The document summarizes how the media product challenges and develops conventions from real magazines like NME, KERRANG!, and Q. It discusses elements like the title layout matching KERRANG!, using a posed female model on the cover like NME, combining features from NME and KERRANG! in the general layout, adding 3D effects to stickers like KERRANG!, and using decorative fonts on the double page spread to give it an edge while keeping the overall layouts simple like in Q and KERRANG!. The contents page follows the basic NME layout but adds unique sections.

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

2. The title.. Here is the KERRANG! Title alongside my own, UNPLUGGED. I tried to create the same affect by using the font ‘Masterplan’ as it gave my title an eroded look, like with KERRANG!. Unlike NME and Q, KERRANG!’s title fits along the whole width of the cover and this what I wanted to do with my title. I therefore chose the name UNPLUGGED as it was long, but also catchy and fits with the music genre.

3. The model.. This is an image of both my magazine and an existing NME front cover. When I began to look at the models of NME I found that young women were featured on some of the covers like this particular example. When doing my photo shoot I asked Megan to do a similar pose, where she had her hand on her hip and was looking directly at the camera. I think this makes the image look imposing and affective, whilst giving Megan slight attitude without her becoming to rebellious looking as this was not the image of women that I wanted to come across.

4. General Layout When deciding on the layout of my magazine I used aspects of both NME and KERRANG, as I liked the simplicity of the NME covers, and the extra features, such as the sticker and banners, that KERRANG use.I felt that there where no magazines that appealed to the audience’s between NME and KERRANG! Readers. I therefore decided to challenge this by using features of both NME and KERRANG in order for it to appeal to this niche in the market.

5. Extra Features A feature of KERRANG! Magazine that I used was this sticker. I followed the basic layout of it, having different fonts, colours and sizes of the text. However one way in which I changed the sticker was that I decided that instead of having a stroke, I would use a drop shadow. I really like the effect this gave, as it made the sticker look more 3D and as if it is coming out of the page.

6. Double page spread Q magazine KERRANG! magazine I wanted my double page to be simple but affective, like the examples shown above as I felt they looked professional and fit to my magazine genre. I therefore decided to keep the white background and add only a small amount of text, leaving the main written content to be displayed on the second double page. I liked the idea of having one large image and then large text filling up the rest of the page. As my chosen photo was one of Megan lying down across the whole width of the page, I decided to add aspects of both the given examples, having my quote on one side, and Megan’s name on the other. In the existing magazines the font for this large text is quite simple. I challenged this aspect of the magazine by using more decorative fonts, ‘Sex pistols’ and ‘Jenna’, I think this worked well because it gives the page an edge. I also used the arrows from the Q example, however changing them slightly to fit the rest of my page.

7. Contents When making my contents page, I followed the basic layout of the NME magazines. Having a Band index along the right side and the features of the magazine on the left. I mainly kept to the same black, white and red colour scheme however I did decide to add green onto some of the extra features (subscribe today box and the competition box). I used a variety of photos through the centre and then a subscribe today box at the bottom, like the NME contents does. I think that whilst following some of the main layouts of the typical NME contents, I added some of my own unique sections to the page, challenging the existing layout, and making my contents page look individual.