1. Question 1: In what ways does your
media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of
real media products?
When creating my final products, I had a lot of inspiration from
existing magazines. Through my research and planning, I found that
KERRANG, NME and ROCKSOUND magazines had similar target
audiences, genre and colour schemes that I wanted to approach.
Looking into this further, I liked the outcome of KERRANG the most
therefore used KERRANGS conventions to inspire my products and
adapt to my own magazine. At the same time I wanted my magazine
to be able to compete with the real media products therefore I made
subtle changes based on appealing to my audience.
2. Front Cover
On the left is my final front cover product and on the right is an example of a KERRANG
front cover. I used, adapted and challenged the KERRANG cover layout as a basis to
create my own. I used some similar conventions but also manipulated some so that my
front cover looked unique. I also used my research on other magazines such as NME.
3. MastHead
I decided to call my magazine DEFUSED because it is short, snappy and catchy, making it more memorable to the reader.
The word is defined as removing a fuse from an explosion therefore implies my magazine uncovers every story in the
spotlight. It also suggests my magazine is explosive which alludes to the rebellious attitudes of Rock. It can be related to a
fuse or spark linking to electric guitar sounds which is quite similar to KERRANG. KERRANG is an onomatopoeic word
derived from playing a power chord on a distorted guitar however the name KERRANG is more focused on heavy rock and
punk whereas I want my product to resemble mainstream Rock and Indie.
I have used PUNK ATTITUDE font which is an indie approach to a newspaper style therefore fits the genre and product.
KERRANGS white font is effective because it makes the masthead stand out from the rest of the page. Because of this I
decided to use the same colour font however I challenged it by including a black border so that my masthead would stand
out even more and not clash with the background. I also put my font in capital lettering so that it resembles the shouts
and high volumes of Rock.
I liked the shattered glass effect KERRANG uses as it shows off the destructive and rebellious attitudes of rock. I wanted to
show the same impression but not as extreme so chose a font that had jagged edges and scratches to challenge KERRANG
in less extreme way. Like KERRANG, I stretched my masthead across the entire top thirds of the page because I wanted it
to headline the rest of the information and instantly show my brand. I think this is more effective than NME who positions
the masthead in the top left as it makes the page more organised therefore easier to navigate.
I had my dominant image overlap my masthead because through research I found this is a very common convention- as
shown by the KERRANG example. I felt however that KERRANG had overlapped a bit too much of the masthead which
could be a problem to new buyers of the magazine who don’t recognise the name. For my own magazine I made sure that
my dominant image overlapped the masthead but didn’t completely cover any letters so that you can still read the word
even if you’ve never seen the magazine before. This is effective as my magazine has the opportunity to always attract new
buyers which will help me compete with KERRANG.
4. Dominant Image
For my dominant Image I chose a male model because females will find him appealing and males
will aspire to be like him therefore I can instantly attract both genders to my magazine which is
important because my target audience is 46% male and 53% female. The model is wearing outfit 2
which consists of black skinny jeans, a black and white flannel shirt and black tee. These dark
colours are stereotypical of the genre and style of rock and also link with my colour scheme
throughout the magazine. The KERRANG models for example are wearing completely black
however against my background would prevent my model from standing out. Contrasting the black
and white colours together made my image a lot more dominant therefore effective.
Using my research on facial expression theories, I chose Trevor Millums “practical” and “catalogue”
expressions because they show my magazine is professional and serious about the industry. To
appeal to the Indie sub-genre I got my model to smirk slightly to show my magazine is quite laidback
and down to earth unlike KERRANGS magazine in which the punk genre is very outgoing and in your
face. These are examples of the more common expressions used in KERRANG which I challenged.
I also wanted my magazine to be relatable and inviting therefore I used direct mode of address so
that the models eye line meets the eye line of the reader which is used very effectively in NME
magazines especially because the model is quite close to the camera. I also got my model to smirk
slightly to reflect that my magazine is laidback and down to earth representing an Indie approach.
These conventions will allow my target audience to relate on a more personal level which will give
them a unique experience.
To emphasises the rebellious and destructive attitudes of rock stars I added tattoos to my model
and used a grunge graffiti background. Other magazines such as NME use plain white or grey
backgrounds however I think this looks more effective as it gives the magazine more edge and more
creativity.
