This document discusses the conventions used in the construction of a magazine front cover and contents page for a college magazine as part of a preliminary task. It compares the conventions to a real magazine, Billboard, highlighting similarities and differences in layout, design choices, and image techniques. The document also reflects on what was learned about InDesign, Photoshop, and Blogger from completing the task, including skills like designing pages, using fonts and effects, and uploading work online.

1. Preliminary Task
1) In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products.
2) What have you learnt about the technologies from the process of constructing this
product.
Front Cover Contents
Page

2. Similar Conventions used of a real media product Front Cover:
Masthead
Issue/date
Main Image
Coverline
Main Coverline
Barcode
The conventions I have used on my front cover are similar to those you will
find on the front cover of a professional magazine such as Billboard.

3. - My magazine “Your College” uses a different
theme of colours and font, which may appeal to a
younger target audience.
- Billboard magazine challenges the rule of thirds placing
their main image down the left third, where as my main
image is show in the centre
third of the magazine.
The mise-en-scene of
Billboards is more detailed,
Jay-Z holding a cigar with a
city backdrop, where as my
student is stood against a
plain background with no
extra props or things added
to the background.
My magazine uses the shot type of a Medium Close Up,
with the shot only showing the chest up from the
person. Where as Billboards shot type is a Medium long
shot, showing Jay-Z from the knees up.

4. My front cover uses many conventions that you would find on your everyday
professional magazines such as; Cover lines, Masthead, Main Cover lines and Main
image. Using the rule of thirds when applying those conventions to my front cover. I
extended my main cover line across all three thirds of my front cover, when they are
usually found positioned down the left third.
POSITIVES NEGATIVES
• Theme of Colours and Fonts • Image is quite blurry
• Realistic Cover lines • Some Dead space around head
• Rule of thirds being applied • Price missing
• Conventions of a professional • No direct eye contact of main
magazine used image
• Can be clearly read

5. The conventions I have used on my contents are similar to those used on a real
magazine. The example I have compared mine to is the contents page from Billboard
Magazine.

6. “Your college” I have placed all my images down the
left third and one in the bottom left third to fill dead
space that I had on my contents page.
Billboard features a list down the left third of
their contents page and 4 images
shown across the top and
right third of their
contents page.
The images shown on
Billboard are much more
professional, the quality
of the images attract
more of a more
sophisticated audience,
rather than young.
“Your College” shows a theme different colours and
fonts, these colours and fonts will appeal to a
younger target audience with it being a college
magazine.

8. InDesign
InDesign was used a way of designing my contents
page, I learnt how to successfully think of design and
then create it through this software, which made the
task of designing a contents page much easier.
Photoshop
Photoshop shop was used as a way of designing my
front cover, I learnt how to locate and use fonts,
effects and get to grips with a feature called layers .
Learning these skills allowed me to produce my Front
cover as part of my preliminary task.
Blogger
The website we are uploading our preliminary task. We
have to add labels and selected appropriate fonts.