Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
- 2. Skyline Masthead Main grab line Main cover line Other cover lines Footer Bar code Main image Competition/cover mount Colour scheme Rule of thirds
- 3. In what ways does your media product use, develop or change forms and conventions of media products? (cover) There are many ways that my magazine is similar and different to the codes and conventions of other magazines such as ‘kerrang!’ and ‘Rock Sound’ in order to appeal to the target audience. To begin, each of these rock magazines have a masthead, which is placed within the top third of the magazine (rule of thirds). This is a common convention because it creates a hotspot for the reader to look at and will entice them to read the whole cover page if they like the sound of the masthead. The purpose of the masthead is to hint to the reader what genre the magazine will be based around. It does this in its name using grab words such as ‘rock’, ‘kerrang’ (loud clashing of instruments together), or turmoil, which hints to loud noise and chaos. It is convention to use the masthead on every issue in order to brand the magazine and make it recognisable to the reader. The masthead is also the biggest text on the page. My magazine follows this convention because it is very large and is clearly the biggest font. Furthermore another common convention is to have a skyline/header. This conventionally contains; information about a specific band, cover mounts, or more artists that will be featured in the magazine. My magazine follows this code and convention because i have used a cover mount which allows the reader to take part in a competition to win tickets to ‘the upside of the downside’. Furthermore each magazine has a main sell line. This is usually the name of the band featured in the main image. It is conventional to have their name in the 2nd biggest font (on the cover page) in order to entice the readers attention, and to persuade them to buy the magazine if they like the people featured in the main image. With this main sell line comes a main cover line. It is essential to have a this somewhere close to the main sell lie. This is because the main cover line will grip the readers full attention, intriguing them into wanting to buy the magazine to read the article. Each magazine also has other cover lines. These can come in different forms, for example in pugs/puffs at the side of the page, or just on either side of the page. I have included one cover line within the left third of the page, and 3 cover lines within the right third of the page. It is common to do this because it helps give the magazine a professional layout which also creates hot spots for the reader to look at as they are all in one third of the page. My magazine also has a specific colour scheme. It is convention to have a colour scheme so that they will eventually brand the magazine because they will because recognisable to the audience. Furthermore by having a colour scheme throughout the magazine it helps create a house style. This is a common convention of all magazines as the colours used help connote the genre of the magazine, as well as helping to brand it. Each magazine also contains a date and issue number on the cover page. Although this is more common to include on the contents page, it is still used occasionally on the bar code of each issue. My magazine challenges this convention by the fact that i haven't used it on the bar code but i have placed it at the top right corner under the masthead. I wanted to challenge this convention as i feel that it is easier to spot and so easier for the reader to see what issue it is and what date is was released. This will help them keep on track of how many issues they have brought and when the next one will be released. My magazine is similar to the kerrang magazine example because they both contain a footer. A footer conventionally contains more bands that will be featured in the magazine. I have followed this convention as my footer lists other artists/bands that are mentioned on the contents and inside the magazine. Each magazine also has a main image. My magazine follows some conventions, but can be said to challenge others. My main image follows the rule of thirds as his eyes are on an intersection point and so are a hot spot for the reader to look at. This is done on many other magazines as the person in the main image is the main feature and so is the attraction point which will entice the readers attention. In my image, he is shown in a medium long shot (head to waist). This is a common shot used because it is able to show his face and clothing in detail which helps portray the rock genre (i.e. a black top is a common item worn by rock singers).Furthermore each person is looking straight at the camera. This is a common convention of all magazines as it creates a sense of direct address which helps make the reader feel more involved with what's going on in the magazine. However my magazine can be said to challenge conventions. This is because almost every rock magazine will contain a band on the cover., whereas mine only contains the main member. Although some magazines do sometimes use the main singer from a band, it is more common to see a band together. Therefore my magazine challenges this convention.
