Evaluation Question 1

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

This is my magazine front cover, and an issue taken from Billboard Magazine. In the process of creating my magazine, I particularly got inspirations from Billboard Magazine. 

My magazine contains real conventions of real media products: 

• Skyline 
• Website 
• Date 
• Issue number 
• Price 
• Dominant image 
• Barcode 
• Bold text 
• Sell lines 
• Consistent use of fonts 
• Masthead 
• Website 
• Main sell-line connected to the dominant image 
• Lots of space - nothing is cramped/too busy 

By having a main dominant image on my magazine is the main convention used. Every magazine that I have researched features a main image on the font page which is linked to the main article. 

Essential information is a key feature to include as it makes the cover appear realistic - they were typical conventions to include. 

By having the barcode and price, this makes it look like it can actually be bought in a supermarket. 

I have positioned the price in a small font underneath the barcode. I did this because on most magazines, the price is usually very small. This is usually so that the buyer doesn't consider the price before they actually have to. 

£2.99 for a magazine is quite expensive, however as it is a monthly magazine it is justified. 

Every magazine that I researched stuck to a 3 colour scheme. This is why I also kept to a house style colour scheme when creating my magazine - pink, yellow, white. 

By doing this it appears neat, consistent and professional. Also, my colour scheme is bright and eye-catching, this appeals to my audience. 

My contents page contains conventions of real media products: 

• Title 
• Colour scheme 
• Structured 
• Headings 
• Top singles and albums 
• Issue number and date 
• Images 
• Busy 
• Page numbers 
• Advertisement to get involved 

I have organised my magazine into 4 sections, all of which will appeal to my target audience: music, interviews, must haves and events.

Underneath each heading I have listed the names of all the magazine articles – some sections, such as music, hold more articles. As it is a music magazine, I intestinally made this section bigger.

With having my contents page structured, it will help my the reader to easily locate which article they want to read first. Also, with holding more sections it makes this magazine unique and stand out to other music magazines that are available. This broadens the target audience as it means the magazine caters to a bigger variety of people – i.e. people who are interested in hearing solely about upcoming events. 

By having a busy appearance, it automatically makes the magazine look more interesting. Therefore more appealing to a reader.

Again, it contains both the date and issue number. This is because most magazines do this as it helps keep track of what each issue contained and when it was published.

I also stuck to the same colour scheme and the same text. By doing this, it helps the magazine look neat and tidy. It is also a convention that other magazines use.

Having a advertisement on the contents page will help create more buyers as it makes them want to ‘get involved’. 

My double page spread contains conventions of real media products: 

• Dominant image
• Text led 
• Caption 
• Page numbers 
• Pull quote 
• 3 columns 
• Small black font 
• Layout 
• Headline 
• Colour scheme 

The dominant image has been positioned neatly on the DPS, thus making the page look tidy and professional.

I have changed the colour scheme on my DPS, but not drastically.

Before, I was using: pink, yellow and white.

With my model wearing a light green/blue colour, I thought the colours would clash. Therefore I changed the colour scheme to: pink, white and blue.

With having a pull quote, this catches the readers eye first and makes them want to read the interview.

I have kept the text continuous throughout the whole magazine – again giving it a realistic and structured look.

In a magazine, the text is always in columns. Especially when it comes to interviews, there is usually always 3 or more columns.

As my magazine is aimed at older  teenagers, I wanted to make my magazine slightly more text led rather than image led. Therefore, I included one image in my DPS. The image is quite large so it is eye-catching, also what she is wearing is fashionable and appealing - this may appeal to the reader.

Having the article in small black font is one of the biggest typical conventions in magazines.