BY GEORGIA HARDY

IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA

PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR

CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS

OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

• Masthead• Sell Line• Features• Cover

Lines• Main

Image• Anchor

Text• Main

Cover Line

• House style

FRONT COVER

Masthead

Features

Main Image

Sell Line

Anchor Text

Main Cover line

MASTHEAD

My Masthead conforms to many conventions as it is large and bold, with both of its colours contrasting with the background. It is all in capital letters and is in front of the main image.

However it challenges one convention of a simple sans serif font, mainly used for magazines masthead.

Magazines that conform to Sans serif font convention:

Magazines that challenge that convention:

SELL LINE

I used the convention of a sell line on my front cover, placed just under the masthead. It is used as a introductory headline to the magazine

Magazines that conform to this convention:NME

Q magazine

CLASH

FEATURES

I used 2 features as it is common to have multiple ones on a front covers as they give an insight into all the different articles, being a informative source which conforms to uses and gratifications.

They tie in with the house style making it prominent.

Stil l bold and in capitals along with the white shadow behind, to make them stand out but smaller than the masthead and anchor text as its not the main article.

Magazine that conform to this convention:

Rolling StonesNMEBillboard

MAIN IMAGE I used a medium-close-up shot, which is

a common conventions of magazines of similar genre.

There is a single model whom is the face to the main article, she also has direct mode of address, which connects the audience to the magazine and artist, it creates a personal connection which conforms to uses and gratifications theory. Natural facial expression challenges sexualised images of female models/artists. This then leads on to chal lenge the male gaze.

Background is black to contrast with l ight image of model this challenges the convention of white backgrounds.

Magazines that conform to this convention

ANCHOR TEXT

Large bold text, stil l complying to the house style. It’s of the artists name which not only anchors it to the main image but also entices fans, as it is the main story.

I follow the convention of shadowing the text to make it stand out from the image and it also follows with the house style. I challenge conventions however with the font again not clear sans serif but it complies with my house style.

Magazines that Conform to this convention:

Q magazine

NMECLASHRolling Stones

MAIN COVER LINE I used the very common convention of a

main cover l ine to give a snippet of the main art icle, i ts informing and enticing the audience, conforming to uses and gratifications.

I ts commonly placed under the anchor text. I t is sti l l bold and in capitals to stand out but smaller than anchor text, shadowed with bright red to stand out from the background. Also fits in with the house style.

Quote from the MAGAZINES THAT USE

artist herself THIS CONVENTION makes it personal and creates connection between them and reader also complying to Uses and gratifications.

Q magazine

Billboard

Rolling StonesNME

HOUSE STYLE

I stuck very close to the popular and commonly used white, red and black house style as it is a very established house style and popular within many audiences. Shows professional consistency.

MAGAZINES THAT CONFORM TO THE RED, WHITE AND BLACK HOUSE STYLE:

MAGAZINES THAT CHALLENGE THE RED, WHITE AND BLACK HOUSE STYLE:

• Magazine Logo

• Masthead• Features• Columns• Numbering• Page

Number• Competit io

n• Main

Images• Secondary

Images• Social

Media

CONTENTSPAGE

Masthead

Features

Columns

Numbering

Page Number

Competition

Secondary Images

Social Media

Main Image

Magazine Logo

MAGAZINE LOGO I decided to include my magazines

name/logo in my contents page. It is a common convention because it shows brand awareness and professional consistency.

It is smaller than ‘CONTENTS’ as it is the masthead but stil l at the top of the page and bold so it stands out. Keeps within the house style.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

MASTHEAD

Here my masthead conforms to many conventions as it is large and bold, with the white contrasting with the black. It is all in capital letters and clearly shows the reader they are on the contents page, helps with navigation.

Magazines that conform to this convention: Q

magazineBillboard

CLASHNME

FEATURES I used a features column as i t was a very

popular convention for the genre of music magazine I studied, as i t breaks up the page into sections as i t helps the reader with navigation, informing the reader about info within the magazine, fol lowing uses and grat ificat ions.

The ‘FEATURES’ art icles has short descriptions of what the art icle is about. The text is not too heavy but informative (uses and gratifications). The ‘FEATURES’ t i t le is bold and contrasting to the rest of the text to stand out. The art icles are separated and paired with page numbers. Al l text keeping to the house style.

Magazine that conform to this convention:

NME

Q magazine Billboard

COLUMNS I used columns in my contents page as

they help organise the magazine and make it look professional. Columns were also a very common convention that I found in the magazines that I researched.

There is easy navigation, with no overlapping of any text and/or images. I split it into 2 columns a main one containing the pictures and the other containing the majority of the text and the ‘FEATURES’ column.

Magazines that conform to this convention: Q

magazineNME

Billboard

NUMBERING I used numbering as it is a very

commonly used convention in the magazines I researched.

They are big and shadowed to stand out/eye catching. The colours also keep with the house style. It helps with the navigation and creates shortcuts. It also links the image or text to the feature/article.

Magazines that conform to this convention: Billboard

Q magazine

PAGE NUMBER I used a page number in my magazine

as it is a common convention used in every magazine I researched.

The page number is conventionally placed in the bottom corner of the page. Its colours and font keep with the house style and the name of the magazine is placed with it, also another common convention to show brand awareness. Page numbers will be the same on every page showing professional consistency.

Magazines that conform to this convention:Billboard Rolling Stones

COMPETITON Competitions aren’t something that I

found regularly in my research, however I did find that there are often give-aways, therefore I decided to adapt this. Also considering this is the first issue of the magazine it would be logical to have a motive for the audience to buy the next issue and a competition is a good way to attract potential regular readers. I conferred with my focus group about the competition and the majority thought it was a good idea.

