IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR

CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA

PRODUCTS?

Conventions of magazines are features that apply to almost all magazines examples of these are Masthead’s, Main Cover Lines, Main image etc. They are used in magazines so that they are recognisable, and creates a generic image

for magazines.

My main cover image features the same pose as one that is frequently used in magazines that are representing sexy and empowering women. The shot is a close up so is personal and creates a link to the audience. The pose meets up to the stereotype that women are sex objects but the biting and pointing to the mouth makes it more assertive and dominating through sexuality. It is more of a Femme Fatale than a sex object, she is using her sex appeal to create dominance and be strong.

 My magazine has the cover lines on one side of the page. I did this because I believe it makes the magazine look orderly rather than words all over the page. It is also a modern twist on the norm which represents the niche of my magazine. It adds an element of style and becomes part of the house style which aims to make the magazine stand out and sell better.

My double page spread features the text on the left page this is so that the image on the right side will capture the readers attention so that, when they are flipping through will be interested in reading the article whereas, if the text was on the left side if somebody was flicking through they would be focusing on the page they are turning and generally a big block of text is not as interesting as an image.

My mast head uses a serif font so looks stylish and traditional. The feeling for the magazine is to be a pop magazine in the style of a high end fashion magazine. They often feature serif font titles to make the magazine look stylish and classy so I chose to replicate this in my magazine. The colour represents strength and dominance which ties in with the idea of the magazine and the main cover image being a strong woman.

• My contents page features a lot of text. It was set out in four columns to look busy yet organised. This again represents my magazine which is to be full of information but in an orderly and classical way.

• I used a serif font for the regulars and features and a Sans Serif font for the headers that the contents is split up into.

• At the end of the regulars there was a separate piece of text which I chose to be an editors letter. I believe that this connects the reader to the magazine so they feel like the magazine is directly addressing them so are therefore more likely to keep buying it.

• It features the colour scheme of: red, black and white. This makes it look classic yet powerful which is the look that the magazine is based around.

• The page numbers are in a bigger font than the text of the contents. This makes it easier to navigate as the reader can find what they are looking for with ease.

• The top of the contents page has the cover line in large across the page. It goes over the main image to make it clear that it represents the cover lines.

• The contents page features one main image at the top left of the page. This makes the main feature of the magazine clear. It also has the page number in big over it so that the reader instantly knows where to find the main feature of the magazine.

• It features a random assortment of pictures throughout to illustrate some of the cover lines.

• I chose to avoid using pull quotes because, I wanted to keep my text layed out uninterrupted in columns. I did this because I believe it makes the magazine look classier and more upper market. It ties in with the house style which is to put a twist on the normal conventions of a magazine. By doing avoiding the normal conventions of a magazine it relates to the ideal of my magazine which features people that are breaking out of stereotypes.

• The text of my double page spread is justified to create a classy and modern feel.

• The poses for my photographs all represent a strong women as does this photo shoot of Lady Gaga in Cosmopolitan.

• The clothing consists of black block colours and lace which contrasts with the skin and red lips making her look dominant.

• The styling of the hair adds a feminine touch and makes the model look dominant but approachable.

• When all of the features of my magazine are compared to that of a real magazine mine is much darker.

• This is because it is not just a light fashion magazine it features pop music which may not be as clean. It also makes the magazine appear much stronger and makes the text and colours of the image stand out and look better.

I stuck to a simple colour scheme of a deep red, black grey and white. This created a house style that connoted a cross between modern and classic style. The name of my media product is Aptitude this is because it means that the people within the magazine have a natural talent and are the best of the best. It also connotes that this is what my magazine is in general. Aptitude is a catchy name so people will remember it.