2. In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?
3. The genre of my music magazine is hip hop and R&B. My magazine was inspired by Vibe and Blender magazine. These magazines also have the same type of genre running through it. I also liked the way their front covers looked. They were plain and simple but they also looked professional. I think that you can tell what genre my magazine is by the font used for my master head and also the font used for ‘Casey-Jade’. I also think you can see what genre my magazine is by the way my model is posing and the way she looks by the clothes she is wearing.
4. My media products were a magazine, contents page and a double page spread for a music magazine. The master head for my magazine is called Record. I had many ideas on what to call the magazine from: Pulse, Beat, Record and sound. However I think that Record was a good choice because it was direct and had a clear link to music. The font I chose was strong and it also linked to the genre of my music magazine. To choose the colour of my font I made a page with different coloured fonts I then asked people to choose which colour popped out to them. The majority of people said that the black was better as it was bold and clear. My master head follows other magazines such as Vibe and Blender magazine. This is because they are all bold and they are also the same colour.
5. My front cover has followed conventions by using the rule of three when choosing colours. The colours I used where Pink, Black and White. I think the pink appeals to my female target audience. I used black and white so that the pink pops out but also the text that is black and white also pops out from the background colour. The font I used for my artist is quite feminine to appeal to my audience but then it also links to the genre of music that my magazine so it appeals to my audience. The font used for my cover lines is very simple so it pops out with the other text. However the colours used appeals to my target audience.
6. The model of my magazine has natural makeup and is smiling so she does not look ‘fake’. On the main cover she is wearing a leather jacket which gives her more of an edge. The way she is posing also gives her more ‘attitude’. I guided her to pose that way so she suits the genre of the music. I think that I challenged the conventions by using natural makeup-as most artists used are either air brushed or in fact do have a lot of make up on. Blender has a lot of make up used but Marie Claire has light make up something I tried to achieve.
7. I have also used the conventions of a real magazine by using a white background. I used a white background throughout the magazine this is because I think it looks professional. The white background also makes the model and text stand out. This is very similar to Blender magazine that also has a white background and also the same with some Vibe magazines. Also following the conventions of a real magazine I also made my artist is in front of the master head on my front cover. This again follows magazines like Blender magazine and Vibe.
8. My contents page also follows conventions of an existing magazine because of the contents used. For example I have used an editor’s note and I have also included a subscription box. To also follow the conventions of a contents page I also made the font and colours used in my contents page link to the front cover of my magazine. Another way I followed conventions is by adding even the small things such as showing the website of the magazine and also using headings. By adding headings it gives it more structure and it’s also easier for the reader to see what page is where.
9. I didn’t want to use a lot of pictures in my contents page because I wanted it to look simple and professional. My contents page is similar to Q’s contents page. As they too only use one or two pictures. The main picture on my contents page is of my artist standing in front of a white board. On the White board I wrote a quote of the magazine to give my audience a glimpse of what the double page actually contains. I also have an image of my friend because the use of one picture made it look to plain. Therefore using a picture of my friend makes my contents page look better.
10. The pictures I chose for my double page spread does follow conventions of a real double page spread. This is done because I used one main picture which is clearly shown and also gives direct address to the readers. I also followed the conventions by showing other pictures of the artist. In these pictures my artist is playing the guitar. I used the prop of the guitar to show another side of the artist. My Double page spread is similar to double page spreads used in the Top of the Pops magazine.
11. The layout of my front cover is that the image is in front of the master head this is because I the model is more important than the master head. I then arranged the cover lines around the image. To make my main story important I put it on the image as it does relate to the image. I also tried to make my main headline stand out so I used a different coloured font and place it in the middle. The layout of my contents page is that my pictures and text is separate. I then put the editors note below the pictures so everything is separate and it then has a clear structure. The layout of my double page spread is that the interview is grouped together. This makes it clear for the reader to read it because of the clear structure. I then have used a main picture to the side which is giving the direct contact to the reader. I then used pictures below the interview which shows another side of the artist. The name of the artist is the heading of the double page spread. It is on top of the page so you know what the interview is about. I then introduced the artist underneath so the reader knows what more about the artist and the interview.
12. How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups
13. My media product represents a girl who is friendly and not fake. We can see this through my main artist. She has natural make up and is smiling in all her pictures. She represents a normal social group. She is independent and hardworking because she has managed to get on top of the music industry on her own. My artist is similar to Rihanna as she too has quite natural make up and is smiling in her pictures which shows an friendly and independent person.
14. Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task (The School Magazine Task), What Do You Feel You Have Learnt In The Progression From It To Full Product
15. Overall from my Preliminary Task I have learnt more effects that I can do. For example I have used different fonts and have also dropped shadow to make the text stand out. My preliminary task is very simple with not many effects just one picture and text. The picture is also not very good and therefore have progressed with the main task However I have progressed and tried to fit everything around my genre and audience. I have spent more time and it my music magazine looks more professional.
16. I have also progressed in my contents page because I have used a variety of font not just one like I did in the preliminary task. I’ve also cut around the picture instead of just placing it on which makes it look more professional I've also added more content e.g.. Website and subscription box. However I do think that my contents page is weak for my music magazine maybe adding more pictures would have made it better and if a chance to improve it I would put more pictures on it.
