Evaluation:

In what ways do my media products use,

develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

By April McCullin

What forms and conventions were considered on the production of my

‘Britpop’ media products and how were these applied to my front cover?

With the intention to create a Front Cover, DPS and Contents Page that has a focus on the music genre, Britpop, I ensured I considered the type of forms and conventions that would appeal and communicate with my target audience. By gathering knowledge on commonly used and crucial forms and conventions from existing media products I was able to apply these to my own products.

Some of these forms and conventions have been applied to my music magazine front cover page:

Appealing to my target audience through a relaxed and slightly informal mode of address. This has been used throughout each product I have produced for example, my magazine selling line “Britpop has never been cooler” and through the use of cover-lines; “how to score a free ticket”, “Album review, hot or not?”, “reveals the truth” etc.

Ensuring that I considered the distribution of my media product, I chose a logo and masthead that would attract my specified target audience; by hand drawing these I was able to design a masthead and logo that could be put together (merge into one). This is much like the logo/masthead from one very well established and successful media magazine ‘Q magazine’. I chose a bold text that could clearly be read from a distance and a recognizable and symbolic logo design. Intentionally, this logo was placed in the top left hand corner of the magazine front cover, enabling it to be clearly seen if placed in a magazine shelf.

The use of an eye-catching and powerful main image, allows the viewers to be attracted/drawn to my media product. My model has direct eye-contact with the audience and by the way that she is dressed and her hair and makeup give the correct connotations of my chosen music genre, Britpop.

By applying the colors from the British Union Jack (red, white and blue) my chosen color palette was too, giving the connotations of Britpop music. Therefore, appealing to my target audience and also giving my magazine products a ‘house style’ and a sense of continuity, providing a professional product.

I also considered the rule of thirds when constructing this media magazine front cover; this ensures that the design looks professionally designed, well balanced and easy to read. As well as forming more interest in the composition.

Did I challenge any of these forms and conventions? How and Why?

To my music magazine front cover, I have applied many conventions that would often be seen of a typical, successful and well established magazine, as I felt this was necessary and crucial in order for my product to appear professionally designed and attract my desired target audience.

I too didn’t feel it was necessary to challenge too many of these typical forms/conventions as i felt that my media product is not established enough and only new to the market, therefore would not get recognition from my target audience, if these were to be challenged in any way.

However, I did include some minor challenging conventions. These include: White background- This is quite unusual for a magazine front cover to have no background image/colour.

However, I decided to place my model onto a solid white background to help highlight/emphasize the graphics and text on the page. Also, because my fonts are a bold red, blue and black, following a specific house style, they are accented more. Grabbing the attention of my target audience.

Hand draw masthead/logo- This is again a convention that I have not seen used before in other well established media magazines. Though I felt this added a more personal touch to the magazine and would appeal and communicate with my target audience more this way.

Slanted coverline- Unlike many media magazines, I felt that tilting and enlarging a selected coverline I could add a more personal touch to my front cover. It also gives a mix of sophistication with youth, so the magazine appeals to my target audience as it appears to be a magazine that is fun and not overly childish and serious.

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Comparisons of my products and professional products:

As you can see, my front cover page consists of many similar forms and conventions that would be seen/used in a well-established and successful product, for example the one shown here, ‘Q music magazine’. These similar forms and convention include:

A powerful and strong front cover image with direct eye contact and relevant makeup, hair and clothing to connote the magazine’s music genre.

A specific house style and colour palette to also connote the chosen music genre.

A symbolic and recognizable logo/masthead. (both products include a masthead that has been merged with the logo, allowing clear establishment)

An individual coverline that has intentionally been enlarged to bring the readers to focus on this selected feature. --> “Ambrosia” and “Cheryl Cole ROCKS”

A balanced and even layout. The coverlines shown on either side of the main image provides a sense of organization and professionalism.

However, each product the barcode has been placed in different places. And The Q product does not include a small picture; instead it includes a shape/emblem.

What forms and conventions were considered on the production of my

Contents Page?

My contents page too, includes some forms and conventions that provide a professional and appealing product. This ensures it will give the correct connotations of my chosen genre of music and attract my target audience directly through these conventions and forms:

I ensured I kept within my chosen house style, which is used also in my Double Page Spread and Front Cover. This provides a sense of continuity and professionalism as it appears well put together and directly connotes my genre, ‘Britpop’.

A tidy and organized layout, which enables the reader to easily read the content and it is straight-to-the-point and clearly reaches its purpose; to direct the reader into what the magazine will feature.

Provided a personal touch to my page by including a hand-written signature from the ‘editor’. This allows my readers to relate to my product more as it gives the connotations of a personalised message, directed to the individual reader.

Informal mode of address; this again allows my readers to relate and understand my product more as it is not too detached and impersonal.

Relevant images; reassuring the readers that my product will include articles that relate to my chosen music genre, ‘Britpop’.

Did I challenge any of these forms and conventions? How and Why?

With my Contents Page, I decided I did not want to challenge too many of the typical conventions

as I was aiming for a professional and clean-cut page. However, I did apply the following:

I decided not to take many conventional photos that included groups of people. My reason for this is that I felt my genre, ‘Britpop’ includes many individual artists’ who freely explore what it is to be a musician independently. Therefore I feel my two main contents page images connotes this individuality.

