In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?On music magazine front covers such as Spin, NME and Q a large masthead stating the name of their magazine is boldly evident in the top left hand corner. I have used this technique on my magazine front cover – the large masthead ‘SOX’ is large and clear in the top left hand corner, therefore following the first obvious convention of a music magazine.
Eye contact from the artist on the front cover is something which is shown on all three of these popular music magazines so is a convention I particularly made sure I followed when capturing the image of the artist for my front cover – making sure she looked directly into the camera. This ensures an immediate connection with the audience; something which I feel is particularly important when trying to appeal to a specific audience. As well as this, on both NME and Spin magazine a medium/close-up to close-up is used to display the defined image of the artist. I used an OLYMPUS SP-600UZ, 12 mega pixel camera to ensure a reasonably high quality, professional looking image, therefore following this convention of a music magazine image.
A bar code including a date of the issue is a convention which appeared on both NME and Q magazine in the bottom right hand corners. I followed this convention by creating a bar code from scratch using Photoshop, adding a date and price of the issue and placing it in the bottom right hand corner of my front page. By following this convention it ensures my magazine looks as professional as possible.
Q magazine displays a teasing contents at the bottom of their front page and a splash/puff to advertise the inside of their magazine, attracting the audience. I followed these conventions and included a splash/puff and a teasing contents as an attempt to draw the audience in to buying the magazine as well as creating particular audience expectations about the inside content.
Both NME and Q magazine have sell lines underneath their mastheads – a typical convention in order to grab their audience and persuade them to buy. I used the sell line ‘ROCK THEM RIGHT OFF’ underneath my masthead to not only create some meaning behind the title ‘SOX’ but to also possibly create interest from the audience – the catchy, linking masthead and sell line may reach out to the teenage audience (being an almost humorous colloquial turn of phrase) and intrigue them into the magazine.
The Q magazine cover I looked at contained a large main cover line and smaller cover lines incorporating the main content of their magazine. I followed this convention and created the main cover line surrounding the main artist I looked at and smaller cover lines featuring smaller artist’s interviews; making my cover appear as professional as possible.
On contents pages such as Spin, NME and Q there is a clear ‘Features’ section containing particular popular artists that will be featured inside. I followed this convention and created a ‘Features’ section on my contents page; possibly attracting readers into reading the content because of the popular artists this section contains. Another convention on contents pages are ‘News’ and ‘Reviews’ sections – shown on an NME contents page. However, I challenged this convention and decided to include ‘Regulars’ and ‘Plus’ sections instead. This was simply because the ‘Features’ section included extra information (a brief outline of the story underneath each artist) that I felt shouldn’t be repeated in the ‘News’ and ‘Reviews’ conventional sections, therefore by creating the ‘Regulars’ and ‘Plus’ sections I ensured content information was not repeated.
NME magazine contains one large image and a smaller thumbnail image – this is a convention I followed; creating a smaller image to link it with the front cover and having one large image to dominate the page.
All of the contents pages I looked at (NME, Q, Spin, Kerrang!) contained numbers to advertise their pages without including the word ‘page’. I ensured I followed this convention by displaying the numbers clearly next to the content lines. This certifies that the audience can access the pages easily – an obvious convention of a music magazine contents page.
Some music magazine contents pages such as Kerrang! contain letters from the editor – considered a convention of a contents page. However, I challenged this convention and didn’t include an editor’s letter on my contents page. Instead, I found it more suitable to include an ‘On the cover’ section – creating a link with my front cover artist and the artist on my double page spread. Although not a typical convention, I found Spin magazine included this feature, providing useful information to their audience.
A typical convention of a double page spread article is a large image dominating an entire page – effectively used on all NME, Q and Spin music magazines. I followed this convention and made my artist’s image cover the entire left-hand side of the page. This may be a technique to draw the reader in to the article; immediately giving them information about the artist and their attitude (displayed in the image).
Both NME and RADAR magazine contain large headlines to introduce the article. This being a convention, I made sure I created a large headline ‘FRESH & FEARLESS’ to immediately link the attitude in the image to the article, further drawing the audience in to reading the content.
