1. Media Evaluation Question- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? By Komal Mahmood

2. Double page spread Contents page Magazine front cover

3. Introduction- Magazine Front Cover My media product uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products because my magazine cover, contents page and double page spread has the same generic conventions as existing magazine covers, for example when I was researching existing magazine covers I looked at what the magazine covers had and what I needed to include in my magazine cover to ensure that it looks realistic and that it can be a magazine that can be sold in shops. When researching existing magazine covers I looked at the detail, for example I looked at the size of strap lines, the type of font that was used in the strap lines and I made sure that I included these features in my magazine so it looked realistic.

4. The magazine that I looked at and followed as a template was ‘Billboard’ magazine because it reflected the type of genre of magazine that I was creating which was pop. I looked at some of the features of ‘Billboard’ magazine and I made sure that some of these features were included in my magazine. For example in ‘Billboard’ magazine I looked at the strap lines, typography and the colors used and I made sure I included some of these features in my magazine. ‘Billboard’ magazine

5. On my magazine front cover I have included strap lines and the font is the same through out the magazine so it looks professional and realistic. I have also included a kicker in my magazine because when I was looking at existing magazine covers most of them had kicker’s including ‘Billboard’ magazine; a kicker is one of the feature that makes people buy the magazine because the kicker is bold and stands out and the first thing that people see on a magazine is a kicker so the kicker has to be interesting so people will buy it. The kicker on my magazine is ‘princess of pop’, the kicker is in bold and it is gold which stands out and this is the first thing that people will see when they look at the magazine; this is a generic convention of a magazine because when you look at the kicker it gives you some idea about what the magazine is going to be about. Kicker

6. Another feature that I noticed in ‘Billboard’ magazine was that the model was covering some of the masthead; I included this in my magazine because it shows the magazine is well known, and in most existing magazines that I analysed and looked at this was the case. Another generic convention that all magazines contain is the issue number, issue date and the barcode; I added these key features on my magazine as well. Websites Issue number Price Issue date Barcode

7. Model is covering the mast head Big number ’40’ Big number ‘4’ to show the importance of something Kicker is bolder and bigger than the strap lines Issue date, issue number and barcode Strap lines are small, which makes the magazine look realistic and professional

8. Contents Page On the contents page I have included the same colors as the front cover this is because it will show the contents page and the front cover are linked, the magazine contents pages that I researched had the same colors as the cover page, which shows that they are linked and it also makes it look realistic as well. Same colour scheme

9. I made my contents page look simple yet realistic because my priority was to make the information clear so the audience can read the magazine without any trouble. Contents page is simple because there is not too much and colour and it is easy to read.

10. I included one picture in the contents page where the model is putting her finger on her lips; when the reader sees the picture of the model they will instantly want to read it because the image connotes that there is exclusive and top secret gossip inside, which will make the reader want to read more. The reader will also want to know more about the picture and what it means which will make the reader want to read more and find out more about the exclusive and top secret gossip. Model has her finger on her lips, to show there is top secret gossip and this magazine will offer you music gossip and information that no other music magazine can.

11. On the contents page the numbers and the writing are in different colors which appeals more to the reader because the information is organised and it is not all over the place which makes the reader want to read the magazine because it is neatly set out and easier to locate. The page numbers and writing are in different colours, which looks more organised.

12. On the bottom of the contents page I have included the page number, the website of the magazine and the slogan of the magazine which is ‘twentyfour seven pop music & goss’, this makes the magazine more appealing and interesting for the reader because it shows gossip and information about pop music and celebrities is constantly being monitored so people can read it. When I was doing research into magazine contents pages I saw that the magazine website is always on the contents page or the double page spread of the magazines, this could be so the reader is aware that if they want more information they can always go to the website and find out more information and gossip. Slogan of music magazine Website of the magazine Page number

13. Colours are the same as the front cover Information is easy to read and it is organised Page number and website of the magazine

