1. In what ways does your media product use, develop

or challenge forms and conventions of real media

products?

Cover Overview

My magazine used typical conventions that you would expect an urban genre magazine to use. Firstly one main image where it is a close up of the cover person is a classic convention but I put a twist of making it a black and white photo to add to the stand out effect. The logo for the magazine is located in the top left of the magazine which again is a classic convention of the hip hop magazine genre. Direct quotes are also regularly used as cover lines which again is another technique I used for my magazine. I also introduced a competition on the cover to make the magazine more appealing.

Close Up Shot (looking into

camera)

Direct quotes

Footer/header (Same Effect)

Barcode

Cover Lines

Fixed colour pattern

Rule of Thirds

Sell Line

Contents Overview

Consistent Font

Continued Colour Pattern

Variety of shots for images

Listing of artists/album/tracks

Cover Title

Rule of Thirds

Sub-Titles (Page Referenced)

Like my magazine cover, my contents page uses rule of thirds. The colour pattern of white, red and black is continued with the flasher, title and sub-titles. I have described the main features and what can be expected to be found on those pages. These pages are also page referenced. I continued the competition as again it is an effective method of getting people to read the magazine.

Article Overview

2 Main Images

Separated into 2 parts

Drop Capital

Pull Out Quote

Fixed colour scheme

Columns

Headline

My double page spread is a question and answer interview with my cover artist. I used a drop capital to initiate the article and continued to use it on the answers of questions as this is classic conventions of magazine article writing. I wanted to separate my double page into two halves to tell two stories from the artists perspective. In the photos I wanted a clear contrast that is why they are from two different angles with one coming down on the artist and one looking up at the artist. I also chose to use the column format as the layout again as this is classic conventions that are used in majority of magazines.

Planning

• The planning for my cover, contents and article was very important as it allowed me to follow the conventions of magazine production.

• By analysing real magazine covers I could see what I need to put in mine to ensure that it looked as real as possible. For example following a clear colour scheme throughout the process is something all magazines have.

• I also prepared drafts for each piece which was useful as it was a guideline to follow of how I wanted my magazine to look. Even though it changed throughout the process for improvement it gave me a solid basis to start from and what direction to be heading in.

• With using the theme of urban music as the theme for my magazine I wanted to emphasise diversity which the music is known for. For this I wanted to ensure that the photos I taken were all different shots, from close ups, to long shots, to high angle and low angle. This helped me keep within the theme of the magazine.

• My questionnaire also helped me with the creation of my magazine as I asked people who were my intended target audience questions of what they would expect to find and I put in the magazine what they identified. As I found that they like a fixed colour scheme in their magazines.

2. How does your media 2. How does your media product represent particular product represent particular

social groups?social groups?

Representation

• My magazine represents predominantly males of around the age of 16-24 so it covers a broad range of age groups from teenagers to adults.

• As the hip hop and rap genre is usually associated with gang culture I wanted to highlight the success stories that come out of the genre. This is where I used my article so show the normality of the life of an artist. I asked questions such as ‘what is your favourite restaurant?’ and gave responses like ‘Nandos’ this illustrates a normal life.

• Yet I still aimed to give the magazine that thuggish feel to keep in with the genre of the magazine as I did not what to change conventions of the genre to much where people could not relate to it.

• My magazine contrasts through the positive a negative light that the people in the photos are seen. My cover photo is quite intimidating and the artists looks aggressive as his looking straight into the camera which would follow the conventions of the urban genre.

• On the other hand the photos on my contents page are quite up lifting and give the impression of a positive image is being portrayed.

• Finally the images in my article counter each other as there is one photo when my model looks like his taking his work serious and the other photo looks more positive with him laughing and socialising. This co-insides with my original plan as I wanted to separate the article into two halves to show the two lives to being successful.

Contrast in negative a positive images

• Conventional of Hip Hop genre for the artist to be looking into the camera in an intimidating fashion

• He takes up a large portion of the cover so you know he is important/successful. Symbols something quite powerful

• Contrast in dark and light colours with the colour scheme. Shows the counter balance between positive and negative.

• Stereotypical there is a mixed race artist on the cover as this ethnicity is usually associated with the hip hop genre.

• More positive bright colours in contrast to the cover.

• The model again looks intimidating with his hood up in a photo which represents the hip hop genre.

• The pictures are taken in an urban setting where hip hop originated from.

• Again a mixed race ethnicity of the model goes with the stereotypical nature of hip hop.

• Contrasting image angles and attitudes in the photos, shows two sides to the genre of the music making and time away from music.

• Putting strokes on the text empowers it all and makes it stand out which is an aim of hip hop artists.

• Artists doesn’t look into the camera on either photo signals quite a mysterious feel, likes something is more important.