The document summarizes the conventions used and broken in designing the front cover, contents page, and double page spread of a pop music magazine. It follows many conventions such as including a masthead, main image, feature stories, and price on the front cover. However, it breaks some conventions as well, such as not including a main article relating to the front cover image. On the contents page, it includes quotes, features section, and images but breaks conventions regarding the title and color scheme. The double page spread includes a title, stand first, main article, and pull quotes, but breaks conventions with the title and costumes depicted.

2. FRONT COVER
Masthead – Conventionally all magazine
front covers will have a masthead in a
large font and at the top of the page. ‘Pop’
is a short and memorable name and it also
relates to the genre chosen for the
magazine which is of course pop music.
Main image – All magazine covers
have a main image. Conventionally the
individual will be famous yet I had to
use my own original images and not
an existing picture of a celebrity and
so I found my own model who is not
renowned but just a peer. The subjects
face can be clearly and easily seen
and she is making eye contact.
Main article – I challenged convention by not adding a main article that is to do with my main image. Instead I just used feature stories. I did
this so that all the text would fit onto the cover while still looking organised and not too cluttered and also so that it wouldn’t overlap and
obstruct the image. For the same reasons, I did not include other conventional features of a magazine front cover, such as pull quotes, plugs
and a footer. The reason I did not include the website link was because I used that on the contents page.
Colour scheme – I followed
the convention of using 3
different colours for my
colour scheme (pink,
purple, black). I have
spoken more about this on
the continuity analysis.
Feature stories – Conventionally feature stories
will relate to the magazine and in this case I think
they do because I wrote about Beyoncé and
Miley Cyrus who are both pop artists and pop is
the genre of my magazine, also they are both
obviously involved in the music industry and this
is a music magazine. I also used some language
techniques to appeal to an audience; a play on
words of ‘Queen Bee’ and ‘stings’ as well as
alliteration with ‘talks twerking and tattoos’.
‘Surprise album’ and ‘twerking and tattoos’ are
also both relevant to the respected artist.
Skyline – A skyline is not always used on
magazines but I chose to in order to make my
magazine look more authentic.
Date, issue number, price, barcode
– I followed the convention of
printing the date, price, issue
number and barcode onto the
magazine.
Left third – I followed the convention of
putting interesting feature stories on the left
third of my magazine, these are about
Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus.
Social media – I used the social media
icons of Facebook and Twitter to make
the magazine look more authentic.

3. CONTENTS PAGE
Page title – I followed
convention by putting my page
title at the top of the page.
Usually the title is ‘Contents’ so
I broke this particular
convention by not using that.
Quotes – I followed
convention by using
quotes from various
articles in order to make
my magazine look more
authentic.
Features section – Conventionally there will be a
features section listing what is featured within the
magazine and I followed this convention by doing
so. I also mentioned things that are associated
with the pop genre to add to the authenticity,
such as pop artists Lady Gaga and The
Saturdays. I also followed convention by using
page numbers that give reference to the location
of the articles with the name of those articles
included in a large, clear font.
Images – Conventionally there will be
various images on a magazine and I had
to take original images. I took some
images from various articles however I
have none of artists both performing and
on a set which some people may consider
a convention. As this is a music magazine
it is convention to relate to music, for
example by using images of artists. I could
not follow this convention for reasons I
have mentioned on the previous slide
(main image).
Language techniques – To appeal to an audience various language are conventionally used in media; I used a play on words by talking
about banishing ‘January blues’ by turning ‘frozen toes’ into ‘warm smiles’ which all relate to the weather (this is field specific lexis). I also
used catchy words and phrases such as ‘extra juicy goss’ and ‘gets topless & flirty’ which is all very gossipy. As well as those I wrote
‘spice up your life’ which relates to the pop girl band the Spice Girls.
Colour scheme – Conventionally a colour
scheme on a contents page should be neutral
however I broke this convention as I wanted
to continue to use my power of three colour
scheme of pink, purple and black in order to
maintain its continuity (as discussed in the
continuity analysis) so that the magazine kept
looking authentic.
External advertisements – External
advertisements from other
institutions are sometimes featured
yet I chose not to do this so that my
contents page would not look too
cluttered.

4. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Page title – I followed convention by putting the page title at the top
of the page. Conventionally the title should indicate what the page
contains yet I broke this convention as my title is quite ambiguous.
I feel as though my title is clever as not only does it link with the
use of mise-en-scene (dinosaur wallpaper background) but it is
also a pun as in the main article I talk about how Natasha drinks
lots of cups of tea.
Stand first – Acts as an
introduction to the main
article; I followed
convention by using one. I
feel as though I used the
language technique of the
power of three by saying
‘partying with Rihanna,
Grammy nominations and
where her story began’.
Main article – I followed
convention by writing in
columns to stop the text from
being in an essay format and
by using a clear, easy to
read font. My main article is
on Natasha Newman who
has been featured
throughout the magazine on
all three production pieces
which demonstrates
continuity.
Pull quotes and drop cap
– I followed convention
by using both of these on
my double page spread
in order to improve the
authenticity of the
magazine.
Costume – It is a
convention of the pop
genre that the artists wear
brightly coloured,
revealing and edgy
clothing. In all three
production pieces I broke
convention as Natasha is
always wearing black as
opposed to bright colours
and none of her outfits
could be considered
edgy. However I feel as
though I somewhat
followed the convention
of revealing clothing as
she wears a skirt and a
dress.