Evaluation Question 1 Presentation

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

2. In order to develop my understanding of magazine conventions I looked at other magazines. Limiting my
research to indie music magazines I was able to enforce the ways in which my own magazine uses, develops
and challenges conventions of a real music magazine.
This Clash Magazine conforms to the traditional conventions
of an a magazine. The masthead is eye-catching, bold and
clear. It is positioned at the top of the page and reigns in size
amongst other text. The font is white in order to stand out
against the back image. The main image is a recognisable
face, celebrity endorsement is a huge element in the
conventions of a magazine, it reflects the content within and
convinces the target market of the magazines worth. The
cover lines are in a consistent font style and all in white.
However, the linking cover line with the image is different to
make in stand out and explain the cover photo. There is also a
barcode and price on the cover, this conformity makes the
magazine recognisably established and polished. The close up
shot is another example of the way Clash magazine conform
to magazine conventions.

3. The conventions of this Wonderland magazine reinforce my understanding and
allow me to think about the way my magazine conforms, challenges and develops
the conventions of a magazine like this:Masthead: Bold,
large and
outstanding to
catch the readers
eye and conform
to conventions to
simply resemble a
magazine.
Cover lines: Small
sample of the content
inside the magazine to
entice readers and
express the magazines
vibes and expression.
Barcode: An element of the
front cover that is always
familiar to the reader and
makes the magazine appear
very established.
Main Image: Minimal but
effectively individual. Taylor Swift is
an artist that is very popular and
will entice a variety of people,
therefore widening the target
market of the magazine. The shot is
a close up/mid-shot to make the
cover more personal and
approachable.
Costumes: The artist wears a
plain and minimal sweater to
avoid distraction and chaos,
very conventional in indie
magazines.
Main Cover Line: This cover line
links to the main image, giving
clarity. It is a different colour to
the other cover lines to express
its importance and difference.

4. Masthead: My masthead is large,
bold and dark to stand out on the
cover and to establish the name
of my magazine. It is against a
lighter background to ensure that
it fully catches the eye of my
readers.
Using Indie Music
Magazine
Conventions
Issue Date: This is a convention of magazines
that is less common but I believe works for
my magazine as I want it to look professional
and polished. I think it adds order and
reliability to my magazine. But I have made it
very small to ensure it doesn’t take any
attention away from my main features.
Main Cover Line: This is in white as it is
against the dark t-shirt of the artist, it is
bold and outstanding compared to the
other artists names on the front cover
because it links to the main image. The
different font for the artists name is a
convention I have conformed to and have
noticed on the previous magazine; Clash
and Wonderland.
Main Image: The main image on my cover
is a close up of a fresh young artist. This
makes him appealing to my target market
and reflects the contents of my magazine.
I have used direct address and rule of
thirds to make him very striking and eye
catching. The colour tones of the image
ties it in with the text and makes it look
very polished.
Barcode: I have seen barcodes on most
established and successful indie magazines
therefore placed one on my cover, I
created it to be a feature but nothing
overwhelming.
Cover Lines: I have used cover lines to let
the reader know the content of the
magazine and reflect the genre it is. They
are smaller than other text to balance the
cover page.
Costumes: A large part in the overall
styling and effect of my front cover could
be determined by the costumes, a
minimal t-shirt avoids the chance that it
takes over when my magazine radiates
the importance of music not fashion. The
plain dark t-shirt is a simplistic base for
my text and doesn’t interfere with the
colouring or texture of my front cover.

5. First of all I have chosen the title, ‘Libertie’ because it embodies the message and aim of my magazine that freedom should
be embraced. The meaning of the noun ‘Liberty’ is the state of being free in society, by highlighting the way Libertie
Magazine supports individuality and the twist in spelling emphasises this extensively. The thinking behind my title also
enabled me to reach my target market (individuals between the ages of 16-25 that wish to set themselves apart from the
Mainstream) and embrace the alternative music genre I had chosen. The font of my masthead was an important factor to
me because I wanted it to stand out with the ability to look minimal and ‘cool’. Therefore, it is large, bold and rounded
instead of sharp but in a dark grey to look edgy and effective. The dark colour scheme tends to appeal to all of my target
market, a bright pink or blue could limit the people that want to buy my magazine- a neutral colour is a better choice. My
masthead conforms to conventions of a music magazine as it is big and bold and it sits at the top of my page. The quirky
spelling of my masthead and the meaning behind it shows my attempt to develop forms of conventions to more depth and
meaning. The masthead is massively about its appearance when on a front cover but due to my chosen genre, alternative, I
wanted it to also send a message about my magazine and its values. The way it lies beneath my image is a challenging
convention as indie magazines like Clash and Wonderland have their masthead over the top of their image.
The Method behind the Masthead

