Question 1

Question 1: In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of

real media products?

I have based my music magazine of this copy of NME’s front cover, in my opinion it is a successful cover and works well. It also follows the codes and conventions of a music magazine.

Mast Head

Issue number, date and price

Plug/PuffCover lines

Direct address

Professionally taken image working in photography studio

Main cover lines

Website address

Barcode

Colour coding

Drop shadow

Equal Spacing

I have used many of the key codes and conventions of a typical music magazine on my front cover, I have highlighted the codes and conventions by using arrows.

However, my image challenges the codes and conventions of a music magazine, as I haven’t edited my main cover image at all. Almost all music magazine images are edited, to enhance the appearance of the the celebrity, I left my image as it was taken. As I felt it was already very successful and worked with the genre of my magazine. I also felt that a more natural look would appeal to my target audience, as they will be able to relate to it. Furthermore, I felt that over editing could confuse the target audience of my magazine, making it just look like a typical teenage magazine.

I have used this copy of ‘Q’ music magazine to base my contents page on, I liked the way this contents page was presented to the audience and thought it worked well.

Like before, I have highlighted the codes and conventions of my music magazine contents page, using arrows.

Mast Head Drop shadow

Columns

Different labelled sectionsImages

Issue month

Website address Page number

Magazine identity

Where to find these articles

Signature colour

I think my contents page follows the codes and conventions of a music magazine contents page, it is neat and organized and easy for my readers to navigate. I have also used relevant images for my contents page that I have taken myself. I have taken one of my images outside in a woodland area, to try to re-create the powerful image of the 4 men in ‘Q’ magazine.

Whilst creating my double page spread, I took inspiration from 4 different examples from music magazines (which are shown in the slide after), I have taken and incorporated sections of my work from each, which I felt worked best with the style of music magazine I have created.

Highlighted codes and conventions of my double page spread.

Mast head

I added a play on words here, taken from the Nicki Minaj Double page spread in NME.

Sub heading

Drop capital

Intro to interview

Highlighted text boxes to show when questions are being asked

Page numbers

Artist album release date

Way for fans to interact with artist using social media

Website address

Photographer name

ArtistDirect address

Pull quote

In my opinion, I think my double page spread is successful and works with the genre of music magazine I have picked. My double page spread follows a large majority the codes and conventions of a professional music magazine. I have used the same artist/model for my double page spread and my cover image, as I found after studying music magazines in depth many magazines would include the celebrity on the cover as their main interview article.