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1. AS MEDIA
Module 2 AS COURSEWORK UNIT
Keywords
Convention
Effective
Engaging
Analysing music magazine designs
Learning Outcomes
To identify the conventions of a music magazine design and explaining why it will be
effective in engaging the audiences.
Success Criteria
Create a textual analysis where a variety of music magazine conventions have been
identified by always using professional terms.

2. SUCCESS CRITERIA
(Level 7 A2+)
A convincing analysis that explains the explicit and implicit meanings behind what we see or hear in great detail. Effective Media
language explains meanings or describes conventions and is used with complete accuracy. A variety of visual and audio conventions
have been identified always using their professional names.
(Level 6 A3-B1)
A quality analysis that explains the explicit meanings behind what we see or hear in detail. Confident Media language explains meanings
or describes conventions and is used with accuracy. Several visual and audio conventions have been identified mainly using their
professional names.
(Level 5 B3-C1)
A solid analysis that explains some of the meanings behind what we see or hear. Solid Media language attempts to explain meaning or
describe conventions and is used with some accuracy. Some visual or audio conventions have been identified occasionally using their
professional names.
(Level 4 C2-D2)
A basic analysis that attempts to describe the meaning behind what we see or hear. Basic Media language attempts to describe meaning.
A few visual or audio conventions have been named in some way.
(Level 3 D3-E2)
A description rather than an analysis that names what we see or hear. Limited Media language is included in some way. A visual or audio
convention has been named.
In the following sessions you will be marked on 3 key skills:
ANALYSIS LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

3. Our key skills
• Identifying the conventions of a music magazine
• Analysing why the conventions are effective
• Explaining why the conventions will engage the audience
Analysing music poster designs

4. Analyse a music magazine.
Why is it effective and how does it engage the
interest of the target audience?
Effective
Parts of the poster design will make the audience think or feel.
Engage the interest
Grabbing audience attention and keeping them interested.
Target audience
The specific target audience you name including age range and gender.

5. What conventions of a music poster could we analyse?
Complete the mindmap by identifying a variety of music
magazine conventions.
Select a music magazine of your choice and
place it on the left side of the page.
Music magazine
conventions
Masthead
Skyline
Main
Image
Box
Out
barcodeCoverline
Strapline/
proportion
Lighting
Special
Effects

6. Engaging the Audience
Which target audience would you want to engage?
Which conventions might keep them interested?
Why might this be?
Extension … How are things different depending on the
audience they want to engage?
If you were the creator of these two music magazines...
Who would you want to engage and how might you do it?

7. Engaging the Audience
Why might this be?
Extension… How are things different depending on the audience they want to engage?
Depending on the audience in question, There will be two types of magazine designs. For males, the magazine
will have ‘direct’ and ‘upbeat’ text to keep the reader interested on the articles. Furthermore female magazines
are more vibrant and will be more ‘emotional’ and ‘soft’ towards the reader. This insures that the reader will keep
interest in the magazine with the soft articles and the soft ‘text styles’.
FemalesMales 10-1515-20
Artist ColoursBackground Text style
Direct Soft
AtmosphereUpbeat
Exciting Emotional
Dramatic Fashionable
Which target audience would you want to engage?
Which conventions might keep them interested?

8. How do I write an analysis style answer?
The music magazine I will be analysing is (NAME and DESCRIBE)
The target audience of this magazine is (GENDER AND AGE RANGE)
There are many conventions of this magazine that will engage this target audience.
The colours in this magazine will engage the target audience and keep them interested
because…
Target audience – gender and age range?
Convention?
How will this convention keep the audience engaged and interested?
Analyse a music magazine.
Why is it effective and how does it engage the
interest of the target audience?
EXTENSION…add more complex media words or phrases to your answer thinking
about some of the magazine keywords you already know.

