My media product challenges some conventions of music magazines while conforming to others. It challenges conventions through using a different colored and sized masthead on the contents page and boxing information about artists at the bottom left of pages. However, it conforms to conventions by including features like a band index, photos relating to cover stories, and issues of address and formality in artist profiles. The product aims to be creative while still relating to audiences through both conforming and challenging typical magazine conventions.

1. Develops: Challenges:
I developed and outstood the My media products challenge magazine
general conventions of a front conventions as it does not completely
cover image, as many front conform to a conventional colour
covers use either a mid-shot or a scheme, I decided to add gold to be
close-up shot of their model different and creative; relating to the
whereas I used a high angle shot audience I am trying to target.
this challenged yet also develops
conventions because it is not My additionally photos also challenge
usual. I decided to use this shot conventions as I decided to use a
even though it has connotations Polaroid template to enable the photo
to vulnerability I believe it to stand out without conventionally
relates to my target audience. giving it a boarder/outline.
High-angle shots in reality relate I also added a competition which is not
to my target audience as they generally seen within music magazines.
are assumed to have vulnerable
personalities e.g. indie In comparison to other music magazine
individuals – these individuals in it may be added that my masthead does
specifically are addressed to not conventionally match as it is grey
have troubled lives. and white, whilst many other music
magazine mastheads are conventionally
black and white or red and white.
Uses:
My media product conformed to the conventions of a music magazine through using tag lines, announcing tour dates, new
music, albums, and competitions e.c.t.
My product conformed by using conventions of many music magazine: masthead, tag-lines, ‘plus’, main cover lines, general
cover-lines and a barcode.
My product uses the conventionally colours of many music magazines red and black which is regularly seen in ‘NME’.
When researching current music magazines I realised they used a variety of text font and sizes, so I put this in the action. I
made cover-lines bigger than the information underneath in order for the cover-line to stand out. I also realised many
magazines used drop shadows and outlines to make the text stand out more.
Many magazines use additional pictures to relate to their cover lines and to relate to the audience so I decided to add extra
photos of concerts; capturing individual band members.

2. COLOUR SCHEME: RED,
TAG LINE BLACK, WHITE, GOLD
MASTHEAD
FRONT COVER
IMAGE
MAIN COVER-
LINE/ STORY
LINE
ADDITIONAL
PHOTOS
COVER-LINE
TAG-LINE
‘PLUS’ BARCOD
E

3. My media product challenges conventions of music
magazines as in general when the masthead/logo is
repeated on the contents page it is usually the same size
and colour e.c.t whereas mine is a different colour and size
this I s because I had problems with the layout and colour My research of many music magazines
scheme. The grey and white mast head did not contrast well help me conclude that many contents
and did not stand out therefore it would not been effective pages apply the date/month to the
to use the exact same logo on the front cover. contents page.
My magazine
uses a variety
of text, as do
other
magazines, in
order create
Looking at many proportion,
NME magazines I clarity and to
saw the band address a
index feature certain
arise many times layout.
so I decided to
add this feature
to my contents
page.
Whilst
researching
many music
magazines I came
across a
My magazine ‘subscribe’
conforms as it feature in which
uses many many magazines
photos like many use. This Is ideal
magazines… for customers as
it saves them
money when
subscribing to
My magazine has a page the magazine
My product used the conventions of
number which many monthly
a music magazine by numbering
magazines however it photos and stories in order to direct
challenges and develops the reader.
conventions as it is situated
at the bottom left of the
page which is unusual.

4. Many However I believe my information on the artists The mode of
magazines develops conventions as it is usually not boxed at the address is
take the bottom left of the page; it is usually fee text usually
convention of underneath the title just before the article is written. informal and
having colloquial
information slang to allow
about the The image usually used is of a rather the reader to
artists who large scale and on the left hand side feel
feature in the of the page. comfortable
Many double page spreads are in
article for e.g. ‘talkin’
columns this is to ensure that the
those who do
article has structure and that it is
not know the
easier to read.
artists.
The name of the artist
Many double page spreads in whom features in the
magazines usually use a large image Pull-quotes are regularly used on article is usually in colour.
which usually uses direct address, double page spreads. This is usually
the models looking directly at the a quote from the celebrity from the
camera. interview.
I consider my pull-quotes to challenge
the conventions of many double page
spreads as it is smaller than many
other pull-quotes

5. Many magazines I researched had
an information box on the side of
their article to disclose extra
information about gigs, artists and
new albums e.c.t.
The artist or band featuring the article usually headlines the top of the
double page spread informing the reader who they are going to read about.
Text is usually bold and contrasts with another colour in order for it to be
headlining and eye-catching. One convention that is used a lot within
magazines is stretched text. I consider to have developed this convention to
have stretched the text more than the average, enabling the text to stand
out and appeal to the reader more.

