Evaluation - Question 1 Revisited

Question 1: In what way does your media product use, develop, or challenge form conventions of real media productions?

My products stick to the typical conventions of a music magazine as it uses mastheads, tag lines, sell-lines, cover lines, pull quotes, images and the correct shot types in the correct place and most importantly the link that it is a music magazine as I have used artists and band names that some people may now as they are in the UK charts but also some people who my target audience may know as they are artists and bands on YouTube.

A way in which my media product is more developed from your typical music magazine is that it has undiscovered artists and bands on it as well as a few discovered artists and bands which people may now and the niche for my magazine is that it is a magazine which is their to help my target audience be discovered and be inspired to go into the music industry, something which other music magazines may do in that they sell magazines due to the artists’ or bands status that they receive from their fans and the artists fame itself in that the their target audience may interpret that they too can be inspired by the artists and bands in the music magazine.

Front Cover

  

A more in depth way in which I have stuck to media conventions is that for my front cover I have used a female model, who is wearing a pale dress so that it doesn’t really catch the readers attention as I want it to be about them, their music and their stories rather than other conventional magazines which draw in on what the artist/band are wearing rather then their lyrics or their story to getting to the top. I was thinking this with the models hair, accessories and makeup as I again didn’t want it to be about those things. I imitated the VOGUE magazine with Lana Del Rey on the cover as for all it wasn’t a music magazine I believe the body language, hand position, facial expression and hair styling suited the purpose and goal of my magazine; to look natural so that the focus was on the artist/band and on their music. I used it also as I believed that it looked natural, inviting rather than aggressive and domineering like conventional magazines. The same method was used in relation to my colour palette as I wanted it to be eye catching in certain places and so I used the pink, blue, white and gold in certain parts of the cover so as to draw the reader in. I also decided to use this colour palette as it was similar to the colour palette of some of the magazines which I had researched but most importantly the VOGUE magazine as I thought that it signified what I wanted my magazine to be about; pale colours so that the music stood out for itself. I used the gold to signify that it was a special edition for my magazine but it could also be interpreted by my target audience that it is gold to show that it is unique, special as my niche doesn’t really conform to normal conventions.

 

For my masthead I looked through different fonts/styles, but decided to use ‘MoolBaron’ font for my masthead as it gave the connotations of professional and elegant, which I believe my target audience are like. (LINK)I also chose this style of text because it was clear, easy to read. I choose to have my masthead gold to make it stand out for my special edition of my magazine but also so that it stands out as NME and Q are mostly red and so I decided to challenge the music magazine masthead convention and use gold. I also found from doing this research that they sometimes put the masthead in front of the image when it is a less well-known magazine, so I have kept to those conventions, but also the magazine in itself is the draw for my target audience, not just the artists like conventional music magazine so I decided to put the text in front of my model.  

I have also challenged media forms for my media product as well as keep to them as I have created a music magazine with a unique selling point; a music magazine, which is dedicated to undiscovered artists/bands so that they can become discovered without the aid of talent shows. From doing my audience research I found that there was already an existing market for my media product as I uploaded a questionnaire for my target audience (14-21 year old females) to fill in, and found that they thought it was a good idea and that it would be a ‘Good way to find out about new music’. (LINK)

Another way in which I have used conventions of a real media product is that I have a white main sell-line. I decided to do this because I wanted the main sell-line to stand out against the image and other pieces of text, but I also found whilst doing my research that NME magazine as well as my main inspiration magazine VOGUE as they have also used this technique to make the main sell-line stand out. 

I have also added a barcode for my front cover, as music magazines need to be sold and have a barcode so that the retailers know what the product is and what the price is. I never made my bar code, however I did make sure that it was a music magazine bar code so that it kept in with media conventions. For the price of my music magazine I asked my target audience using ‘Survey Monkey’, so that I could find out how much they would pay for my music magazine, however I found that the price of my music magazine would be too low compared to other music magazines, so I decided to raise it to £2.99, so that it would still be a competitive price compared to other magazines. (LINK)

Contents Page 

 

For my contents page I decided to use the same style of layout, which ‘Q’ magazine used for their October 2008 contents page as well as GLAMOUR’s February 2011 edition, so that I keep to music magazine conventions. I have also kept to music magazine conventions by using a long shot of my model, as this is what they do in music magazines, so that readers are drawn into the page, so that they can identify who the person/people in the image is. I have also kept to conventions for his costume, as when you do a music magazine, as they don’t really stand out, however they also don’t compete or look too contrasting with the rest of the magazine and colour palette, so that it looks consistent and professional. I also decided to use the same colour as my front cover for my contents page background so that it kept consistency in my magazine and looked professional. I have also tried to use a very limited colour for the rest of my contents page so that it is stripped back and professional looking, but also so it appeals to my target audience and so that it gives connotations that it is for young adults. (LINK)

Another way in which I have used a cover line called ‘EVERY MONTH’, as this is what they do in ‘Q’ magazine, so that it kept in with music magazine conventions. I also wanted to use this cover line so that my target audience knew exactly what my music magazine was about and what it contained, as this is what my unique selling point is, so I wanted my target audience to buy my music magazine for the right reasons.

Double Page Spread

For my double page spread I have used put my image to the left hand side of the double page spread, as this is what they have done in some of the magazines which I have researched, the pull quote (title) is big on the page and I have also put a little introduction to who Ally Rhodes is, as these are conventional things to have on a double page spread for a music magazine.. Another way in which I have kept to music magazine conventions is that I have used pull quotes, a drop capital at the beginning of my article, and on a double page spread they usually use 3-4 columns per page, so this is what I did for my double page spread. I have also put page numbers at the bottom of the page, as this is what they do in music magazines, along with the masthead. Another way in which I have kept in with music magazine conventions for my media product is that the number for my double page spread is high, because they don’t usually put the main sell-line article at the beginning, and is usually in the middle. (LINK)

 
I have also kept to my colour scheme for my double page spread so that it kept consistency throughout the magazine and looked professional. For my model for my double page spread I have got her to wear the same outfit as this is what they do in music magazine as this is what I have found in my research.

     

For my double page spread image I decided to use a long shot so that people would be drawn into the article, just like NME magazine, however music magazines typically use close up or medium close ups as they seem to be more intimate, but I wanted to use a long shot to give the connotations that my audience would be ‘seeing’ everything about Ally Rhodes and her life, without holding back. For my image I have also used a long shot as it takes up the page, and breaks up the text, however still not looking overcrowded on the page. I have also made my model sitting on the floor much like Lana Del Rey in VOGUE magazine as I again believed it showed the right connotations and signified what my magazine is about.

For the text for my double page spread I decided to use simple text, so that my target audience would be able to read it (LINK). Also for my text I have tried to use inspirational words/phrases as this is my unique selling point for my media product; to have undiscovered artists/bands in my music magazine so that they can become discovered by my target audience without the aid of talent shows. This challenges the conventions of a real media product, but from the research I have collected from my target audience I have found that they would buy a music magazine with people they don’t recognize on the front. (LINK)