This document summarizes how the magazine cover and contents pages use conventions of real magazines while also having some distinctive features. The cover follows conventions such as having the masthead, issue details, coverlines and barcode in standard locations. However, it distinguishes itself with things like the off-centre images and plugs. The contents page similarly adheres to conventions like including the masthead, image and editor's letter, but adds its own events section. Overall, the magazine demonstrates how conventions of the genre are used within an individualized style.
1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCT?
2. THE IMAGE IS A CLOSE UP OF AN ARTIST RELATED TO THE GENRE. THE IMAGE IS
SLIGHTLY OFF CENTRE AND USES NATURAL LIGHTING. THE EYES ARE EMPHASISED
AND ARE ON THE HORIZONTAL LINES WITHIN THE PRINCIPAL OF THIRDS. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL FOR AN INDIE/ALTERNATIVE MAGAZINE, FOR EXAMPLE THIS NME
SHOWS THIS THROUGH FLORENCE’S FACE TOO, USING THE EXACT SAME
PRINCIPLES AND HAVING THE IMAGE SLIGHTLY OFF CENTRE.
Theimage
3. THE MASTHEAD IS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE AND THE LARGEST THING ON THE COVER, THIS IS
ALSO THE FIRST THING YOU SEE REFERRING TO THE ROUTE OF THE EYE. THE MASTHEAD IS IN A
BLACK FONT WHICH IS QUIET DARK AND ALSO THE FONT IS QUIET BOLD. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL
AS IN THE NME COVER YOU CAN SEE THE MASTHEAD CLEARLY AND IT IS IN A BOLD FONT AND
The masthead
4. THE ISSUE NUMBER AND THE DATE IS SMALL AND UNDERNEATH THE MASTHEAD.
THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS THIS IS IMPORTANT AND CAN BE A SMALL DETAIL. IT IS
THE SAME ON THE NME COVER EXCEPT THE FACT IT IS ABOVE THE MASTHEAD
The issue number and the date
5. THE PLUG IS SMALL AND IS IN A DIFFERENT FONT AND STYLE TO THE REST OF THE COVER,
YET STILL TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THE HOUSE STYLE. THIS IS A PLUG SAYING ‘WIN’ AND
EXPLAINING WHAT CAN BE WON INSIDE. IT IS CONVENTIONAL AS MOST MAGAZINES HAVE A
PLUG WHICH STANDS OUT AND IS ALSO NEAR THE MASTHEAD. ON THE NME COVER IT IS
Theplug
6. THE COVERLINES AT THE SIDE ARE BOLD YET DO NOT TAKE THE ATTENTION
AWAY FROM THE MAIN IMAGE. THE COVERLINES ARE ALSO RELATED TO THE
GENRE AND THE SMALL DETAIL BELOW THE COVERLINES IS IN A DIFFERENT FONT.
THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS IS THE NME COVER THE COVERLINES DO NOT INTRUDE
WITH THE IMAGE AND ARE SHAPED AROUND IT AND ALSO ARE RELATED TO THE
The coverlines
7. THE COVER STORY DESCRIBING AN ‘EXCLUSIVE’ INTERVIEW, PULLS IN READERS
AND ACTS LIKE A PLUG IN A WAY, THERE IS ALSO AN IMAGE ON THE COVER,
SHOWING WHO THE INTERVIEW IS ABOUT. THERE IS NO CAPTION SAYING THE
ARTISTS NAME CONNOTING SHE IS A WELL-KNOWN ARTIST. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL TO HAVE OTHER IMAGES ON THE COVER, YET IT IS ALSO
Thecoverstory
8. TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAGAZINE THERE IS A BARCODE AND PRICE GIVING A
REALISTIC PRICE OF ‘£2.50’. IT IS CONVENTIONAL TO HAVE A BARCODE ALONG
WITH THE PRICE ON THE MAGAZINE AS THIS MAKES IT PURCHASABLE. THE
BARCODE IS ON THE SIDE AS IT WAS LIKE THIS ON THE NME MAGAZINE.
The barcode
9. THE ARTISTS NAME AND THE PULL QUOTE IS IN A BOLDER FONT JUST BELOW THE
IMAGE OF THE ARTIST. THE FONT SIZE IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE
MASTHEAD TO MAKE IT THE SECOND BIGGEST THING ON THE COVER. THE PULL
QUOTE IS SOMETHING THE ARTISTS SAYS AND IS IN A FONT WHICH CONVEYS
WHAT THE ARTIST IS LIKE. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS ON THE NME COVER THEY
HAVE THE ARTISTS NAME UNDERNEATH THE IMAGE. HOWEVER ON THIS
PARTICULAR MAGAZINE THEY DO NOT HAVE A PULL QUOTE. IT IS CONVENTIONAL
Pull quote and name
10. THE BANNER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ADVERTISES SOME OF THE BANDS
WHICH ARE WITHIN THE MAGAZINE, THEY ARE ALSO RELATED TO THE
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE GENRE MAKING THEM CONVENTIONAL. IT ALSO MAKES THE
MAGAZINE LOOK MORE PROFESSIONAL AND LETS THE READER KNOW WHAT
The banner
11. THE MODE OF ADDRESS IS QUITE ORGANISED YET STILL SLIGHTLY OFF CENTRE.
THE REASON FOR THIS MODE OF ADDRESS IS THAT IT CONVEYS THE GENRE OF
INDIE/ALTERNATIVE. IT ALSO MAKES THE BRAND IDENTITY SEEM QUITE QUIRKY
WITH THE DIFFERENT FONTS, YET STILL SERIOUS WITH THE USE OF MORE BOLD
AND MORE SANS SERIF FONTS WITHIN THE MAGAZINE. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS
IT BRINGS OUT THE GENRE AND ALSO THE SAME AS THE NME COVER’S BRAND
The mode of address
&
Brand identity
12. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCT?
13. HE MASTHEAD IS NEXT TO THE TITLE ‘CONTENTS’ AS THIS IS CONVENTIONAL FOR
THE GENRE AS IT LETS THE AUDIENCE KNOW THAT IT IS THE CONTENTS PAGE.
THE MASTHEAD FROM THE COVER IS HERE AS IT IS THE LOGO AND TITLE FOR THE
MAGAZINE. CONTENTS IS IN READ TO KEEP WITHIN THE HOUSE STYLE. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IF IT WAS A BRIGHT COLOUR IT WOULDN’T BE WITHIN THE
The titles
14. THE IMAGE IS OF AN ARTIST WITHIN A BAND WHO IS FLICKING HIS HAIR TO
APPEAR NATURAL RATHER THAN POSED, THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS ON THE
CONTENTS PAGE THERE IS NORMALLY A NON-POSED PICTURE ON THERE. ABOVE
IT IS THE PAGE NUMBER AND WHAT IS ON THE PAGE, THIS IS CONVENTIONAL TO
The image
15. THERE IS A SMALL SECTION WHERE THE AUTHOR SPEAKS TO THE READER ABOUT
WHAT IS IN THE MAGAZINE AND WHAT TO EXPECT. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS IT
INTRODUCES THE MAGAZINE TO THE READER.
The editor’s letter
16. THERE IS AN UPCOMING EVENTS SECTION, MUCH LIKE NME’S BAND INDEX, JUST
TO GIVE THE MAGAZINE A PERSONAL TOUCH. ALTHOUGH NO OTHER MAGAZINE
HAS HE UPCOMING EVENTS SECTION, IT IS SPECIFIC TO THE MAGAZINE GIVING
THE MAGAZINE ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL FEATURE MAKING IT CONVENTIONAL.
Theevents
17. THERE IS A SMALL ADVERT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTENTS PAGE TELLING
READERS ABOUT A SAVE IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE. THIS PULLS IN THE
AUDIENCE AND ALSO PROMOTES THE MAGAZINE. IT IS CONVENTIONAL AS IN THE
NME CONTENTS PAGE THEY HAVE ALSO DONE THE SAME.
The advert
18. THE CONTENT IS ORGANISED INTO ‘THE LATEST’ ‘INTERVIEWS’ AND ‘NEWS’ THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR THE READER TO LOCATE WHAT THEY
ARE LOOKING FOR AND ALSO NME YET AGAIN HAVE THE SAME THING.
