The document discusses how the student's music magazine product uses and challenges conventions of real music magazines. The student incorporated many typical codes and conventions in their front cover, contents page, and double page spread, such as mastheads, images, columns, and page numbers. However, their unedited cover image challenges conventions of heavily photo-shopped celebrity images normally seen. Overall, the student aimed to create a magazine that would appeal to their target audience while still following most music magazine conventions.

1. Question 1: In what ways does your product
use, develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?

2. I have based my music magazine of this copy of NME’s front cover, in my
opinion it is a successful cover and works well. It also follows the codes
and conventions of a music magazine.

3. Mast Head
Issue number, date
and price
Plug/Puff
Cover lines
Direct address
Professionally taken image
working in photography
studio
Main cover lines
Website address
Barcode
Colour coding
Drop shadow
Equal Spacing
I have used many of the key codes and
conventions of a typical music magazine on my
front cover, I have highlighted the codes and
conventions by using arrows.

4. However, my image challenges the codes and
conventions of a music magazine, as I haven’t
edited my main cover image at all. Almost all
music magazine images are edited, to enhance
the appearance of the the celebrity, I left my
image as it was taken. As I felt it was already
very successful and worked with the genre of my
magazine. I also felt that a more natural look
would appeal to my target audience, as they will
be able to relate to it. Furthermore, I felt that
over editing could confuse the target audience of
my magazine, making it just look like a typical
teenage magazine.

5. I have used this copy of ‘Q’ music magazine to base my contents page on, I liked the way
this contents page was presented to the audience and thought it worked well.

6. Like before, I have highlighted the
codes and conventions of my music
magazine contents page, using
arrows.
Mast Head
Drop shadow
Columns
Different labelled sections
Images
Issue month
Website address
Page number
Magazine identity
Where to find these
articles
Signature colour

7. I think my contents page follows the codes and conventions
of a music magazine contents page, it is neat and organized
and easy for my readers to navigate. I have also used
relevant images for my contents page that I have taken
myself. I have taken one of my images outside in a
woodland area, to try to re-create the powerful image of the
4 men in ‘Q’ magazine.

8. Whilst creating my double page spread, I took inspiration from 4 different examples
from music magazines (which are shown in the slide after), I have taken and
incorporated sections of my work from each, which I felt worked best with the style of
music magazine I have created.

10. Highlighted codes and
conventions of my double
page spread.
Mast head
I added a play on words here, taken
from the Nicki Minaj Double page
spread in NME.
Sub
heading
Drop
capital
Intro to interview
Highlighted text
boxes to show
when questions
are being asked
Page numbers
Artist album
release date
Way for fans to
interact with artist
using social media
Website address
Photographer name
Artist
Direct address
Pull quote

11. In my opinion, I think my double page spread is successful and
works with the genre of music magazine I have picked. My
double page spread follows a large majority the codes and
conventions of a professional music magazine. I have used the
same artist/model for my double page spread and my cover
image, as I found after studying music magazines in depth many
magazines would include the celebrity on the cover as their main
interview article.