5. Dominant Image continued
Like the majority of front covers, I positioned my dominant Image through the centre
thirds. I was then able to frame my other conventions along either side which helped
add to its dominance and make it stand out. I used the KERRANG cover to get an idea
of how big my dominant image should be and how much I should crop it. Even though
I didn’t have my image as high over the masthead, I cropped it to a similar medium
shot. The audience can see all his features so can easily recognise the artist and
meant I could still show the clothing and tattoo.
I didn’t like how plain the KERRANG background was however I liked how they used
shadows along the outside to direct the audience’s focus to the centre. I adapted this
to my own image by using “befunky.com” to add a vignette filter. This was effective as
it also meant my sell lines had a more opaque shadow to stand out from.
Through my research, I established that not many magazines use props on the front
cover as they draw attention away from the model therefore I decided to not use
props.
Even though not many magazines use backgrounds, I still added this convention as I
think it is a unique feature that will be more noticeable against other magazines.
On the KERRANG front cover, 3.0 lighting had been used to make the models look
fresh, professional and flawless. To achieve a similar look I used the flash on my canon
camera alongside natural lighting. I then used blur, blemish and brightening tools to
make my models features look similar to the fresh look of KERRANGS.
6. Main Sell Line
I linked my main sell line to my double page spread/ feature article because this a common
convention of music magazines. The line reads “The return of ADAM NAVARRO” which is
intriguing but doesn’t give too much away therefore the reader will purchase the
magazine out of curiosity. I have included a pull quote as my sub head which reads “Its
made me more determined than ever.” This is direct from the article and will make the
reader question what has made him more determined as it is ambiguous but captivating.
In magazines like NME, the pull quotes are normally a lot bigger however I think the name
of the artist will be more appealing to a fan therefore I challenged this by making my pull
quote into a subhead. I created a background for my main sell line so that it stood out
from the rest of the page. The background is a messy paint stroke which links back to the
graffiti and rebellion. This is quite similar to the KERRANG sell line background which is a
faded block yellow colour however I have adapted it to show continuity with my dominant
image. KERRANG have also used a pull quote however have positioned it at the top of the
sell line and included an extra summary. I decided not to include a summary because I
don’t want to give too much information away otherwise the audience won’t be intrigued
enough to buy it. I also challenged KERRANG by putting my sell line at the bottom. This is
so that they read the name of the artist first so know who is saying the quote. Like
KERRANG, I increased my font for the name of the artist however decided to use a wider
range of font than just one. I used a simple block font for “the return of” and then a
graffiti style font for “Adam Navarro” which has messy spray paint marks around the letters
therefore looks more unique. For the pull quote I used a newspaper font so that it looks
like its been torn out of an article – which reflects how it is in my double page spread. Also,
instead of putting it in the background box, I put it further down the page and spread it
across the majority of the width. I feel that this broke up the text a bit more and made it
easier to differentiate. I also wanted the pull quote to just be on one line so that it was
fragmented as this would be a bit messy. The main sell line overlaps the dominant image
like KERRANG and is in the same position as this is how the audience is able to relate it to
the image. I also made mine a similar size to KERRANG as I noticed this is the leading text
of the page after the masthead.
7. Essential information
The essential information I decided to include on my magazine front cover is the issue number, date cover, price and
barcode. The issue number and cover date ensures readers, especially subscribers, can keep up to date with their
purchasing's and know they are getting the latest issue. The price of my magazine is a factor that contributes to how
likely the audience will buy it therefore I had to take them into consideration when choosing an appropriate price.
Through my survey research I found the majority of my target audience are unemployed students therefore I think
£2.50 is a reasonable price for a monthly issue. NME and KERRANG are weekly issues whereas Rock Sound releases a
£3.99 issue every month. I decided to make my magazine much cheaper than Rock Sound so that I can compete with it
and offer more of a bargain. My issue has less pages than a Rock Sound magazine however the audience get it at a
cheaper price with enough content to appeal to the audience.
One of the ways I have challenged existing media products is through my layout. During research and planning, I have
noticed a lot of magazines use top banners with names of artists or special features in them. When I added a top
banner to my front cover, I felt that it made the page look a bit overcrowded and narrowed the height of my magazine.
