The document evaluates different design elements of a magazine cover and contents page created by the author against conventions of real music magazines. For the front cover, the author used a comic book-style image which challenges magazine conventions but is influenced by other magazines. Color scheme and masthead placement follow indie magazine stereotypes but price/date separation improves readability. The contents page uses bright colors and manipulated images to appeal to a younger audience, in contrast to researched magazines. Informal writing style and mix of fonts make the text relatable. A studio photo shows the band in an atypical pose. The double-page spread has more color than researched magazines, making it inviting to read. Background and overlay

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

2. Evaluation – Front Cover Image I have gone against usual conventions of an indie magazine by creating a type of comic book front cover, for my magazine. A magazine that influenced my front cover was Metal Hammers version of Sin City. However I manipulated and developed my image so that it fitted in with the stereotypical comic making it unusual to other front covers.

3. Evaluation - Masthead Like other magazines such as Mojo and NME I have placed my image over my masthead . This is to give me more space on my front cover but also to emphasize my image and make it look better. Another convention I have followed is that my masthead is at the top of the magazine, which is typical to most magazines. Mojo and NME are examples of magazines that do this.

4. Evaluation – Price, Date and Bar code Unlike Mojo, NME and other magazines I have separated my Price, Date, Issue Number and Bar code Both NME and Mojo have included the price, date and issue number in with their bar code, this saves space. However because my masthead does not go across my page fully I decided to separate the price and date just so it’s easier to read and see.

5. Evaluation – Colour scheme For my front cover, I went with the conventional colour scheme of an indie magazine, which is stereotypically black, red and white. However I gave it a twist by adding orange as a main colour making it different . NME is a good representation of a typical indie magazine and gave me the basis for my colour scheme. Mojo has gone against the usual conventions of indie magazine colour schemes by using pink which then made me want to use a different colour for my front cover to make it different.

6. When looking at all my research on music magazines the cover lines always stood out and grabbed the readers attentions, whether it was what was being said or the colour of the font it managed to grab the readers attention easily. The use of different font styles manage to make this issue different to the rest. Using the iconic punk font makes it individual to the band that presides over the front of the magazine I’ve tried to use a mixture of fonts for my cover, but one that are similar to one another and also similar to my bands image. For example young modern fun fonts exactly match the bands look which makes the image and text fit together. NME uses informal text to try and relate with the reader more. Their informal writing style makes it appeal to the reader because it is how they talk. Existing Magazines – Cover lines and writing Styles

7. Contents Evaluation IMG_0240.JPG IMG_0237.JPG When designing my Contents I wanted it to be filled with colour because it was for young people. I decided that to keep to my indie stereotype I should use a mixture of masculine colours but include bright colours as well. I also wanted to make it individual so I used manipulation on Photoshop to create new images to go on my contents page. For example the police tape at the bottom of the page. When researching other music magazine contents pages I found out that they were aimed at an older generation, and so I wanted to create something that would appeal to a younger generation. I decided to include bright colours, unique images of both studio and live bands and make sure my writing style was informal so that my reader could relate to the text, and what the bands were saying. I used a mixture of fonts to make the most important pieces of text stand out. I had to make sure my font linked with my images and so I went with modern fonts but with a twist making them different and appealing The final thing I had to think about were my images. I decided that for my contents I wanted a studio image but something different than the typical studio image. I decided I wanted the band laying down and not all of them making eye contact with the audience. I thought this looked really good, because it gave the girl band a different image than what is stereotypically expected.

8. Double Page Spread Evaluation IMG_0244.JPG IMG_0243.JPG Compared tot he magazines I researched, my double page spread is full of colour and looks much more inviting to read. It looks interesting because of the background and image I have used to create to cork board effect. I think it would appeal to my target audience more because it looks like it is aimed at a younger generation. The use of the cork board background, post it notes and sticky notes, makes it look like it belongs in a teenagers bedroom and so it links well to my target audience. I liked the use of colour because it’s different and not the stereotypical white usually found in magazines. I decided to go with an informal writing style because I believed it would appeal my audience more because it would be more personal. I also wanted to use a mixture of fonts to make it unique and different and more appealing. I think one way to improve my double page spread would to have used a range of photos. While it’s good because they all link together I think having the band in the studio and taking some more pictures would have given my images a bit more range and made the outcome better.