Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

Throughout the production process of my front cover, contents page and double page spread I found that the most important thing was to

include the main artist throughout all pages. By doing this I was able to show that I had used continuity. Secondly, by using the same colourscheme throughout the front cover and contents page I was able to make it look like my pages were made for an actual magazine. The main colours used are light pink and blue, these colours are also complemented by light yellows, dark blues and lilac. Due to the

magazine being pop these colours work really well as it has to look vibrant and colourful, making it look more professional. Finally, by

using the same font for all three pages this was also a contribution into making the magazine pages look for professional. The font is bold and

powerful which reinforces the dominance of my magazine.

Due to the artist having quite a lot of skin exposed, I didn’t want to ruin this by

covering it. Therefore I placed the main artists name towards the bottom of the

page but due to the text being a lot larger than the rest of the text, it is hard to miss. I purposely did this to show her dominance. By having the colour of her name “Eve” in white, I was able to show continuity as all of the text is white in order to match the

colour of her top.

Here I have placed a splat to show show that there has been a “chart update”. By using a splat I have been able to grab my

audiences attention in a different way than usual. Instead of showing it like the rest of

the text is shown, it has been done differently, in a way where it is noticeable.

My intention was to do this as the magazine's purpose is to advertise and

show music, the genre being pop. But as the magazine is pop it means that the main focus of music is chart music, therefore by

using this splat I was able to show that that’s what the magazine is about, further

expressing the fact that it is a pop magazine.

For the masthead I wanted to produce something that screamed dominance. To

do this I created it by using a large, bold font but so it looked dominant in a subtle way I made sure that the colour was pink, portraying pop. To further signify that the

magazine is all about music, I made the “o” in “now” look like it was a cd, this makes

the magazine look fun. Finally, at the end of the masthead I have designed an

equalizer with the colours blue, green, yellow, orange and pink. This makes the

logo and therefore the magazine look very vibrant and again contributes to the

impact of colour throughout the pages.

For all of the stories featured in the magazine that are on the front cover I have made the text white but still I have added colour. To do this I put the text in front of a coloured background making sure that the colour was within the colour scheme. As the colours all match it shows continuity therefore it makes the magazine look more realistic. I did this throughout all of the text so that it would all look good around each other. But the main reason I did it is so that the magazine front cover looks more professional.

When creating my front cover I had the idea of including the people who were going to be featured in the magazine on the front cover too. I wanted to do this as it is an interesting way of introducing them, as not only does it let the audience know straight away who is going to be in the magazine, but it also shows the audience what they re going to expect. Instead of including them on the front cover in a ‘plain’ way by just placing them anywhere, I wanted to make sure that they looked unique. Therefore I gave them the look of a “polaroid picture” which makes them look different yet they have a lot of individuality. This means that my front cover not only looks professional but I have also given it a look of individuality which I intended for as I didn’t want it to look like every other magazine on the market.

To make my magazine look like a real magazine I had to give it the features of a real magazine. Therefore I got an image of a barcode and placed it on my magazine to make it look like it was purchasable. By making it look purchasable I was able to make it look like it will be sold in stores, therefore by doing this I was able to make it authentic.

When designing my contents page I had to keep in mind that it had to suit the

style of my front cover as the contents page is the page that follows the front

cover. Therefore I kept all the type styles the same, the fonts, the colours and the pages included in the magazine that are also included on the front cover. For the title ‘contents’, I have chosen to use the same font as the masthead on the front

page, but I have changed the colour to black to make it look bolder and to make

it obvious what the page is all about.

To make the magazine look realistic, I made it look like there had been a letter from the editor about the magazine. The

language within the letter relates very well to the genre of the magazine. Phrases such as “wowmazing pop

wonders” keeps the reader interested and gives an idea to the audience of what the

magazine is all about.

Here I have placed the sub heading “inside this month” in large bold font to

show the importance of what is featured in the magazine. Underneath I have

included a structured layout of columns to show the audience what the magazine

has to offer. By also including page numbers it makes it easier for the reader to find the page they wish to view. I had

to ensure that the page numbers matched the stories in the magazine.

Along the right side of the contents page I have included other featuring stories with page numbers and images. By doing this it means that the contents of the magazine are still included, but instead of being in a structured layout, they have been placed differently, making it look unique and therefore more professional.

I have managed to include images of many different girls. This follows conventions because not only have I managed to include 7 images on the contents page alone, but I have also managed to recreate the scene in which they are in. Therefore I have made each girl appear in a different place, suited to their story. If I were to do things differently I would include boys in this too as I think with only girls it makes it look like it is only suited for an audience of girls, when that is not true, it is aimed at boys too.

As you can see here, I have included the main artist of the magazine (featured on

the front cover) in the contents page several times. I did this because it

demonstrates the fact that they have a role of dominance throughout the entire

magazine. If I were to do this again I would position the images differently and

give them a bit of a background so that they stand out more.

To make my contents page look more exciting I decided to include a splat alongside the image of the three girls in L.A. By using a splat it means that information is still being conveyed, but in more of an exciting way. The clothing that the girls are wearing relate conventionally to the genre of the magazine as it is being reflected. This means that they look good with the magazine and that they contribute into making the contents page look more professional.

To make the contents page look realistic I decided to give the option to “subscribe”. This means that the magazine looks like it can be purchased, therefore I have followed the conventions by making it look realistic. I have used the same font continuously throughout the page, but I have slightly enlarged the price making it more obvious that there is a saving.

