The document discusses how a media product was influenced by and challenged conventions of real Hip Hop magazines like VIBE. [1] The creator analyzed VIBE magazine covers and followed conventions like posing and positioning of models, but challenged conventions through creative font and color choices. [2] Conventions of layout, images and numbering from billboard contents pages were followed, but text layout was challenged to be less complicated. [3] A double page spread was inspired by a real example, following structure but challenging it with a teaser sentence. [4] Titles, pull quotes and consistent color schemes also followed magazine conventions while developing the product to be original.

1. Q1: In what ways does your
media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?

2. To get my perfect front cover image I done a lot but specific
research on Hip Hop front cover magazines. What caught my
eye the most was the female front covers of VIBE magazine that
is based on Hip Hop. To make my front cover image effective as
possible I tried follow the conventions of the two magazine
artists poses & positioning from VIBE.
As you can see my artist (model) has a serious expression of
her face and also has her mouth slightly open just like the artists
on the front covers of VIBE. I also noticed the females on these
VIBE front covers are doing something with their arms so during
my photo shoot, I told my model to have one of her arms on
her hip and the other hand hanging down. Also
the artists are looking direct to the audience
which I took in consideration when choosing
my final front cover image. Lastly the artists
on VIBE are taken from an mid-long shot
which I also did as well. By analysing all the
conventions on female front cover images,
I took it all in my head and developed it on
my own front cover.

3. The form of my magazine name was inspired by the title VIBE. The forms I followed
and produced through my magazine name is that I kept all the letters in my
magazine name in capitals. This is because it looks more effective and makes it
obvious to readers what is the magazine title. What I challenged in my media
product is the font of the title. I used more of a creative font and edited it on
PhotoShop by making it look 3D which challenges the magazine VIBE title I was
using as inspiration. Also the colour of my title is vibrant red which I noticed is very
popular with Hip Hop magazines such as VIBE as red is a sharp and bold colour
which represents the genre.
Also on top of the title, what I noticed on the VIBE magazines is that they have one
sentence on top of the title that relates to something that would be inside the magazine. I
followed this convention but slightly changed it by adding a shadow around the text as I
think it would look more effective.

4. While I was analysing specific magazine front covers I chose for my inspiration, I noticed
that the colour of the magazine name ‘VIBE’ would have the same colour on the front
cover artist. In this example of VIBE magazine, the name VIBE is in orange and the hair
of the artist is also orange. I thought this would look effective on my magazine to carry
out this convention.
Additionally, I chose my magazine name to be the colour red and the front cover artist is
wearing a red top. By doing this it makes my magazine front cover look more effective
and professional. It also shows the audience a clear and obvious colour scheme.

5. I kept the colour scheme of red, white, yellow/tangerine and black consistently through
out my magazine (mainly front cover and double page spread.) I noticed that the
magazine VIBE used a lot of white, red and black in their magazines so I thought I
would carry that convention through out my magazine.
What I challenged with my colour scheme is using a 4th colour which is
yellow/tangerine. I did this because I thought firstly, on the front cover the artist name
should stand out the most and should be a colour by it self to represent that. By doing
that, the usage of yellow/tangerine is very minimal through out my magazine but is part
of the colour scheme.

6. I used ‘billboard’ contents page as my inspiration for
developing my own contents page. As you can see I
followed the conventions of the basic layout of the billboard
contents page which includes the title, the images and the
block lines underneath the title. I think by placing the images
next to each other looks effective as it shows a neat layout
and the audience would find it easier to look at. Also on the
images it includes the page number on the bottom right of
the picture, which I also followed. Also the numbers of each
page has quite a big gap between the headlines which is a
convention of Hip Hop magazines in general. The images I
chose for my contents page are very similar to the ones on
the billboard contents page as two images are mid-shot and
one is a long shot. The artist in the long-shot image, is
wearing big head phones around his neck which makes it
obvious that it is a music magazine that links to the chosen
genre, Hip Hop.
What I challenged on my contents page is the layout of my
text. I thought by the way I have set it out looks less
complicated to the one in billboard and the audience would

7. After researching on Hip Hop front covers and contents page, I had to find the double page
spread that caught my eye, which I found. This double spread page with fiasco on it looks
effective because their is not much nor less going on the page. Also from my research I carried
out in my focus group, they said they would not be interested if there is more text which I
considered when creating my double page spread. I have followed the convention of the
structure/layout of this double spread page as it self.
What I challenged was by adding a teaser which is written in yellow text on my double page
spread. Why I did this was because I thought it would give readers briefly a flavour of what they
are going to read about by that one sentence.

8. I also followed the convention of the fiasco double page spread title. It is very
strange as it says the timing of when the artist is being interviewed. As you can see
as my double page spread title I named mine ‘JAYA KAY @ 4:30pm’ which is very
similar to the ‘FIASCO @ 9:30’.
As you can see I have included ‘pm’ at the end of my time in my title which I
challenged. This is because readers would find it less complicated to understand
the actual meaning and purpose of the articles title. I also find it effective and
appealing as it sounds casual and realistic to readers so they would like to read
on.

9. I also followed the convention of the large pull quote on the corner of the right
page on the left hand side. This looks effective as it is the first thing readers would
read. It would also give them an insight of what the artist tone of voice and that
would appeal different readers in different ways.
The only thing I challenged with my big pull quote is that I kept mine in a different
front compared to the article font and kept it all in one colour. I did this because it
looks more neat looks less busy on the page.

10. In conclusion, I think that the magazine I created follows a range of conventions that
real media products have. Along with this, I have also developed and challenged
conventions of Hip Hop magazines to make my magazine look more original.