9. My analysis style answer
The music magazine I will be analyzing is ‘Metal Hammer’
Norwegian Edition. It is a metal style magazine focused on the metal
genre in general.
The target audience of this magazine is 16+ and gender varies.
Metal magazines are not gender specific and can apply to both male
and females and depending on what type of metal they listen too.
However from the cover, one would consider the target audience to
be mostly male. My target audience will be (16-25 years old and
male)
There are many conventions of this magazine that will engage this
target audience. For instance the skyline and masthead play roles in
a good magazine for it to stand out. Firstly the ‘artist’ and ‘colours’
are a major factor in this magazine as the artist takes up ¾ of the
screen and shows a solid presence on the cover. This is also
enhanced by the use of colours and how they are used. On the
cover the colours ‘red’ and ‘grey’ are used, the red colours
compliment the background and make the text stand out more. This
also helps the artist on the front stand out due to the colours behind
them and this gives them more definition. Furthermore the magazine
is also ‘direct’ and ‘upbeat’, this helps keep the reader interested in
the content of the magazine, by having direct text that shows what is
there straight to the face and this will be more directed towards the
male target audience. However the main image is what draws in the
average reader toward the magazine, this is really important
because if the reader in not subscribed and there magazine
browsing they will first look at the main image and either read further
or just pass it it like “judging a book by its cover”. The main image
will mostly help inn reeling in the audience.
Norge og Sverige hade os , bare fordi Danmark er det bedste land i verden

10. Who is the target audience of your magazine?
16-25 Yrs.
Male
How will it appeal to your target audience?
• Colour – Colours that match or are opposite to the picture and are
related to the music genre.
• Images – A image that represents the TA
• Font – The font will appeal to the genre and what type of metal sub-
genre is on the cover.
• M.O.S – Mise-on-scene such as lighting or special effects to make the
cover more aesthetically pleasing to the TA

11. Analysing my School magazine design
The School magazine I will be analyzing is ‘Leigh 16 independent’ it
is a school magazine based around the Leigh technology academy.
The target audience of this magazine is 16-18 year olds whom are in
post 16 at the Leigh. The magazine also appeals more towards the
male gender.
There are many conventions that are used to engage with the target
audience in this magazine cover, the first conventions that are I see
are the masthead and the main image. These two conventions are
the main attraction points on any magazine and this magazine
shows the main image clearly and the title is very readable.
The second convention that is used is colour, this cover uses the
background colour to make the green text stand out to the reader. In
contrast to the text colour and the text font is also formal and neat,
this insures that the magazine remains formal and is pointed
towards the target audience. Furthermore the use of images on the
front page adds the context of there is more inside and what to
expect.
The colours in this magazine will engage the target audience and
keep them interested because the colours blend well with each other
and the text is easily readable by the target audience. As well as
colour here represents that the text heading and that it is important
to the sub text (promoting the text below it).
However it can improve on

12. SUCCESS CRITERIA
(Level 7 A2+)
A convincing analysis that explains the explicit and implicit meanings behind what we see or hear in great detail. Effective Media
language explains meanings or describes conventions and is used with complete accuracy. A variety of visual and audio conventions
have been identified always using their professional names.
(Level 6 A3-B1)
A quality analysis that explains the explicit meanings behind what we see or hear in detail. Confident Media language explains meanings
or describes conventions and is used with accuracy. Several visual and audio conventions have been identified mainly using their
professional names.
(Level 5 B3-C1)
A solid analysis that explains some of the meanings behind what we see or hear. Solid Media language attempts to explain meaning or
describe conventions and is used with some accuracy. Some visual or audio conventions have been identified occasionally using their
professional names.
(Level 4 C2-D2)
A basic analysis that attempts to describe the meaning behind what we see or hear. Basic Media language attempts to describe meaning.
A few visual or audio conventions have been named in some way.
(Level 3 D3-E2)
A description rather than an analysis that names what we see or hear. Limited Media language is included in some way. A visual or audio
convention has been named.
In the following sessions you will be marked on 3 key skills:
ANALYSIS LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

13. Plenary
Copy and paste the success criteria that you
think matches the level of your analysis writing.
Explain why you have given yourself this level
Activity Four
Success Criteria
(Level 6 A3-B1)
A quality analysis that explains the explicit meanings behind what
we see or hear in detail. Confident Media language explains
meanings or describes conventions and is used with accuracy.
Several visual and audio conventions have been identified mainly
using their professional names.
Reasons
I used several convention and media words with there
professional names and confidently analysed how they are
used in the magazine cover. I have also put detail into how
the magazine engages the audience and impact it has on the
target audience.

14. Plenary
Copy and paste the success criteria that you
think matches the level of your analysis writing.
Explain why you have given yourself this level
Activity Four
Success Criteria
Reasons