The student's media product uses and develops conventions of real pop magazines. Both use bright colors, sans serif fonts, and eye-catching images that appeal to target audiences. However, the student's magazine challenges conventions by using brighter colors that stand out more against a darker image. While layout, mastheads, and shot types are similarly conventional, the bolder color scheme makes the student's magazine distinct.

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

2. Top of the pops magazine cover-conventions
Layout
Masthead
Font
Colour Image
Genre
Barcode

3. Conventions of
my front cover…

4. Font-The font I have used is sans serif
font. It’s clear and easy to read. It’s Masthead-The masthead for my
also very bold and eye-catching. magazine is very conventional. It stands
out because of the stars I have put
around the font. I used sans serif font
Layout- The layout is very busy for the masthead because its bold and
and cluttered. However everything is easy to read. The masthead is also
is easy to see and easy to read. big, and on the left-third so it is one of
The main coverline is on the left- the first things you notice.
third so it stands out to the
audience.
Image-The image on my magazine is
Genre-My magazine cover relates to conventional. It gives off a
the genre of ‘pop’ because the happy, friendly feel for the magazine as
image is very bold, effective and a whole. It’s a mid-shot, which makes it
conventional for a pop magazine. more eye-catching and effective.
The fonts relate to the genre
because they are brightly coloured,
exciting, just like the pop genre.
Colour-The colours I have used are also
Barcode- The barcode is very conventional on a conventional for a pop magazine. Yellow is the
front cover because its how you purchase the main colour I have used. It’s a very bright, bold
magazine. Without a barcode the magazine colour that will grab the audience’s attention. Red
wouldn’t be brought. So I needed to make sure and white are also very eye-catching colours that
that I included a barcode. stand out.

5. Top of the pops magazine contents page-conventions.
Font
Image of front
cover
Layout
Headline
Genre
Page numbers
Colour
Image

6. Conventions of
my contents
page…

7. Headline-this is conventional on Image of front cover-the front cover
Font-the font I have used on my any magazine contents page. It lets image put on the contents page is
contents page is sans serif. This the audience know what they will conventional with pop magazines. I
is conventional because on a find on this page. decided to add the front cover image
contents page, everything needs to my contents because I thought it
to be clear and easy to read. would make the page look more
conventional.
Letter from the editor-this is a
conventional aspect of a magazine Colour-the colours I have used could
contents page. Many be more conventional. Mainly
magazines, especially pop because I have used more than 2-3
magazines contain a letter from the colours. The colour scheme of my
editor of the magazine. contents page could be more
consistent.
Image-the image of the editor is
Description-a description of
conventional, and also the image of
what will be found on a specific
the magazine front cover. However
page is usually placed next the
to make it look more conventional I
page numbers. This gives the
could add a few more celebrity
audience an idea of that they
images to attract the audience’s
will find.
attention.
Layout-conventional layout
Genre-relates to the genre of pop
generally. The columns used Page numbers- people go on a contents
because of the informal letter from
for the page numbers, the word page to find out what is inside that issue
the editor, also the bright, vibrant
‘features’ the left third being of the magazine. So having page
‘pop-like’ colours and also the image
used more is most definitely numbers of where they can find specific
of the front page that has been
conventional for a contents stories/articles is very conventional.
placed on the page.
page of a magazine.

8. Top of the pops double page spread-conventions
Colour Genre
Headings
Pull quote
Font
layout
Article
Interview
questions
image

9. Conventions of
my double page
spread…

10. Genre-it relates to the genre of ‘pop’
Layout-the layout of the page is Article-this is itself very
because there are certain elements such
conventional. The image taking up one conventional. Double page
as the image, which looks like it would
side of the page is conventional, and spreads in magazines are
be in a pop magazine because of pose
also the way the article is set out in normally an article, or an
the model is making. Also the hair
columns is also conventional for a interview of some kind.
colour, the costume and the facial
double page spread.
expression of the model show how
conventional it is.
Headline-The headline is
conventional because it lets the
reader know what the article is Shot type-the shot type of the
about, and it will give them an idea image Is very conventional. It’s a
of what the article is about. mid-shot so it shows off the
models features however it is a
close enough shot to be a
personal shot, and a shot you can
Colour- the colours of
see the emotion on the face of the
yellow, red, green and black are
model coming through.
conventional because they make the
text stand out, the pink background
is feminine and friendly, this relates
to the target audience.
Interview questions- The interview
Image-the image is conventional questions are conventional because
Pull quote-The pull quote is because its fun, exciting and very double page spreads are normally an
conventional and very effective. it will eye-catching. The hair colour of interview or some sort of article that
entice the audience to read the article pink, is very ‘pop’ and also eye- would require an interviewer and an
because they will want to know catching so It will attract the interviewee
why/what that quote is about. audience’s attention.

11. Summary of conventions.
I believe my magazine challenges the forms and conventions of many
real media products because of the following:
My magazine and a real pop magazine such as ‘top of the pops’ are very
similar in many ways. They both have a large, eye-catching masthead. They
both use effective, bright and eye-catching colours. Also the images are similar
in the way they are both feminine, fun and will relate to the target audience.
The fonts used on my magazine and in the majority of pop magazines are
usually sans serif. This is because sans serif font is very clear, easy to read,
and very conventional in most magazines. They are similar in colours as well.
However the colours I have used are more bright because my image is much
darker. The layout of my magazine is also similar to a real pop magazine. The
way I have laid out my front cover; using the main coverline on the left third to
attract the audience is conventionally used in a real pop magazine. The shot-
types I have used are also similar to those of a real magazine. Close-ups and
mid-shots are often used because they are extremely eye-catching.