Q1) In what ways does your media product use,

develop or challenge forms and conventions

of real media products?

Top of the pops magazine cover-conventions

Masthead

ImageColour

Layout

Font

BarcodeGenre

Conventions of my front cover…

Masthead-The masthead for my magazine is very conventional. It stands out because of the stars I have put around the font. I used sans serif font for the masthead because its bold and is easy to read. The masthead is also big, and on the left-third so it is one of the first things you notice.

Image-The image on my magazine is conventional. It gives off a happy, friendly feel for the magazine as a whole. It’s a mid-shot, which makes it more eye-catching and effective.

Colour-The colours I have used are also conventional for a pop magazine. Yellow is the main colour I have used. It’s a very bright, bold colour that will grab the audience’s attention. Red and white are also very eye-catching colours that stand out.

Font-The font I have used is sans serif font. It’s clear and easy to read. It’s also very bold and eye-catching.

Layout- The layout is very busy and cluttered. However everything is easy to see and easy to read. The main coverline is on the left-third so it stands out to the audience.

Barcode- The barcode is very conventional on a front cover because its how you purchase the magazine. Without a barcode the magazine wouldn’t be brought. So I needed to make sure that I included a barcode.

Genre-My magazine cover relates to the genre of ‘pop’ because the image is very bold, effective and conventional for a pop magazine. The fonts relate to the genre because they are brightly coloured, exciting, just like the pop genre.

Font

Layout

Genre

Colour

Image

Headline

Page numbers

Image of front cover

Top of the pops magazine contents page-conventions.

Conventions of my contents

page…

Image of front cover-the front cover image put on the contents page is conventional with pop magazines. I decided to add the front cover image to my contents because I thought it would make the page look more conventional.

Headline-this is conventional on any magazine contents page. It lets the audience know what they will find on this page.

Page numbers- people go on a contents page to find out what is inside that issue of the magazine. So having page numbers of where they can find specific stories/articles is very conventional.

Colour-the colours I have used could be more conventional. Mainly because I have used more than 2-3 colours. The colour scheme of my contents page could be more consistent.

Image-the image of the editor is conventional, and also the image of the magazine front cover. However to make it look more conventional I could add a few more celebrity images to attract the audience’s attention.

Font-the font I have used on my contents page is sans serif. This is conventional because on a contents page, everything needs to be clear and easy to read.

Letter from the editor-this is a conventional aspect of a magazine contents page. Many magazines, especially pop magazines contain a letter from the editor of the magazine.

Description-a description of what will be found on a specific page is usually placed next the page numbers. This gives the audience an idea of that they will find.

Layout-conventional layout generally. The columns used for the page numbers, the word ‘features’ the left third being used more is most definitely conventional for a contents page of a magazine.

Genre-relates to the genre of pop because of the informal letter from the editor, also the bright, vibrant ‘pop-like’ colours and also the image of the front page that has been placed on the page.

Headings Pull quote

Article

image

Interview questions

layoutFont

Colour Genre

Top of the pops double page spread-conventions

Conventions of my double page

spread…

Headline-The headline is conventional because it lets the reader know what the article is about, and it will give them an idea of what the article is about.

Colour- the colours of yellow, red, green and black are conventional because they make the text stand out, the pink background is feminine and friendly, this relates to the target audience.

Pull quote-The pull quote is conventional and very effective. it will entice the audience to read the article because they will want to know why/what that quote is about.

Image-the image is conventional because its fun, exciting and very eye-catching. The hair colour of pink, is very ‘pop’ and also eye-catching so It will attract the audience’s attention.

Interview questions- The interview questions are conventional because double page spreads are normally an interview or some sort of article that would require an interviewer and an interviewee

Genre-it relates to the genre of ‘pop’ because there are certain elements such as the image, which looks like it would be in a pop magazine because of pose the model is making. Also the hair colour, the costume and the facial expression of the model show how conventional it is.

Shot type-the shot type of the image Is very conventional. It’s a mid-shot so it shows off the models features however it is a close enough shot to be a personal shot, and a shot you can see the emotion on the face of the model coming through.

Layout-the layout of the page is conventional. The image taking up one side of the page is conventional, and also the way the article is set out in columns is also conventional for a double page spread.

Article-this is itself very conventional. Double page spreads in magazines are normally an article, or an interview of some kind.

Summary of conventions.I believe my magazine challenges the forms and conventions of many real media products because of the following:My magazine and a real pop magazine such as ‘top of the pops’ are very similar in many ways. They both have a large, eye-catching masthead. They both use effective, bright and eye-catching colours. Also the images are similar in the way they are both feminine, fun and will relate to the target audience. The fonts used on my magazine and in the majority of pop magazines are usually sans serif. This is because sans serif font is very clear, easy to read, and very conventional in most magazines. They are similar in colours as well. However the colours I have used are more bright because my image is much darker. The layout of my magazine is also similar to a real pop magazine. The way I have laid out my front cover; using the main coverline on the left third to attract the audience is conventionally used in a real pop magazine. The shot-types I have used are also similar to those of a real magazine. Close-ups and mid-shots are often used because they are extremely eye-catching.