Evaluation of my AS Media Studies Music Magazine Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms of real media products?

1. Media Evaluation – Question 1
Jack Munge

2. Masthead
Main Image
Barcode
and
publish
date
Main Cover line
Strapline
Front Cover – My Media Product Front Cover – Example of Real Media Product
Cover lines
To begin with, my media product uses and also develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products in a variety of different ways. Firstly, in a music
magazine, the one common convention that always seems to be used in all music magazines is the positioning of the masthead. Generally speaking, the masthead can
be found on the majority of music magazines at the top of the page so I thought I would use this convention in my music magazine to avoid confusing the reader of the
magazine and so that they would gather a better understanding that this was a music magazine since more often than not people look to the top of a any magazine to
understand the identity and purpose of the magazine in question. For the main image of my music magazine on the left of the page, I thought I would go against and
challenge regular conventions of a music magazine by altering the regular camera angle that pictures are taken for front covers, which are generally speaking close up
shots of the featured artist in the magazine rather than full body length longshots. Although the image to the right is an example of a longshot that has been used on a
front cover of a magazine, its not usually a common form that is used in a music magazine as the main image usually is meant to stand out and appeal to the target
audience. In this case, the reasons behind why I went against this regular convention is because I wanted my magazine to stand out and have a unique identity by using
a different camera shot to what is usually used and I feel as though if I had made the image a close up of the artist, it wouldn’t have worked as effectively with the way
that everything else is positioned in the magazine and may lead to the magazine being a bit clustered together and too much on the readers eye. The way that my
media product develops forms and conventions of a real music magazine in this instance is through the logo of which I have created. In the bottom left corner is the logo
of my media product, which I developed and took inspiration from Q’s logo, although their logo on their magazines also come down as their masthead. I decided I
wanted to develop this convention used in this magazine for my own, by creating and designing my own logo on Photoshop since I felt that it would allow my magazine
to gain an identity and allow the reader and target audience to also gain a sense of familiarity and association with the logo and the magazine itself.

3. Contents – My Media Project
Contents Page – Example of Real Media
Product
Masthead
Logo
Page Numbers/Contents
List
Image
With regards to my contents page of my music magazine, I believe that my contents page uses, develops and challenges different forms and conventions of real media products in a
number of ways. To begin with, a usual convention that is used on any page of a music magazine is a masthead at the top of the page and similar to my front cover, I decided to stick to
and use this convention, as it provides more clarity for the reader so that they can understand what the purpose of each page in a magazine is. This can be seen when comparing my
music magazine to another real life music magazine contents page, in this case I am comparing my contents page to that of one that is found in Q magazine. As I have previously
discussed I have used a typical magazine convention being the masthead on top of the page, with mine being similarly placed to the one in Q magazine. In addition to this, I have also
used and at the same time slightly developed a a general convention that is usually displayed in a music magazine being images that are used. I have used a general convention by using
an image on my contents page, as seen in the magazine to the right there is also an image displayed on the contents page but the way in which I have developed this magazine
convention is by varying the camera shot that I have used when taking the picture . Usually, in a music magazine contents page you would general see a close up shot of the main artist
that features in the music magazine itself, but I have decided to develop this convention to make my magazine slightly different than the norm, by using a different camera shot so that
the reader is able to see more of the artist as opposed to just a close up shot that is more often than not used. As well as this, I have also gone against a general convention and form that
is usually found within a music magazine contents page. Usually, a standard convention of a music magazine is that the contents list is broken up into sections usually being a band
index, features, news, live and also reviews. In the real music magazine to the right, it is clear to see this convention has been used but for my contents list of what is inside my music
magazine, I have challenged a general convention of a music magazine. Instead of breaking up the contents of my music magazine into sections I have just plainly said what features on
each page. If I were to create a music magazine again, then I would probably make sure that I at least include something else such as a band index so that there is at least more
information for my target audience to actually read about the magazine issue itself.

4. Double Page Spread – My Media Project Double Page Spread – Example of Real Media Product
With regards to my double page spread of my music magazine, which is the final part of my magazine I have used, developed and
also challenged forms and conventions of real media products in a number of ways. To begin with, my media product uses
different conventions such as the use of a picture once again on the double page spread as is usually seen on this, the contents
page and also the front cover of the music magazine. Usually, on a double page spread of a music magazine as seen in an
example of a real one from a real magazine on the right, there is a large image, usually a medium longshot of the artist the article
talks about that covers the majority of the first page. This is usually done to give the reader a hint as to what the article is about
and usually comes with a caption either on the image or above/below the image. In this case, my music magazine follows this
convention with the caption just above the artists head and the real double page spread on the right being fairly similar but this
time with the caption in the middle of the image. I have also used conventions of a music magazine by putting the text of my
interview/article on the second page of my double page spread, which follows general conventions in a music magazine as seen
on the right where there is text as well on the second page of the double page spread. The way I have developed this convention
however is to break up the text by placing shapes underneath each question and answer of the interview to make sure that my
article isn't too long winded and is easy for my target audience to read, unlike the other music magazine on the right which just
displays blocks of text in the article. Most of the conventions and forms I have used on my double page spread link to those that
are found in a real music magazine and on these pages I mainly decided to stick to and use general conventions found in a music
magazine.