Evaluation Question 1

Q1.

My media product used many conventions of a real media magazine. On my magazine the masthead was positioned in the same position as a masthead in a real magazine, I did not challenge this convention because of the “left-third”. Leaving the masthead there allows the magazine to be easily recognised by a customer in the store as magazines are usually overlapped except the left third of the magazine.

My main cover line is another convention of magazines that I used, which gives a little bit of information about the main image on the front cover of the magazine. Main cover lines are usually the largest and noticeable features on a magazine, besides the masthead. I used this convention to get the attention of the audience, to aid them with more knowledge of the model on the front cover. Main cover lines are recognised by the huge characters, different colour font and the change in font between everything else on the front cover. 

Main cover lines are also followed by kickers; I added this convention to my magazine to let the audience in on the story of the main image.  Kickers are positioned around the main cover line so that it is obvious that the kicker is related to the main cover line. I chose not to develop this convention, because placing the kicker anywhere else may have inappropriate.

One of the conventions I developed was the dateline. Instead of putting the date next to the barcode, I thought that placing the date around the main cover line would be a better idea because it allows my audience to realise that it is a monthly issue, also it is a lot easier to tell what issue is being read as it is adjacent to another convention that grabs the attention of the reader.

I also used a barcode for my magazine. This convention is useful in letting the audience know that the magazine comes with a price. I chose to put the price of the magazine on top of the barcode because they are related conventions. Real magazine products put their prices on the inside of the barcode, but I preferred to put the price on the top of the barcode to make it more noticeable.   

On real media products, the photographs used on the front page of the magazine are usually taken with only one person. Also, there is generally only one image on the front page of the magazine, they mostly consist of a mid-shot photograph of a person posing. In hip-hop magazines, the music artists mostly look directly into the camera with a stern expression, giving that illusion that they are looking at the audience. This effect helps to give the impression that the music artists are serious people and in some sense, demand their respects.

 I challenged this convention through the facial expressions I wanted my models to make. I decided not to add “stern impression”. By making the model in the magazine have an expression with a lot less seriousness, assisted in giving my magazine a little more enlightenment and sociability.

The colour scheme is another convention that I used on my magazine, the colour scheme of red, yellow and white stayed consistent all through the magazine. This convention helps to keep the magazine pleasing to the eye and organised. Another convention I followed was the structure of “XXL Magazine”, where the cover lines are positioned around the main image; I used this convention because I thought it would be a convenient way to get the audience to focus on the main image. Also, the magazine’s structure looks more appealing as well as it being organised.