It keeps within the house style but stands out a lot as it is on a black background, whereas the majority of the text is on white and is bold, with the sub-heading ‘COMPETITION’ in capitals. I also decided to put the bands name in capitals and bold to make it stand out as that would be the main attraction to this feature.

MAIN IMAGE I used a slightly larger image of the

model who the main article is about. This is a common convention with the magazines I researched, this is to draw the readers attention by using visual pictures of a well recognised person.

I challenged the convention of having the page number above the image rather than on it as I wanted to pair it with the artist’s name, and then have a short snippet of the article on the image working around the models body, which is a common convention of main images on contents pages.

I decided to use a close up of the model on the contents page to show her facial expressions clearly. However I challenged the convention of having the model show direct mode of address, I did this to give the artist and article a more natural/indie feel.

SECONDARY IMAGES I decided to use 2 secondary images

on my contents page, which are smaller than the main one to show they are not the main article. This is a common convention in the magazines I researched.

I decided to present them in a way like a thumbnail, with no overlapping. I also decide these images needed no text with them but did couple them with little snippets in the features column. I did this by l inking them with the same page number on both images and snippet of articles.

I used 2 different types of shots for these images to show diversity as this is a indie music magazine. I used one medium close up and medium long shot to show both models body language more than facial expressions.

SOCAIL MEDIA LINKS In my research I have not come across a

contents page with social media l inks on, however I decided to use it as my target audience are teenagers and young adults and social media is very popular especial ly with teenagers/young adults therefore it seems l ike a sensible way to get the audience involved, hence the sub-heading ‘GET INVOVED’. It also means that they can keep updated in between issues and wil l help form a customer base, it means that I am reaching my readers and marketing the magazine effectively. With additional ways for the audience to access the magazine it widens the audience. Social media can also be a way of advertising the magazine.

The sub-heading, to stand out and the different social media accounts are paired with the social media’s logos to l ink it to the text.

• Layout• Image• Artists

Name• Anchor

Text• Columns• Pul l Quotes• Text• Editor• Page

Numbers• Drop Cap

DOUBLEPAGESPREAD

Pull Quote

Editor

Image Artist Name

Drop Cap

Text

Columns

Page Numbers

Anchor Text

LAYOUTFor layout I used the regular convention of having a whole page for the image however I challenged the convention of having the image on the right instead of the left. I did this as I wanted the image to be the most important part of the page, I wanted it to be eye catching so it immediately catches the reader’s attention and draws them in to the article. I decided to have the artist name bold at the top as it is the main subject.

Magazines that have similar layouts:

NME

Q magazine CLASH

Billboard

IMAGE For the double page spread I used a medium close up shot as I thought this

would be the most eye catching and in my research I found medium close up’s a common convention on the double page spread. I used direct mode of address as it connects the reader and art ist creat ing personal relat ionships conforming to uses and grat ificat ions, which therefor ent ices the reader.

However I used a very calm and natural pose for my model as I d id not find i t important or fitt ing to sexual ise my female model as this does not fit the feel of the rest of the magazine. Chal lenging the

convention of the male gaze.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

Q magazine Rolling Stones

ARTIST’S NAME I chose to have the artists name as the tit le as it l inks the article to

the picture on the opposite page. Its large, bold and in capitals, keeping within the house style and

biggest bit of al l the text as it is the most important bit, informing who the article is about because even though the artist is well know because they are the main article, not everyone would recognise the artist from the image.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

NME

Billboard Rolling Stones

ANCHOR TEXT I placed it underneath the artists name/title it is a snippet of the article below and entices the reader to read the whole article.Is i t not as large as the tit le but larger than the ordinary text standing out more so the reader wil l see and read. It’s in capitals and black to contrast with the white background. Keeps within the house style. The use of the word ‘SECRET’ tel ls the reader this is new ‘gossip’ revealed just now only in this magazine.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

NME

Billboard

Rolling Stones

COLUMNS

I used the convention of splitting the page up into three equal sized columns, this was common in the magazines I researched, therefore I used it in my double page spread as it gives an organised, professional look to the page, easy for the reader to follow.

Magazines that conform to this convention:Q magazine

NME

PULL QUOTE I used a pull quote as it was a common convention of the

magazines I studied. It is an insight to the rest of the story and creates engagement and questions. It creates a personal experience for those reading, which is uses and gratifications. I used a different font and colour and made it slightly bigger to make it stand out from the rest of the text.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

NME

Billboard

TEXTI used a large letter behind the text of the double page spread which links with the artist and it’s in colours that continue with my house style, it is also very faint so that you can easily read the text in front of it. However, in Q magazine they only used one initial, whereas I used both as it looks like it is more linked to the artist than just the one initial.

Magazines that use this:

Q magazine

EDITOR

Instead of including the editor in the anchor text like most of the magazines I researched, have done. I have decided to give a very small section of the page to the editor/writer, even including a small image of the writer this not only connects the article to the one who wrote it but also puts a face to the name.

I chose to keep the text small, but capitals and red to stand out a little more and to differentiate from the regular text but keeping with the house style. The image is a simple medium close up of the editor in black and white to again keep with the house style.

PAGE NUMBERS I used page numbers because they were also on every double

page spread I researched. Page numbers are used to inform the reader.

I decided to put the VINYL CODE logo along side the page numbers as it creates brand awareness.

The number itself is in the same font all the other numbers are on the contents page, this shows professional consistency and red to keep v

with they house style.

Magazines that conform to this convention:

Billboard

Q magazine NME

DROP CAP I decide to include drop caps to start my text, as it was a

convention in every double page spread I researched. It acts as a introduction to the text.

I decide to have them bold and red to keep with the house style so they grab the attention of the reader and entices them to read on.

Magazines that conform to this convention:Billboard

Q magazine

NME