The document discusses how the media product uses and develops conventions of real media products. Specifically, it notes that the front cover design, layout, color palette, photography style, and inclusion of elements like barcodes are similar to a real music magazine. The contents page also uses conventions found in professional magazines like page numbers, range of photos, and simple color scheme. Font choices and writing style are also used to make the magazine seem more realistic and professionally presented.

1. evaluation

2. In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
I
feel my front cover has been successfully designed to look
like a real music magazine. The conventions I have used
are very similar to those found in a professional music
magazine. The masthead is located at the top of the
page, it is also in a larger font in comparison to the rest of
the text much like the billboard magazine. The colour
pallet of the two magazine are very similar in the sense
they are both stylist and only use a few colours. The style
of photography is similar, both are medium close ups as its
important to focus on the artist and not to be distracted
by the surroundings. The poses they both use convey the
male gaze as their facial expressions are chosen to make
them look desirable, this also relates to the to the ‘free
poster plug’ the poster refers to an image of Sav which
implies male gaze as it Is a . Simple things like having a
barcode, price and date all give the effect of it being a real
magazine.

3. For my contents page I have used conventions similar to those
found in a real professional magazine. By using page numbers
ranging from 1-28 it implies my contents page is part of a full
magazine which makes it more realistic. I have used a variety of
photos much like a real magazine would. It is important to use
a range of images as it is a visual way of informing the reader
about what your magazine includes which will entice them to
read more. The colour scheme is very simple, this is because I
didn’t want heavy colouring to take away from the key
information. The main colour I have used is gold, I have used it
as a motif so it reoccurs throughout my magazine. This will
make the whole magazine flow better visually and therefore
look more professional. The fonts I have used are the same
fonts I have used on my other pages, this is another motif and
successful presents my magazine as having a recognisable
style. The font I have used it ‘skyfall done’ which is a
modern, sans serif font. I believe the font is stylish and modern
which reflects the style of magazine I am trying to achieve and
it also reflects the hip-hop genre as it a very current and
modern style of music. The writing style is informal and
chatty, this is so the reader can relate to the magazine more as
my target audience is (14 - 25) and they are likely to use chatty
language daily. ‘Get to know sav’, by implying that the reader
can get to know the artist they instantly feels closer to them.

4. It is also the font that I have used throughout
my magazine, making it a motif and therefore
makes my magazine flow better. The writing
style is informal and chatty. This particular
style makes the interview appear friendly and
personal, this therefore makes the interview
seem more exclusive as the reader feels they
are gaining personal information about the
artist. Another personal element of the spread
it creating what Savs signature may look
like, this gives the appearance that she has
The main image is also the background for signed the magazine herself which would
my double page, I decided to present my appeal to her fans as it makes them feel closer
image like this so that it is the main focus of to her. The masthead on this page is larger
the readers attention, this is also that the other text . This is important because
emphasised by the fact it is a close up shot. Sav is the focus of the spread to its important
To attract my target audience I chose to use her name is emphasised. I decided to use a
a model that is young and therefore is slightly transparent text box. This way my main
relatable to my young target market (14- image can be still be seen and the attention is
25). The model is also wearing heavy make not detracted from Sav. At the same time, with
up which implies the male gaze as it makes a text box being there it ensures the writing is
her look desirable. The majority of the text not lost in the image and the audience can
is written in ‘skyfall done’ it is a simplistic read the text with ease.
sans serif font which makes it easy to read.

5. Age
I have represented my age group through the stereotypes associated with teenage girls.
Using heavy make up and statement red lip stick conveys femininity which teenage girls
stereotypically portray. The clothing I have used is fashionable, I have emphasised the
fashion element by dressing one of my models in a branded top. Dressing in branded
clothing is a stereotypical thing for teenagers to do because it shows they are following
the current trend. The interview reflects teenage girls as Sav presents herself as a chatty
and outgoing which can be associated with the Stereotypical teenage girl
characteristics. The style of my writing is informal, this relates to teenagers well as they
are more likely to use this language in everyday conversations, for example talking with
a group of friends.
Gender
My representation of gender does not conform to the typical reader for this genre. As
the hiphop scene is male dominated, it would be stereotypical to use males for my
models as it could be seen as reflecting the genre better. However in my magazine, the
models are all females. This presents my magazine as innovating and current as its not
something usually seen and it shows how it is one step ahead of everything else on the
market.
Class
The class my magazine represents is the working class with that being where rap music
is most popular. The language that hiphop music usually uses is informal, it uses both
slang and swearing. This is stereotypically seen as the type of language the working
class, therefore it is more appealing. The artists within the genre are often a reflection
of working class themselves. Often they’re upbringings show a working class
background and a struggle to achieve success, so the working class reader would be
able to relate. The image of my magazine also represents class well, I have a presented
my models in a relatable way. Using high-street and casual clothing is often the standard
attire for someone of the working class.

6. Bauer media is Europe's largest privately owned publishing Group. The Group is a
worldwide media empire offering over 300 magazines in 15 countries, as well as
online, TV and radio stations. This would mean my magazine would have a large
distribution network and would gain a lot of publicity from being promoted by
such a large publishing group. Bauer media does not publish a magazine of the
hip-hop genre which means there is a gap in the market for my magazine

7. Audience
The audience for my magazine reflects the 14-25 age group as the hip-hop genre is
modern so is more relatable to a young audience. The hip-hop genre is dominated by
males therefore my magazine will instantly attract a male audience. I have used
female models in order to appeal to women as well. I believe my magazine will attract
a working class audience because the hip-hop genre is relates well to the working
class. Many of the artists come from working class background and their songs and
image reflect this. The price of my magazine is £2, this will also appeal to the working
class because it affordable for them.