6. HOW DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT REPRESENT PARTICULAR SOCIAL
GROUPS?
My product is mainly aimed at students/teenagers so I used an image of a
teenage boy. Whereas my product is aimed more towards individuals with an
indie/rock personality I ensure that the style of my artist related to the
conventions of an ‘indie/rock’ individual e.g. skinny trouser, shirts, t-shirts,
demin and messy hair. This iconic style relates too many indie relate
individuals, whereas my product was aimed at indie/rock individuals I decided
to dress my model appropriately according to genre.
I used colloquial slang according to my target age e.g. ‘talkin’ this is so that it
relates to and represents my target audience. This relation ensures my reader
feels comfortable and can relate to the product and the people behind the
product.

7. In my first draft I used a colour scheme of blue and white I developed this as I
considered it to be only directed towards males; therefore I developed my
colour scheme according to conventions addressing both sexes. I also used a
variety of images of both females and males in order to address my mixed
gender target audience.
Whereas my media product is mainly aimed at teenagers/students I ensured
that the product was of an affordable price at £2.00. As according to recent
research, results showed that individuals are more likely to buy my product if
there was a free gift attached or competitions inside. As according to research I
ensured to add this feature to my magazine.
As according to research on magazine conventions, I learnt that these
conventions can be used to attract your audience. For example using certain
colours to contrast and to use bold lettering attracts customers to look at your
product.
My target audience are individuals who have a genuine interest in music
therefore are likely to attend gigs and festivals so I addressed this concept
through applying gig photographs of artists and band performing.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing
this product?
When we first started using Photoshop I did not understand
how to use it and was not confident at using it either as I
never used it before. However as I became more familiar
with the software and looked at many tutorials on how to use
it on YouTube I became more confident in
understanding how the software worked and how to
use it.
Airbrushing - Photoshop tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM1ldtI4bFI
Removing spots/imperfections – Photoshop tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQvtsy_7uxQ

8. However I did not edit photos to an extent where they looked fake and tacky. I
also did not want to edit photos as much as my target audience are individuals
who are all about the music therefore having a perfect image is not as
important. However I ensure my models had a clean cut and natural image by
using the patch tool, selecting and focal blur tool.
I extracted a photo from Google to display how I would have used the patch,
spot healing tool and healing brush tool.
I also used the crop tool to adjust my proportionately and accordingly. For
example I had a photograph in which I only wanted to capture one individual
out of a selection of people within the photo. The crop tool was sufficient to

9. crop the other individuals out of the image leaving the one individual that I
needed for my product.
To address my target audience
efficiently I used Survey Monkey to
create a questionnaire in which I sent
to many people to feedback. I used
this information in order to construct a
media product in which was
conventional and address my audience successfully. At first I was unfamiliar
with the programme as I have never used it before and was finding it difficult,
once my questionnaire was finished to upload it onto my blog for viewers to
answer. The website was a little hard to use however I persevered with it and
finally uploaded my questionnaire onto my blog.
Furthermore when taking my photographs for my
media product I ensured I used a professional camera,
a canon Eos 650d.
I have never used a professional/ high tech camera
before so I used the internet to Google the product to
see effectively how to use it when taking photographs.
I also asked my friend who knew a lot about cameras who is also a media
student to help me use it effectively when taking pictures.
What is more I used social media to upload my media product and get
feedback from my target audience in order to develop my magazine
and how to improve my product and make it look more professional
and conventional to real media products.
I also used Blogger and Slide share to upload my
coursework. This was a viral source which allowed
my product and work to be easily viewed by
teachers enabling them to give me feedback. However it was also
used to allow my target audience to upload comments on how I
could improve my product by answering a questionnaire e.c.t

10. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel like you have learnt
in progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task my research on real media products has
allowed me to understand how real media products address their target
audience through using conventions and features.
Additionally I have learnt how to use Photoshop effectively to create a
professional looking product. Whereas when I created my student magazine I
used Microsoft Publisher therefore my product was not as professional as it
could have been because Publisher does not have the developed and
professional tools in which Photoshop has.
Looking back at my preliminary task I believe it helped me understand how to
use house colours in order to relate and address your target audience. When
creating my preliminary task I used the house colours of blue, red and black as
it related to our schools uniform colour therefore relating to the audience I
was trying to address.
I have also learnt how to develop and adjust photographs accordingly to genre
and professionalism. Previously I did not use the crop tool and I also stretched
my images to much so they did not look professional, this caused the quality to
be affected. Whereas when creating my full product I understood that I had to
ensure that my images were professional and was not un-focused or stretched.