Evaluation question 1:

In what ways does your media product use, develop

or challenge forms and conventions of real media

products?

Existing media products using the conventions:

NME’S front cover of Alex Turner and Miles Kane has a variety of the conventions of a music magazine which I have consequently used through my magazine. The Masthead is underlined behind the main image of the magazine which allows the readers' attention to begin concentrated on the image. NME cover also uses a stick on effect symbol with text on, to give the effect of a sticker and adds texture to the cover. NME also tend to use banners at the top of the magazines, such portrayed on the NME cover on the left; this neatens the magazine and helps it to appear together and complete. This also allows room for bold text to be included which can help attract the reader into continuing with the magazine.

The ‘Florence and the machine’ cover additionally uses the conventions of a music magazine to relate to the target audience and portray the magazine with the correct ‘look.’ The main cover line is the width of the magazine and stands out in a completely different colour to the rest of the magazine, ‘FLORENCE.’ Adding this allows the reader to realise the main cover story and what they can expect. At the bottom of the magazine, NME have also used ‘plus’ which includes short information of other bands included in this magazine. This results in the target audience becoming more diverse and covering larger social groups. This is a definite advantage to the distributor and magazine.

Existing media products using the conventions:

Using the conventions in my magazine:In my magazine I used a variety of conventions that appear in media products. Specifically, my cover lines which were inspired by the ‘Florence’ NME cover. For example I included a ‘Vs.’ story between two artists which create discussion and aims to attract the audience, as they would be intrigued to read about others views on the artists.

I also included a cover line story making tribute to Amy Winehouse which many different magazines do as a sign of respect and thanks for the music contributed. I have also included a stick on note shape, inspired from the ‘Alex Turner and Miles Kane’ cover to give the magazine more texture and creates interest for the audience. It breaks up all the constant text.

The artists I advertised on the front cover were intended for the target audience, they vary in genre, similar to NME. Adele covers the pop genre, while the Wombats genre covers indie rock. I want my audience to feel connected to a genre but not cut from all other genres and styles. Therefore MSC covers music for different styles of people. I included the conventional barcode discretely at the bottom of the magazine, as eventually the aim is to sell the magazine in retailers. I have additionally changed the text of artists names to bold similar to the convention on the ‘Florence’ cover, this attracts the eye of the audience straight away.

Using the conventions in my magazine:

Publisher version of my mag with analysis:

Current contents page and double page spread conventions:

The three images below present the conventions of a contents page and double page spread. The three pages below cover NME and Q. For the NME contents page it uses a coloured banner across the top which helps to define the bold text layered over. One of NME’s conventions is including the band index down the left hand side, this helps to the audience to relate and understand the genres of music in the magazine.

This contents page also has a coloured text box with subscripting details for the reader, this allows the reader to feel a part of the magazine and keep up to date with it. It results in more profit for the company.

The Q contents page additionally uses the conventions of the media product through the text across the top; it’s bold and clear, there is also a line underneath the text to neaten the whole page and create divisions and interest.

The Q double page spread uses the conventions of the photograph on one page of the spread, and all the text is neatly inserted on the right side. Q uses a convention of extra details and information about the artist before the interview and using an over sized letter to introduce the interview. However Q develops one of the conventions, by including a coloured letter across the entire interview, creating questions and presenting the Artist as unique and different.

Current contents page and double page spread conventions:

Using conventions in my magazine:For my double page spread I used the conventional technique putting a contrasted photo of the artist onto one side of the spread, and having the interview on the opposite page. I also added a quote from the interview above the artist to attract the reader’s attention, therefore allowing them to understand the topic of the interview and what the artist is like. I additionally added another quote in the same font and style in the middle of the interview to break up the constant text.

I had the interview started with the oversized letter and introduced the artist’s past and achievements to allow the reader to begin to know Bryony. For the double page spread I also used a convention having the interviewer and Artist’s conversation in different colours, to show the visual changes and lengths of conversation.

For the contents page, I used a banner across the top and a banner down the left hand side to keep the page neat and using the conventions. I included a different colour box at the bottom with subscribing details. The contents page was broke up into different categories, using a convention of the media product which NME uses frequently in their designs.

Using conventions in my magazine:

Developed and challenged ideas of the conventions:

I have used various conventions of the media product in my own magazine, however I have additionally developed and challenged several conventions. For example, The picture I used for the contents page wasn’t a close up photograph and didn’t create eye contact with the reader. This was a risk because the contents page shows the reader the rest of the magazine. The picture creates interest, because the model stands out against the bland background.

The model also appears to be looking at the pages and details, this helps to draw attention to the left hand side. I have also kept the colour scheme to a minimum of blue, red, black and white. This is a developed convention because magazines tend to include more colours, especially on the front cover image. I decided to put the image in black and white and contrasted it because it helps the cover to look intense but professional at the same time.

Developed and challenged ideas of the conventions: