4. Conventions
In doing some research in to existing magazines I found the
following conventions:
A small insert in
the corner to give a
little informations
about special
events which may
be included in the
magazine
Masthead:
The use of the bright
bold pink makes it
seam as if it jumps
out at the reader.
Plugs:
A short brief
introduction to
the article but
not giving too
much away.
Quote: to give a
short insight in to
the article
Barcode:
Bottom corner
Feature Article
Photograph:
This pose in this
image makes it seem
very edgy but it also
looks unusual due to
the bird on her
shoulder.
5. Masthead in
the top Left
corner
Large
Initials
Bold and
bright
A group mid shot used
of the girl band which
is interviewed. This
showcases the band
and gives them an
opportunity to get the
audiences attention
and to show off their
fun/wild personalities.
To give my magazine a
structure I added in a
banner which allows
room for plugs which
intrigue the audience
From research in to existing magazines I have used
conventions which I have discovered:
Bright yellow
used to attract
the reader to the
extras within the
magazine
Bold Font used to
immediately
attract the reader
and it stands out
against the white
back ground
I have added a
quote to my
feature article
photograph to
give a little
insight in to the
article which is
about the girl
band its self.
6. The Masthead
From the results of my survey I
have come up with a masthead of
three initials with the colour
scheme of dark purple, white and
black.
I then changed the colour of the
masthead to bright red, this
instantly made the magazine come
alive more.
This challenged the conventions of a
magazine as this colour is very dull
making it look very boring where as
you would normally see bright bold
enthusiastic looking mastheads.
By changing this I feel that the
magazine looks more
intriguing/interesting.
7. Research into
different types of
mastheads
Most music magazine
have used the colour
scheme red and white
for their masthead
By changing my
masthead to the
colour scheme of red
and white this has
made it look more
conventional
8. Before
This is how I first designed my magazine front
cover but I found that this colour scheme was
very dull, the layout of it was boring and it did
not look aesthetically pleasing to the eye
After
By changing the colour scheme, tilting the
banner at the bottom, coming up with a band
name and more this has made my magazine
look more conventional and attractive.
9. When researching in to existing contents
pages I found many conventions that NME has
used:
Large bold
text used
Small images used
around the edge
of the page
Larger image in
the centre
Large bold
page numbers
used
Small caption
used underneath
image
Small column (Plus)
used to identify the
main articles
Three columns
used
10. Captions
underneath the
images by having
this under every
image it gives the
audience some
extra information
on what the
articles are about.
Big bold numbers
to be clearly seen
when scanning the
page quickly.
In comparison to NME contents page I
have used a lot of their conventions
Bold headline to clearly
state what this page is
Image on who the
article is about
Bold rectangular
outline used to
make the images
stand out against
the background
At the bottom corner
of the page I have
carried over the
masthead, this allows
the audience to
recognise this
magazine in the future
I have added in a
features column, this
was used to give the
audience an initial idea
of what to expect in the
content of the
By using these conventions, I have targeted the contents page at a
magazine.
more organised/intellectual group of people who like things to be
neat rather than untidy and out there like kerrang.
11. Running head:
this is used on
every page to
emphasise a
key bit of
information
To gain inspiration I researched in to existing
magazine articles and how the presented their
double page spread.
Questions
highlighted
in a different
colour to
stand out
within the
rest of the
text.
Full page
image: mid
shot image
used
Page number
and name of
the magazine
Headline:
Big and bold
using two
colours to make
certain words
stand out
Drop cap: Large, bold
letter used to show the
start of the article
Columns:
3 columns have
been used per
page
12. Headline:
The use of the
band name gives
who the article is
about straight
away
In comparison to existing magazine
double page spreads I have used a
variety of conventions which I discovered
Black and
white formal
image used to
show different
personalities
that the girls
have (fun/wild
& serious
about music)
Quote:
I have included a quote to give
the audience an idea what the
image is about before reading
the article. It is also eye catching
drawing the audience in.
Stand First: I have
included this to give a
little introduction to
the article
Columns:
I decided to use
three columns,
this makes the
article look neater
as I have made
them all equal and
it also gives the
article more of a
sense of structure
Drop Cap: used to
emphasise the start
of the article.
Masthead from the front cover
used on every page to allow the
audience to recognise this
magazine in the future
14. How does my media
l
project represent socia
groups?
My product is targeted at a group of
young females who are fun/wild music
lovers that are interested in a range of
music genres such as R&B, Hip hop and
pop.
Jade has created an attitude on
the main image of my magazine
this was used to draw the
audience in as she is seen to be
the one in the band who is
rebellious.
As you can see above I have used
an image of young middle class
females between the age of 16-30
who may be seen as aspirational. I
have used this to interact with the
audience as I know that from my
research this is the type of band
that they could relate to.
15. Continued….
By Megan holding
her glasses with
her arms out, she
is showing how
she can be very
quirky and wild
I have styled this
front cover image as
a very laid back, fun
loving group shot.
The clothes that I have
chosen to style these
girls in are casual and
inexpensive suggesting
that they can relate to
young females within
the middle class, who
can afford clothes that a
girl band are wearing
which is normally not
the case.
The used of hand gestures in
this image are suggesting that
they like to show off each of
their different personalities
that shine through the group.
16. ow does my media
H
ject represent social
pro
On my contents page I
groups?
have used this image of
a young white female
who is within the middle
class.
As I have styled her in a formal
dress and have created a red
carpet backdrop I have made
her a very aspirational young
woman towards her audience
as every young female wishes
to walk on the red carpet at a
special event.
She is also seen as being
aspirational to young women as
celebrities are people which
mainly females look up to and
dream to be like such as their
idol.
17. Continued….
This image is very
sophisticated and formal.
By styling her in a smart
dress this suggests that
she is more of a higher
class young women than
the girl band that is
interviewed within the
magazine as they are
wearing more casual
clothes which makes
them easier to relate to.
Although I have styled
Emily as if she was on a
red carpet wearing a
posh dress with heels I
feel that she is someone
that females are inspired
by, so by having this
image on the contents
page it gives the
magazine some celerity
gossip which always
entices the audience in to
find out the gossip.
18. ow does my media
H
ject represent social
pro
groups?
Fun/wild
Showing off their
young personalities
Two different
personalities,
suggesting that these
girls can relate to a
wide range of young
females.
Formal/smart
Showing how they can be
serious when it comes to
producing music
20. How I have attracted my audience
Images
I have used these
images to attract
my audience by
styling them in
different clothing
and showing a
range of
personalities
21. Puffs
The use of the word “special” and
“gossip” attract the audience as these
type of words allow the audience to
gain some extra information and boost
its status.
“Plus” attracts the audience as it
suggests that the magazine is
offering more than other
magazine or something else
which is not normally included.
I have used words such as
“Exclusive” this attracts the audience
as there is a unique interview
included in this magazine.
22. I have attracted the audience by the use of colour
and fonts, these are bright which seem like they
jump out and unusual fonts which make the
magazine look aesthetically pleasing.
23. Survey:
After analysis existing magazines, I created a survey that was required to
specifically fit the criteria of my audience. I came up with 14 questions,
each of these had a purpose to help me plan and make my magazine. This
research helped me gain a clear idea of what my audience would like to
see within a magazine that they would read themselves, it also gave my
audience the chance to decide what conventions they would prefer to have
on a magazine.
This question
allowed me to find
out what the most
favourable type of
image was to have
on the front cover.
70%- Group Shot
20%- Beauty Shot
10%- Single Shot
24. This ensured that I laid
the contents page out
how my audience
preferred.
80%- Columns
20%- Lists
0%- Sections
I chose to include this
question as I felt that I
wasn’t clear on what my
audience would like to
read about.
90%- Interviews
10%- Reviews
0%- Informative Text
25. What have you learnt about
technologies from the process
of constructing this product?
26. Technology:
H I created the masthead
ow
Firstly, I
selected the
rectangle
tool within
the tool bar
I then drew out the size that I
wanted and selected the
colour that I wanted it. (red)
27. To get the shadow I clicked on
Drop Shadow and changed the size
to 5, this emphasised the shadow
more.
