2. DOES YOUR PRODUCT LOOK LIKE A REAL MUSIC
MAGAZINE? WHY?
I think my magazine does look like a real music magazine. The reason for this is the conventions that I have
conformed to as well as subverting some. The majority of them have been conformed though. The reason my
media product looks like a real magazine is because as I was constructing my magazine I was looking at other real
media magazines. The magazines that I looked at were XXL, Vibe and The Source. The reason I was looking at
them was to understand how music magazines look like. This has helped me a lot as it helped me understand the
difference between my magazine and real magazine which later on motivated me to make my magazine look like
one of them. I used the XXL magazine front cover as an inspiration whilst constructing my magazine.
The other reason my magazine looks like a real magazine is because it includes many of the conventions e.g. a
masthead, sell line, barcode, release date etc. This makes the magazine stand out as you could just get any
picture and put these convention on it which would make it look like a magazine.
3. WHAT CONVENTIONS HAVE YOU USED?
The Conventions that I have used are the following:
Front Cover
• Masthead
• Sell lines
• Heading
• Price
• Barcode
• Issue date
• Main image
Double Page Spread
• Article
• Heading
• Page numbers
• Quote
• Main image
• Stand first
• Specific colour scheme
Contents page
• Sub images
• Name of magazine
• Issue date
• Editors letter
• Numbers
• Content
4. DOE YOUR MAGAZINE CONFORM OR SUBVERT THE
CONVENTIONS?
My magazine conforms to the magazine conventions as I have followed all the rules that are mainstream.
The reason I have conformed and not subverted is because I wanted the audience to like my magazine and
think like it’s a normal magazine. I think that If I subverted the conventions the audience would think that I
have done something special or I have more knowledge than them about the hip hop genre.
In order for me to subvert the magazine convention it would have been a risk as I wouldn’t know if the
audience like it or not. The other reason why I haven’t subverted is that I want my magazine too look like
other real hip hop magazines but if I subverted the conventions then my magazine would have looked as
accurate to a real magazine as it looks now.
5. WHAT ANALYSIS OF EXISTING PRODUCTS DID YOU
DO?
I did 4 analysis of each front cover, contents page and double page spread. The reason I did this was to gain an
in-depth understanding of the magazine conventions. By doing this It made me more confident on how I should
make my magazine look like. The reason the analysis was carried out was to make sure I understand what bit
goes where and how other magazine have subverted if they have. From the analysis, I found out that not all
magazines subvert as they are scared it might not meet the audiences expectations. This also made me
understand how magazines look like overall which inspired me to do my best at AS.
6. DOES YOUR MAGAZINE CLEARLY FIT INTO THE MUSIC
GENRE OR IS IT UNCLEAR WHAT GENRE IT IS?
I think that my magazine clearly fits into the genre as I have conformed to all the genre conventions. The reason
my magazine clearly represents the genre is because of all the genre research was carried out. The history
research and present research helped me get an accurate representation as it gave me further knowledge of the
genre (even more than I knew before).
The research helped me get the right mise-en-scene which conform to the genre conventions. Therefore, led onto
an accurate representation of the genre. I also asked a few of my class mates if they think it fits into the hip hop
genre and all the responses were positive which was satisfying after all the genre research.
7. HOW HAVE YOU USED PHOTOGRAPHY, MISE-EN-
SCENE AND EDITING TO REPRESENT THE GENRE?
Photography
Photography was very important as it is the most representative out of all. I took pictures after the analysis I analysed which
were the most used shots in the hip hop genre and I found out that the most used shots were full shots or mid shots. I then
carried out an experiment of doing the same shots and they then came out good. As my models are looking towards the camera
it allows the audience to think that they are looking at them so they are then more engaged into the magazine.
Mise-en-scene
This was also very vital as it is the one that represents the genre the most. The clothing my artists were wearing also relate to
the genre e.g. a lot of jewellery signify the hip hop genre. The fact that the main models are black and look like they are in their
mid 20’s also relates to the genre as this ethnicity and age group stereotypically represent the genre. The lighting is also vey vital
as it allows it to have a natural look as if the pictures were taken in broad daylight.
Editing
Although there was not much editing done but the small parts made the difference. The chains on the contents page made the
contents page look like a hip hop magazine whereas if there were not any chains then the contents page wouldn’t really relate
to the hip hop genre.
