evaluation media conventions analysis

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout the production process of my front cover, contents page and double page spread in

relation to my colour scheme I have used pink, white and black. I have continued these colours

one ach of my products to maintain continuity and to bring my products together. I chose to use

three colours as after looking at other products this was conventional, I also used these specific

colours as I felt they fitted in best with my model’s outfit and the whole theme of my RnB

magazine. I also chose to place my model on all three of my products to reinforce her importance

across the magazine and to maintain the genre to the reader. This also reflects the continuity of

the magazine as if she was only presented on the front cover then wasn’t shown on the contents

page or the double page spread the magazine wouldn’t look professional or consistent, her

importance also wouldn’t be reinforced. In terms of the fonts I have used I have maintained a

bold, powerful font to reinforce the dominance of my magazine, also to maintain the identity of

the ‘Pause’ brand. My conventions analysis on the following slides outlines more continuity

features…

I have placed the masthead right across the top of the page to emphasise the importance of the brand and make the reader well aware of the brand as here it stands out dominantly. I have also put the text in black as it is the biggest contrast in comparison to the white background, this again was done to increase the importance. The font is also a very large bold text which also looks unique, I decided to use this as each magazine font varies and as a result of this the masthead represents the magazine brand.

Here I have placed a puff to advertise some more articles that are within the magazine. I decided to do it in the style of a puff as this is very conventional on music magazines, especially in the shape of a circle or a star. I decided to use a circle here as I felt it looked a lot more sophisticated and linked in better with the genre however if I was to do an Indie magazine I would of probably used a star shape. The fact I have used well known RnB artists here make it even more appealing to the reader. I also placed the names of the artists in the colour pink to make it stand out in comparison to the rest which connotes that they are independent, dominant stars.

This was my chosen main image, I chose this as I felt it was very conventional. Firstly in relation to mise-en-scene the costume I chose this army styled jacket as these are usually seen within the armed forces, therefore this connotes that she is a very powerful, fierce role model. However I chose this specific jacket as it had the studs on it which gives the image that RnB edge that it needed , the colours of the pink also relate to the fact that even though she may be seen as more masculine in this clothing she is actually very feminine, which emphasises the fact that she is a powerful star. Her hair in this is also down and quite wavy due to the fact I found that this was very conventional within the RnB sector of music magazines. Additionally she is making direct eye contact to the reader which makes the reader feel included as the magazine looks more approachable and appealing to read. I also went for a smoky, natural looking make up style with slightly pink lips as during my research I found this was very common. In terms of positioning on the page I placed her very largely, slightly overlapping the masthead at the top as I think this emphasised her dominance on the magazine whereas if I placed the masthead over her head she would of looked less important.

When redrafting my product after my peer feedback I decided to change the barcode to increase the conventional features, In this process I used the VIBE barcode as inspiration however I just recreated my own with Pause’s own identity. I also think the fact the barcode is identical to the colour scheme makes the magazine look very professional and well created. I placed it at the bottom of the page her as it is very conventional to place them here. Within this barcode I also added the date and the price, as before I had them placed at the top of the page however I felt it was taking some of the attention away from the masthead.

Here I have used a skyline however I have placed it at the bottom of the page, a lot of magazines place these at the top of the page however I didn’t want to take any attention away from the masthead and I felt this is what this would have done. My actual skyline consists of artists names that are to be featured in the magazine. The actual artists I have used are well known artists that I have specifically used to drawn the reader in as these artists make RnB fans want to read on to find out more. The fact I have featured these also makes my magazine look very up to date and professional. I have used a different font here as I felt this font look fresh which reflects connotations that these artists are also funky and fresh.

In terms of my anchorage text I placed my main models name over the top of her, central of the page in a large font to emphasise her dominance. The font I have used is also very similar to the masthead which reflects that she is a main part of the magazine. I purposely used all three colours in her name to connote the fact that she is a main part of the magazine. I also used all upper case letters to increase her dominance even further. I chose not to put any pull quotes on here as I felt this added to the suspense of not knowing what the article was about which makes the reader want to read on further.

In relation to my sell lines I used a lot of inspiration from Q magazine, in terms of the font as I used impact to make the text look dominant. I specifically used these artists to make the reader want to read on I also made use of effective adjectives when describing the article for example ‘exclusive’ and ‘hottest’ make the articles look un-missable which emphasises Pause’s dominance within the market. These also drawn my target audience in as this makes my audience feel privileged to be reading this as it states that it is exclusive, this also makes them feel included.. I positioned them here as these are the most conventional places to features sell lines on the front cover of the magazine.

