The document discusses how the author's media product compares to conventions of existing magazines in their genre. It examines several common magazine elements - such as the masthead, cover images, article previews, and credits - and how the author incorporated or adapted each of these elements for their own magazine. The goal was to develop a magazine that would be recognizable in format while also appealing to the author's target audience and purpose.

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

2.  Existing magazines: Mastheads are used to show the name of
the magazine, usually written in the biggest and boldest text
on the cover to show the importance of it. In more confident
magazines the masthead is slightly covered by an image,
displaying the confidence that the magazine has in its
audience and it is comfortable that they will still recognise
the magazine as what it is.
 My magazine: my masthead was the biggest text on my front
cover; I used a contrasting colour to my background with an
outline to emphasize the importance of the title. I did not
cover my masthead with an image as it is only starting out,
and I am not yet confident that my readers would know my
magazine.

3.  Existing magazines: The splash is the main story of the
magazine, usually the picture on the cover is for the splash,
accompanied by large eye-catching text and a short line of
text expressing the main points of the article.
 My magazine: my cover image was my splash; an image of my
cover girl was positioned centre cover, bringing the focus
towards it. I used contrasting colours in my splash text to
make it more modern and address a younger audience, also
making the magazine more ascetically pleasing for the
reader.

4.  Existing magazines: secondary leads are used to give an
insight into the stories inside the magazine, some use
images, others simply use text, usually using tags such as
‘exclusive’ and ‘new’
 My magazine: I didn’t use images for my secondary leads as I
feel as though they would have cluttered my magazine and
draw attention away from the splash, where I would want
most of the attention to lay. I used the words ‘new’,
‘exclusive’ and ‘win’ in order to engage my reader and make
them interested in what my magazine had to offer.

5.  Existing magazines: The strapline is placed under the
masthead on the cover, it is a type of slogan used to promote
the magazine, it involves a usually witty comment or
something that sums up what the magazine is about and
what it will involve. Some magazines use a play on words of
their masthead.
 My magazine: I used a play on words for my strapline, it
reads ‘thrash the wave’ using the idea of the fact my
magazine is called ‘sound wave’ this shows the audience that
the magazine is inventive and it also has a witty element to it
to display to the audience that the magazine is modern and
so they can relate to it.

6.  Existing magazines: coverlines are used to display
on the front cover the more significant articles
within the magazine. They are usually placed down
the right hand side of the magazine cover.
 My magazine: I used the more exciting of my
articles to display on the front cover, thus raising
excitement in the reader and I also placed them at
the right hand side if the front cover in order to
stick with the conventional method.

7.  Existing magazines: top lines are used to give further insight
into something else that is included in the magazine. They
are located at the top of the front cover and usually include a
sort of picture.
 My magazine: I placed my top line at on my front cover and I
used it to show what posters where included in the magazine,
I used a few different images that I had taken when watching
live music as small previews of the posters.

8.  Existing magazines: tags are used to show how the magazine
has high compliments and can have 'exclusive' content. This
is used to gain audience attention as they can find out
something that no other magazine had.
 My magazine: I used words such as 'exclusive' to make my
articles more exciting and appealing to my audience. I placed
them around my main image so they are easy to locate and
can be seen clearly.

9.  Existing magazines: the barcode is normally placed
close to the bottom of the magazine on the right hand
side, and is used to purchase the magazine, the issue
number and price are placed above the barcode and are
usually in small text, not to draw much attention to
them but so they are able to be seen if wanted.
 My magazine: I placed my barcode at the bottom of the
right hand side of the page to stick with the protocol. I
also placed my issue number and magazine price above
this in small text but clear enough so that it can be
seen.

10.  Existing magazines: the colours used in my genre of
magazine are usually darker colours but put into brighter
lights to make them more appealing and eye catching when
on the shelf. The colours also reflect the music style within
the magazine, as it is rock music and this is associated with
darker colours.
 My magazine: I used a lot of the colour red which was a
commonly used colour within my genre of magazine. But I
also used a white background for my double page spread
because it made the article seem more fresh and appealing to
an audience. The colours I used were bright and shiny in
order to show how the magazine is new and exciting.

11.  Existing magazines: the by line is used simply to tell the
reader who did the interview or wrote the article, sometimes
it has a short iconic symbol at the end of every article,
individual to the magazine so people become familiar with
the symbol and begin to relate it to that specific magazine.
 My magazine: I used my by line as my initial ‘C’ in pink
writing, with an ‘x’ at the end. The idea was that each writer
would have their own initial in pink and all sign off with this
and a kiss, making the sign offs individual but still sticking
with a style that was universal to the magazine in order to
keep the readers familiar with the magazine they are reading
and grow to relate something as common as an ‘x’ to the
magazine and therefore making I more popular.

12.  Existing magazines: credits are usually placed at the side of a
picture, written sideways and tell the reader who is the
photographer of the article, it is used so the photographer
gets recognition and also to let the reader know in case they
are interested in the photographer and want to search for
more of their work.
 My magazine: I used my credits to show the reader that I was
the photographer, I wrote them sideways next to an image.
This made it clear for the reader to find it if needed, but nor
distracting from the real article and the purpose of it.

13.  Existing magazines: magazines use pull put quotes in their
articles to give the reader a glimpse of what they will be
reading and reveal the more exciting part of the article to stir
emotion and wondering in the reader so that they continue to
read the entire article.
 My magazine: I used pull put quotes in my article in between
text to split it up but also on top of images to make it look
interesting and so it will catch the reader's attention when
they look at the pictures which are the usually the most
looked at part of an article. I selected the most intriguing
parts of my interview to use as my pull out quotes and thus
making the article seem interesting so more people will want
to read it.

14.  Existing magazines: the register used in rock/indie
magazines is usually of an informal style, using the type of
speech you would find during a conversation between friends.
This type of register allows the magazine to become an
enjoyable read and really engage with it's audience.
 My magazine: I used an exciting and informal style when
writing my magazine as it creates a connection with your
audience and allows you to have opinions and display them in
a sometimes comical and crude manner as your target
audience are teenagers and so this is the kind of register that
they respond to.