The document discusses conventions used in hip-hop/rap magazines and how the student's magazine, VOLUME, follows, develops, and challenges some of those conventions. It examines the masthead, front cover, contents page, and double page spread layout and design elements. The student followed conventions like using bold mastheads, multiple fonts, and artist photos but also developed elements like splitting the contents into sections and challenging norms like including an editor's letter. The consistent colors, fonts, and layouts across pages tie the magazine together as a cohesive media product.

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

2. Comparing the masthead for my
magazine.
For the masthead of my magazine I followed the vibe magazine and had artists name on top of the masthead, this was
also don in other hip-hop/rap magazines such as Hip-Hop magazine.
I also noticed that on all the magazine they have used the convention of covering a little bit f the masthead with the
artists head, the shows the artist head and cause a bit of mystery for the readers.
Also in a hip-hop magazine I have noticed that they masthead is bold and stands out so I choose
various fonts and picked the one which related to my magazine. The font on my masthead stand out and
catches the readers attention of the reader. Also by having a bold masthead first time readers will not forget the name of
the magazine easily.
I chose the red coloured font with a white background because it makes the masthead stand out . The black
coloured font in my magazine was used because I looked at other hip-hop magazine and found they have either
white or black coloured font so i have followed the convention by having black coloured font on my front cover.
 I choose the masthead for my magazine as VOLUME because it similar to the VIBE, it relates to having a big quantity of
something which in Hip-Hop is the case as every one wants everything.

3. Front Cover Comparison
 On the front cover I looked at many different magazines. I noticed that they had different sized fonts , so on my front cover the
important things like the artist name or there album was in bigger size font than the rest.
 I also found that there were mainly two or three colours used which two of them are normally back and white, this a convention
of a Hip-Hop/Rap magazine. They normally had black background with writing in white and another colour or white background
with black writing and another colour. I used white background with red and black writing this was because on white it is easier
to read black and red writing.
 I have also followed the convention of having the word exclusive or top 10 in a different colour with a different font. I have don’t
this on my magazine by having TOP 10 in white font with a black background this can be done because it will attract the reader
towards that article and make them interested in buying the magazine.
 Also on the front cover there are variety of fonts in a magazine as this is convention and I have followed it by having three
different fonts, on the front cover I have had fonts which are ,WANTED(from the dafont) , AMERCIAN CAPTAIN(from dafont), and
FRANKILN GOTHIC DEMI.

4. Front Cover Comparison
I have followed the convention of having the artists
name in large font and at the bottom of the page.
This it there because the readers will be attracted by
the artist and wanting to purchase the magazine.
Also the name on the artist is in a different font as
it needs to stand out. So the font is different and if in
bigger font.
Also having EXCLUSIVE on the top on the artist
name is a convention of a Hip-Hop magazine so I have
followed it and have had the word EXLCLUSIVE in the
sane font colour and the masthead.
 I have looked at the magazine XXL which is one of the leading Hip-Hop magazine and the followed he
convention of having a quote by the artist on the front cover but I developed it by having the artist
point at his quote.
 By having the artist point his quote its show as the artist is talking to the reader.

5. Front Cover Layout
 The conventional layout of a Hip-Hop/Rap
magazine is to have a close up/mid-shot of
the artist .
 The angle of gaze of the artist in a Hip-Hop
magazine is always at the reader, this is
shown in the XXL magazine and the vibe
magazine where the artist are looking at the
reader. I challenged this convention by
having my artist wearing glasses , I did this
because I wanted to create a sense of
mystery where the reader is curious and
wants to find out about the artist.
 The expression on the artist face’s in Hip-
Hop magazine front cover is serious which
makes then look scary , as you can see in the
other two magazine. So HMK had a serious
face expression.
 The barcode and the price of the magazine
is always at the bottom right as this is a
convention in magazines . I developed this
having QR code with a normal barcode
which can make it easier for the reader to go
to the website. There is also the magazine
website next to the barcode as it will
promote the magazine and is a convention
in Hip-Hop magazines.