6. The graphology and layout of my magazine is aiming to look
professional, the front cover is inspired by research found
looking at other music magazines. The genre came into the
decision as it desires minimal and clear designs. Therefore, the
front cover is minimal but has a striking close up to capture the
attention of the reader. The masthead is the largest piece of
text followed by a cover line that is on the opposite end of the
page to balance it out. The image covers the entirety of the
page to give a full and professional layout, it conforms to
conventions of music magazines. The layout is simple to
enforce a relaxed tone to associate with the alternative genre
of my magazine, this simple look does challenge magazines
such as Vogue. Vogue has lots of cover lines and often bright
colours however this doesn’t mean my magazine is fully
challenging magazine layouts because specifying the genre to
alternative it does fit in and look conventional.
Vogue, a fashion
magazine, has a busy
cover with lots of cover
lines and a bright colour
scheme. My magazine
challenges these
magazine conventions.
I-D, a indie magazine,
shows the way Libertie
Magazine conforms to
conventions of a
simplistic design that
relies on a prominent
main image instead of
chaotic cover lines.
The strong difference between Vogue and I-D magazine reflect
the success my magazine has in showing its genre through its
conventional layout therefore attracting the desired target
market.

7. The contents page of Libertie is very full and packed to make sure the magazine looks successful
and interesting and not lacking exciting content. The page maintains a minimal colour scheme
therefore looks very clear and crisp. It is made up of three columns neatly and precisely in level
to look very polished and to avoid looking young and childish which can be difficult in a fairly
chaotic page.
Comparing my magazines contents page with a popular music
magazine , Billboard, I can notice many similarities and
differences. The masthead ‘contents’ is positioned at the top
on the page on both magazines and is in a dark bold font. The
columns on the billboard contents page look more cluttered
which shows a challenge in my magazine. However, billboard
magazine is a general music magazine whereas mine is
specifically indie which shows the development in
conventions. The columns in my contents page enforce the
appealing simple and minimal design that attracts my target
market. A conforming convention is the variety of images, this
is also a way that I developed a form of this convention as I
changed the shapes of the images to make them look more
abstract, this represents the individuality in my chosen genre.
Billboard features its magazine name on its contents page, I
have conformed to this convention as I have discreetly added
mine at the bottom of the page but also underneath my
masthead to add creativity and depth to the page. It makes the
page look complete as there are no bare spaces.

8. The double page spread of has a large image taking the space of half the page,
this manages to maintain the simple minimal effect that I want my alternative
magazine to hold. The main image uses a wooden stick, this prop can be
interpreted in different ways. The wooden stick could call out freedom in the
woods and forest and remind the audience of other alternative music (music
videos, photoshoots that are in woodland settings). It could also, with the
models pose, look like a baton to some of my target market and therefore
appeals to a wider range of people. The three columns perpetuate an orderly
fashion and this allows exaggeration on the masthead and quote above the 4
small images.
My magazine conforms to the conventions
of indie magazines, it has a large image
that fills half other double page spread.
This is demonstrated in I-D magazine and
Clash magazine. The large masthead and
quote underneath it is another example of
the way my magazine uses forms and
conventions of real music magazines. In
order to maintain a simple and effective
double page spread, many indie
magazines often only use one photo
therefore I have challenged this by using
four small close up shots to bring the
second half of my page to life and give it
character and a sense on uniqueness. I
think the way the images have been
edited to be one colour has maintained
the simplistic look of indie magazines but
developed the forms of images on my
double page spread. The drop cap I have
used conforms to magazine conventions
along with the columns, names in bold
font and page numbers.

9. Costumes are a key component in supporting the ‘cool’ portrayal of my magazine, in
order to make minimal features work I use striking elements to tie the pieces together.
Therefore, costumes were minimal. The front cover shows the top of a t-shirt, plain black
and simple crew neck which connotes the relaxed feeling of the magazine. This is easily
edited in colour and doesn’t distract anything from the main image. Moving into the
contents page, the main image features a girl wearing, again, a plain black top. This is to
relieve distraction away from the prop and body position which is a key component. Also,
the cut outs of the image and triangle shape photographs are very abstract and ‘indie’
therefore bright/outstanding clothing would make the page too bold and defeat the
ration of minimalism. The double paged spread has a duo wearing dark colours, attractive
to my target market, the clothes are casual and replicable. Costumes that are manageable
by readers will help the magazine feel friendly and approachable. The stripes seen on the
girl in the photograph were inspired by research into other alternative artist, their music
videos and other alternative music videos.
This Clash front cover has nothing
prominent in terms of costume
because as an indie music magazine
it doesn’t have fashion as a key
element. Libertie Magazine conforms
to this and uses the costume
convention as another aspect to emit
its alternative music genre.
This I-D front cover reinforces the
convention of simple clothing for a indie
music magazine front cover. My magazine
follows this however it differs from this
magazine because it lacks in colours and
style in terms of make up. I enhanced my
models features with makeup but did not
use it as a convention on my front cover.