Firstly I have shown continuity by the use of colours as I have used the continuous colours of pink, black and white on my front cover, contents page and double page spread. On here although I have used each colour I have tried to separate them so my page doesn’t look too dominated by one colour and so my contents page look conventional.

I used the use of the official Twitter and Facebook logo’s here to appeal to my target audience and to reinforce the fact that my magazine is present and very up to date with our current society activities. I chose to place a banner here as they are very conventional within magazines and often contain an advertisement which is why I chose to place a banner here with the Pause account names, to promote the magazine and to maintain the identity of it.

I have placed the contents title large at the top of the page as it is very conventional to do this and is therefore what the audience expect. I chose to make a top banner in black to put more emphasis on the contents title and make the page look easily recognisable. I also made a Pause logo to maintain the identity of the magazine and to reinforce the importance of the brand. In addition to this I put it in a different colour to make the logo stand.

I have used this image as in terms of mise-en-scene the models outfit follows all the typical conventions of an RnB dress code, this therefore reflect the genre of my magazine and makes my magazine look professional and reliable as if she was wearing a really outdated outfit no audience would be attracted to my magazine. The fact the microphone is in clear view of the image reflect my the actual topic of my magazine and shows the reader that the model is a singer. In terms of the colours she is wearing, they are all very bright and uplifting which also demonstrate the RnB genre, in this image I think the sunglasses play a huge role as I have previously stated within my magazine research sunglasses are very popular within the RnB music industry in terms of artists outfits, the colour blue is also a RnB primary colour which reflects conventions of popular RnB fashion.

I have placed the selling line in white, however in a lot smaller/ less attractable font as the selling line isn't a main priority in terms of making it stand out however it is very conventional and must be placed on as without it looks unprofessional and therefore un-conventional. I also placed the website on here as it gives the reader other alternatives in terms of Pause’s products.

In terms of my features, I have used relatively small text however with the main selling line in the feature I have printed this slightly larger, in bold. I have done this as it stands out more and makes people want to read the magazine, additionally I have also placed the page number in a different colour to make the number easily recognisable so reader know exactly where to find different articles. In terms of conventions this is very conventional as many other magazines have their layout similar to this one which is why I used this inspiration to create a realistic looking contents page for my magazine brand.

When categorising my features I needed to look closely into where to put different features, after researching into many other brands in relation to their contents pages I decided to make my own column that is directly aiming at the reader, in terms of contacting. I decided to do this as not only does this look conventional and professional of the magazine but it also makes the reader feel included. The ‘chance to win’ feature was also designed to draw people into the magazine so I used this as a tool of persuasion.

The secondary image I used was a picture of my main front cover model, I used her on here as it shows continuity and reinforces her importance within the magazine . I used this specific image as here she looks very confident and she looks within a music orientated pose with a RnB attitude by her facial expressions by the way she is looking at the camera with the pink necklace. Additionally on this her hair seems to be blowing back slightly as I used a fan whilst taking it which could connotate that she is powerful or ‘mind blowing’.

In terms of the pull quotes on my images I have placed each of their names in a larger font to emphasise their importance. These pull quotes involve a brief summary of what the article will be based on. I purposely did this to draw my audience in to my product and make them curious to read on through the magazine.

In relation to the layout of my text I have chosen to place my text in columns as this is a key conventional feature in regards to double page spreads. I chose specifically to have three dominant columns as this is very conventional and I though it looked a lot more effective that just have two columns as this also establishes the key theme of the article being a question and answer format. In relation the colours I kept the two main colours of Pink and black to maintain the reinforce the colour scheme and to present continuity. I chose to have the answers from my artist in pink as this is a more feminine colour which portrays her identity as a female. However I chose to have the Q and A’s in the opposite colour as after receiving feedback from my peers this was said to look more effective, it also makes the colours blend in and looks a lot more attractive t the eye which draws the audience in further.

When altering my banner across the top of my DPS I decided to change the Pause logo to the actual font presented on the masthead on my front cover to show continuity and too reinforce the brand of my magazine establishing the importance . This also gives the audience recognition of my magazine, additionally this font looks very bold and dominant in comparison to the rest of the text which increases the importance.

