Question 1: In what ways does your media

product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products?PUFF

MASTHEAD

SKYLINE

STRAPLINE FRONT COVER

CONTENTS PAGE

DOUBLE PAGE

SPREAD

MAIN IMAGE

COVER LINES

My media product; music magazine follows many common conventions of a real music magazine. Along with research and inspiring real-life magazines I was able to recreate many features I wished to use within my own

magazine. Throughout the process of annotating music magazine I learned how each feature can have an impact on the audience and so I was very aware of how to layout certain features of the magazine. Firstly, this Q magazine front

cover is one of the magazines I analysed as part of my research task. When comparing the two front covers it is clear I have challenged the use of text background to make the coverlines

more attractive and readable for the audience. This feature is very common on magazines as it prevents the background or main image blocking the text. I did use different colours for these however; this was in order to

follow the house style of my magazine.

My contents page and double page spread are very different from the contents and dps of this Q magazine. I used NME’s magazine to inspire me with these pages as I felt they were more attractive and I felt I could recreate

them much better. This is the contents page I challenged to recreate – as you can see I used the form of columns and ‘the moment that’

as a feature in my music magazine. I believe my contents page has reflected this one well and so through the use of real forms of this media product I have been able to recreate it.

These columns are particularly well structured and so I was keen to recreate the style used by NME

magazine. The text font is interesting however I did use my own as firstly it was hard to use the same style as this because I couldn’t find out which font this

was. However, I am more than happy with my font that I did use as I

think it gives my magazine a clear difference between mine and this

example.

The masthead for Q magazine is one of the most famed headings in the music and magazine

industry. It is short and simple yet is very effective.I chose a different style of masthead for my

magazine; ‘Elemant’ is a music connotation, like Q, but is significantly longer and less simple. Some

readers may not understand the music connotation of ‘Elemant’, however those who are musically aware and are big fans of all types of music will

most defiantly see the association.

I first saw kind of column / blurb on the NME contents page and I was really impressed with it. The layout, use of different colours attracted me to the whole page and so I believed if I were to recreate this blurb on my own music magazine contents page my audience would be lured in as I

was to this one. This blurb is very different from the columnar blurbs on the side of the

page. This one is like a mini article and explains the article or story in a lot more detail.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Masthead is at the top of the page – this masthead is positioned in the corner not in the centre however.

Main article heading positioned in front of main

image at the bottom of page.

Coverlines displayed in a

coloured background.

Skyline claiming to be the biggest music magazine.

Similar skyline across the top of page.

Masthead following the

common code of the positioning of the masthead: top

of page.

Similar use of text background to ensure text is

read-able.

Main article in front over the main image giving the front cover a professional look.

Masthead tests the usual conventional text of a contents page heading; usually it would

read ‘contents’ yet this one reads ‘this week’.

Columns down right side of page. Clear dividing of page giving

structure to page.

Screen grab of front cover image as part of a competition.

Page numbers acting as a

guide for the audience to

what is inside the magazine.

Two main images on this page – they are

of the same type of

concert / gig feel.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Issue number printed below

masthead.

Like the example the columns are down the

right side of page following the structure

of NME.

Masthead follows the convention of the NME one not a usual text heading –

however is at the top of page.

Issue number and date included as it gives the

contents page its individual look against the other issues of the

same magazine.

Two main landscape images inspired by the

example ones – different vibes from the

images however.

Page numbers are displayed before the article text in a bright

attractive colour which attracts the reader to the article headings.

A type of contents page covermount to entice reader to buy magazine and enter competition. Follows the

convention of including front cover screen grab.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Drop caps at the beginning of the article shows the professionalism of the

author and looks appealing on the page.

Pulled quote from the article.

I have followed the common code of using a drop caps on the dps. The use of the drop cap is professional when

writing articles.

One main image like the example of NME. I have photoshoped my image to be black and white. I chose to

display my image b&w because I felt it gave my dps an edge and mysterious feel.

Image on one of the pages of the dps.I have used a pulled quote to attract the reader into an interesting fact of the article. My pulled quote reads; “They are all completely normal! They’re just normal

people like us!” I chose this quote to pull from the article because after researching dps’ for my main task I have

seen many quotes that read similar to this.

The text on this double page spread is about the personal and career life of this artist as this kind of informal is

much more attractive to readers who want to know everything about the

artist.

One convention I have challenged to use on my front cover is the use of social media icons which have not

been featured on Q’s front cover of Cheryl Cole. I included these icons

as social media is a massive contributor to the lifestyles of my

audience and so I believe it is a good way to address the target audience.

CHALLENGED CONVENTIONS

I challenged a number of conventions when producing my dps. Firstly, I included a twitter q+a column which allowed me to interact with my target audience and was also a new and fun way to ask questions in

media text. This convention meets the new demands of media audiences in today’s society whereby social networking is very popular.

Also, I included a small blurb introducing my article which many magazines, such as NME, do not do. I believe this to be important to

help the reader understand what the article will include.