Improved powerpoint with annotated pages to show conventions.

1. QUESTION 1: AS
MEDIA STUDIES
EVALUATION
In what ways does your media
product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media
products?

2. CONVENTIONS OF FRONT COVERS IN MY
GENRE
The background The artist in the
The masthead is located is one colour, image often
in the top left corner and often overlaps the
is larger than the rest of determined by masthead.This
the content to show it’s the gender that highlights
importance. the magazine is importance and
aimed at, so that superiority.
There is dominant use
of the left third to text is clear. The artist in the
make the magazine image strikes a
appear ordered and Coverlines are pose, or has a
professional. placed above facial expression
the masthead so which makes it
The cover story is that attention is The barcode is easy to identify
distinguished from the drawn to it. hidden in a less that they are a
rest of the content important area so musician.
due to it being larger there is more
in size. space for content.
Often the barcode
is found in a
corner of the page.

3. CONVENTIONS OF MY FRONT COVER
USED CONVENTIONS DEVELOPED CONVENTIONS CHALLENGED CONVENTIONS
I have placed a coverline on top of the The vast majority of Mastheads appear in My image challenges convention with use
masthead. The coverline is in the form of a the top left corner. I developed this by of the right third of the page. Coverlines
quote taken from a main article, so by increasing the size of the masthead on my appear on the left third, below the
placing it in close proximity to the most cover and placing across the top. This masthead. I decided to reduce the amount
important part of the page, attention is increases how well it stands out and of empty space on my front cover by
drawn to it. enhances it’s ability to draw attention. adding a coverline on the right third. Even
Mojo Magazine also develops this with this extra text, I achieved a layout that
convention does not look clogged up.
Contrasting colours have been used for my My coverlines also develop convention I have opted against placing some sort of
coverlines. The heading is a different colour because I used additional formatting to offer to potential readers on the front
to the descriptive text that follows so that create distinction between the two cover. Normally, the offer appears in a
distinction can be made between the two. different types of text within coverlines. I coloured box or in a circle shape. I tried
The headings are in black, the same as the decided against making the headings bigger, this on my front cover and did not like
masthead, so that their importance can be because I felt that making them bold would how it effected the aesthetics of the page
compared to that of the masthead. The look more professional. as a whole. Instead, I chose to maintain
descriptive text is in burgundy. These convention on the contents page by placing
colours are central to my house style. an offer there instead.
I have used a colour for my background On the front cover, I have taken the
that reflects the gender of my target information that gives the price one step
audience. My magazine is mixed gender, so further. I also added the price in Euros at
I used a gender neutral colour, and the the top below the masthead, and on the
best choice for my magazine was a silvery- barcode have included the price in Pound
white. A secondary effect of this is that my Sterling, Euro, US Dollar and Australian
photo looks more like a studio shot, so it Dollar. This tells people my magazine is one
enhances the professionalism of the page. that caters for a wide population of English
speaking people.

4. ANNOTATED CONVENTIONS OF MY
FRONT COVER
The masthead is concealed slightly A coverline has been placed at the top
behind the image on the front of the front cover. Attention has been
cover. This helps signify the drawn to it because it is in close
importance of the person in the proximity to the masthead, which is a
image, because she is front of one very important component of the page.
of the most important parts on the
whole page.
Contrasting colours have been
I have made use of the left third, most of used for the coverlines. The use of
the coverlines are placed in the left third different colours means that it is
which helps to create a layout that looks easy to tell the difference between
clean, ordered, uncluttered and the heading and the descriptive
conventional. text.
The background reflects the gender
of my target audience. I didn’t intend
to be biased towards a particular
gender, so I used an accepted
gender neutral colour that would
enhance how parts of the page
stand out.

5. CONVENTIONS OF CONTENTS PAGES IN
MY GENRE
Many music magazines The contents is split The masthead
include a ‘band index’ into different appears at the top of
that shows readers in sections to break it the page, as in the
quick time where up and make it an front cover, to build a
their favourite artists easier reading brand image. It is
appear in the experience. proven that by seeing
magazine. something more
often, it sticks in
In some cases, special Not all the pages are
someone's head. It
treatment is given to a included on the
becomes more
main article. The fact contents page.
familiar.
that it is shown in Regulars are
larger text with a sometimes
larger image overlooked, and the
underlines this. most important
articles remain.
An offer to subscribe to the
magazine is included in a A pull-quote is used from a main article
The page number is to draw people into to reading it. It
different colour scheme to
formatted in a different makes the reader ask questions that will
the rest of the page so that
colour to the rest of the move them to find the answers by
it stands out and draws in
text, making it stand out and reading the whole article.
new customers.
easier to see what page the
article appears on.