14. Double Page Spread The double page spread of my magazine uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products because I researched various double page spreads of magazines and the feature that was common in most magazine double page spreads was that they either had writing in columns on one side of the page and a picture on the other side, and on most music magazine double page spreads there was usually one picture and columns or paragraphs of writing and usually the writing is about an interview with a singer which I have done in my magazine double page spread. Writing in columns One picture on one side of the double page spread

15. I have also included the same colors as I did on the front cover and contents page of the magazine to show that the double page spread is linked to the cover and contents page and when you see the double page spread you will know that it belongs to this magazine because of the colors. Same colour schemes

16. The double page spread is simple yet realistic because the existing magazine that I researched had a simple layout so the information and pictures were not all over the place, it had a set layout to it and I have done the same in my double page spread. When I was researching double page spreads I looked at the smallest details, for example the first word is always bold and sometimes a different color and I have included these features in my magazine double page spread so it will look realistic and professional. First number/word is the different colour from the rest of the writing.

17. In the middle of the double page spread I included a quote from the artist, this shows that this is the most important statement by the artist because it is in the centre of the page; when I was doing my research I found out that the quote from the artist is always in the middle of the page and it is also bigger and bolder than the other writing; this is because the quote is the most important and interesting part of the magazine and when the reader sees the page they will see the quote first and then they will read the rest of the writing. Quote from the artist in the middle of the page

18. On the bottom of the page I have included the page number and the website of the magazine which gives the magazine double page spread a professional and realistic touch. I have included only one picture on the double page spread because then everyone can see that this artist is the main focus in the magazine. I have added some editing to the picture so I end with this framed effect. I have done this because it looks effective and it is something different that stands out from other magazines. On the double page spread I have also included a gutter which is key a feature in magazines. Page number and the website of the music magazine

19. Colours are the same as the front cover and contents page of the magazine Gutter Writing is in columns Quote from artist Page number and website Edited image so it stands out from other magazine double page spreads

20. How does your media product represent particular social groups? My magazine represents particular social groups because the magazine is for teenagers and younger adults which are boys and girls aged 15-22 and this magazine represents them because at that age teenagers want to become someone and they are thinking about their careers; and in this magazine it shows and tells people about new singers and artists that are the similar age as them and then teenagers will look up at these new artists as role models and idols and they will want to pursue what they have done in their lives. Model is the same age as the people who the magazine is aimed at. This is because of the clothes she wears and how she looks.

21. ‘Valor’ magazine represents teenagers and younger adults because ‘valor’ means bravery and courage, this means that the new artists that are mentioned in the magazine have courage and are brave enough to come out to the world and show the world their music and style which is what many teenagers around the world want to do. The magazine represents particular social groups because it brings everyone together no matter how they dress or what they believe in to pursue one thing which is to follow their dream and to express themselves, just like new artists that are mentioned in the magazine.

22. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? The media institution that will distribute the magazine would be Bauer Media, this is because it has over eighty influential media brands and it reaches to nineteen million people worldwide, so if my magazine was being distributed by Bauer Media then people will start looking in to it and reading it because they will know it will be interesting and good because it distributes other well known and good music magazines like ‘kerrang!’ magazine. There is also a gap in the market for the magazine I have made, because Bauer media does not have a magazine that is aimed at both teenagers and adults and is a pop magazine and not just a rock or hip-hop magazine.

23. Who would be the audience for your media product? The target audience of the magazine are teenagers’ that are boys and girls aged 15-22 and I wanted to use language that they use and understood. On the front cover of my magazine and double page spread I used some slang and colloquial language, for example ‘Brit’ and ‘cus, yeh, buds, woah’. This suggests that if I used long and sophisticated words that older adults mainly use then most 15 or 16 year olds wouldn’t understand them or even if they did they would find the magazine boring and they wouldn’t read it, adding some slang into the magazine makes it more interesting for them.

