My media product uses conventions of magazines but also challenges some conventions. It has key magazine features like a masthead at the top in the largest font, a main image giving direct address, and cover lines framing the image. However, some features differ from conventions, like the masthead not having its own unique font and the price being larger than typical. Photoshop was used to create colored backgrounds, text effects, and shapes, though font and shape options were limited. Strengths include positioning of elements and use of contrasting colors, but weaknesses include a large splash and masthead blending in due to shared font.

1. My media product uses the forms and conventions of a magazine in some ways and also challenges them in others.
When comparing my own product to a real magazine it is clear to see that it has a lot of the main features that are involved in a front cover are
present on my product. The masthead of the magazine is the largest font on the page and is positioned at the top, this makes it very noticeable
above the rest of the text and follows the conventions of a real magazine. The main image is giving direct address making the magazine more
personal to the individual audience members and uses the conventions/form of a magazine front cover well. It is also of a person associated
with the magazine as it is a college student on a college magazine like the real magazine has a movie star on a movie magazine so it is relatable
to the audience. The cover lines on the front cover of my product are all relatable to the content of the magazine as the real magazine front
cover does, they are also positioned around the main image almost framing it so it does not take any attention away from the image but are
noticeable and easy to see. The barcode uses the conventions of a real magazine as it is placed quite small in the bottom right of the page so it
does not take any attention whatsoever away from the other features that are more important. My magazine front cover however has some
features that slightly challenge the usual conventions of a front cover in which the masthead on the page is not in its own individual font which
a real magazine front cover usually has. The price of my magazine is slightly
bigger than most magazines and is more noticeable which challenges the
usual conventions. The cover lines on my magazine are also slightly
different than that of a real magazine as the empire magazine tends to
have a lot of exclamation marks in front of everything making it seem like it
is announcing it to the audience, my product only has one which challenges
the usual conventions.
I used Photoshop for the production of my magazine front cover. I used
different shapes that were available to create the coloured backgrounds
used as seen on the splash and the skyline. Different effects were used on
the text to create the black outline for a unique look.

2. Strengths
My product has many different areas that make it
realistic. The skyline at the top of the page is correctly
positioned and is easy to see as the background is a
separate and contrasting colour to the text that has
been wrote on it making it very noticeable as it is telling
the audience something that may be important and
encourage them to buy the magazine. I used the shape
tool on Photoshop well to create a red background
colour that the text can be easily seen on top of.
The masthead is correctly positioned and the largest
font on the page making it the most noticeable and
easiest to see so it will attract attention to the
magazine. I used an effect on Photoshop to put the
black outline around the text making the magazine look
unique.
Cover lines on my magazine are correctly positioned
framing the main image and does not overlap which
means they do not take any attention away from the
main image, they also give short pieces of information
that will encourage the audience to buy the magazine as
it is relatable to what they need/want. I used the same
effect again on the text to create an outline for a unique
look.
The main image gives direct address inviting the
individual audience members to buy the magazine in a
more personal way.
The barcode is correctly positioned at the bottom of the
page with the price above it.
Weaknesses
My product has quite a few weaknesses that make it
unrealistic. The splash on my front cover was a bit too big
and takes up a lot of the page. On Photoshop I was not able
to create a different shape that I wanted to e.g. spiky shape
so I had to use a shape set on the software.
The masthead is in the same font as the other text on the
page, this is a huge weakness as the masthead font it
supposed to be different to the rest to make it very unique
and easily identifiable. This makes it less noticeable and
makes it blend in more with the other text. The Photoshop
fonts that were available were not as appealing and it was
difficult to make the font look different and unique.
The price of the magazine is placed at the bottom right
above the barcode but is too big and risks taking some
attention away from the rest of the features which it should
not.