Question 1

1
Forms and Conventions
QUESTION 1 In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
2
FRONT COVER
Selling Line
Masthead
Banner
Date Line with price
Secondary Lead
Bar Code
Graphic feature with Plug
Direct mode of address
Kickers
Feature Article Photo
Menu Strip
Headline
Mise-en-scene
Anchorage (quote)
3
The masthead is in the top left of the magazine
which is an important convention on front
covers. I used the rule of thirds so that my
eyes were positioned in the top middle section of
the front cover. This is a common convention
seen in many magazines.
I made sure their was a flow of text around the
head, but left the middle section text
free. This emphasises the rose, and balances the
colours. The colours are also balanced because
there is the use of red in each section of the
front cover.
The anchorage links to the feature article photo
because it was based on a Pop artist. This refers
to breaking the label Indie Rock.
4
My magazine challenges the forms and conventions
of real media products. One of them being that my
bar code is placed in the top left third of the
front cover. This is an unusual place for a bar
code on a front cover, they are usually placed
in the bottom left or right, however it works
well with my overall page layout. My bar code,
however, contains the month and year that the
magazine was released, along with the price,
which is seen on most bar codes. As you can see
from these bar codes, they are usually placed in
the bottom left or right of the front cover.
5
My magazine uses some forms and conventions of
real media products. One of the being that the
masthead is placed in the top left of the front
cover it is also the biggest font on the page.
This is seen in almost ALL magazine front covers.
I made sure there was a balance of text on both
sides. This is because the majority magazines are
balanced when it comes to the front cover. I also
tried to make the text flow around the face so
that the feature article photo was not disrupted
by any text almost all magazines never put text
over a models face.
Emphasis of Imagine Dragons band merchandise
because of the silver grey plug.
6
I also had colour influence on my front cover. I
used the red colour, from the rose, throughout my
magazine. This is because red is a colour widely
associated with Indie Rock. The repetition of
this colour helps maintain the house-style.
I also took the grey/blue colour for the plug,
from the whites of my eyes.
The contrast between the red and the black
creates interest.
There is use of alignment the rose and name
Heather Rose.
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I also used the repetition of the fonts Minion
Pro and Monotype Corsiva to help maintain the
house style. I made use of space by making sure
their was no dead space on my front cover. It is
typical for Indie Magazines such as NME to have a
very busy and cluttered front cover.
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DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Leading Text
Section Header (Same text as masthead)
Dropped Capital
Pop of Colour (Same colour as Rose on front cover)
Columns (With the body text)
Borders / Dividers (I made the top divider
thinner to show that the leading text is relevant
to the article, and the bottom divider thicker to
show a definite end to the article)
Text flows around image
Background Photo (I made it black and white so
that it suited the genre Indie Rock)
9
My double page spread uses some forms and
conventions of real media products. One being
that the article text flows around the background
image. This is seen on all magazines where the
picture is placed over the article. I also cut
out the model from the background so that the
text was written on black paper, but my guitar
could still overlap to the next age.
As you can see from the magazine on the right,
they have made the next flow around the model.
Comparing my text flow to theirs, there is
definitely room for me to improve. The text is
too close to the image, I needed to increase the
gap.
10
Another convention I used were boarders and
dividers.
As you can see from the images above, I made my
top divider smaller and the bottom one thicker.
This is a common thing in Q magazine. It shows a
connection from the leading text and the article,
but also balances the page. The thick line at the
bottom balances the big text at the top. Then
thin line at the top balances the lack of text at
the bottom. I also used a dropped capital which
is seen on 99 of all articles. It emphasises the
beginning of the article, and creates a contrast
from the rest of the text.
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CONTENTS PAGE
Issue and Dateline
Section Header
Web address
Pictorial insets (I made them black and
white to suit the genre Indie Rock, but also to
maintain the house style and link to the double
page spread background photo)
Page numbers
Section Headers
Main Feature (I used Photoshop to edit me in
the doorway and window of the abandoned house)
Signed Editorial with photograph
Numbered itemised list (In chronological
order)
Border / Divider
There is a clear split between the main
features/reviews and the regular features/editor
and win. This helps the page look more organised.
12
The most common convention of a magazines
contents page is of course the pictorial insets.
Therefore I had to include at least 3.
They are almost always numbered, and sometimes
named. Therefore, I decided to number and name
all of my pictorial insets. It makes it easier
for the reader to find the page they are looking
for.
As you can see from the image on the right, Q
magazine like to overlap their pictorial insets.
This is something I could do in the future to add
flow to the contents page and make it look more
professional.
13
I also made it easier for the reader to find what
page they are looking for by putting the page
numbers in chronological order underneath each
section header. This is a key convention found on
contents pages in all magazines. The images on
the left are from my contents page, and the
images of the right are from a Q magazines
contents page. As you can see, I took inspiration
from this contents page when creating my own.
What conventions you used and why you used them /
what effect they have. How you made use of the
space How you developed your house style in its
use of colours, graphic features and
branding. Flow Contrast Balance Emphasis Alignmen
t
I also used the same grey/blue colour from my eye
to colour the background of this box to help the
magazine flow and maintain the house style.