My magazine represents males aged 16-24 who enjoy urban and hip hop music. It uses conventions of the genre like intimidating images of artists looking into the camera on the cover. The magazine contrasts positive and negative representations - the cover photo is aggressive while contents photos are upbeat. Article photos also contrast, showing the artist serious about work and laughing with friends. Imagery and subjects represent stereotypes of the hip hop genre like mixed-race artists in urban settings.

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

2. Cover Overview
My magazine used typical conventions that you would expect an urban genre magazine to use. Firstly one
main image where it is a close up of the cover person is a classic convention but I put a twist of making it a
black and white photo to add to the stand out effect. The logo for the magazine is located in the top left of
the magazine which again is a classic convention of the hip hop magazine genre. Direct quotes are also
regularly used as cover lines which again is another technique I used for my magazine. I also introduced a
competition on the cover to make the magazine more appealing.
Rule of Thirds
Fixed colour pattern
Cover Lines
Sell Line
Close Up Shot
(looking into
camera)
Barcode
Direct quotes
Footer/header
(Same Effect)

3. Contents Overview
Like my magazine cover, my contents page uses rule of thirds. The colour pattern of white, red and
black is continued with the flasher, title and sub-titles. I have described the main features and what
can be expected to be found on those pages. These pages are also page referenced. I continued the
competition as again it is an effective method of getting people to read the magazine.
Cover Title
Consistent Font
Continued Colour Pattern
Variety of shots
for images
Listing of
artists/album/tracks
Rule of Thirds
Sub-Titles (Page
Referenced)

4. Article Overview
My double page spread is a question and answer interview with my cover artist. I used a drop capital to
initiate the article and continued to use it on the answers of questions as this is classic conventions of
magazine article writing. I wanted to separate my double page into two halves to tell two stories from the
artists perspective. In the photos I wanted a clear contrast that is why they are from two different angles
with one coming down on the artist and one looking up at the artist. I also chose to use the column format
as the layout again as this is classic conventions that are used in majority of magazines.
2 Main Images
Separated into 2 parts
Drop Capital
Pull Out Quote
Fixed colour scheme
Columns
Headline

5. Planning
• The planning for my cover, contents and article
was very important as it allowed me to follow the
conventions of magazine production.
• By analysing real magazine covers I could see
what I need to put in mine to ensure that it
looked as real as possible. For example
following a clear colour scheme throughout the
process is something all magazines have.
• I also prepared drafts for each piece which
was useful as it was a guideline to follow of how
I wanted my magazine to look. Even though it
changed throughout the process for
improvement it gave me a solid basis to start
from and what direction to be heading in.
• With using the theme of urban music as the
theme for my magazine I wanted to emphasise
diversity which the music is known for. For this I
wanted to ensure that the photos I taken were
all different shots, from close ups, to long shots,
to high angle and low angle. This helped me
keep within the theme of the magazine.
• My questionnaire also helped me with the
creation of my magazine as I asked people who
were my intended target audience questions of
what they would expect to find and I put in the
magazine what they identified. As I found that
they like a fixed colour scheme in their
magazines.

6. 2. How does your media
product represent particular
social groups?

7. Representation
• My magazine represents predominantly males of around the age of 16-24 so it covers a broad range of
age groups from teenagers to adults.
• As the hip hop and rap genre is usually associated with gang culture I wanted to highlight the success
stories that come out of the genre. This is where I used my article so show the normality of the life of an
artist. I asked questions such as ‘what is your favourite restaurant?’ and gave responses like ‘Nandos’
this illustrates a normal life.
• Yet I still aimed to give the magazine that thuggish feel to keep in with the genre of the magazine as I
did not what to change conventions of the genre to much where people could not relate to it.
• My magazine contrasts through the positive a negative light that the people in the photos are seen. My
cover photo is quite intimidating and the artists looks aggressive as his looking straight into the camera
which would follow the conventions of the urban genre.
• On the other hand the photos on my contents page are quite up lifting and give the impression of a
positive image is being portrayed.
• Finally the images in my article counter each other as there is one photo when my model looks like his
taking his work serious and the other photo looks more positive with him laughing and socialising. This
co-insides with my original plan as I wanted to separate the article into two halves to show the two lives
to being successful.
Contrast in negative a positive
images

8. • Conventional of Hip Hop genre
for the artist to be looking into
the camera in an intimidating
fashion
• He takes up a large portion of
the cover so you know he is
important/successful. Symbols
something quite powerful
• Contrast in dark and light
colours with the colour scheme.
Shows the counter balance
between positive and negative.
• Stereotypical there is a mixed
race artist on the cover as this
ethnicity is usually associated
with the hip hop genre.

9. • More positive bright colours
in contrast to the cover.
• The model again looks
intimidating with his hood up
in a photo which represents
the hip hop genre.
• The pictures are taken in an
urban setting where hip hop
originated from.
• Again a mixed race
ethnicity of the model goes
with the stereotypical nature
of hip hop.

10. • Contrasting image angles and
attitudes in the photos, shows
two sides to the genre of the
music making and time away
from music.
• Putting strokes on the text
empowers it all and makes it
stand out which is an aim of hip
hop artists.
• Artists doesn’t look into the
camera on either photo signals
quite a mysterious feel, likes
something is more important.