This document discusses how the media creator developed a music magazine that uses conventions of real music magazines. They began by researching front covers of magazines like NME and Rolling Stone to understand conventions like prominent images, mastheads, dates and issue numbers. They decided on a pop genre magazine aimed at teenage girls, using pink and brown colors. Their front cover includes left-hand text, a large central image, barcode and date like real magazines. The contents page lists sections and uses side images and varied fonts. The double page spread employs article columns, colored quotes and page numbers to follow magazine conventions.

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

2. I have created a music magazine front cover,
contents page and double page spread.
Before I could start I had to research music
magazines. I started by researching the front
covers. At the start I didn’t have a theme or
genre for my magazine, so I looked at different
genres. I looked at many copies of front covers,
making sure I was looking at many different
genres. This gave me an idea of what was
different on the front covers of different genres. I
also got an idea of how different genres set out
their magazines.
I started by looking at NME and Rolling Stones
magazine front covers. I was able to see how real
magazines that are out already, are set out with
images and other different features that make up
a front cover.

3. The images below are the two front covers that I researched. Both the magazines
have a main image, either of one or two people and it is quite large taking up most
of the cover and is positioned to the right and takes up most of the page.
They have the main features of a front They each have a left hand third and a
cover being a barcode, price, date main headline using the theme colours
and issue number. They both have and font. The main headline is covering
their own colour scheme. This would the image and showing that the main
relate to the theme and genre of the story is about them.
magazine.
They each have a masthead (name
On the Rolling Stones cover they have of magazine) which is positioned at
positioned their image on top of the the top. People would recognise a
masthead. This is drawing more attention magazine from looking at the
to the image. masthead.

4. After researching and gathering audiences views etc. I decided that the genre
for my magazine was going to be POP, making my magazine aimed at
teenagers, mainly females.
I decided that my colour scheme was
going to be light/dark brown and pink.
I chose these colours as pink is known
as a feminine colour and brown is a
plain colour which I thought these
went well together. I was then able to plan how I wanted my
front cover to be set out. Firstly, I made a
couple of drafts of a front cover, this
gave me a few ideas of what I wanted it
to look like. I had to include many
different features that are on front
covers like a masthead, mid shot image
and left hand third. These would make
the magazine look like a real magazine.
I did my drafts on paper and just
planned where I would put everything. I
also made drafts for my contents page
and double page spread, planning
where I would put everything.

5. On the front cover I added a left
hand third. This is making the
magazine look more real and like a
front cover. I added this around the
main image on the cover as this took
up it most of the page, I then used the
space that was left to add in my left
hand third. I used many different fonts
and stuck to the colour scheme. As
the background is light brown, the
text was dark brown and also some
text was pink. I also added a barcode
to the bottom of it giving it a real look,
including a date, price and issue
number next to it. I added a puff as
well to enhance the real look. I added
it to a blue background so it stood out
from the magazine. This would attract
customers to buy it, this is what real
magazines do to attract customers.
All of these conventions enabled me
to make the front cover look real, like
it should be in a shop.
This is my final front cover.

6. On the contents page, I kept to the
colour scheme and used the same
colour on the background. This is
again making it look real. I positioned
the image that I used down the left
hand side like a side bar. There I used
the same image three times but
changed the colours in it. I created a
title saying "Contents" making it clear
what it is. I then listed about 7 or 8
pages saying what was on them. I
used different fonts for the numbers
and for the text saying what it is. I also
added a puff to enhance the look of
it. I used the same colours as I did on
the front cover, this is following the
theme and colour scheme making
the magazine look more real. I
added a editors letter to the bottom,
this enhanced the look of the
magazine. This letter spoke about the
contents of the magazine and the
exclusive content in this issue.
This is the final contents page.

7. On the double page spread, I again used the same colours so I was
sticking to the theme, using a brown background and dark brown and
pink text and also using a variety of fonts. I added quotes taken from the
article around the image, this gave it a legit look, as this is what many
magazines do. I added effects to these quotes to try and make them
stand out from the page. I added a title to the top of the page to show the
audience what the double page spread is about. I added page numbers
to the bottom of each page to enhance the quality of the magazine.
When adding my article and interview, I placed this into columns as this is
a convention and making it look more real. On my interview, I put the
questions in a different colour to the answers, making them stand out and
making the magazine look better.