Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Question 1:

In this magazine project I have observed a current existing magazine to see the way the magazine is shown to target its audience. I was analyzing on how conventional the magazine is towards its target audience. I have shown many in ways how my magazine has the conventions of other existing magazines. My magazine is also shown to be challenging the magazine world. I have used some ideas from existing magazines in my project so it looks like a genuine magazine. I have styled my magazine and designed it. One way in which I have advertised my magazine is through the large masthead and made it noticeable through the text and the size. This has made my magazine stand out from other magazines. I have chosen to do a large masthead because in existing magazines it shows that the way they attract there audience would be through the masthead. I have found my masthead text from a website called Dafonts.com in which I have downloaded it from.

I have done this so my magazine is noticeable than others in the shops and so it attracts my specific target audience. The font I used is a serif font; I have chosen to do this because it makes my magazine look professional and bolder than other magazines. This font also suits my main image and my target audience. I have put my masthead above my model so you can see both model and masthead. I have chosen to do this because my magazine will look noticeable in shops also because all the other existing magazines masthead are displayed above or behind the model, but if I challenge that then my audience will notice my magazine more.

One convention in which a music magazine has to have is the selling line. It is always used by existing music magazines. The selling line is used as a brief way of showing the main selling point and what the audience looks for. It is also seen as easy way to promote the magazine. My selling line is 'THE UK'S BIGGEST SELLING MUSIC MAGAZINE'. This shows that my magazine is briefly explaining my main role in the music industry and how much dominance it has in the shops. My selling line communicates clearly to my target audience.

I have followed the other conventions of the music magazines which are to have a barcode and a dateline. My barcode is featured at the bottom of the page and my date line is featured at the side of the magazine next to the barcode. I have chosen to display these conventions this way so it relates to the other magazines and makes my magazine look real. I have decided to put my website link on top of the barcode so they look connected and together. I have decided to put my date line of the magazine so my audience can notice it near the barcode. I have put my dateline on the left third so when my product is displayed on the shelf the readers will see the left third first and so they will see the dateline.

For my music magazine I had to use cover lines that are conventional and you see in existing magazines. I have done this so I can attract my target audience. My cover lines were generally used in magazines they were the stereotypical cover lines you see. My cover lines explained in brief detail what was inside the magazine. It attracts the target audience through the colour scheme, simple sentences and it's seen as eye-catching. I used a range of fonts for my magazine cover but I repeated the fonts in different areas however I didn't use my masthead font because I wanted it to stand out as a different font from all the others. My main cover line and image shows the main selling point of my magazine, it also makes my magazine noticeable from others. I have a corner tab in which I have advertised a competition, this will attract my audience by the font colour and style which stands out. Also it's a competition and my audience like competitions. The layout of my magazine is that most of the cover lines are in the left third and I have used a range of styles and techniques so that when it's displayed in the shops it will attract my audience. Some of my cover lines are on the right but I mostly displayed my cover lines on the left. I have put a few cover lines so my magazine looks relaxed and spaced out and brings a positive attitude to my audience. I have only put a few cover lines so they are not distracting my audience from the main image.

The most popular convention shown in a music magazine front cover would be when the model is positioned in a medium close up as this shows power in the magazine but however I have decided to go with the conventions and do a medium close up of a model. This gives my image more power and dominance in the magazine shelves. My model is shown to be listening to music which will give my readers the sense that it's a music magazine and will encourage them to buy it. This therefore will appeal to my audience.

I have done my contents page conventionally like all the other regular magazines. I have included other images which are used in other magazines such as model poses. I have done this so it gives my readers a small taster on what is on each specific page. I have specifically taken images to persuade the audience to buy my magazine and to get attracted  to the pages. To encourage my reader more in to the magazine I have put different images than the front cover so the reader gets a scene that this magazine has a lot of information and it can relate to typical stories.

My double page spread uses some conventions of other double page spreads but also challenges some of them. I have used a simple colour scheme which is consisting of calm blue colours. The colour scheme relates to my front cover which shows consistency and has a flow though out the project. This gives my magazine a sense of professionalism. I have also arranged my article into 2 columns. I have deliberately made the headline stand out. The headlines are advertising the current emotions and mood my models are feeling. I have done this so it attracts my readers and makes them engage with the article.