- 4. Masthead Title Page names and numbers Subheadings Main image Editors letter Subscriptions Social media Other images
- 5. In what ways does your media product use, develop or change forms and conventions of media products? (contents) There are many ways my contents page follows the codes and conventions of a magazine such as ‘kerrang’ in order to appeal to the target audience. To begin, both magazine contents include the masthead of the magazine. This is an essential element of a contents page as it will remind the reader what magazine they're reading and will become recognisable to the audience, thus will brand the magazine. I have changed this form of convention because instead of placing my masthead at the top of the page with the page title, i have placed it in the middle. This challenges the convention because it doesn't follow the conventional layout and doesn't necessarily follow the rule of thirds and so wont grab the readers attention straight away. The page title, however, i have still placed at the top of the page within the rule of thirds. I did this as it is a common convention to do so in order to introduce the reader to the magazine, and make sure the page title is the first thing they read. The main image is the same person on the cover page. It is not necessarily convention to include this person again on the contents, however i decided to do so as they are the main attraction of the magazine and people are more than likely wanting to know what page the article about him is on. Therefore the magazine works in synergy with the artist as they are helping to brand each other. He is shown in an (almost) medium long shot. This enables the reader to see his face in quite a bit of detail and be able to recognise who he is. I have also included an editors letter. It is a common convention to include an editors letter as it lets the editor speak to the audience directly about what is in the magazine issue this week and why they should read it. As my magazine is the first issue, i felt that the editors letter should be quite big so that the editor can introduce themselves to the readers – therefore helping with direct address and making my magazine seem user friendly. My magazine also contains page names and page numbers. This is a common convention (and an essential element) as it will help the reader navigate through the magazine. The page name and description will give the reader a bit of an idea of what to expect from each page of the magazine. It isn't essential to have a small description/summary about each page, however i wanted to use this because it would entice the reader into wanting to read each article as they sound fun and exciting. Each contents page also. has subheadings This helps organise the page names and numbers under different categories so that it is easy for the audience to find what they're looking for or what they're interested in. It also helps give the contents page a more professional layout as everything is in order and is easy to find. This layout will then be similar on each issue in order to create a house style for the magazine. This house style includes the layout and colour scheme (red, blue, black and white and yellow) which will become recognisable to the reader and help brand the magazine. Each contents also has a subscriptions part where the audience is given chance to subscribe to win a free issue of the magazine. This is a common convention as it helps publicise the magazine and pleases the reader with their free issue. On my contents page i have also included E-media where the reader is given a chance to follow the magazine on face book and twitter. Although this is not on the kerrang magazine example (bottom right), it is common convention on other music magazines to include e-media as it will help expand the niche market/ target audience for the magazine to the online community. On my magazine i have also included the issue number and the date. I have placed them at the top of the page near the page title. This is a common convention as it helps the reader keep updated as to what issue they have brought and when the next issue will be released. I have also included other images. 2 of the images are previews of double page spreads that i have produced. This idea has also been used on the kerrang magazine example. This is because it is a common convention to give the reader an insight into what and who are featured in the magazine using these previews. My images are boarded which is a common convention as it separates it from the rest of the content on the page. Lastly, most of my contents page follows the rule of thirds. This is because everything fits into a third and so creates hot spots for the reader to look at with each intersection point.
- 6. Main image Heading Subheading Page number Masthead Quote/ caption Drop cap
- 7. In what ways does your media product use, develop or change forms and conventions of media products? (DPS) There are many ways my double page spread follows the codes and conventions of a magazine such as ‘kerrang’ in order to appeal to the target audience. To begin, each magazine has a main image. For my magazine i have used a medium long shot, which is similar to the top example. However for a double page spread, there is no convention as to shot types. This is because double page spreads are artistic and so there is no convention for shot types that you have to follow. However in saying this, most rock music magazines will use a medium close up or close up as it helps show the audience who the person in the image is in detail. Furthermore it is conventional to have them on the left hand side of the page. As you can see from each example the main image is placed on the left, and they also make use of space by taking up a whole side of the double page spread. It is convention for the image to be on the left and take up a lot of room to emphasize that they are the main feature of this magazine issue and that the magazine text is based around them (integration). Therefore the artist in the image and the magazine could be said to be working in synergy as they are both branding each other. It is also a common convention to have the article in three columns. I wanted to follow this convention so that my article follows the rule of thirds. Therefore the article is a hot spot for the reader to look at. Furthermore the rule of thirds also helps create a more professional layout for the magazine. If the same layout is used frequently it will become a house style for the magazine, meaning it will become recognisable to the reader and will help to brand the magazine. Another common convention of magazine double page spreads are page numbers. This is quite an essential element to have on the double page spread as it will help the reader navigate around the magazine and find the pages they are looking for. Next to the page number, there tends to be the masthead of the magazine. This is done on most magazines in order to remind the reader what magazine they are reading. Eventually the name will become recognisable to the reader and so will brand the magazine. Another essential element of magazine double page spreads are headings and subheadings. It is a common convention to have these as they will help entice the readers attention and make them want to read the magazine. The heading tends to be in the biggest font in order to suggest its important and to engage the audiences attention. The subheading then tells the audience a bit about the article and makes it sound interesting in order to make the audience want to read the magazine. It is also a common convention to use the rule of thirds. My magazine and the top example both follow this common convention as the text is divided into three columns. This makes the text a hot spot for the reader to look and so will entice them into reading the magazine. The middle double page spread example goes against this common convention as the have only used two columns. By using rule of thirds on each double page spread it helps create a house style for the magazine as the layout becomes recognisable to the audience and so brands the magazine.