The magazine front cover both develops and challenges conventions of indie magazines. It follows conventions by using a medium close-up staged image with a small color palette and white background with grey edges, and minimal text. However, it challenges conventions by having a "busy" background with political messages, symbols, and swearing to make it stand out. The contents page also both follows and challenges conventions - it has multiple images and writing like other indie magazines but uses an unusual background and masthead. Double page spreads follow conventions by using a three-column layout.

1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR
MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP
OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?

2. WHEN I STARTED MY MAGAZINE I KNEW I WANTED TO DEVELOP AND CHALLENGE
CONVENTIONS BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT INDIE IS ALL ABOUT.
• MY FRONT COVER CHALLENGES CONVENTIONS AS WELL AS FOLLOWS THEM IN
MANY WAYS.
• I’VE STUCK TO CONVENTIONS IN THE TYPE OF IMAGE I USED, IT BEING A
MEDIUM CLOSE UP, THE IMAGE BEING VERY STAGED AND IT HAVING A VERY
SMALL COLOUR PALLET.

3. • THE BACKGROUND TO MY IMAGE IS ALSO STICKING TO CONVENTIONS BY BEING
WHITE WITH A SMALL BIT OF GREY AROUND THE EDGES CREATING A SHADOW
EFFECT.
• THE AMOUNT OF TEXT I USED IS VERY MINIMAL AND NOT OVERPOWERING THE
PAGE WHICH IS WHAT MOST INDIE MAGAZINES DO. THIS IS BECAUSE THE
TARGET AUDIENCE ARE VERY FASHION ORIENTATED AND WANT THEIR
MAGAZINE TO LOOK ALMOST LIKE AN ACCESSORY.
• THE FRONT COVER HAS ALSO DEVELOPED CONVENTIONS BY HAVING A ‘BUSY’
BACKGROUND ON IT TO GET IMPORTANT POLITICAL MESSAGES, MATERS OF THE
HEART, WEIRD IDEAS AND VINTAGE SYMBOLS ARE JUST SOME. THIS
INTERTEXTUALITY HELPS CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS OF THE GENRE, FOR
EXAMPLE THE SYMBOL OF DARTH VADER WITH A HEART ON HIS CHEST
SUGGESTS FATHERLY LOVE. I DID THIS TO MAKE THE MAGAZINE STAND OUT

5. • IT ALSO CHALLENGES CONVENTIONS BY HAVING HIM SWEARING, MOST INDIE
MAGAZINES WOULDN’T DO THIS AS IT MAY COME ACROSS AS TOO AGGRESSIVE
BUT I THINK IT WOULD APPEAL TO MY TARGET AUDIENCE AND IT REPRESENTS
THEM STICKING THEIR FINGER UP TO STEREO-TYPES AND COMMON
CONVENTIONS.

6. • THE CONTENTS PAGE I CREATED HAS FOLLOWED CONVENTIONS MORE THAN IT
HAS CHALLENGED THEM.
• IT IS A FULL PAGE WITH MORE THAN ONE IMAGE WITH QUITE A BIT OF WRITING.
THIS IS TO REPRESENT LIKE ‘INDIE LIFESTYLE’ BEING FULL OF FUN, MUCH LIKE
OTHER INDIE MAGAZINES.
• THE WAY IT CHALLENGES CONVENTIONS IS BY HAVING A SIMILAR BUSY
BACKGROUND TO THE FRONT COVER AND THE MASTHEAD NOT SAYING
CONTENTS BUT HAVING A PICTURE OF A TENT RATHER THAN THE WORD.

7. • IT ALSO HAS A LARGER COLOUR PALLET THAN A MOST INDIE MAGAZINES,
CREATED BY THE PAINT DRIPPING EFFECT IN THE BACKGROUND.

8. • AS WELL AS MY CONTENTS PAGE FOLLOWING CONVENTIONS, MY DOUBLE PAGE
SPREAD DOES TOO. IT FOLLOWS THE COMMON CONVENTIONS BY HAVING THE
THREE COLUMN RULE. MY MAIN IMAGE TAKES UP HALF OF THE DOUBLE PAGE
SPREAD, WHICH IS THREE COLUMNS, THEN THE WRITING IS SET OUT IN THREE
COLUMNS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD. THE MAIN IMAGE
IS ALSO VERY STAGED MUCH LIKE ALL THE OTHER INDIE MAGAZINES I LOOKED
AT.