AS MEDIA - EVALUATIONDanielle Watkins

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

Title of the Magazine

The title, also known as the masthead, for my magazine is presented at the top of the page, adjusted to the left. This is a typical place to present a title, for any type of magazine, expecially a pop magazine, as it is a generic

top, left-hand corner positioning. By placing the masthead at the top of the page to the left, helps the reader see the title clearly and easily. For the masthead to be clearly seen is a main feature for a magazine, and the role of a masthead is being used correctly. The masthead is overlapping the main front cover photo, which stands out

more, as the bright colours contrast against the plain photo, so the target audience can engage with the masthead as well as the typical pop star image, which is presented in the centre of the page. As a group, we all came up with the title name ‘JUICE’, as we wanted to keep it as a simple one worded title. The name of the title also indicates the gossip between pop celebrity sensations. The purpose of the name of the masthead, is top be

appealing and colourful, and as well as grab the readers attention, but to inform the reader of what type of language type they will be reading. Because juice is a easy simple, pronounced word, it automatically shows

that the audience type will be an younger audience, and the language type will be easy to understand, and not to difficult. It will also advise the target audience to read more, which benefits their own education. The magazine

then also helps the target audience get into reading, and enjoy it without them even realising.

Images

The images are included on every page of my product, front cover, contents page and double page spread. My main image on my home page is very simple, to avoid to much activity on my front cover, as it can begin to look to overcrowded and untidy. The model,

(my cousin) on the front cover, is not looking to over-posed, she is simply just smiling into the camera, with simple facial features. As for the small images on my front cover, I

used nail varnishes and fashionable clothing, to advise the audience to buy the magazine, as the clothing are eye catching, with an alliteration. I used small images on

my content page, of my cousin who is also starred on my front cover, however, the images are posed, or looking straight into the camera lenses. The images have

removed backgrounds to make the page view more professional. I used the same image on my double page spread on my contents page, as this will advise the reader to

go directly to my double page spread.

StyleThe style of my magazine is simple and

straight forward. There has not been over used colours or images, as it can look

compact. I have used the typical conventions for a pop magazine, such as bold letters,

capitals and standard font, which is also easy to read and understand. I think it is important for a magazine to look neat and tidy, as it is

the main feature that customers advise to buy the magazine, and the interest they have on

the front cover. The audience buy the magazine for what they see on the front cover, therefore, it is important for it to be appealing,

and fit the target audience. The bold text is used, to avoid me from using lots of bold

colours, as the bold colours are not needed when the text style or type is eye-catching.

Writing style

The writing style I have used for my magazine is simple and informal, as the audience is targeted to younger people. I used standard techniques to create text

contexts that sounds professional, and well written. I used features such as interview questions and alliterations. I used quotes on my double page spread, and enlarged the text size, to make them seem more interesting and attracting. I believe

this can make the double page spread be less boring and not too long, as the paragraphs break-up long texts, that become tiresome to the reader. My written

contents are broke up into individual text boxes, and paragraphs, with questions in an interview. This allows the audience read the page easier and quicker, with

interest. To keep the audience reading, I have also used a typical font size, which is easy to understand, not too big and not too small, or difficult to read. Instead of

using text on my content page, I have used symbols, such as the heart shape, as the word ‘love’, as this is more attractive, and fits the target audiences convention

feature.

How the magazine shows it pop genre

My magazine is a typical pop magazine, and the features used, make this clear to the reader and target audience. Firstly, the front cover contains several names of popular pop stars which are famously in the top charts now. The

names make it obvious to the reader that it is a pop magazine, whereas if I used RnB stars, the genre wouldn’t

fit in with the target audience. Pop is mainly aimed at younger people, therefore, we used bright and girly colours. The main header on the front cover, is aligned at an angle across the page, which reads, ‘pop sensation interviewed’, this makes it obvious to the reader, that the information is

about pop stars.

Layout

The layout for my music magazine shows the target audience, and advises really clearly. There are various photos and colours used, which shows it is aimed at a younger girls. The typical girly colours such as pink and purple, are the main features which give the reader the view that the target market is a younger audience. I was developed the view of my photos, by removing backgrounds on my front cover, contents page and double page spread. Editing the photos make my product more professional. I used different size photos, to avoid making the front cover boring, and amateurish. The layout of the double page spread is highly important,

to look concise and to fit with the other people in my group, to stick to the house style. Therefore, on the double page spread, as a group, we decided to use a large photo on the

right page, and the text, which is mainly questions on the left. This then will develop the magazines conventions.

Contents pageMy contents page sticks to the house style on the

front cover, to make my product look more professional. Instead of using the title ‘contents

page’, our group have decided to used ‘inside the mag…’ in fancy writing, as it is much more interesting and by shorting the word magazine to mag shows the informal text type, which identifies the younger target audience. Using photos on my contents page makes

it look more attractive, and styles the page. Using images instead of loads of text makes the page

numbers more approaching. The presentation is neat and tidy, as I have decided to presented the page numbers in text boxes, with the same colour of the header and footer, because it is more professional. Putting the information into text boxes emphasises

the page. It also looks more organised, which is then easier for the audience, as the content page is a

main feature in any type of magazine.