I think that it will be a smart idea to base my magazine around something that is close to myself and not something that I know very little about.

 

My audience that I am planning on attracting will be interested in Indie Alternative and finding new bands as well seeing bands that aren't well known. Such bands that they will be interested in will be Little Comets, Of Monsters and Men and Swim deep but also the more known indie bands and artists like Arctic Monkeys, Miles Kane, Kings of Leon, etc.

 



 

 

 

Choosing my Target Audience and Genre: Questionnaire Answers

The photo above is of my Questionnaire scores and answers. From the bunch that I received I can now start to develop and create my target audience and genre by taking on board my answers that I have received from the questioners.

Magazine Ideas - Q

Magazine Ideas - NME

Mood Board

InDesign Introduction

Another software that we have been taught to use in preparation for our Music Magazine is Adobe InDesign. InDesign is a programme that is used often in the magazine industry for magazines such as NME, Q, MOJO etc...

The reason why it is used so often is because it allows you to position/ align text and images correctly which is essential when making your work professional. Once you have opened InDesign a pop up comes up like every other Adobe program asking if you want guidelines such as gutters, borders, leaning and kerning this is important because it is helpful to give our page an organised look which is what makes it professional.

 

Here is an Example on InDesign:

 

 

Analysis and Deconstruction of Old School Newsletter

Last week I took part in a task of analysing and deconstructing one of Deyes High Schools old Newsletter. I have analysed each feature that I could and commented on what I think is a good attribute, I have also attached it bellow so you can see what you agree with or what you don't agree with.

The last thing is please comment on the post, if there is anything that you think I have missed out or wrong on please comment, this way I will be able to see someone else's view and compare it to my own.

 

School Magazine

For the past week in media we have been taking part in an assignment to create a school newsletter using Photoshop and InDesign.

 

Before I created my Newsletter I decided that it wouldn't be as good as I could make it because it can show my progress through using both Photoshop and InDesign.

When we got the set the task to gather picture I was quick for ideas. I decided that it is best to promote Deyes by being happy and not dull so I settled with an idea that I could have two student walking down the school discussing work and also being happy that way I could promote the students smart dress code, the schools facilities, the hard work that students put in and also that they can have a good time and be happy. I used the Clone Stamp to get rid of any marks on the walls and also little pieces of rubbish on the floor. Another technique I used was Brightness and Contrast control where I increased both by a little bit so that the corridor didn't look to dull and dark.

The second page I made was the contents page, on this page I decided to show off the schools memorabilia as it shows what the school has achieved over the past couple of years. I used bold text so that it can stand out to the reader. One of the main changes I did you can see in the bottom right hand corner where I clone stamped a chair, the reason I did this is because I wanted the trophy cabinet to be centre of attention which I tried to do as much as I could using the rule of thirds. The last thing I did was put a yellow/gold glow on the cabinet as it increases the sense of achievement with connotations of yellow and gold being victory, first place and happiness etc..