8. How did you attract your audience
I feel one of the most important elements on my front that attracts an audience is the
‘free poster’ plug i used. By creating it to look like a sticker it stands out in the
foreground and the text is emphasised by the black circle around it. By making the
audience aware there gain something extra for free it appeals to them as it make the
magazine feel like it has more value. I tried to keep the colour scheme simple, using
gold for the majority of the colour in my magazine. I decided to use gold because it
implies ideas of being expensive and the best as gold is often awarded to winners, this I
believe will attract my audience. In my front cover i decided to use a monochromic
image, this is attractive to my audience as it i feel it makes my magazine appear more
sophisticated as there are no garish colours that would make my magazine perhaps look
tacky, and is there fore more visually attractive to the audience. The models and
photography would attract my audience as they imply the male gaze, by making the
models look desirable the magazine itself is then desirable. The image i used on the
front cover i believe will attract my audience because the pose is strong and
dramatic, which will attract the audiences attention.

9. Addressing my audience
When addressing my audience it was important to consider the writing style i wanted
to use as i was trying to appeal to the working class. I decided to use chatty and
informal language as this is commonly the type of language the working class will use
on a daily basis. An example of this would be in my interview with Sav “When people
ask for my autograph I'm like ‘who me?’” The use of the word ‘like’ makes the interview
seem informal as it breaks up the proper sentence structure. The idea that Sav is
surprised that people recognise her as a celebrity shows how she sees herself as a
normal person, this is therefore relatable to the working class. Not only is it important
to address the working class, but also the teenagers as they are a large part of my
target audience (14-25). By mentioning Savs twitter account in the interview it
addresses teenagers as it is such a large part of teenage culture and shows how she is
young, as it is typical of teenagers to be up to date with latest technology . Not only
does using Savs twitter account address teenagers, but it also makes the text personal
as it is a method of getting in contact with Sav. Its important to make the text personal
because this makes the reader feel more involved. By revealing lots of things about
Sav, like album news and her feelings about her success, it makes the audience feel
closer to the artist and also like the magazine has more value. Another technique to
make the article more personal is describing Savs actions. For example when Sav laughs
in the interview i simply write *laughs* to show this. By doing this the audience feels
they can relate to her more because it portrays her as friendly, it also makes the
interview more visual, almost like they were there when it happened.

10. Technology
Technology use:
-camera
The camera i used for my photography is a professional SLR camera. A good quality camera is
fundamental as it effects everything. Bad quality pictures will result in a bad quality magazine. The
camera i used allowed me to capture detail which therefore makes my magazine more visually
attractive.
-voice recorder
I used the voice recorder to explore other methods of research. It shows this because with the
voice recorder i conducted interviews with various people. This offers diverse opinions which
helped with my initial research.
-photoshop
Photoshop is key in creating a successful magazine as it is the software chosen to actually make the
magazine on. I found Photoshop allowed me to use different skills which made my magazine look
professional. One of the most important was layering. Photoshop allows you to layer text and
image, meaning that it was possible to create foregrounds and backgrounds just like a proper
magazine. An example of this would be having the masthead on top of the front cover image.
-tumblr
Its important to have a blog because this is how you present all your work in an organised way. I
used tumblr for my blog as i believe it gives you the greatest creative freedom, you can present
your findings however you wish which will allow a better presentation.
-survey monkey
Survey monkey is another important method for research. It allows you to create a survey in which
variety of people can answer so it helps when researching what the best decisions for your
magazine are
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11. Progression As you can see from my first magazine cover i have
progressed significantly. I have learnt what makes a good
photograph. By using direct address i can connect my
magazine with the reader. Also by using the male gaze
and presenting my models as desirable through make up
and costume, this makes my magazine look visually more
desirable as well.
The fonts on my York college magazine are
very basic. I then went on to research
different fonts, fonts that are found not on
on Microsoft software. I looked at what
made my magazine look most professional
and what would fit with my genre best.

12. Progression
By exploring different magazines i found i gained inspiration for the style of my
own magazine. For example the layout on my contents page was inprired by
looking at magazine that have a very simplistic and modern style.
One of the most important parts about my development was
researching the genre. I did this partially through creating a mood
board of images and colours. By looking at images from the hip-
hop genre i could find inspiration for my own photography and
also the style of my magazine. The colour scheme was decided by
researching hip-hop artists and finding that gold was a colour
heavily associated with them as they wear a lot of gold jewellery.

13. Progression
One of the most professional techniques
i have learnt in Photoshop is how to
make my text boxes slightly transparent.
I feel it makes the magazine look
professional because it shows off the
layers as the audience can clearly see
the image through the text boxes.
Through analysing other magazines i have learnt what
makes a successful front cover. For using things like
plugs and direct gaze to grab the readers attention.
One of the key skills in Photoshop that i learnt when
creating my magazine was how to edit the
background. By blurring the gate behind the mast
head it meant the masthead could be seen clearly yet
the gate was still visible in the rest of image.