Marinela Evaluation Q1

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In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? As part of my research prior to producing my final products, I created conventions diagrams using real media texts to gain a greater awareness of these conventions and their purpose on a magazine. What are Magazine Conventions? Magazine conventions are the features of a magazine which are typically used in majority of real magazines in order to make them successful and be identifiable to audiences, showing that it is a magazine, as well as using these conventions to attract buyers of the magazines target audience. Examples of conventions of a magazine would be a Masthead on the front cover. This is what audiences would be able to identify the magazine with when they see it stacked with other magazines in shops. Because of how the shops lay out the magazines on a magazine rack, it was important to make sure that the masthead was at the top so it would be visible. 1

Transcript of Marinela Evaluation Q1

Page 1: Marinela Evaluation Q1

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

As part of my research prior to producing my final products, I created conventions diagrams using real media texts to gain a greater awareness of these conventions and their purpose on a magazine.

What are Magazine Conventions?Magazine conventions are the features of a magazine which are typically used in majority of real

magazines in order to make them successful and be identifiable to audiences, showing that it is a magazine, as well as using these conventions to attract buyers of the magazines target audience.

Examples of conventions of a magazine would be a Masthead on the front cover. This is what audiences would be able to identify the magazine with when they see it stacked with other

magazines in shops. Because of how the shops lay out the magazines on a magazine rack, it was important to make sure that the masthead was at the top so it would be visible.

Q1

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Front Page: Masthead

COMPOSITIONWith the typical placement of the top left corner

of the front page , as well as being placed behind the subject’s head in the main image.

Like I have previously mentioned, the placement of the masthead is important and should always

be at the top because of how shops place magazines on a rack in order to sell them. The

masthead is also large and stands out.

Mine: Real media text examples:

COLOUR SCHEMEMy colour scheme that was determined

through my audience research is as follows:

My dominant colour in my colour scheme is red. Most of the conventions on my front cover is in red, because the subject in the main image is dressed in yellow so the red stands out more against the image. This is why I chose my masthead colour to be in red, with a black stroke in order to make it stand out even more. The colour red is also

quite conventional in the urban musical genre magazines which my magazine

follows.

TYPOGRAPHYThe font that I chose for my masthead is

called ‘Built Titling’. This font is convention as most magazine use a sans serif font for the masthead as it gives it a more modern appearance. Because my masthead was initials and was only 3 letters, it suited the font written in all

capitals, making it stand out and easy to identify.

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Front Page: Main Cover Line Mine: Real media text examples:

Examples of main cover lines in existing magazines appear to be bold and stand out on the page. The design used on my front cover main cover line follows these conventions as it also stands out on the

page and is large, occupying a lot of space on the page, unlike all over the

other smaller cover lines. COMPOSITION

The main cover line on my front page follows typical placement of a main

cover line, which is on the middle/bottom of the left side of the page. Thus, making it conventional.

However I could’ve been more creative and challenged this composition by placing it elsewhere, such as the top

right hand side.

TYPOGRAPHYThe font used is quite simple and is similar to the font used for my

masthead, This challenges the conventional type of fonts used for a main cover line as it is usually a unique and a font that is different

to the of the text on the page, which makes it stand out even more. However I think the stroke used and the shadow effect, along with

the size, makes it stand out regardless.Also, I also challenged the colours I used as it is usually a bright

colour, as shown in all of the real media text examples, however I decided not to make it too bright (e.g. use red or yellow) as it

would’ve made the front cover look too busy as the rest of the page is already very colourful.

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Front Page: Cover Lines Mine: Real media text examples:

COMPOSITIONMy cover lines are placed on the sides of the magazine around the main image, which is conventional

for cover lines on front covers. TYPOGRAPHY

All of the cover lines are written in the same font but in different colours. This is conventional in real magazines, ensuring it doesn’t look too busy and it is easy to distinguish that they are all cover lines

which indicate the content that will be in the magazine. Some of the cover lines have a white stroke on them, if they overlap the main image. This allows for each cover line to be easy to read and not

confusing to the eye as the main image is quite bright and vibrant. COLOURS

I used a variety of all the colours in my colour scheme for all over the cover lines. This allows there to be some distinction between different cover stories. I also used the colour red to create emphasis on

what is being said. This is often used in existing magazines as emphasis on a particular word or phrase is created through use of a vibrant colour, as well as a larger size of font.