6. CONVENTIONS OF MY CONTENTS PAGE
USED CONVENTIONS DEVELOPED CONVENTIONS CHALLENGED CONVENTIONS
I have split the contents page into sections, Most contents pages have a subscription I have decided to show every single article
for the same reason as all other magazines offer to draw in fresh readership regularly. I that appears in my magazine. The
do: to show what sort of article it is. It also have also integrated this into my contents magazines I have looked at opt against
makes the page easier to read because it is page, but I have decided not to sacrifice including every single article that appears
not all one massive stack of text. This the house style and use different colours. in its pages, but I chose to go against that
makes the page more aesthetically pleasing. Given that my background is a fairly plain and give the readers the full package. This
colour, the burgundy for the subscription was so that readers knew there would be
offer still stands out when looked at quality in the magazine right from the start,
indirectly, so it still has a purpose. and no surprise articles.
I have used a pull quote, twice, which gives I have taken the idea of including contact I have also included an image of the front
insight into what readers can expect from details on the contents page a step further cover on my contents page. This is
the articles. It also reveals a little about the by modernising it. The contents pages I standard practice for most magazines, but
personality of the artists featured in the looked at included web addresses. My not on the music magazines I looked at. I
article. I also made the colour of the text magazine also includes that information, therefore class the inclusion of the front
different to the rest of the text in the but also has Facebook and Twitter cover on my contents page as challenging
contents list. This makes it stand out from addresses, thus ensuring that my magazine convention. I chose to do this because it
the rest of the page. meets the demands of modern readers. would be more convenient for readers to
stay on the page they are on rather than
flicking the page to look at the front cover.
I have distinguished the page numbers from
the text on my contents page by using
different colours. The sole purpose of this
was to make the page numbers easier to
find, so that they don’t blend in to the text
that can be found right next to it.

7. ANNOTATED CONVENTIONS OF MY
CONTENTS PAGE
I have added various contact details
which aim to show the various ways
The page has been organised into that the audience can get in touch
different sections. This is with the magazine. By including social
advantageous because it breaks the media details, it shows that my
page up so that it isn't one big block magazine adapts and responds to the
of text. It also identifies more clearly modern demands of readers.
what sort of article is what.
The page numbers have been
separated from the rest of the text
by means of using different colours. I have pull quotes on the page to give
This makes the page numbers easier insight into what readers can expect
to find and therefore makes the page from the article. Furthermore, it gives
more convenient to the reader. a small insight into the sort of person
the artist in the article is.
I have placed an image of the front cover on
the contents page which reminds people of
the front cover without having to turn the
page. People can also see where pages from
the front cover appear in the magazine.

8. CONVENTIONS OF DOUBLE PAGE
SPREADS IN MY GENRE
The background is simple
due to the fact that
nothing is going on in it so
it doesn’t detract from
what is happening in the
foreground, such as the
artists and the text.
A standfirst is used to
give a brief description
of the article and what
people can expect from
it. If the name of the
The double page spread is The body text is The headline is A kicker is used to artist is used, it is often
often split in to two. On organised into often made of a signpost the start of highlighted in a different
one page, there is the columns. This makes mix of formatting the article or colour that suits the
image, and on the other, the text seem easier to make certain paragraph.This article.
the body text is found. on the eye and more parts stand out. usually appears in a
Even despite this, the comfortable to look These examples font that is the same
heading can overlap on at than if it was one use different fonts, as the font used for
both pages. big block of text. though colour also the headline so that
plays a part. the page looks
cohesive.