6. Comparing Contents Page
 I have followed the convention of writing the word contents in three lines. This idea has taken from the Hip-Hop
magazine VIBE. By having it in three lines , it is different from other magazine as is the music genre Hip-Hop. I
developed this convention by having the name of the magazine and published date and the web address of the
magazine.
 The other convention which is used by music magazine is having the masthead and contents in same font and the
same colour, this is because the magazine will look together. As you can see contents is in the same colour and
VOLUME on the front cover, this is theme through out the magazine as the theme on the front cover is normally all
through out the magazine.

7. Comparing Contents Page
 The layout of the contents page in my magazine is
conventional as there are normally three columns with two full
of pictures and on about the content of the magazine. There is
normally one section about the features of the magazine , but
on my magazine I have developed the convention and split the
magazine into four parts (features, news , competition and
fashion) , by doing this it will make it easier for reader to go to
specific section they are looking for.
 Also the font used in the contents page is the same one used
in front cover and double page spread. Also the theme is the
same as the font colour is the same.
 The articles headings are in red with pea into the article in
black, I challenged this convention because it will make it
easer to read for the readers.

8. Contents Page Comparison
I have not seen an editors letter on a Hip-hop magazine, so I challenged the convention of having
an editors letter and place it on my contents page. I did this through my research with my target
audience where I was told that young readers enjoying reading what the editor has to say about his
magazine.
I also included the picture of the editor as it will create a relationship with the reader as they can
see who makes the magazine they read.
On my contents page I place information and advert about my magazine. I have seen this
on music magazine but not on a hip-hop magazine so I developed the convention. I did this
through looking at and gathering information from the target audience. I asked them if they
think it would be easier for them of they found where to get the magazine cheaper on the
actual magazine.

9. Contents Page Layout
 I have followed the convention of having
pictures which relate to different pages ,
as you can this in the B-side that there
are pictures which have a page number,
this makes it easier for readers to turn to
the page and can make them curious.
 I have also followed he structure of the
other contents page like the two you can
see the writing is on one side and
pictures on the other but I have devolved
it as there is a pictures on top of the
writing, and the editors letter is between
the picture.
 As you can see there is two colour used
on the whole contents page, this is
because it make it simple and easy to
read.
 On all three contents page he heading is
in bigger font than rest of the writing this
is a different font as it is the title and it
need to be easy to see.

10. Double Page Spread Comparison
 After looking at other Hip-Hop magazine DPS I have noticed and followed the convention of having the artist name at the time
the interview was taken. This on at the bottom of the picture of the artist as it relates to him.
 The font used is again the same one used previously in the magazine and the font colour is he same because this show a
cohesion between the magazine and looks like one magazine.
 There is a convention that’s were the sand-first starts from , the first
letter needs to be bigger this is because it will make it easier for
readers to know where it starts from. I developed this convention and
changed the colour of the first word and put it in a bigger fonts
because it’s the first word and it’s the artist name .

11. Double Page Spread Layout
 The layout of my magazine is similar to the
two above. I have a pull quote next to the
artist ,this is a convention but I developed
it as its next to the artist because he is the
one who said and so if its next to him
readers ill know he said it.
 Also one page has the picture and the
other page with the interview this is a
convention as you can see it the above two
DPS. This is because the artist is the main
person. The interview is one the next page
where it is easy to read .
 I have challenged the convention by placing
a quote by the artist in the middle this
make it stand out because it is important as
the artist himself has said it. By placing the
writing around it make the quote the main
focus.
 The angle of gaze of the artist is at the
reader which show that he is speaking to
the reader and by lifting his glasses it
makes the reader curious.
 The other convention which I have
followed is having a stand-first this makes
the readers find out what's the article
about .

12. Conclusion
 My music magazine VOLUME has followed
many of the conventions which a music
magazine has.
 I have also developed many conventions to
make my magazine a real media product.
 My music magazine has also challenged
some of the conventions in a music
magazine and by doing this I think has
improved the magazine.
 By looking at the 3 pages ( front cover
,contents page and double page spread)
you can identify them as part of one
magazine because of the wed address at
the bottom and the same fonts used
throughout the magazine, the artist and
the colour scheme.