1. In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge

forms and conventions of real media products?

The layout of both front covers are busy with one main image of the main that is going to attract the target audience and secondary images around it.

Masthead is across the top of the page, however is underneath the skyline. Both use superimposition, this shows the institution is well recognisable to the point that the artists on the cover is more important and can cover it.

Bright colours to represent the happy, upbeat and lively pop lifestyle and music. Also well as ‘girly’ colours, like pink to appeal to the target audience, but also blue to appeal to the secondary audience of teenage boys.

The features and stories are stereotypically ‘girly’ as this is the primary audience both magazines want to attract. Most pop magazines have stories on celeb gossip, boys and fashion, to attract teenage girls as they can relate to those stories (personal identity – ‘uses and gratifications’ theory).

A flash is included on both to make the audience they are gaining something from buying the magazine.

Bar code is place in a unconventional place; as is usually place in the corner, like is most other pop magazines

Image of the front cover with numbers and arrows pointing to the main stories, this allows the audience to jump straight to the main stories if they wish to.

Stories formed into categories so the audience can pick and chose what they want to read, adhering to the ‘pick and mix’ theory by David Gauntlett.

Secondary images with numbers placed over the top so the audience can jump to them if they wish.

Colloquial language to appeal to the target demographic, E mainly female students along with the house-style (easy to follow) and colour code(bright colours, and main colour pink) to appeal to the primary audience of girls.

Stories that appeal to the target audience and their ‘girly lifestyles, celeb gossip, fashion and boys.

‘Top of the Pops’ has not reference to a website address as where my magazine does to adhere to the social interaction strand of the ‘uses and gratifications’ theory.

Main picture covering the whole right page and secondary images breaking up the text, along with interview question to make there seem like there is less writing as the target audience (teenage girl) do not want read to much and would like to read something quick and easy.

Language is informal and colloquial to appeal to the audience as they prefer for the text to be easy to read and understand. Also it is more engaging as it makes them feel as if they were there at the interview.

Pull quote engages the reader as they want to find out more about what their favourite artists (Role models to them –personal identity strand of ‘uses and gratification’ theory) has to say about the certain topic.

Subheading is engaging for the audience as well as it gives them more idea of what the interview is about, in this cases fame, music and boys (Remix) and relationships (Top of the Pops), these topics are engaging for the target audience as they can relate to them.

Saying exclusive draws the audience in as they believe no-one else has this information.

My magazine adhere to the codes and conventions of pop magazines as it uses bright colours, is busy and is represented as a happy, lively and upbeat magazine, this reflects the style of pop music itself, as well as the lifestyle of most pop artists.

However, I have also incorporated multi-genre music, by using a black filter on the image of 'Young Diamonds' and used black and purple colours on one of the artists from "Friends and Arguments" story. The 'Young Diamonds' are the equivalent to

'Bastille' who are a indie rock band, and one of the artists from "Friends and Arguments" story represent the more rock artist, however, due to the fact that is it

heavily pop I wanted most of my artists to be pop.

I have also used a usually layout, as most pop magazine are unconventional in terms of their layout. For example they do not necessarily put the bar code where it is

conventional or practical, but where they can fit it. Again the contents page is busy and has a lot going, this represents the busy, upbeat pop lifestyle and appeals to my audience as they are young adults who are interested in pop and therefore

quite lively themselves. In addition, I have included a full page image on the right side my double page spread as this fits in with the codes and conventions of both pop and multi-genre magazines. I have also included both a secondary image and

made my interview questions bold to break up the text, this appeals to the audience as they believe there is less to read than there actually is. Again this

adheres to the codes and conventions of both pop and multi-genre magazine, as they have a demographic of students or working class (E) and therefore will not

want to read a lot or anything to complicated. Therefore, I also made sure that the language was simple, colloquial and easy to read.

Moreover, I have also included interesting flashes for example the heart on the front page as well as the contents page, I used this as it

appeals to the audience more as it stands out due to it not just being a circle and also links with their 'girly' lifestyle, which the majority of

my target audience will have, as this is stereo-typically the type of audience that will listen to pop. This is also why I have used the

colour pink a lot (stereo-typical a girls colour) and stories about the latest make-up and fashion. This also adheres to the conventions of pop magazines as all the pop magazines I had analysed had some

story about fashion or make-up and some multi-genre magazines also include this, although tend to show a wider range of fashion, instead

of just 'girly' fashion.

Finally, I have included the price on the front cover, the web address on every page and have decided to release my magazine every fortnight.

These all adhere to the convention of pop magazines as they are usually priced between £1-£2 and mine is £1.50. They are often also released every fortnight, this appeals to the audience as they cannot afford anything too expensive and what to know the latest gossip as soon as possible (due to their 'girly' lifestyle). Also including a web

address is conventional as many magazine, especially pop magazine, have online magazines or websites featuring stories from the

magazine, due to their young audience, who like using technology. This also adheres to the 'social interaction' strand of Blumler and

Katz's 'uses and gratifications' theory.