Although having a leading paragraph was not displayed as a convention in any music magazine articles I looked at, I found it to be a convention in newspaper articles such as The Daily Mail. I decided to include this convention in my music magazine article because I feel it introduces the article nicely, introducing the content effectively.
In a double page spread article by NME there is a photo credit beside the main image of the artist. This being a convention (it is important to give the photographer credit for their photography) I ensured I included photo credit next to my main image, making my image seem much more professional.
With a pull-quote being an article convention and displayed on RADAR magazine’s article, I created a pull quote in my double-page article. This is used as an attempt to draw the readers into my article; the pull quote will contain ‘juicy’ information from the interview spoken by the artist and will therefore intrigue them to read the entire content of the article.
A drop cap is used on all of the double page spread articles from music magazines that I looked at (NME, Q, Spin, RADAR, Kerrang!). Being a convention of double page articles, I created a drop cap in my hand-written article. By doing this, I am immediately drawing the audience into reading its content; with the first letter standing out so dramatically it brings the audience’s eyes to a point to start reading.
Eye contact from the artist on the front cover is something which is shown on all three of these popular music magazines so is a convention I particularly made sure I followed when capturing the image of the artist for my front cover – making sure she looked directly into the camera. This ensures an immediate connection with the audience; something which I feel is particularly important when trying to appeal to a specific audience. As well as this, on both NME and Spin magazine a medium/close-up to close-up is used to display the defined image of the artist. I used an OLYMPUS SP-600UZ, 12 mega pixel camera to ensure a reasonably high quality, professional looking image, therefore following this convention of a music magazine image.
A bar code including a date of the issue is a convention which appeared on both NME and Q magazine in the bottom right hand corners. I followed this convention by creating a bar code from scratch using Photoshop, adding a date and price of the issue and placing it in the bottom right hand corner of my front page. By following this convention it ensures my magazine looks as professional as possible.
Q magazine displays a teasing contents at the bottom of their front page and a splash/puff to advertise the inside of their magazine, attracting the audience. I followed these conventions and included a splash/puff and a teasing contents as an attempt to draw the audience in to buying the magazine as well as creating particular audience expectations about the inside content.
Both NME and Q magazine have sell lines underneath their mastheads – a typical convention in order to grab their audience and persuade them to buy. I used the sell line ‘ROCK THEM RIGHT OFF’ underneath my masthead to not only create some meaning behind the title ‘SOX’ but to also possibly create interest from the audience – the catchy, linking masthead and sell line may reach out to the teenage audience (being an almost humorous colloquial turn of phrase) and intrigue them into the magazine.
The Q magazine cover I looked at contained a large main cover line and smaller cover lines incorporating the main content of their magazine. I followed this convention and created the main cover line surrounding the main artist I looked at and smaller cover lines featuring smaller artist’s interviews; making my cover appear as professional as possible.
On contents pages such as Spin, NME and Q there is a clear ‘Features’ section containing particular popular artists that will be featured inside. I followed this convention and created a ‘Features’ section on my contents page; possibly attracting readers into reading the content because of the popular artists this section contains. Another convention on contents pages are ‘News’ and ‘Reviews’ sections – shown on an NME contents page. However, I challenged this convention and decided to include ‘Regulars’ and ‘Plus’ sections instead. This was simply because the ‘Features’ section included extra information (a brief outline of the story underneath each artist) that I felt shouldn’t be repeated in the ‘News’ and ‘Reviews’ conventional sections, therefore by creating the ‘Regulars’ and ‘Plus’ sections I ensured content information was not repeated.
NME magazine contains one large image and a smaller thumbnail image – this is a convention I followed; creating a smaller image to link it with the front cover and having one large image to dominate the page.
All of the contents pages I looked at (NME, Q, Spin, Kerrang!) contained numbers to advertise their pages without including the word ‘page’. I ensured I followed this convention by displaying the numbers clearly next to the content lines. This certifies that the audience can access the pages easily – an obvious convention of a music magazine contents page.
Some music magazine contents pages such as Kerrang! contain letters from the editor – considered a convention of a contents page. However, I challenged this convention and didn’t include an editor’s letter on my contents page. Instead, I found it more suitable to include an ‘On the cover’ section – creating a link with my front cover artist and the artist on my double page spread. Although not a typical convention, I found Spin magazine included this feature, providing useful information to their audience.