Researching NME, I liked how they positioned their essential information down the side of their masthead because I
thought it made it a lot more important. Instead of having a top banner across the top, I decided to put my issue
number, cover date and price above my masthead, adapting the style of NME. In magazines like KERRANG, the essential
information is attached to the barcode however I wanted them to be in a more obvious place. I have kept the text quite
small because it isn’t an appealing convention that should stand out but is essential. It still looks neat and tidy and has
prevented the top of my magazine from looking crowded.
Like most magazines, I kept the position of my barcode in the bottom right however because I didn’t have any essential
information attached it meant I could make it a bit smaller. I also put it vertically so that it line dup with my sell lines and
didn’t look randomly positioned. The audience doesn’t really pay attention to the barcode because it is only needed at
the checkout so by separating it from the essential information and putting it at the bottom right, I was able to
separate what was important to be more noticeable at the top.
All of my essential information was in capital letters so that it stood out and could be noticed. I used a white bold font
so that it didn’t clash or blend with the background. The colour also fit with my colour scheme.
8. Secondary/ sub images
I have used secondary images to advertise that my magazine comes with 10 free posters which is a unique selling proposition. KERRANG
magazines sometimes offer between 5-10 free posters, Rock Sound normally offers album samples and NME prefer to put more
emphasis on their feature articles as a selling point. This means that KERRANG are my main competition for offering posters however
because my magazine is cheaper, people will find it more appealing as they are getting more for their money.
I have included 4 out of the 10 posters on the front cover however they are only small so don’t give too much away. I liked KERRANGS
idea of putting a border around the images so I have put contrasting white and black borders around the edges of each poster image to
show that they all go together and to make them stand out from the dominant image.
KERRANG has put their images on a slightly different angles so I have adapted this to be more prominent. I have purposefully arranged
my own images at different heights, widths and sizes so that they form a cluttered line that isn’t too structured. I think this adds to the
abstract and slightly messy approach to the rock genre but at the same time shows they are part of the same convention.
Each issue of DEFUSED will have 10 posters of the feature artist which in this issue is Adam Navarro/ my model. This is a unique feature
which will make the audience look forward to the issue that has their favourite artist in and getting a free bonus every month will appeal
to them.
The 4 images I have chosen feature 3 different locations and 3 different outfits to show that the posters are a collection and not too
similar. I have used a range of camera angles such as a long shot, medium shot and medium close up to show the variation. In all of the
images, my model is wearing clothing that fits the colour scheme and reflects the genre as well as being in a suitable rock environment
for the background.
I have used the convention of including the word “KILLER” to describe my posters, like KERRANG. This is because I think it exaggerates
how good the posters will be which will encourage the audience to buy them as well as being a connotation of the rock genre. To make
my text stand out more, I decided to use a paint stroke background which matched the paint stroke of my main sell line. Challenging
conventions I overlapped this with the poster sub image to sum up why they were there. I also put a faded white background across all
the images and the text to box together in a subtle way which added to the framing around my dominant image.
9. Sub images continued
In my research and planning survey, 82% of my potential target audience said that they would prefer posters as a
bonus feature in a magazine which justifies why I chose to offer them.
The other sub image I used was part of a sell line. It is a zoomed in image I have taken of a rock artist at a festival. I
have added a black border to the image so that it stands out and put the sell line below it so it acts as a caption. I
got inspiration from the KERRANG magazine to include a sub image with the sell lines however I adapted the
positioning. Instead of having it in the bottom right corner I decided to put it at the top right so that the sides of
my magazine were equally filled and the bottom wasn’t too crowded.
I organised my poster images in a similar way to the KERRANG magazine that I took inspiration from and aligned
them across the bottom above the bottom banner. Even though this is near the bottom, they are big enough to be
easily seen and the borders make them stand out even more.
10. Puff
I was inspired to add a puff to my magazine by KERRANG however adapted the idea to make
it more appealing and stand out.
For my Puff I used a black circle with a red outline to make it stand out from the rest of the
information on the page. Using blending options on Photoshop, I added shadows and
embossments to make the circle look like a 3D style sticker.