9. CONVENTIONS OF MY DOUBLE PAGE
SPREAD
USED CONVENTIONS DEVELOPED CONVENTIONS CHALLENGED CONVENTIONS
The background colour of my double page I have developed the convention of using a For the kicker, I decided not to use a
spread (DPS) is a simple neutral colour standfirst to give information about the different font than the rest of the body
that again has the effect of making it look start of the article. The magazines I looked copy, so as to maintain a more consistent
like I have shot my image in a studio. The at used highlighted colours to show the style of presentation. Looking back, had I
principle reason for this colour choice was name of the artist if included. I also used a sans serif kicker, I think it would
to make the text and images as a clear as included the journalist who the artist have made it match up more with the
possible. spoke to for the article, so I decided to headline, but I preferred the resulting
highlight that as well to make it look like aesthetics from a kicker that matched the
he is a well known journalist. body copy more.
I organised my text into columns to make The magazines I looked at split their pages More often than not, the artist in the
it a more easy going reading experience. into two parts, with an image on one side image looks directly at the camera. The
My research into similar products showed and text on the other. Occasionally, the artist in my image is instead looking
that text presented in one big block was a masthead overlaps across the pages. I upwards directly into the path where my
technique seldom used, so right from the decided to fill some empty space and headline falls. My headline is in the form of
start, organising my text into columns was include a box of text which showed the a quote, which gives the impression that he
in my planning. career history of the artist in my article. is looking at his thoughts. I think this helps
This box appeared on the page that to establish a good relationship between
housed the image. the text and the image that is quite clear.
I used formatting on my headline to make
particular parts stand out. The parts that I
wanted to make stand out have been finished
in a slightly lighter shade of red (to preserve
the house style) and have also been made
bolder. My overall impression of the headline
is that it still looks professional without serif
font inclusion. This could also be a developed
convention.

10. ANNOTATED CONVENTIONS OF MY
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Formatting has been used on
the heading to make different The background colour of
parts stand out. I have used my DPS is a neutral colour
different shade of reds and so that there is no bias to
bold to make certain words any gender and also so that
stand out within a piece of text is clear and easy to see
text that already stands out on the page.
quite well.
Each page has been assigned a The text body copy is
different role for the double organized into columns
page spread. The left page which helps to make the
functions as the page that page appear easier on the
houses the image and gives eye.
extra space to certain text.
The right page houses the
majority of the text.
I have used a kicker which signposts the
beginning of the article. This makes it easier
to find which is a convenience to the
reader.

11. COMPARISON BETWEEN TYPICAL MAGAZNE AND ENCORE
SIMILARITIES:
• Both use the left third heavily, to create an ordered layout
• The masthead is at the top of the page, and a coverline has been
placed immediately above it
• Colour distinction has been used on the coverlines; the heading is
one colour, the description another
• There is a clear house style of colour and font
• The barcode has been placed in the right corner, a less important
area.
• A neutral, plain background colour has been used so everything
takes on extra clarity
• The coverstory is far larger than the rest of the text on the page
(with the exception of the masthead)
• The artist in the image is looking directly at the camera to
connect with the audience
DIFFERENCES
• The camera shot is different. I used a mid-shot whereas the shot
type for Q is more of a medium close up.
• I included the logo of the publishing group on the barcode. Rarely
used for music magazines, I borrowed this from magazines of other
genres
• I placed a coverline across the bottom of the page in a different
colour instead of using a box of text somewhere else on he page.

12. COMPARISON BETWEEN TYPICAL
MAGAZINE AND ENCORE
SIMILARITIES:
• The masthead has been carried across to the contents page to
enhance the brand image.
• The page has been split into sections to improve the clarity of the
page and distinguish articles.
• A subscription offer has been placed at the bottom of the page.
• The date of the publication has been included in close proximity to
the masthead
DIFFERENCES
• NME has used a band index to quickly guide people to where their
favourite bands appear
• My subscription offer does not use opposing colours to the rest of
the page and is much smaller than the one used on the NME
contents page
• On main article takes up most of the page in NME, I opted against
this to include every single page that appears in my magazines
pages.
• I included more up to date and comprehensive contact information
that delivers to the requirements of a 21st century audience, e.g.
twitter and Facebook details
• NME only uses one image. I used two because my contents page
might have looked too text-heavy otherwise

13. COMPARISON BETWEEN TYPICAL
MAGAZINE AND ENCORE
SIMILARITIES:
• Both magazines use columns to organise and present the
body copy in a clear and easy to read manner
• The body copy is set in a serif font, due to this type of font
being easier to read at small sizes
• Colour highlighting has been used to show the name of the
artist in the standfirst
• A byline has been used and placed above the body copy
• A neutral colour has been used for the background of the
image to make the text clear
DIFFERENCES
• The headline on Mojo uses a combination of font styles, I
used a combination of formatting instead to make different
parts stand out
• The kicker used on Mojo is a different font to the rest of
the body copy and resembles the headline font. I opted for
the same font for the kicker and body copy
• The headline for Mojo takes up far more of the page than
my magazine
• The artist in the image on Mojo is looking directly at the
camera, in my magazine, my artist is looking at the headline,
which is a quote attributed to him, so they relate to each
other.