24. How did you attract/address your audience? The ways that I attracted the audience to buy the magazine was that I made the magazine clear so it was not over crowded but I also made sure that it was not too plain as well. Magazine is not too overcrowded with words or pictures

25. The image on the front cover of the magazine is bigger than the writing and everything else on the front cover of the magazine because when people buy the magazine the first thing that they will see is the image and if the image interests them then they will read everything else in the magazine. I also noticed this in other magazines that I analysed; the image is the key selling point so I made sure that I included this in my magazine. The image stands out than the straplines. So when people first see the magazine they will see the image first, and then they will read the straplines.

26. On the front cover of the magazine the model has eye contact with the reader, so when the reader looks at the magazine they will feel like they instantly have to read the magazine because the information and gossip will interest them and it is for them. The eye contact of the model will make the reader feel as if this magazine is for them and they are special enough to have it and read the exclusive interviews and gossip. In my magazine ‘Valor’ and ‘Billboard’ magazine both models have eye contact with the reader.

27. The reason why I made my contents page simple was that I wanted the reader to feel like they can locate the pages easily, I did not want to put too much pictures and writing everywhere because then It will look crowded and the reader will be put off by it. Thus if the contents page is simple yet realistic It will appeal to the reader to have a look inside the magazine and read it more. Contents page is easy to locate

28. The magazine is not overcrowded with lots of pictures or text Eye contact The image is bigger than everything else on the magazine. It’s the first thing people will see.

29. The contents page is not overcrowded, people reading it can easily follow it. If there was a lot of text on the contents page it may have put the audience off reading it.

30. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? While I was constructing the magazine I learnt many new skills that I never knew before, one of the key things I learnt was how to use Photoshop; while I was constructing the product I learnt new things about Photoshop and step by step I developed my skills even further and learnt more things about Photoshop that I never knew before.

31. I have learnt various things from the technologies while constructing the product, for example I have learnt more about Photoshop and how to use the tools to make something look professional and realistic. While I was constructing the product I learnt many skills about how to make a magazine look realistic, I also learnt that the smallest details count like you have to add a gutter and the font size and colour is a key feature to make your magazine look realistic and professional. Gutter Font size Colour

32. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product? When I was doing my preliminary task I did not know much about Photoshop, so I did not know how to use certain affects or how to make a magazine look realistic and professional. While I was doing the preliminary task I learnt more about Photoshop and I also learnt how I can make a magazine look realistic. When I was doing the preliminary task I made many mistakes that made my magazine look unrealistic, for example I over crowded the magazine with strap lines and I also made them big which looked unrealistic. Overcrowded Straplines are big and they take over most of the page, which looks unrealistic

33. When I was doing the research on music magazines I found out that strap lines are small and they do not go across the magazine, I made sure I will make the strap lines smaller when I was doing the music magazine. I also added too much colour to the magazine so it looked unrealistic; when I was doing my music magazine I added less color so it will look realistic. Straplines are too big Too much colour and it is overcrowded

34. On the preliminary task magazine cover I added a lot of pictures and on the contents page as well, I put a lot of pictures and colors in, when I was doing my research I found out that less is more and most magazines have less color and pictures on the front cover and contents page which makes them look realistic. Too much pictures makes the magazine front cover and contents page look unrealistic

35. After I had done my preliminary task and research I made sure that I will not make the mistakes that I did and I will take everything into account about what I learnt about magazine covers in my research for example making the strap lines smaller. My pop music magazine is better and improved than the school magazine because I knew more about Photoshop so I was able to use more tools and while I was doing my research on existing magazine covers I made sure that I would make the magazine look realistic and professional by looking at my preliminary task and picking out the mistakes that I made and how that made the magazine look unrealistic and so I improved that certain part that was unrealistic.

36. Too much colour Strap lines are going across the page and filling up the page which makes the front cover of the magazine look crowded Everything is overcrowded and squashed together Too much pictures No page number