A typical convention of a double page spread article is a large image dominating an entire page – effectively used on all NME, Q and Spin music magazines. I followed this convention and made my artist’s image cover the entire left-hand side of the page. This may be a technique to draw the reader in to the article; immediately giving them information about the artist and their attitude (displayed in the image).
Both NME and RADAR magazine contain large headlines to introduce the article. This being a convention, I made sure I created a large headline ‘FRESH & FEARLESS’ to immediately link the attitude in the image to the article, further drawing the audience in to reading the content.
Although having a leading paragraph was not displayed as a convention in any music magazine articles I looked at, I found it to be a convention in newspaper articles such as The Daily Mail. I decided to include this convention in my music magazine article because I feel it introduces the article nicely, introducing the content effectively.
In a double page spread article by NME there is a photo credit beside the main image of the artist. This being a convention (it is important to give the photographer credit for their photography) I ensured I included photo credit next to my main image, making my image seem much more professional.
With a pull-quote being an article convention and displayed on RADAR magazine’s article, I created a pull quote in my double-page article. This is used as an attempt to draw the readers into my article; the pull quote will contain ‘juicy’ information from the interview spoken by the artist and will therefore intrigue them to read the entire content of the article.
A drop cap is used on all of the double page spread articles from music magazines that I looked at (NME, Q, Spin, RADAR, Kerrang!). Being a convention of double page articles, I created a drop cap in my hand-written article. By doing this, I am immediately drawing the audience into reading its content; with the first letter standing out so dramatically it brings the audience’s eyes to a point to start reading.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?With the genre of my magazine being alternative, my target audience could be seen as being represented quite recklessly within my products. Stereotypically, the ‘alternative’ audience are those who enjoy non-mainstream music and that of alternative bands that are not constantly situated in the charts. My front cover image and double page spread image show that of an artist who is behaving confidently by becoming free of her girl-band and going solo – both poses in these images suggest confidence and ‘rebel’ behaviour (facial expressions, outfit, hairstyle). Due to this, the alternative genre audience are therefore represented in a reckless way – their music taste is of their own and they are confident about their interests. The confidence the genre seems to express may reflect those who are inner-directed; they are sure about themselves and do not have to be influenced by anyone else.
As well as this, the teasing contents on my front cover effectively represents a British alternative magazine by involving the British festival, Glastonbury. This establishes the British audience as well as the festival effectively representing the alternative genre by reflecting their music taste (typically).
I don’t think my media products would effectively represent those in the A or B demographic categories because they may not be able to relate to the attitude that comes across in the images; stereotypically the A/B category exists of those who are highly regarded in society – the rebellious attitude that comes across in my products may not effectively represent their attitudes as people.
What type of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
As well as this, the teasing contents on my front cover effectively represents a British alternative magazine by involving the British festival, Glastonbury. This establishes the British audience as well as the festival effectively representing the alternative genre by reflecting their music taste (typically).
I don’t think my media products would effectively represent those in the A or B demographic categories because they may not be able to relate to the attitude that comes across in the images; stereotypically the A/B category exists of those who are highly regarded in society – the rebellious attitude that comes across in my products may not effectively represent their attitudes as people.
What type of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
For my magazine I feel that the Conde Nast publisher would be the most appropriate institution to distribute my media products. From my research, they do not seem to have any other alternative music magazines published, instead mainly target fashion and living magazines. This would mean my magazine would attract an entirely new audience for them and my magazine would have no major competitors within the same institution fighting for the same audience, therefore it would be the most successful institution to invest in. As well as this, both my music magazine and Conde Nast’s published magazines have things in common such as high-end photo shoots and style and fashion features – meaning that my magazine will both benefit and suit the institution perfectly. Both Q magazine and Kerrang! magazine are published by Bauer Media; due to having a similar target audience, Bauer Media may not benefit from my magazine because mine and Q/Kerrang! magazine are competitors so will not attract entirely different audiences therefore not as much business for the institution. As well as this, my magazine will more likely gain a wider audience and more business under a different institution to theirs; the alternative audience will only have one magazine to choose from within this institution.
No comments:
Post a Comment