The document summarizes how the media product uses, develops, and challenges conventions of real music magazines. Key points: - The front cover uses conventions like a masthead and main image but challenges placement of some elements. - Inside pages also use conventions like clearly labeled sections and repetition of branding but challenge placement of some info like price. - Photos on contents page are labeled and follow color scheme. A double page spread uses column text and multiple photos but challenges text placement. - Conventions of real magazines are generally followed for layout and sections but some elements are repositioned or presented differently, like a question/answer article format. Branding and aesthetics are maintained across pages.

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

2. My final Magazine
front cover,
contents page and
double page spread

3. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
A typical convention of a music magazine is a
masthead and main image on the front cover.
My music magazine includes a masthead and a
main image the same as the Q front cover. The
masthead is bold and bright and is exactly the
same on my contents page as well, therefore
sticking to the brand image.
Another typical convention of a music magazine
is for the the main image to be slightly covering
the masthead, which is happening on the Q
magazine front cover. But this was not allowed
on my magazine as it is the first issue, therefore
I moved my main image down so you can see
the masthead clearly and it is slightly covering
Vicky’s head. My main image is a medium close
up shot of Vicky and is very much like the Q one
of Lana Del Rey except that photo is took slightly
further back so you can see more of her body.
Another form that this kind of media product would
have is a main cover line to explain what the main
image is about. I did this on my music magazine
front cover to explain what the cover story was and I
used anchorage text to explain what the main article
of the issue was about, just as Q has done it on their
front cover to introduce Lana Del Rey and give a clue
as to what the article relating to the cover photo is
about.
It is compulsory that every music magazine
has a barcode, and you will usually find
that they are situated in one of the bottom
corners of the front cover on a white
rectangle. I developed these conventions
while making my media product by putting
my barcode sideway under the masthead
and with no white background. I did this
because I wanted it to blend in more and
not distract the audience from the
important parts of my front cover, such as
the cover lines of main image.
Most media products like this one use puffs to advertise things and attract the audience into buying it. I
have done this on my front cover to advertise a competition inside my magazine and I also linked this to
the contents by putting what page number you can find the competition on and a bit more information
about it. I made the puff a bright orange colour and I put the caption ‘WIN’ in capital letters in order to
make it stand out from the rest of the magazine. I copied this convention form real media products like Q
which also used a puff on the front cover with bold fonts and bright colours to attract the audience.
A typical convention of a magazine is a skyline running across the top to
add additional information to the front cover and the capture the readers
attention. I have challenged conventions by not putting a skyline on my
front cover as I thought it would take away the effect of the masthead
and this is important because it is the first issue.

4. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
A convention of music magazines is other photos
apart form the main image that act as puffs to tell
the audience what else is featured in that issue of
the magazine. I have challenged conventions by
making my photos the outline of people rather than
just rectangles with a frame around them.
Some conventions of a media product like this
one that are very important is the price, date
and issue number. Most media products of this
kind put all of these features together along
with the barcode but I have challenged this
convention by putting the date and issue
number under the masthead and the price
under the barcode, even though they are all in
the same font.
I developed forms of a real media product
though the use of repetition in the anchorage
text to my main cover line. ‘new album, new life
and new responsibilities’ conveys to the
audience that everything they read about my
cover story will be new news that they wont
have heard before, therefore making them want
to buy the magazine.
I have used conventions of a real
media product by listing other bands
featured in the issue under an
addition sign. This cover line will
attract an audience because if they
spot a band they like on the front
cover they are more likely to buy the
magazine. This technique is common
on many music magazines.
During the process of making my magazine I used conventions of a real media
product by keeping to the same colour scheme on my front cover, contents page
and double page spread. This issue of my magazine follows a blue, black and
orange kind of theme. The masthead is the same colour and font on both my front
cover and contents page and I also did some of the coverlines in the same blue
and then some black and white ones. The same fonts are used for different things
in order to stick to the house style of my magazine
I used conventions of real magazines such the rule of thirds on my front cover to make it
aesthetically pleasing. I placed key features of the main image and cover lines ect where
the lines cross, meaning these are the first things the audience look at.

5. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
I have used conventions of a real
magazine by putting the masthead on the
contents page next to the ‘contents’ title.
This is in order to keep a colour scheme to
the magazine and promote brand
awareness.
Features on my contents page are clearly
labelled with the page number so the
audience can find what they are looking for
with ease. This is a typical convention of a
magazine contents page.
I used subheading on my
contents page to order the
features , the same way as this
Q contents page has to the right.
This is a typical convention of a
music magazine contents page.
Another convention you are likely to see on
a music magazine contents page is another
photo of the cover story shoot. You are also
likely to see a grab quote with this picture
to make the audience want to read the
article. I have used both of these
conventions and further challenged
conventions by stating in a blue circle that
this picture is related to the ‘cover story’,
and stuck to the colour scheme by making
the circle the same shade of blue as the
masthead.

6. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
A typical convention of a contents page
is multiple images being used to show
features of the magazine. I have used
this convention and also put the page
number you can find the feature on, and
a sentence of information about it like
the NME contents page to the right .
An offer or competition is a typical
convention of a media product of this type
and I have used this convention. I put it in
an orange box, just like the competition
advertisement on the front cover, therefore
sticking to the colour scheme. I also put the
competition as one of the features on the
contents page with the page number next to
it so the audience know how to go about
entering it.
I included the issue number on my
contents page in the same position
as it is on the front cover in order
to make my magazine pleasing.
I developed conventions of a real media
product on my contents page by making
a ‘band index’ where you can easily look
up a band if you want to. On the NME
contents page to the right there is a
subtitle named ‘plus’ which lists other
features in the magazine including some
bands. I have done that same, except all
of my features are bands.

7. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
I placed my text in columns which is an article style layout
which is easy and clear to read and aesthetically pleasing. I also
challenged conventions of a real media product by spreading
my text out across both pages and putting it over the photo. I
did this because the photos I took for my double page spread
were all landscape and therefore would cover the whole page.
I also made sure that the fold in between the two pages would
not disrupt my article.
The title of my double page spread links to the theme
of my magazine and article. It is a curly font that links
to my genre of indie/alternative and I chose to make
the font white so it stands out from the background. I
also challenged conventions of a media product by
making my title on the double page spread really big,
similar to the main cover line on my front cover.
I included the page number on the first page
of my double page spread because it tells you
which page you can find the article in my
contents page. This is a typical convention of
a media product of this type.
I took my photos for the double page spread with an
orange wall in the background in order to follow my colour
scheme of blue and orange. This is also to make my
magazine look professional and aesthetically pleasing.

8. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
A typical convention of a double page spread is to have
other images as well as the main image, to make it look
more interesting and show what the band/artist has
been up to. I have done this on my double page spread
to show my artist in the studio and performing live,
telling the audience what the artist has been up to.
I developed conventions of a media product by
putting anchorage text under my title, giving a tiny bit
of information about the article. I didn’t want to put
too much information like the article to the right, for
fear of taking the effect away from the article. I put in
in a different font to the title but kept it the same
colour in order to follow the colour scheme.
I challenged conventions by making my article
a question and answer article. Not many
media products of this type would do this but
I decided to, putting the questions in bold and
the answers normal. I also put a bit of
information at the bottom about her biggest
gig to date to conclude the article.