In KERRANGS magazine, they were advertising listings of gigs however I thought it would be
appealing to advertise a competition which would appeal to the audience as they are getting
an added bonus with the magazine. The Puff reads “WIN MEET AND GREET TICKETS FOR
LEEDS FESTIVAL.” The text is enough to entice the reader but doesn’t give too much away so
that they will buy the magazine to find out how.
The biggest font is the word “WIN” which takes up half of the circle as this is what will draw
the reader in. I have put this in red and the other text in white so that it acts as a header to
the puff. The font I used was from dafont.com because I wanted it to be unique however it is
the same as my other sell lines to show continuity across my magazine.
I chose “meet and greet tickets” because they are more personal than ordinary tickets
therefore it shows my magazine offers that personal and exclusive feature which will help
with competition. I have also chosen “Leeds festival” because my magazine is a UK magazine
and Leeds is well known for its listings of rock artists. Also, in my target audience survey
85.7% said that they are festival goers therefore my puff will be appealing to the majority of
my readers.
11. Bottom banner
KERRANG, Rock Sound and NME all include bottom banners with additional artists featured in their magazine on the
front cover. As these three magazines are of the same genre, I thought it was important for me to include this convention
in my own work. Instead of including the word “PLUS!” I decided to just include the plus sign because it is more informal
therefore similar to the language of my audience. I added 8 names of rock/ indie artists and aligned them in two lines
with dashes separating each name. I put the names quite close together so used an alternate colour scheme of white
and yellow to make each individual artist stand out. I think this looks effective as it doesn’t just look like a list and catches
the eye. I also added a black box background so that it was noticed as its own convention.
Adding a bottom banner means that my target audience can buy the magazine knowing their favourite artist is feature
even if they aren’t in the sell lines. It also means that specific fans of artists will buy the magazine and shows that
DEFUSED is full of information offering a range of stories.
12. Sell lines
I have positioned my sell lines either side of the dominant image so that they frame it and only overlap it slightly. KERRANG has also framed
their dominant image with sell lines however they start lower down and go further down the page. I have found out that magazines normally
include between 2 – 5 sell lines therefore I though 3 was a suitable middle number as I wanted them to be big enough to see but not too
cluttered.
Unlike the KERRANG example below which uses the same background, font and colours for each sell line, I have designed them so that some
stand out more than others. This allows me to control the eye line of my audience as they will notice the more appealing and important sell
line first. For example, “The 1975” is the biggest font and is against an arrow background. The contrast between black and yellow makes it
stand out the most and is the most interesting. The arrow also acts as the heading for the sell line which challenges KERRANGS simple font
colour change as a headline. I have included a sell line that is supported by a sub image as this gives visual and textual aid for the reader. My
other sell line is headlined with the artists name as that is what will attract them to reading the sell line. I have used my colour scheme of
black, white, red and yellow throughout all of my sell lines.
I have used language in my sell lines that will appeal to the reader and leave them wanting more. For example, they will want to know why
Van MCann broke down on twitter and where the 1975 are touring. I have also used alliteration such as “Halsey hits” which makes the sell
lines flow better.
Each sell line is short, snappy and straight to the point. This is because I don’t want to give too much information away. KERRANGS sell lines
are also very short which stops the page from looking too cluttered and messy.
13. Colour Scheme
The colour scheme for my entire magazine is red, yellow,
black and white. I chose 4 colours as schemes tend to range
from around 3 to 5 colours. KERRANG also uses a red,
yellow, black and white colour scheme however they put a
more heavy emphasis on the colours of red and yellow.
They also don’t keep their scheme consistent as more punk
themed issues incorporate colours such as green , purple
and blue. NME is another example of a magazine that I took
inspiration from as they use the colours red, white and
black. To adapt these colour schemes to my own magazine,
I decided that I want my scheme to be not as demanding as
KERRANG but not as simple as NME. To achieve this, I made
my colours slightly darker and more grunge so that they
wouldn’t look as punk but would still emphasise the
cautionary and demanding attitudes of rock. I have also
used the same colours throughout all of my magazine and
will be using them on every issue so that the reader can
establish a link between them and my brand. On my front
cover specifically, I have tried to distribute the 4 colours
evenly so that no one colour is more demanding than the
other.