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Contents Page: Challenged the layout…

Real magazine contents pages usually use a very structured and ‘boxy’ format, whereby all the content and page numbers are in line with each other (like the examples shown), however I have managed to challenge this typical layout by arranging my content in a

way that warps around the main image. Thus, making some of the content unaligned and ‘curvy’.

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Contents Page: Title Mine: Real media text examples:

COMPOSITIONWhere I have placed my ‘Contents’ title follows the conventions of a magazine contents

page as it is placed at the top with the contents below it. Although I did not make the title occupy the entire space at the top, only the right hand corner. This is something I could’ve

done in order to make it more conventional as well as stand out more.TYPOGRAPHY

The font I used for the title is the same I used for the numbers. This makes it tie together well. I also kept it simple by titling the page ‘CONTENTS’ instead of giving it a different

title such as these:

This is more typically used in Pop magazines. The font that I used is sans serif which gives it a modern look and shows consistency in design alongside the front cover.

COLOURSI kept the colour scheme of my contents page the same as my front cover, in order to

develop a consistent ‘house style’ of my magazine. Because the font I used is the same as the colours of the page numbers, I decided to keep the colours the same as well. It makes

the title stand out which is usually the case for real magazines.

I also used normal numbers which is typical in almost every magazine contents

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Contents Page: Page Numbers & Additional images Mine: Real media text examples:

COMPOSITIONSAs previously mentioned, I have challenged the typical conventional composition of

content as I have warped them around the main image, however they are still placed together in an organised manner so that it doesn’t look messy or difficult to use/read to find the page a reader wants to get to. Next to the page numbers are titles of the stories that can be found on that particular page, as well as a small

description beneath it. This is conventional and commonly used in real magazines (‘MIX’ Convention). The additional images are also placed where they are all visible,

with relevant page numbers attached to them. TYPOGRAPHY

All of the page numbers are the same font, colour and size. Compared to the content titles and mini description beside them, they are the largest piece of text, which is conventional in real media texts. The mini descriptions are the same font

as the red titles but a smaller size, again, is similar to the real media text examples given. I also used normal numbers which is typical in almost every magazine

contents page, instead of using alternatives such as roman numerals.

COLOURSThe page numbers have the most vibrant colour (Yellow) which makes it stand out which is usually the case for real music magazine content pages.

None of the additional images I added are in black or white which makes them more

engaging, which is conventional as it makes the audience more interested in reading about it and

going to the page its on.

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Contents Page: Editors letter Mine: Real media text examples:

COMPOSITIONSThe editors letter is not usually the most eye-catching part of a magazine contents page, hence why I have placed mine at the bottom of the page.

Magazines often place editors letters in small spaces available to occupy to write a small paragraph to its readers.

TYPOGRAPHYI have used small font to write my editors letter in order to make it fit. It is also uncommon for real editors letter to be written in large letters. I have also used a front that looks like handwriting to sign-off the editors letters,

which is often used in editors letters of real magazines, in order to give it a more personal touch and engage more with readers.

COLOURSI have kept the writing very simple in just black writing as it is not a dominant convention of a

contents page. I have added a colour picture of myself in order to have a more personal

approach.

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Double Page Spread: Main Image Mine: Real media text examples:

COMPOSITIONAt first glance it may look like the image is only a portrait photo on the left page, but it is actually a full photo which occupies the entire space of the double page spread, with the other conventions just placed on top of it. This is conventional as the main image is usually the focal point and the dominant convention on magazine double page spreads. This is the original photo:

This photo was taken using the ‘rule of thirds’ photographic composition which allows for there to be space on the left for the article and other conventions. I also kept the photo in colour format in order to make it more engaging, than if it was in black and white.

Page number & Drop Capital:

I have used the same design of page numbers I used in my contents page which follows the conventions of a real magazine as it placed on the

bottom right. The drop capital is in the beginning

of the article which is where it is conventional to be placed on a

double page spread.