Evaluation – Question 1

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

I chose to look at this cover to inspire me for my own. This is a very good cover as it has many good features within it. The masthead is very bold and you are attracted to the cover story because it’s had the biggest writing on the page. I have followed these conventions in my own magazine as I have a bold mast head and a big cover story on the front page. Another thing that is good about this front cover is that it stick to 3 main colours throughout. They are all complimenting colours together which I have followed within my own magazine. I have also followed the design as I really like the way the photo takes up most of the page so you know the main story is about them.

Use of real media products

Both of these are great magazine covers they both have great photos to start with and then they have busy surroundings. For example the photo is mainly there face which gives them space to write around it .I have taken conventions from both for example the writing type and the style of the stickers I have also been inspired to use on my own. I have used there colours within mine for example red. I have not used followed the picture as I wanted a full body picture but I have followed the way the have used different sizing of lettering.

Contents comparisons

Both of these magazines contents are really well written and presented they both have a good layout as all of the writing is lined up and there are 2-3 main colours they have consistently used. They are both different as they have different audiences but they have both marketed there music genre in the magazine. For example the one on the right is mainly for rock music so they have ‘rock stars’ modelling in a picture. Where as the Q’s contents is more classy and sophisticated they have also designed the magazine for the type of genre of music, as I think this magazine is more up market than the other one. Compared to mine I have followed Q’s contents as I think for my type of music genre (pop) it is a better design it I have also followed the colouring within the contents page which means sticking to 2-3 main colours.

Double page spread comparisons

I have followed both of these double page spreads as they have similar writing. The two double page spreads above are from Q’s magazine. They both have big starting sentences e.g. ‘early on’ or ‘got the love’. I have done this e.g. ‘living the dream’. I have followed the picture of the USA page as I really liked the way it was designed but I have got a united kingdom flag over my model. The difference between mine and Q’s is that I have my mast head on all three pages where as Q’s only has it on there front cover. I decided to put mine on as I wanted a sense of consistency throughout my front cover, contents and double page spread.

Challenging real media products

my magazine is not like these as when I was looking as past magazines I did not want anything like this as I feel it looks too much like a comic. I feel that the picture and the design has no music feel towards it and the yellow banner on one of the magazines looks like an ordinary magazine. The masthead is also not very clear as the pictures consistently are in front of it. This is why when I designed mine I wanted a clear bold masthead.