Here I chose to use the official Apple iTunes logo to demonstrate that my model is professional as she is big enough to be on iTunes, the logo is also very recognisable with a large audience which draws people in. Additionally these types of logos are very conventional and therefore make my magazine look very up to date and conventional.

In relation to my main image, I chose this specific image as they are very conventional with music magazine which I have learned from my research. When taking this specific image I used a fan to created a blowing effect with my models hair, I did this to create an abstract theme of my model been ‘mind blowing’ and to connote the fact that she is very powerful and dominant. The fact she is taking up the whole page increases her dominance further. In terms of mise-en-scene I have used the same costume to show continuity, the army jackets styled jacket also demonstrates the fact she is a strong, independent artist as this is the sort of costume you normally see on the armed forces.

On my head line I took inspiration from other magazines, which is why I when for a random but ordered style, as this looks a lot more effective and grabs the readers attentions immediately. I also used the two main colours from my colour scheme to show continuity, In terms of the choice of colouring I though it was really effective to have the word ‘RnB’ highlighted as this represents the genre of my magazine and appeals to the reader. I also highlighted the word ‘you’ and the word ‘me’ at the beginning and end as it creates the illusion that the reader and audience are been drawn in together, which makes the reader more included.

Here I used a drop capital as this is very conventional and is seen on nearly all magazines which makes my magazine look more professional.

Here I placed a by-line to show conventions as this is a very conventional feature on a magazine. In the image I have included Pause’s identity to maintain the professional identity. I decided to have the box and font fairly small, as I didn’t want it to take any attention away from any other features. I also used a black text box with white writing to keep to my colour scheme, this is also very conventional.

Here I placed a pull quote to draw the reader into the text and to give a subtle hint of the topic of the article. I placed this text in a larger, bolder font to make it stand out to the audience, I also underlined the word beat as this links to the whole RnB genre and the them of music.

Here I have placed my pause logo on to represent my brand, I also took inspiration from Q here as they used a similar format. I also placed the date here to show continuity, this is also a conventional feature. On one side of my magazine I used a black line with a black text box however at the other side I used the opposite as if I did the same at both sides, the darker side where my models jacket is wouldn’t stand out and would seem lost in the background.

Challenging conventions with inspiration from existing products….

I really liked the style of this barcode as I thought it was unique to

other barcodes as this was personalised to the actual VIBE brand. I

decided to take this inspiration and recreate my own using my own

brand. I think this was successful as it has made my final front cover

look a lot more conventional. However in the process of making mine

I wanted to make it individual to my own brand so I slightly changed

the positioning and added my own colour scheme, brand name and

my own detail in relation to date and price.

VIBE Barcode:My Barcode:

Barcode

Brand name

Website alternative

Scanning barcode

Brief instructionsBrief instructions

Scanning barcode

Brand name

Price

Date


Q Magazine:My Magazine: VIBE Magazine: Flavour magazine:

This shows my features taken from my front cover in comparison to other music

magazines with a couple of them being specific RnB genres. I chose to use the

font ‘Impact’ as this looks very conventional as it is used on many other magazines

in relation to features. Narrow Columns are also used, which is why I have done

my features in this format. I also placed them in the blank spaces which is also

very common and conventional when contrasting with other existing products such

as these. The features also usually have at least two colours within the set colour

scheme like I have used.


My Magazine: Q Magazine:

I created a puff to put on my front cover as I found that they were very

conventional on front covers when looking at other products. I took

inspiration mainly from Q magazine, even though Q isn’t within the RnB

genre I really like the circular style and the use of colours. When creating

mine I used all three of my main colours however I used the colour pink to

highlight the most dominant things within the plug for example the title

and the artists names.


My Magazine:Q magazine: Vibe Magazine: Flavour magazine:

In relation to my sell lines I took inspiration from magazines such as these. I

noticed that wih each magazine it is very conventional to use more than one main

colour, the fonts also vary in size and style. When I made my sell lines I used the

main colours of pink and black, I used the words that I wanted to stand out more

to my target audience in black, with the impact font whereas the rest of the text is

smaller, in the colour of pale pink.


Flavour Magazine:

Q magazine:

NME Magazine:

My magazine: Here are a list of skylines

taking from other music

magazine sin comparison to

the one I created. These are

very conventional when

advertising the artists featured

within the magazine. In my first

drafts I had the actual text in

white however after some peer

advice and consideration I

decided to change it to pink as

this is a very conventional

colour within RnB and it made

the actual names stand out

more which emphasises their

dominance. I chose to use

these specific artists as they

are very popular within the

current RnB industry and

therefore become easily

recognisable and appealing to

the reader.


