This document discusses how the author's media product uses and develops conventions of real music magazines. It describes including a masthead on the front cover like Billboard, Kerrang, and Clash magazines. It features a medium close-up shot of an artist to create intimacy and advertise exclusive content inside. Cover lines and tag words like "exclusive" are used to entice readers, following conventions. Incentives like competitions and festival information are included to generate buzz. The layout divides pages into columns and uses pull quotes, common conventions. The color palette of black, white, and yellow challenges conventions but creates a distinct brand identity.

1. In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
By Katie Pearl

2. Codes and conventions
• Codes create meaning through systems of sign and conventions are
the widely recognised way of doing something to do with content,
form and style. It is really important to use codes and conventions in
real media products because they help the reader understand the
media text and the familiarity is important for effective
communication. Although challenging certain codes and conventions
can be used for effect and to make the media text more original.

3. To begin with I used codes and conventions on my front cover by
having a masthead at the top of the page and in the centre. This was
the largest section of typography on the page and had a drop shadow,
similar to other music magazines such as Billboard, Kerrang and Clash.
This makes the magazine instantly recognisable as a brand and stand
out on the shelf amongst other magazines.
My product Existing products

4. • Another convention which I have followed for the front cover is having one talent
as the main image. This person (or group) usually has a direct mode of address
by looking straight into the camera, which establishes a relationship with the
audience. The images are striking and would compel audiences to buy the
magazine if they are familiar and like the artist being shown on the front cover.
This shot it a medium close up as it features the artists head and shoulders which
creates a sense of intimacy and suggesting the audience will receive in depth and
more personal, exclusive information with the readers.
My product Existing products

5. Furthermore, I have used many cover lines on the front cover of my magazine similar to most
magazines (not just music magazines). I have placed names of artists appearing inside the magazine
similar to Q, to entice audiences. These spark interest within a reader and gives insight to the
content inside the magazine. I placed the most appealing cover lines on the left third of the page as
this is what the reader reads first when they pick up a magazine. These cover lines are also short
and too the point making them more effective and thus following the codes and conventions of
music magazines, similar to the majority of other music magazines including Billboard, Q and Vibe.
The colour palette of the typography falls in line with the brand and the layout of the writing makes
the front cover look structured and professional. Not only have I advertised names of the artists, I
have used tag words such as ‘exclusive’ to make the magazine appear worth buying.
My product Existing products

6. On the contents page, I advertised a subscription to the magazine at a
reduced price. This is common in many different magazines and allows
the magazines to gain established readers of the magazine and
guarantee the sales of their magazine over a certain time. This would
help the distribution companies and the price is reduced to entice the
reader into subscribing.
My product Existing products

7. On the contents page and double page spread, I also followed codes
and conventions of music magazines by using incentives such as
competitions and information about festivals to make a reader want to
buy the magazine. These competitions and information is specifically
targeted at the audience, as the competition is to win tickets to Olivia
Roses’ tour. The festival information is for Lovebox festival, which is
primarily a dance festival but has artists from within the pop genre
perform. These incentives create a buzz around the magazines and
may make be the reason a reader buys the magazine.
My product

8. I have further followed the codes and conventions of music magazines on my double page spread by
dividing the page into six columns. Many other magazines lay their information out in columns and
it makes the page look neat, easy to read and aesthetically pleasing. I have also used an enlarged
image of the artist who is featured in the interview, shown with a direct mode of address to create a
relationship with the reader through the contact of the camera. The colour scheme is bright,
following the conventions of other pop magazine double page spreads as it looks vibrant and
interesting.
My product Existing products

9. I also used pull quotes in the double page spread which are very
common throughout many magazines. This is with an enlarged and
different font so the readers’ eyes are drawn to it and makes the pages
more visually interesting. If the content is intriguing it will make the
reader want to read the whole article or may make the reader buy the
magazine if they are flicking through the magazine in a shop.
My product

10. I have also followed the conventions of music magazines by using a certain
colour palette of black, white and yellow, which creates a house style and also a
brand identity. This choice of colour palette challenges the codes of the pop
genre as magazines like Top Of The Pops usually use the colour pink. My
magazine colour scheme is more similar to Billboard magazine and I believe
yellow stands out and looks effective. Black and white makes the magazine look
more sophisticated whilst the yellow connotes joy and cheerfulness.
My product