Here I have used a drop cap to make it obvious to the reader that that is where the article begins. I did this because other real magazine do it therefore I did it too to make my magazine seem more professional.

To make it clear to the audience who these pages are about, I simply used the girls’ name as part of the headline. The name is in a different font and size to the

rest of the title. Due to this, the rest which says “superstar rising” is a lot more clear due to the big and bold font. This shows that she has dominance over the

magazine, overall making it look more professional. Also, the colour of the font is blue, which is the same colour of the girls’ jacket. This shows that the headline is

about the girl on the left and that she is the ne who is a ‘superstar’.

To make all of the colours on my double page spread match, I consistently used blue as it shows a level of dominance and sophistication. To do this I simply used the brush tool and turned the opacity down. I also

gave the image of the girl have a slight blue effect to match the colour scheme. But I did it to a degree where she still looked tanned and therefore vibrant. The three main colours I used for this page were blue,

white and black. This is because I wanted the girls’ face and image to stand out. To make her stand out when I took the photograph, I made sure that there was a lot of lighting on her face. This made her eyes

and lips stand out which is what I wanted as it made the image look like it had been professionally taken.

When taking the image of the girl I asked her to pose in a certain

way where she looked different to the image of her on the front

cover, but not to the point where they looked like different people. By making her pose differently it

showed that on the front cover she looked fun and lively but

then deep down she is serious about her career and the fact she

is rising.

On the left page I have not included anything but the artist. I

did this intentionally as it makes her look more dominant as she

alone is taking up one page. I also wanted her to be on the left as it’s

the first thing you look at when turning the page. Meaning that it’s

obvious to the audience straight away who the pages are about, making them want to read on. I

have also wanted the artist to reveal a bit of skin so that it makes her look mischievous while looking

sophisticated, overall making the image look more professional.

When thinking of what to write for the article I had decided that I wanted it to be an interview between the artist and the interviewer. My reason for this was so that the audience can fins out

more about the artist. Also, by interviewing them I was able to include more colours throughout the text. For example, all questions asked by the interviewer are in dark blue and bold font. This means

that it’s obvious to the reader straight away if its in interview or not.

To make all of the pages look neat and sophisticated I decided to have three structured columns of text. This meant that it looked like a real music magazine due to the fact it

looks very professional. I took inspiration from all magazines to do this.

To make this page look like it was part of a real magazine I decided to make it look like the artist had appeared at the Brit Awards. To do this I removed the original background from the image of the girl and I then replaced it with another one. By doing this it makes the page look very realistic which was my intention. I changed the lighting of the image to make it lighter. My reason for dong this is because I made it look like a paparazzi took the image meaning other paparazzi's were there too, meaning that there will have been many flashes which would have made the overall image brighter, I also chose in image of her smiling as when you have a picture taken, you smile.

Challenging conventions with inspiration from existing products..

We Love Pop’sbarcode

Mybarcode

I liked the idea of having my barcode the same way as We Love Pop’sbarcode. my reason for this is because I like the style and the fact that it

is plain and simple so that it does not take the audiences attention from themain things happening in the magazine. I decided to take inspiration and

recreate what I found with my own website address. I think having a barcodeand website address on my front cover makes it look more conventional.


Here you can see how I have challenged conventions from various different existing magazines to result in making my own magazine front cover look realistic. I have chosen to use narrow columns with coloured backgrounds

making it look more conventional but I have made sure that the text is white so that it doesn't’t contrast too much against the colour.

We Love Pop’smagazine



My magazine


Due to my magazine being a music magazine it had to include informationabout things to do with music. Also, due to the music’s genre being popmusic I also had to make sure that the top 40 chart would be noticed.

Therefore by the use of a splat I was able to grab the readers attention nicely while letting them know that there is new music to be read about in the

magazine. I compared my splat to Billboards magazine is that is alsoa pop magazine meaning I could use ideas and conventions of there’s

to help making mine look better and more professional.

Billboardsmagazine

Mymagazine


When creating a contents page to a magazine it is vital that you include the features of the magazine. Therefore I have taken inspiration from the conventions of a list of features from the magazine We Love Pop. I

have stated what is ‘inside this month’ so that it is obvious to the audience what they are going to be reading about. I have chosen to present the features in two columns and I have used two different

colours being black and pink.


My magazine


Here I have taken further inspiration from the We Love Pop magazine and I have chosen to demonstrate the same conventions that they have. I have expressed

what is featured in the magazine in a different way to what was previously stated. Instead I have included images of what the features are about. By doing this I can

give the audience an idea of what the people look like that what their story is about.

Mymagazine




To make the magazine look more realistic and interesting I have chosen to to make out that I am the editor of the magazine ad I have chosen to include a note from me.

This makes people feel more welcomed into reading the issue meaning that if the magazine were to be published, more money would be gained. This means that the

magazine follows all conventions.

Mymagazine




Mymagazine


Billboardsmagazine

To make my double page spread look more professional and realistic I added a drop cap at the beginning of the article. This makes it look more

conventional as it is one of the most ideal things to include on a magazine to maintain a professional look. I have chosen to have my drop cap

matching the colour of the artists blazer on the double page spread. This ensures that the colours stay within the theme.

Education

Question 1