Question 1: In what ways does your media

product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products?PUFF

MASTHEAD

SKYLINE

STRAPLINE FRONT COVER

CONTENTS PAGE

DOUBLE PAGE

SPREAD

MAIN IMAGE

COVER LINES

My media product; music magazine follows many common conventions of a real music magazine. Along with research and inspiring real-life magazines I was able to recreate many features I wished to use within my own

magazine. Throughout the process of annotating music magazine I learned how each feature can have an impact on the audience and so I was very aware of how to layout certain features of the magazine. Firstly, this Q magazine front

cover is one of the magazines I analysed as part of my research task. When comparing the two front covers it is clear I have challenged the use of text background to make the coverlines

more attractive and readable for the audience. This feature is very common on magazines as it prevents the background or main image blocking the text. I did use different colours for these however; this was in order to

follow the house style of my magazine.

My contents page and double page spread are very different from the contents and dps of this Q magazine. I used NME’s magazine to inspire me with these pages as I felt they were more attractive and I felt I could recreate

them much better. This is the contents page I challenged to recreate – as you can see I used the form of columns and ‘the moment that’

as a feature in my music magazine. I believe my contents page has reflected this one well and so through the use of real forms of this media product I have been able to recreate it.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Masthead is at the top of the page – this masthead is

positioned in the corner not in the centre however.

Main article heading positioned in front of main

image at the bottom of page.

Coverlines displayed in a coloured background.

Skyline claiming to be the biggest music magazine.

Barcode on front cover – not in usual conventional position

however.

Masthead – on top of page to ensure the reader is attracted. The masthead on this contents page is quite different from the

usual conventions of a masthead on a contents page

as it reads ‘this week’ not ‘contents’.

Columns – these columns are down the side of the page with a text background to highlight

the heading.

Front cover image – contents pages usually have a

screenshot of the front cover along with a competition

quote.

Page numbers – most important to guide the reader

to the articles within the magazine. these page numbers

are in red and so are noticeable for the audience to

read.

Images – these images go well with the house style of the

magazine and they are colour co-ordinated with each other.

Images will attract the audience.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

COMMON CONVENTIONS

This dps does not have a common conventional masthead – instead the

masthead is over the image.

Pulled quotes – this pulled quote is quite long for the common dps pulled quote

Small image at the bottom of the page – instead I have

included a different feature (twitter column).

Skyline – this skyline reads that this magazine is the biggest in UK and

Ireland; this is a common convention of

music magazines claiming to be the

‘biggest’ or the ‘best’.

Masthead – at the top of the page and

colours are attractive. This masthead has

symbolic meanings to music which helps

audience realise it is a music magazine.

Coverlines – coverlines displaying

the articles within the music magazine are a common convention

of all types of magazines including

music.

Artists name – this has been displayed below

the image and in larger writing than the rest of the text. This is very like the exemplar front cover previous.

Bar code – the bar code has to be displayed on the front cover; this is why I have included the bar

code here.

Social media – a newer convention that music magazines now have

which I decided to include.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Masthead – like the example contents page I put my

masthead at the top of the page as I feel this convention of a music magazine is one

that must be followed.

Columns – again, I used the example piece to recreate the structure of my contents page, it is very different from

my flat plans that I had planned to use

however I felt this layout was more

professional.

COMMON CONVENTIONS

Competition

Page numbers

Date and issue number Two images like the example contents page – I used two

landscape images.

Pulled quotes – this is important to use in a double page spread as it attracts the reader to

interesting text of the artist and so therefore the reader will want to read the article.

COMMON CONVENTIONSMasthead at top of page. Small blurb introducing the article.

One main image on the dps – the image is bigger than most

magazine images.

Page numbers .