Media Evaluation Question-

In what ways does your media product use,

develop or challenge forms and conventions of real

media products?

By Komal Mahmood

Magazine

front

cover

Double

page

spread

Contents

page

My media product uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions of

real media products because my magazine cover, contents page and

double page spread has the same generic conventions as existing

magazine covers, for example when I was researching existing magazine

covers I looked at what the magazine covers had and what I needed to

include in my magazine cover to ensure that it looks realistic and that it

can be a magazine that can be sold in shops. When researching existing

magazine covers I looked at the detail, for example I looked at the size of

strap lines, the type of font that was used in the strap lines and I made

sure that I included these features in my magazine so it looked realistic.

Introduction- Magazine

Front Cover

The magazine that I looked at and followed as a template

was ‘Billboard’ magazine because it reflected the type of

genre of magazine that I was creating which was pop. I

looked at some of the features of ‘Billboard’ magazine and I

made sure that some of these features were included in my

magazine. For example in ‘Billboard’ magazine I looked at

the strap lines, typography and the colors used and I made

sure I included some of these features in my magazine.

‘Billboard’ magazine

On my magazine front cover I have included strap lines and the font is

the same through out the magazine so it looks professional and realistic.

I have also included a kicker in my magazine because when I was looking

at existing magazine covers most of them had kicker’s including

‘Billboard’ magazine; a kicker is one of the feature that makes people

buy the magazine because the kicker is bold and stands out and the first

thing that people see on a magazine is a kicker so the kicker has to be

interesting so people will buy it. The kicker on my magazine is ‘princess

of pop’, the kicker is in bold and it is gold which stands out and this is the

first thing that people will see when they look at the magazine; this is a

generic convention of a magazine because when you look at the kicker it

gives you some idea about what the magazine is going to be about.

Kicker

Another feature that I noticed in ‘Billboard’ magazine was that

the model was covering some of the masthead; I included this in

my magazine because it shows the magazine is well known, and in

most existing magazines that I analysed and looked at this was

the case. Another generic convention that all magazines contain is

the issue number, issue date and the barcode; I added these key

features on my magazine as well.

Websites

Issue numberPrice

Issue date

Barcode

Model is covering

the mast head

Issue date, issue

number and

barcode

Kicker is bolder

and bigger than

the strap lines

Strap lines are small, which makes the

magazine look realistic and professional

Big number ‘4’

to show the

importance of

something

Big number

’40’

On the contents page I have included the same colors as the

front cover this is because it will show the contents page and the

front cover are linked, the magazine contents pages that I

researched had the same colors as the cover page, which shows

that they are linked and it also makes it look realistic as well.

Contents Page

Same colour

scheme

I made my contents page look simple yet realistic

because my priority was to make the information

clear so the audience can read the magazine

without any trouble.

Contents page is simple

because there is not

too much and colour

and it is easy to read.

I included one picture in the contents page where the model is putting

her finger on her lips; when the reader sees the picture of the model

they will instantly want to read it because the image connotes that there

is exclusive and top secret gossip inside, which will make the reader want

to read more. The reader will also want to know more about the picture

and what it means which will make the reader want to read more and

find out more about the exclusive and top secret gossip.

Model has her finger on her

lips, to show there is top secret

gossip and this magazine will

offer you music gossip and

information that no other

music magazine can.

On the contents page the numbers and the writing are in different

colors which appeals more to the reader because the information is

organised and it is not all over the place which makes the reader want

to read the magazine because it is neatly set out and easier to locate.

The page numbers and

writing are in different

colours, which looks

more organised.

On the bottom of the contents page I have included the page number, the

website of the magazine and the slogan of the magazine which is

‘twentyfour seven pop music & goss’, this makes the magazine more

appealing and interesting for the reader because it shows gossip and

information about pop music and celebrities is constantly being

monitored so people can read it. When I was doing research into

magazine contents pages I saw that the magazine website is always on the

contents page or the double page spread of the magazines, this could be

so the reader is aware that if they want more information they can always

go to the website and find out more information and gossip.