10. Having not had much experience
with camera work I relied on my
research into other magazines to
build a plan as to how I wanted
my photos to turn out. Indie
magazines use a variety of shots
to create dynamic pacing. I
conform to this convention as I
tried to use a range of shots to
make my magazine look
interesting and not repetitive.
My front cover image features a
close up which is my own
interpretation of the convention
found on many indie magazines.
This close up makes my work look
like a real alternative music
magazine. The framing of the shot is
also in compliance with research
into other magazines that don’t
have anything else to overpower
the artist.
I chose to use a long shot on my double page spread because I wanted some variety
in my shots. It takes up a whole half side therefore the artists don’t get lost in the
shot. A long shot of both artists is a challenge of this conventional form because most
double page spreads have a mid shot. I think the long shot works because it allows
the mise en scene to engage in the shot. The framing of the shot has a path
disappearing behind the models and greenery surrounding them. This shot is
effective as it interlaces colour and nature into the page to give it an interesting and
appealing aesthetic. The Clash Magazine contents and double page spread portrayed
on this page do not use a long shot, this supports the way my magazine challenges
the conventions of indie magazines.

11. The title of my magazine connotes freedom, my article masthead gives a route to freedom through music. My
article is an exciting interview with a fresh new band that are already finding huge success, a duo that can inspire
my target market. The alternative genre excesses with ‘wannabe’ singer songwriters therefore my article is
relevant and a high subject of interest. The font I have chosen is clear and simple but looks modern therefore
overthrows the idea that it is boring. The colour is black because it stands out against the crisp white background.
The writing on the image (double page spread) is on carefully crafted individual white backgrounds to make it
stand out as much as possible.
My magazine embraces the alternative music genre, the layout is minimal but holds interesting information. The
front cover is clear and eye-catching with a title that shouts uniqueness and freedom therefore grasps the genre
successfully. The colours of the cover are very minimal but I decided to enhance it with a blue tint to make it more
unique. The contents page I have developed challenges the ideas behind an alternative genre, only to the extent that
it is packed full. I made this attractive, professional and more alternative looking but making it very neat and creating
abstract art in the shaping and cropping of the photographs. The double page spread I created is effective in the
alternative genre because it has the mise en scene of woodland outdoors which is a setting found in the media of
alternative music. Also, the outfits and language register appeal to my target market which is founded on the
alternative genre of my magazine.

12. The fresh faces in my magazine are the artists proposed as new
and exciting. They are to inspire the readers of my magazine.
This presentation of new faces is a challenge of conventions as
the front cover is often a image of a well known artist that will
attract their fans and individuals that recognise them. I chose to
introduce my artist as new because I think they youthful target
market I am aiming at will embrace the fresh talent and be
interested in their journey. They are portrayed in the images as
casual and relaxed therefore supporting the genre well. They
are young, therefore are relatable for the target market and
makes the magazine more enjoyable. The title of the article
shows that they are serious about their music career which
impacts the magazine and gives it a positive, professional
serious vibe. The colours on the images of the artists make them
look fun and exciting. The artists on the contents page are
simple and I think this adds mystery and makes them something
to find out about. Alternative music differs from pop and hip
hop as that seeks attention with bright outfits and abstract
makeup but alternative artists speak through their music most
importantly, my artists pronounce this message wholly.

13. Finally the colour scheme of my magazine is muted but with
splashed of colour. The front cover has a blue tint and features
black, grey and white writing. The limit in colours but range in
shades and tones is a convention found in a lot of indie music
magazines(Clash, I-D and Wonderland). The contents page has
edited polished images that are not overpowering in colour but
add something to the page that denies a draining of all colour.
The double page spread has a natural coloured large image then
a filtered selection of images to brighten the opposite half of the
page. The writing follows the monochrome code of black against
a white background. The colour scheme throughout my magazine
is minimal because repetitive colours are nauseating and can look
childish.
Colour Scheme
I chose my colour scheme through market research,
finding that monochrome was a appealing factor to my
target market. The going onto research other
magazines I found that monochrome was either used
fully and didn’t allow any colour on the page if black
and white was the prominent colour scheme. With this
I decided to challenge the monochrome colour
scheme and develop this form by having a black and
white image edited into a one colour image that is
given depth by different tones and shades.