Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products?

My magazine Professional Magazine

My masthead goes all the way across the top of my magazine, a large, bold and unique font that is not used anywhere else in the magazine. This is following the codes and conventions of music magazines

The barcode is usually in the bottom right hand corner, like on professional front covers. The price of the magazine and the website of the magazine is also surrounding the barcode

Buzz words such as: plus make the reader feel like they are getting more for their money or they are getting something that no-one else has.

There is always one main image on the front of the magazine and the subject in the image is giving direct address to the audience to draw them in. The shot used for my front cover is a mid shot.

This is the main story of my magazine and is the largest coverline on my magazine. It is in a unique font like the masthead is and this font is only used on this coverline. The font is used to draw the reader in

The coverline is in a larger more bolder font than the tag line. This is done to bring the attention to the band names on the coverline

The main image overlaps onto the masthead, a little bit but not as much as you can still read what the full title is.

A competition has been used to draw the readers in, and to make it look like your getting more for what you paid for. The competition will also entice people who wouldn't normally buy the magazine to buy it

The background of the front of the magazine should be plain and not complicated like mine is. The colour scheme i have used is simple and effective and consisting of only 4 colours.

The issue date and number is underneath the masthead and out the way.

The list of bands here will entice people to buy my magazine incase they like the bands and it also shows good value for money

The tagline doesn't give anything about the story which will intrigue readers and make them want to buy the magazine so they find out what the story is about.

Contents Page

Professional contents pageMy contents page.

The title of the contents page is also known as the masthead, the text extends half the way across the contents page and stand out to the reader.

The articles inside this magazine are grouped according to what they contain and are stuck under headings. The heading are in a different colour to the stories and are in a larger font and stand out more, This has been done so the reader can find what they are looking for easier and by breaking it down, it is easier on the eye

The issue date and issue number is also underneath the masthead, this has been put here so it is out the way, yet easy to find for a regular reader

Subsidiary images are used and the page numbers are on the image so people know where to find the story. The images are also used to break up all the text that is on the contents page and make it look more appealing to the reader

The contents page has carried on the branding with the colour scheme, and this reinforces the branding of my magazineIt is also a simple and effective colour scheme that catches peoples eyes and draws the reader in

This magazine contents page usually has subscription details on the bottom of the page. This is to encourage the reader to buy it again, and tell them about savings they can make. This makes the reader more interested. This is a feature of professional magazines.

The page numbers are in bold and in a larger font than the coverlines. This is so they stand out to the readers and make for easy browsing. This is also a feature of professional magazines.

The stories are broken up into regulars and features. This makes it easier for the reader to browse through

This is the main image on the contents page and is a larger feature story so has the larger picture.

Double Page Spread

Professional double page spread

My double page spread

The title should be short and snappy,this is what mine is and most professional magazines have this.

The text for the article is in 9 point and drop quotes from the article which may be exciting or funny will be in a larger font and/or in bold, some professional magazines have point size 11 for the text however mine wouldn't fit on.

Drop quotes are used to highlight short and snappy sentences from the interview. They are in bold and standout to the reader. They are also in a different colour to the rest of the text.

The main image should dominate the double page spread and the main image should give direct address to the reader however this image doesn't have direct address as it is taken at a gig and direct address was hard to achieve.

The drop cap is used at the start of the article and stands out to the reader. It takes up four lines and is in a bolder font than the rest of the article.

Credits are always given to the writer of the article and to the photographer who took the images for the double page spread. These are situated here so they are out the way

The stand first is used to start off the article and it is short and supposed to intrigue the reader into reading the rest of the story. My stanfirst is a question which should make the readers want to know more and so to read it.

All the page numbers are in the bottom right hand corner. This is common of magazines and it just makes the number out of the way and not attention grabbing. It is however larger than the text of the article and this is for people flicking through the magazine.

In most magazines the main image for the double page spread is on the left page however mine is on the right because it didn't look right on the left.

The font of the title takes up the width of the double page spread and is unique and only used on this double page spread.

There is usually between 2 and 4 columns for the main article, my double page spread has 3 columns however.

The article should have an informal mode of address suited to the target audience.

This is what the band are promoting by doing the interview. In this case it is the new album they are releasing and the tour that they are doing.