Instead on the commonly used title ‘Contents’, I decided to challenge this typical convention that would quite frequently be used on many well established and successful magazines. I did this by giving my page a title of ‘Issue 01’; my reason for this is that I felt my page appears already clearly as though it is a contents page as it is has a neat and organized layout showing the different page numbers and article features etc. therefore this title was not necessary. I too, felt that by titling it ‘Issue 01’ would remind the readers that this magazine is new on the market and not very well established.

All-capital letter’s font type; this is also an unusual convention to include on my magazine contents page. However, I felt it was a very demanding and outstanding font type that would grasp the attention of my target audience and would effectively encourage them to read on as it is a powerful and uncommonly used convention.

Comparisons of my products and professional products:

As you can see, my contents page consists of many similar forms and conventions that would be seen/used in a well-established and successful product, for example the one shown here from, ‘NME music magazine’. These similar and different forms and conventions include:

As you can see, I have kept within a particular house-style. The inclusion of specific font types and colours have resulted in a page that appears professional and tidy.

Like the NME page, I have an aligned list of features that are within a margin running down the right hand side of my page. This provides a sense of an organized and well designed magazine.

Unlike the NME page, I have included very bold page numbers highlighted in white boxes that contrast with the black font; these numbers are in various different sizes and this helps to emphasize the importance of each feature being advertised.

My page, unlike NME includes ‘ISSUE 01’ as apposed to ‘NME THIS WEEK’. Though both titles are in a bold contrasting colour(s) and in all-capitals, they both don’t claim to be a ‘Contents page’ directly as i feel both pages are obviously contents pages’ because of its organized appearance.

The NME page includes a ‘Band Index’ which runs along the left hand side. I quite like this feature as it is a clear and direct guide for the audience to show the selected features of this magazine; however if I was to include this in my page, I feel it would have appeared to include too much text and would not appeal to my target audience as much. As I feel ‘less’ is ‘more’.

What forms and conventions were considered on the production of my

‘Britpop’ media products and how were these applied to my Double Page Spread?

My double page spread too, includes some forms and conventions that provide a professional and appealing product. This ensures it will give the correct connotations of my chosen genre of music and attract my target audience directly through these carefully selected conventions and forms:

Through the use of a striking and powerful main image I can be sure my double page spread will attract my target audience. The candid eye contact and her body language connotes that the subject is important and interested in the audience which encourages the viewers to ‘read on’.

An eye-catching title; provides the audience with a clear and direct overview into what the article will feature. And too, ‘jump out’ to the viewer.

By including a highlighted phrase (in a particularly eye-catching colour) I can ensure that my target audience will be able to relate to the subject. It too adds a personal touch to the article and acts as a lure into grasping the audiences attention by putting emphasis on the most significant and expressive quote of the interview.

Adding a sense of continuity and professionalism to my products, I have ensured I used a main subject that connotes my genre, Britpop. This is shown through my model’s makeup, hair and clothing and at the same time she appears simple and not too overpowering and dramatic, which again reflects the genre of music I chose to focus on.

Again, this page includes the same house style. By taking the same colour palette (red, blue, white), I have kept within my chosen genre of music, as these colours greatly connote this theme.

I too have included some advertising, promoting my magazine’s online website. This is an effective and frequently used convention, that would be seen used throughout many well established magazines. Therefore, I felt this was a necessity in order to help my new magazine with distribution/consumption.

Did I challenge any of these forms and conventions? How and Why?

With my Double Page Spread, I decided to challenge certain typical conventions and forms used with many other well- established and successful media magazines. My reason for doing so, is that it allows my magazine to appear unique and independent; much like my chosen music genre, Britpop. It also allows my page to stand out to the audience and appear interesting. Some of these challenged forms/convention include;

I deliberately chose to include a background colour that is a similar tone to my main subject’s skin tone. This was at first a slight risk, as I did not want my page to appear ‘washed out’ and dull. However, I feel this only allows my audience to focus in on the most important text features, which I chose to be contrastingly bright colours.

My page includes a majority of text, as opposed to images/advertising. This is quite unusual as a lot double page spreads try to appeal to the audience by not looking too ‘text-heavy’. However, I feel my enlarged quotation helps to break up this ‘block’ of text effectively.

No inclusion of smaller relating images featured. This is quite a common convention as again, this helps to break up the constant flow of text and appeals to the audience more. Although, I chose to substitute these with my magazines logo, which I felt was important as my magazine is new to the market and not very well established. Therefore, I thought to take up any opportunity to help my magazine in the distribution stage of marketing.

Comparisons of my products and professional products:

As you can see, my double page spread consists of many similar forms and conventions that would be seen/used in a well-established and successful product, for example the one shown here from, ‘Vibe music magazine’. These similar and different forms and conventions include:

Both magazine pages include a dominating main image that takes up just under half the double page and is featured on the right hand side. This is a layout that I felt worked well as it is nicely proportioned and balances the text well.

Similar to the ‘Vibe’ page, my magazine DPS includes the name of the ‘celebrity’ that is featured on the page. This is highlighted and I purposefully used a brightly contrasting font colour, and a clear font type to provide a clear and direct establishment as to what the article will be focused on. Therefore, will appeal to my target audience.

Unlike my magazine page, Vibe has included a predominantly darker house style/colour palette. This is possibly to emphasize the main subject, which is shown wearing silver/white clothing and has paler skin. Therefore, this contrasts nicely with the background colour and axhieves its initial purpose; to catch the eye of the viewers. However, I am pleased with my background choice and house style as it suits my main image/subject and provides my magazine with a sense of continuity and creating a professional look to the three of my individual pages.