In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The picture is a close up shot and the model/celebrity is making direct eye contact with the camera so it seems she is engaging with the reader.

Instead of having a list of articles this cover consists of a list of popular artists that are featured within the magazine. This coincides with the magazines bold image and shows the articles relating to them are significant as they're positioned on the left hand side of the cover. This is typical because in some shops this is the only part of the magazine you would see on the display, so by showing a range of artists names from different genres it should aim to attract a wide range of readers

Typically the price is £4.00 and its positioned with the barcode underneath the masthead so it blends in. The text of the price seems very small in comparison because it could be viewed as expensive.

The recognisable masthead ‘Q’ is simple but bold as its surrounded with a red background and has the largest font on the cover

The masthead is at the top left hand corner as this is the most important feature on the front and this is direction in which people read.

The tagline is positioned at the top of the magazine so its one of the first features to catch the readers eye. Its used as a self advertisement for the magazine to show its exclusivity and therefore entice people to buy it.

There is a clear house style using three colours (Red, black and white). These compliment the masthead and the clothing/makeup of the model to keep consistency.

All the artists names featured are written using capital letters to show their importance/relevance because it is a music magazine, therefore they should stand out.

Instead of directly writing the questions asked and the specific answers given, when relaying the interview the reporter cleverly adds the occasional quote from the artist and blends the questions into the article so the interview doesn't appear stilted.

The red, black and white colour scheme which the cover and contents page stick to is maintained and matches the ‘Q’ logo. This acts as a form of branding and a constant reminder to the audience what magazine they’re reading.

The artists name is in larger font than the article itself as it’s the most important feature and it needs to stand out. It also links to the image and is in the same font as on the front cover therefore it continues the house style.

The article is evenly spread over three columns and the font size is small so the article can fit on a double page spread and each word fits fully on a line as using hyphens would make it more difficult to read.

The page number is crucial as on the contents page the story has been linked to it, in order to help the reader navigate to where they want in the magazine. It also shows the magazine is established as it has more than 47 pages which means it must contain a lot of features.The date is included so that the reader

is aware when the magazine was published and therefore when the celebrity was interviewed.

The web address has been included so the reader can visit the website to find out more about this article and others in the magazine. They may also want to subscribe to the magazine if they’ve found the feature interesting.

Using a enlarged letter defines the start of a new topic/time period and because it is larger than the other font it draws the readers eye to its significance. In addition its in serif font to maintain the house style as this is the font used for her name (the title).

The photo is with the artist close up (medium close up shot) and with her looking directly into the camera. This acts as though she’s engaging with the audience.

By editing the picture in black and white it maintains the house style of the magazine and allows the ’q’ logo and enlarged red ’L’ to stand out more.

The image takes up a whole A4 page spread and is positioned on the left side which shows it’s the focus of the feature as people read from left to right.

Barcode and price is small so that its suitable for purpose but doesn’t distract or put off customers from buying the magazine.

House style of three main colours (red, white and black) is maintained throughout each page to coordinate with the Masthead. However the colour of the artists shirt (pink) is and exception to this generic convention. I chose this because it gave him more provenance on the page when having text and other images layered over him.

Instead of using ellipsis to draw in customers to the main cover story like on the Cheryl Cole cover I’ve analysed. I included a quote from the artists interview. The quote I chose was a controversial rhetorical question, so that customers would be intrigued and therefore enticed to read the whole story.

The bold tag line gives my magazine a sense of prestige as its being ranked out of the whole of the UK. Also by mentioning the product is new it will catch the eye of a wider range of people willing to read it for the first time.

Although I did just state some popular artists names to encourage their fans to the magazine. Unlike the one from my research, for most of my feature headings I’ve included extra detail so that the reader knows what to expect. This information is in a smaller or contrasting text colour so the crucial part of the article is easily differentiated.

The use of a medium close up shot enables the artist to maintain eye contact with the camera which acts as though he’s engaging with the customer. Also in contrast to the previous cover from my research, it clearly shows his upper body language. This loosening of tie shown, carefully ties in with music genre this artist represents which is the cool and collected sector that is R&B.

The Masthead and main features are all positioned according to the left hand third rule, which is typical of magazines, as that’s the direction in

which people read. Also the Masthead is the largest of all the text, in order to show its importance.

The artist isn’t directly in the middle of the page like you would usually see on a magazine cover. But I made the adjustment from this generic convention in order to carry out another. I felt it was more important and professional looking to make sure text was layered on top of the main image to give the cover more flow. If I hadn’t of moved the image slightly to the right the text would have covered the artists face making it unreadable.

The Masthead continues to be in largest font on the page to reinstate its provenance. Its also followed by the title ‘contents’ as this shows the read what the page entails.

Colour is crucial on this page as it helps clearly separate the feature from the page it is present on. In addition, to differentiate these even further for the reader, the article information is indented slightly in from where the page number is.

Most contents pages only have one or two images which are of the artist in the main article. However I challenged this convention by including a picture of a second artist/group so that my magazine appealed to a greater audience and was more appealing on the eyes. Obviously though the focus still remained on Matthew Force like on the front page as his image is significantly bigger.

The main contents page image usually contradict that on the front cover. The artist is looking away from the camera and a medium to long shot is used so that they can show off their outfit and physique.

The grey gradient background is consistent with the front cover along with the house style used. And when layering a page number over an image I ensured it was a completely different/opposite colour, so it could be easily read and understood by readers.

In both previous contents pages I analysed all the features were positioned on the left hand side. I followed this rule to an extent but to make my main article (interview) stand out even further I put it alone on the right side as a sign of its significance.

Instead of directly writing the questions asked and the specific answers given, when relaying the interview the reporter cleverly adds the occasional quote from the artist and blends the questions into the article so the interview doesn't appear staged or stilted.

Usually the title of an interview is a quote from that artist or just their name. To give my product originality I used a play on words using his name ‘force’ in order to create an insight of the artists personality. In turn I hoped this would dramatize the article more, leaving the audience with a cliff hanger to keep reading.

The image takes up a whole A4 sheet on the left of the double page spread because the artist is what the interview is all about and people read from left to right so its automatically where their eyes are drawn.

I was able to fit my interview perfectly within three columns like the majority of real life magazine do. I even made room at the bottom to advertise and share links to the artists work as in the real world most interviews/articles are carried out to promote either a tour, album etc.

The bottom of the page holds a few generic conventions. Firstly the SOLO logo is positioned in the corner of both pages, this reinforces the brand name and provenance. Also the page number is included in a contrasting colour. This makes it clear for readers to navigate through the magazine. Finally I made sure the website address was present, as most music magazines like rolling Stone are global, so this makes the magazine accessible to a wider more diverse audience.