Slogan of music

magazine

Website of

the magazine Page number

Information is easy to read

and it is organised

Colours are the same as

the front cover

Page number and

website of the magazine

The double page spread of my magazine uses, develops and challenges

forms and conventions of real media products because I researched

various double page spreads of magazines and the feature that was

common in most magazine double page spreads was that they either had

writing in columns on one side of the page and a picture on the other

side, and on most music magazine double page spreads there was usually

one picture and columns or paragraphs of writing and usually the writing

is about an interview with a singer which I have done in my magazine

double page spread.

Double Page Spread

Writing in

columns

One picture

on one side

of the double

page spread

I have also included the same colors as I did on the front cover and

contents page of the magazine to show that the double page spread is

linked to the cover and contents page and when you see the double page

spread you will know that it belongs to this magazine because of the

colors.

Same colour schemes

The double page spread is simple yet realistic because the existing

magazine that I researched had a simple layout so the information

and pictures were not all over the place, it had a set layout to it and I

have done the same in my double page spread. When I was

researching double page spreads I looked at the smallest details, for

example the first word is always bold and sometimes a different

color and I have included these features in my magazine double page

spread so it will look realistic and professional.

First number/word is the

different colour from the rest of

the writing.

In the middle of the double page spread I included a quote from the

artist, this shows that this is the most important statement by the

artist because it is in the centre of the page; when I was doing my

research I found out that the quote from the artist is always in the

middle of the page and it is also bigger and bolder than the other

writing; this is because the quote is the most important and

interesting part of the magazine and when the reader sees the page

they will see the quote first and then they will read the rest of the

writing.

Quote from the artist

in the middle of the

page

On the bottom of the page I have included the page number and the

website of the magazine which gives the magazine double page spread a

professional and realistic touch. I have included only one picture on the

double page spread because then everyone can see that this artist is the

main focus in the magazine. I have added some editing to the picture so I

end with this framed effect. I have done this because it looks effective and

it is something different that stands out from other magazines. On the

double page spread I have also included a gutter which is key a feature in

magazines.

Page number and the

website of the music

magazine

Writing is in columnsPage number and

websiteEdited image so it stands out from

other magazine double page

spreads

Quote from

artist

Colours are the same as the front cover and contents page

of the magazine

Gutte

r

How does your media product represent particular social

groups?

My magazine represents particular social groups because the

magazine is for teenagers and younger adults which are boys and

girls aged 15-22 and this magazine represents them because at that

age teenagers want to become someone and they are thinking

about their careers; and in this magazine it shows and tells people

about new singers and artists that are the similar age as them and

then teenagers will look up at these new artists as role models and

idols and they will want to pursue what they have done in their

lives.

Model is the same age as

the people who the

magazine is aimed at. This

is because of the clothes

she wears and how she

looks.

‘Valor’ magazine represents teenagers and younger adults because ‘valor’

means bravery and courage, this means that the new artists that are

mentioned in the magazine have courage and are brave enough to come

out to the world and show the world their music and style which is what

many teenagers around the world want to do. The magazine represents

particular social groups because it brings everyone together no matter

how they dress or what they believe in to pursue one thing which is to

follow their dream and to express themselves, just like new artists that are

mentioned in the magazine.

The media institution that will distribute the magazine would be Bauer

Media, this is because it has over eighty influential media brands and it

reaches to nineteen million people worldwide, so if my magazine was

being distributed by Bauer Media then people will start looking in to it

and reading it because they will know it will be interesting and good

because it distributes other well known and good music magazines like

‘kerrang!’ magazine. There is also a gap in the market for the magazine I

have made, because Bauer media does not have a magazine that is

aimed at both teenagers and adults and is a pop magazine and not just a

rock or hip-hop magazine.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media

product and why?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The target audience of the magazine are teenagers’ that are boys and

girls aged 15-22 and I wanted to use language that they use and

understood. On the front cover of my magazine and double page

spread I used some slang and colloquial language, for example ‘Brit’ and

‘cus, yeh, buds, woah’. This suggests that if I used long and sophisticated

words that older adults mainly use then most 15 or 16 year olds

wouldn’t understand them or even if they did they would find the

magazine boring and they wouldn’t read it, adding some slang into the

magazine makes it more interesting for them.