My Magazine:

Q Magazine:

In terms of the masthead on my contents page I really liked the style of the Q contents

page, this one specifically as It contains all of the relevant information in one banner. I

also liked the way the Q logo was shown to reinforce the brand of the magazine and

to demonstrate the dominance. I chose to use this as my inspiration however change

it slightly in order to make it my own and make it look more RnB styled to suit my

chosen genre. Whilst creating it I changed the font to the font similar to the one I used

on my front cover to show continuity, plus it looked a lot more conventional in relation

to my RnB genre. I then chose to create a logo for Pause by creating the actual Pause

button logo, I did this to represent the brand without using repetition of the masthead. I

also put this in a different colour to make it stand out more and increase its

importance. Additionally I placed the issue number and the date to show continuity

and also because this is a very conventional feature, I also placed the website name

to give the reader an alternative in viewing the product, this also makes my contents

page look a lot more professional.

Challenging conventions with inspiration from existing products….My Magazine: Q Magazine: NME Magazine:

Kerrang Magazine:

Feature lists are vital

when crafting a contents

page. It is very

conventional to present

them with heading in a

column style which is

why I followed

conventions. I really liked

the style of Q and NME

magazine even though

these aren't magazines

within my chosen genre I

think they work well. I

decided to include the

heading ‘this month’ as

this is the list that

contains things directly

aimed towards the

reader in relation to

contacting or

subscribing.


My Magazine: Q Magazine:

Kerrang magazine:

Pull Quotes are very conventional on magazines in relation to the

images they are representing. Here I took a lot of inspiration from

the Q pull quotes used on this specific magazine. I used small

lines to encourage the reader to want to go to the article itself. I

also put the names of the artists in a larger, bolder font to make it

stand out on the page and attract the readers attention almost

straight away. I also wanted the page numbers to stand out so

the reader is guided exactly where to go in the magazine, so I

also placed them large, in pink to demonstrate a contrast. This is

also very conventional when looking at other magazines as page

numbers are often seen in a different colour.


My Magazine: Q Magazine: Kerrang Magazine:

Boxes on contents pages are very conventional on music magazines, it is very

common that they are either used for reviews or an editors letter. I chose to do a

review as I wanted to advertise a lot more things that are featured within my

magazine, I also felt this looked really effective. I took inspiration from Q magazine

during this. I kept the theme from my masthead on my contents page and interpreted

here as I presented continuity by the use of the pause logo and the font. I also

changed the colour of the background within the box here as I wanted it to stand out

as something different rather than looking like another box of features.


My Headline:

NME Headline:

I took main inspiration from this

headline featured in NME

magazine, I really liked the style of

the text with the different sizes and

colours, so I decided to recreate

something similar. Headlines are

very conventional on double page

spreads, so it was vital that I

featured this. The main purpose of

this is to draw the audience into my

magazine, I chose to place the RnB

in pink and larger font as this

outlines my magazine genre and

looks very effective. I also did the

same with the first and last letter

‘you’ and ‘me’ as these to words

convey the illusion that the

audience and the artist have a

close interaction and makes the

conversation more direct.

Flavour magazine:

Q magazine:

My magazine:

In terms of the footer of my DPS, after researching I found that it is very

conventional to include not only page numbers, but some form of recognition of the

brand and the date. I took inspiration from this and used the pause logo that I had

already used previously on my contents page as this reinforces the brands

dominance and demonstrates continuity. I also placed the date in small text to

show detailing, this also shows continuity as this is the date I have used throughout

my magazine products.

My Magazine:VIBE Magazine: Q Magazine: XXL Magazine:

Drop caps are essential when making a magazine look

conventional which is why I used one. They are one of the

most conventional elements in relation to all magazines,

not just music magazines so I had to include one to

maintain that professional look. I chose to have my Drop

capital as a large, bold, black impact font to draw the

reader into the text and to keep the theme of bold

dominant text as seen previous in my magazine.

My magazine: Vibe Magazine:

Captions are also very conventional in relation to the image,

as this contains information about the image for example the

photographer or makeup designer. I used this on mine as it

is very conventional and made my magazine look

professional. I placed mine in a small text box with a very

small font as although they need to be visible they aren't

there to capture any unwanted attention.

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