Thecontent
19. THE CONTENT IS CONVENTIONAL AS IT IS BANDS RELATED TO THE GENRE AND
ALSO HAS SOME SMALL DETAIL UNDERNEATH EXPLAINING WHAT THE PAGES ARE
Thecontent
20. THE PAGE NUMBERS ARE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE WHICH IS
CONVENTIONAL AND ALSO IN NUMERICAL ORDER MAKING IT MORE
Thepagenumbers
21. THE NEW BAND ALERT IS TO ALERT READERS OF NEW BANDS WITHIN THEIR
SPECIFIC GENRE, THIS LIKE THE UPCOMING EVENTS SECTION IS INDIVIDUAL TO
The new band alert
22. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA
PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCT?
23. THE IMAGE IS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE. IT IS IN NATURAL LIGHTING AND
TAKES UP A WHOLE PAGE. THE IMAGE IS IN MIDSHOT AND IS OF A MODEL IN
FRONT OF AN OLD BUILDING TO SHOW THAT THE PAST IS THE PAST AND THE
COSTUME IS IN BLACK AND WHITE AS SHE IS ‘READY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE HER
IN BLACK AND WHITE’. THIS IMAGE IS YET AGAIN SLIGHTLY OFF CENTRE
CONVEYING THE GENRE THAT IT BELONGS TO AND IS TAKEN IN A NATURAL
LIGHTING. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS AN IMAGE NORMALLY TAKES UP ONE
Theimage
24. THERE IS A CAPTION BELOW THE IMAGE IN THE CORNER WHICH SAYS WHO SHE IS,
THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS IT LETS THE READER KNOW WHO SHE IS AND ALSO
LOOKS MORE PROFESSIONAL.
The caption
25. THERE IS THE ARTIST’S NAME AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE WHICH IS IN A DIFFERENT
FONT TO CONVEY THE ARTIST’S PERSONALITY AS FUN YET MYSTERIOUS. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IT LETS THE READER KNOW THE ARTISTS NAME AND ALSO
LETS THE NAME STAND OUT FROM THE ARTICLE, THIS IS DONE THE SAME IN Q’S
The artist’s name
26. THE TITLE IS BOLD AND THE BIGGEST THING ON THE PAGE. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST THING THE READER SEES. THE
COLOUR IS IN RED TO MAKE IT STAND OUT FURTHER AND SEPARATE ITSELF FROM
The title
27. BENEATH THE TITLE IS THE STAND FIRST, WHICH IS IN A BOLD AND SEPARATE
FONT THAN THE ARTICLE WHICH IS CONVENTIONAL AS THE STAND FIRST LETS
THE READER KNOW THE SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE.
The standfirst
28. THE KICKER IS AT THE START OF THE ARTICLE IS A SERIF FONT, THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IT EMPHASISES THE ARTICLE AND ALSO LETS THE READER
KNOW WHERE TO START READING. IT IS IN A BLACK FONT LIKE THE ARTICLE SO
The kicker
29. THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE ARTIST AND IS MORE OF AN INTERVIEW ABOUT HOW
SHE IS CHANGING FOR THE BETTER, THIS IS CONVENTIONAL AS IT IS ABOUT THE
ARTIST WHO IS WITHIN THE GENRE, AND IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT MUSIC AND
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, MUCH LIKE Q MAGAZINE AND NME’S ARTICLES.
The article
30. THE MASTHEAD FROM THE FRONT COVER, PAGE NUMBERS AND THE ISSUE
NUMBER AND DATE IS IN THE BOTTOM CORNERS OF THE PAGE. THIS IS
CONVENTIONAL AS IT IS ORGANISED AND ALSO MATCHES WITH THE CONTENTS
PAGE. THE COLOURS MATCH WITH THE HOUSE STYLE AND ALSO I MAKES THE
DOUBLE PAGE LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND GIVES THE BRAND IDENTITY AN
ORGANISED TOUCH. THEY ARE CONVENTIONALLY IN THE CORNER OF THE
Thelittledetail