The ways that I attracted the audience to buy the magazine was that I

made the magazine clear so it was not over crowded but I also made sure

that it was not too plain as well.

How did you attract/address your audience?

Magazine is not too

overcrowded with words or

pictures

The image on the front cover of the magazine is bigger than the writing

and everything else on the front cover of the magazine because when

people buy the magazine the first thing that they will see is the image

and if the image interests them then they will read everything else in

the magazine. I also noticed this in other magazines that I analysed; the

image is the key selling point so I made sure that I included this in my

magazine.

The image stands out than the

straplines. So when people first see the

magazine they will see the image first,

and then they will read the straplines.

On the front cover of the magazine the model has eye contact with the

reader, so when the reader looks at the magazine they will feel like they

instantly have to read the magazine because the information and gossip

will interest them and it is for them. The eye contact of the model will

make the reader feel as if this magazine is for them and they are special

enough to have it and read the exclusive interviews and gossip.

In my magazine ‘Valor’ and

‘Billboard’ magazine both models

have eye contact with the reader.

The reason why I made my contents page simple was that I wanted the

reader to feel like they can locate the pages easily, I did not want to put

too much pictures and writing everywhere because then It will look

crowded and the reader will be put off by it. Thus if the contents page is

simple yet realistic It will appeal to the reader to have a look inside the

magazine and read it more.

Contents page is easy to locate

The magazine is not

overcrowded with lots of

pictures or text

The image is bigger than

everything else on the magazine.

It’s the first thing people will see.

Eye contact

The contents page is not

overcrowded, people reading it can

easily follow it. If there was a lot of

text on the contents page it may have

put the audience off reading it.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of

constructing this product?

While I was constructing the magazine I learnt many new skills that

I never knew before, one of the key things I learnt was how to use

Photoshop; while I was constructing the product I learnt new things

about Photoshop and step by step I developed my skills even further

and learnt more things about Photoshop that I never knew before.

I have learnt various things from the technologies while constructing

the product, for example I have learnt more about Photoshop and how

to use the tools to make something look professional and realistic.

While I was constructing the product I learnt many skills about how to

make a magazine look realistic, I also learnt that the smallest details

count like you have to add a gutter and the font size and colour is a

key feature to make your magazine look realistic and professional.

Gutter

Colour Font size

When I was doing my preliminary task I did not know much

about Photoshop, so I did not know how to use certain affects

or how to make a magazine look realistic and professional.

While I was doing the preliminary task I learnt more about

Photoshop and I also learnt how I can make a magazine look

realistic. When I was doing the preliminary task I made many

mistakes that made my magazine look unrealistic, for

example I over crowded the magazine with strap lines and I

also made them big which looked unrealistic.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you

have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Overcrowded

Straplines are big and

they take over most of

the page, which looks

unrealistic

When I was doing the research on music magazines I found out that

strap lines are small and they do not go across the magazine, I made

sure I will make the strap lines smaller when I was doing the music

magazine. I also added too much colour to the magazine so it looked

unrealistic; when I was doing my music magazine I added less color

so it will look realistic.

Straplines are too big

Too much colour and it is

overcrowded

On the preliminary task magazine cover I added a lot of pictures and on

the contents page as well, I put a lot of pictures and colors in, when I

was doing my research I found out that less is more and most

magazines have less color and pictures on the front cover and contents

page which makes them look realistic.

Too much pictures makes

the magazine front cover

and contents page look

unrealistic

After I had done my preliminary task and research I made

sure that I will not make the mistakes that I did and I will

take everything into account about what I learnt about

magazine covers in my research for example making the

strap lines smaller. My pop music magazine is better and

improved than the school magazine because I knew more

about Photoshop so I was able to use more tools and while I

was doing my research on existing magazine covers I made

sure that I would make the magazine look realistic and

professional by looking at my preliminary task and picking

out the mistakes that I made and how that made the

magazine look unrealistic and so I improved that certain

part that was unrealistic.

Strap lines are going

across the page and filling

up the page which makes

the front cover of the

magazine look crowded

Too much colour

Everything is

overcrowded and

squashed together

Too much pictures

No page

number