I then chose the
font that I wanted:
Berlin Sans FB, I
chose to use this
font as it was very
bold making it
stand out.
Next I edited the layer, I did
this to give a sense of shadow
behind the letters.
28. Technology:
H I created the banner
ow
Firstly, I selected the rectangle tool and
drew the banner the size that I wanted.
To get the white
lines which
separate each
plug I selected the
line tool and the
colour white. I then
drew it out and
copied it to get
each one exactly
the same.
Once I had drawn the
rectangle I then selected
the colour that I wanted
(light grey)
29. Q magazine
I chose to design a
similar banner to go
across the bottom as I
felt that this worked
well with a group shot
otherwise if I had plugs
flush left or flush right
then it would have cut
more of the image off.
My magazine front
cover is very similar
to an edition of Q
magazine, due to the
banner across the
bottom.
My magazine
30. Technology: How I altered the brightness of the image
I decided to alter the
brightness of my image as it
was dark and looked dull.
To do this I selected
enhance, then adjust
lighting.
Then I selected brightness/
contrast, this allowed be to
brighten the photo as it was
very dark and dull which did
not look attractive.
31. What kind of media
institution might distribute
your media product and
why?
32. Bauer Media Group
The Group is a worldwide media empire
offering over 300 magazines in 15
countries, as well as online, TV and radio
stations
Reason why I would chose this company:
• Published many well known magazines
such a Q & Kerrang!
•It uses cross- media convergence within
TV, Magazine and radio
Bauer media group
includes:
Kiss FM
Magic FM
Box music channel
Closer Magazine
Grazie Magazine
FHM
And More…
33. IPC creates content for multiple platforms,
across print, online, mobile, tablets and
events.
IPC
Reasons why I would chose this company:
•NME magazine has been published by IPC so I
know that my music magazine will be successful.
IPC media institution
includes:
Now Magazine
Chat Magazine
Women Magazine
NME Magazine
TVTimes
What’s on TV
34. Bauer & IPC media institutions
Since Bauer Media institution
group distributed Q
magazine which Is similar to
mine, I would have selected
this company to publish mine
rather than IPC.
Bauer media group uses
cross-media convergence
through TV, Magazine and
radio so if I distribute my
media product with Bauer
media group my magazine
will be advertised through the
use of all of these to a wider
audience all over the UK.
35. Where I would distribute my
magazine
As my magazine is a mixed genre magazine and is targeted at young female music
lovers I could distribute my magazine to ASDA , WH Smiths, Tesco or Sainsbury's.
After researching into these supermarkets and stationary shops, I would
distribute my magazine to WH Smiths and ASDA rather than Tesco or
Sainsbury's as my target audience are likely to shop in these stores.
36. Who would be the
audience for your media
product?
37. Profile
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Born: Greenwich,
London, United Kingdom
Personality:
•Well Organised
• Sophisticated
• Likes things to be structured
•Prefers to read celebrity gossip and band
interviews
•Attracted by images rather than text
38. Young females who live in
Greenwich London would
be the typical audience for
my magazine. This is
because they are wellspoken women who have a
very organised day to day
lifestyle. They would be
able to read my magazine
on their way to work or in a
café on their lunch break
where there is a peaceful
environment.
39. Looking back at you preliminary
task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it
to the full product?
40. How I have improved…
School magazine
Music magazine
41. When designing and producing my
school magazine I found it hard to
cut the background around her hair,
leaving a grey jagged edge.
Since the school magazine
I was able to practice ad
become more comfortable
using Photoshop. When
cutting the background out I
was able to do this better
without leaving an edge
around their hair.
42. How I cut the background out: Lasoo tool
First I selected the Lasoo tool, this
tool requires a steady hand as you
have to be able to select the part
of the image that you want to
delete.
Cutting the image out from the background is very tricky and
takes a lot of time to do if you want good results
43. How I have improved…
School magazine Contents page
Music magazine contents page
44. When producing my school magazine
contents page I didn’t think about the layout
of it so I ended up having some of the writing
over the top of an image which didn’t look
very professional.
On my music magazine created a
different layout which allowed me to
have images but with the writing
underneath them so that it didn’t cover
part of the image looking untidy.
