EVALUATION

QUESTION 1: IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,

DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

FRONT COVERMASTHEADSTRAP LINE

FLASH

COVER LINES

MAIN IMAGE

FEATURES

PULL QUOTE

ANCHOR TEXT

TAG LINE

TAG LINE

'EXCLUSIVE' – engages audience, provides exclusivity, text has influence – The effects model – buzz word 'exclusive' – exclusivity is informing on the unknown (uses and grats)

I placed the tag line at the top of the front cover which is a convention I found in magazines such as NME, Rolling Stone and Q.

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MASTHEADLarge – blue on grey background – eye-catching – bold – capital letters – stands out – brand awareness – placed at the top of page to abide by common conventions – located typically in centre, easy to detect – behind image, shows the importance of artist.

Magazines that follow these conventions are :

STRAP LINEI used the common convention of a strapline on the front cover, usually underneath the masthead – stands out – informing (uses and grats) acts as an introductory headline to the magazine.

Other magazines that use this convention are Q and NME

FLASH

Flash of information – keeps within the house style – stands out – informative (uses and grats) '1st Issue' – entices audience because it's new (hypodermic needle model)

Magazines that follow this convention are NME and Q

COVERLINESEntices audience, want to find answers inside – informing – uses and grats – hypodermic needle – powerless to resist finding out more. Differentiation in font size and colour, separates text

Magazines that use similar conventions are NME & Q

MAIN IMAGEMid-shot, uncommon convention – allows more of costume to be shown, similar to fashion magazines, appeals to females more. Singular artist (conventional) – direct mode of address – connects artist and audience – personal relationship (Uses and grats). In front of masthead – artist prominent on page, light background – artist stands out. Artist not provocative – defiant facial expression – not objectified, standing her ground – challenges male gaze (Laura Mulvey)

Magazines challenging male gaze

FEATURESInsight into features – informative, entices audience (uses and grats) links to house style, right positioning, altered colours to separate, not main selling point – smaller font – contrasts against background Magazines that use this convention are Rolling Stone, Q and NME

ANCHOR TEXTName – entices fans – anchors image – insight into main article – bold – shadowed – stands out against image – encourages fans to buy – links with house style

The majority of magazines follow this convention

PULL QUOTE/MAIN COVER LINE

Common convention made to contrast against image and anchor text – stands out – links to house style – what's 'all on her' – creates hermeneutic question – hypodermic needle – powerless to find out more – position beneath anchor text to show connection

between the two

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The majority of magazines follow this convention

CONTENTSDate/Issue Number

Features

Images

Editor's Note

Numbering

Social Media

Columns

DATE/ISSUE NUMBER & COLUMNS

Show recent information – informative (uses and grats) – regular readers kept up to date – positioned top right for first viewing – contrasts so stands out but smaller font – less important

Common convention – split into 2 columns – framed perception for professional finish – not crowded or overlapping

Magazines that follow this convention

Magazines that use variations of this convention

FEATURESBold feature title – eye catching – short & simple – contrasting font size and colour – breaks down text – easy navigation – 1st left column, conventional placement. Short description of feature – entices reader – informative (uses and grats). Variety of features – entices all. Alternating colour blocks – breaks up text – easier navigation

Magazines that use this convention: Rolling Stone & Q

SOCIAL MEDIA & NUMBERING

I didn't see this convention in any of my research however, as my target audience is between the ages of 16-20 I thought the addition of social media links was necessary as it allows the magazine to relate with the target demographics. As it encourages the audience to get involve it creates a personal relationship (uses and grats)

Large & bold – stands out – easy navigation – meets young audience – allows shortcuts – convenient – links with feature/image – informing about what's on page (uses and grats) – links to house style

Magazines that use this convention include Billboard, Q and Rolling Stone

EDITOR'S NOTESimilarly to the social media links, I never found this in my research. However as it's the first issue of my magazine I thought it was important to establish a personal relationship between the reader and the editor (uses and grats). As well as this I've found that in quite a few fashion magazines (which have a predominately female audience) there is an editors note, hopefully, adding this feature will help attract my female target audience.

IMAGES

Two images – variety – direct mode of address – creates personal relationship with reader (uses and grat) – same age as target audience – able to relate to them – no overlapping – organised – One bigger than the other – shows importance (cover artist)

Q uses these conventions

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

Image

Pull Quote

Columns

Drop Cap

Month & Page

Text

Anchor Text

Website

LAYOUT

I used the convention commonly used by Q magazine and had the whole left page of the double page spread taken up by the image. This is because I wanted the image to be the most intriguing and important part of the spread. The article is on the right page and is laid out with three columns to stop it from looking messy and overcrowded.

Q tend to use this layout

ANCHOR TEXT

Anchors name to image – introduces article – entices fans – informative (uses and grats) – bold – keeps to

house style

Other magazines that use this convention are Q and NME

TEXT & DROP CAPCommon convention of Q&A layout – variations in font size and colour – separates paragraphs – 'Calibri' font – simple and realistic – black stands out on white – blue questions link with house style

Introduces article – bold – stands out – entices audience to read

Magazines that use this convention include Q, NME and Rolling Stone

PULL QUOTES

Insight into the rest of the article – creates questions – entices readers (uses and grats)

Magazines that use this convention include Q and NME

IMAGE

Full A4 page – body shot – no direct mode of address – unconventional – lack of facial expression and eye contact creates hermeneutic question, who is she? – entices readers – powerless to resist finding out more (hypodermic needle model)

COLUMNS, MONTH & PAGE

Article neatly arranged – 3 columns – looks organised and professional – large 'A' stands out and entices readers

Q magazine regularly uses this convention

Bottom right hand corner – informative – links with contents – visible but not the main text

Q magazine and Rolling Stone follow this convention

WEBSITE

Bottom left hand corner – reinforces brand awareness – allows reader to find out more – regular typography – small

font – not main text

Other magazines that follow this convention are Q and Rolling Stone

WEBSITE

Bottom left hand corner – reinforces brand awareness – allows reader to find out more – regular typography – small

font – not main text

Other magazines that follow this convention are Q and Rolling Stone

HOUSE STYLEMy house style of blue, white, black and grey runs throughout the magazine and challenges the conventional red, black and white. I did this as the common conventional house style seems to attract males more than females. I chose my house style as it's less 'in your face' and a bit more delicate. It appeals more to females without it being stereotypically feminine.