AS MEDIAMUSIC MAGAZINE

SELF ANALYSIS

Daniel Allpress

Question;

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

Breakdown Front Cover

UseDevelopChallenge

Content’s PageUseDevelopChallenge

Double Page SpreadUseDevelopChallenge

Front Cover

Using ConventionsMasthead/Skyline

Featured Article Photograph

Left Hand Third

Main Image/Direct Address

Main Sell Line

Masthead/SkylineThe masthead follows conventions by utilising the same

space below the skyline as most other magazines. The use of the one word in large font (masthead) attracts and directly addresses the reader by giving them the title of the magazine as a main point of interest on the page. My magazine uses this convention in order to display the genre of the magazine through use of typography and colour, for example my magazine uses a blocky, grungy font in black, against a ‘dirty’ white background. The skyline also follows conventions by giving the reader a teasing glance at a feature inside the magazine. Similar to a puff, the skyline is utilised as an advertising tool; in this case to show off a “Dressed To Impress Poster Giveaway”.

Featured Article PhotographThe FAP on the front cover of the magazine

is following music magazine conventions by drawing attention to a different article on the main page. The main image offers the featured article of the magazine, whilst the FAPs offer a smaller article, in this case showing “The best kits for any drummer!”, appealing to the target audience of musicians and people interested in music and the making of it.

Left Hand Third

The left hand third is common in almost every magazine that goes on sale, as it is the section in which the human eye will naturally be drawn towards first, due to us being taught to read left to right. My magazine follows this convention by including a FAP, a PUFF, and even the main sell line. This technique of putting the main articles in the left hand third allows the reader to focus on the articles that the editor wants them to focus on, for example on my cover I have included the main sell line, relating to the main image and double page spread.

Main Image/Direct AddressThe main image is one of the most common

features on a magazine cover, appearing on virtually every single cover ever sold. The main image gives a human analogue for the reader to relate to, perhaps giving them a better chance of buying the magazine. This is enhanced with the direct address given by the model; it is proven to be more effective at selling magazines when the model locks eyes with the reader.

Main Sell Line

The main sell line within the left hand third gives the reader a main point of focus other than the masthead or the main image. The main sell line will often relate to the main image, as mine does. It has a link with the masthead and the rest of the magazine by using a similar blocky, grungy font. My magazine uses this convention to its potential by placing it in the left hand third, giving it the best chance of being noticed as the main article of the magazine.

Developing Conventions

Colour scheme

No banner on sell line

Band mentions

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme develops the convention of contrasting colours by using the staple scheme of black and white, utilising red for some more important parts and buzzwords. For example, the puff is in a bright red colour, massively standing out against the white background and black text. The same can be said for the buzzword in the sell line above the main sell line, giving the reader something different to look at, contradicting the rest of the cover.

Main Sell Line

The main sell line is a convention of any magazine, as it shows the reader what a main article of the magazine will be. However, I developed the main sell line by placing it inside the left hand third, complementing the main image also. This allows the reader to have a full face view of the model in the image, but also gives the reader a first glance at the most important article; being the main sell line.

Band Mentions

The band mentions at the very bottom of the cover are a convention in the genre of music magazine that I am included in, but are usually placed along one line. My feature includes two lines of bands, allowing for the blocky font to be used, showing a symbiotic link to the rest of the magazine.

Challenge Conventions

Close up

Female Artist

Female Artist/ModelMost music magazines will feature a male artist/s, as it could

appeal and relate more to the predominantly male target audience. However I have used a female model in order to challenge this convention. I did this as although my target audience is indeed mostly male, a male will not so much relate to a female model, but will be more interested in physicalities and appearances. The red hair and neutral expression relate back to the genre of the magazine, keeping the target audience within rock and metal genre, but also drawing in females who would relate to the artist. The majority of males would see this model as an artist first but also as an object of the genre. For example Hayley Williams of Paramore is seen as attractive and sexy by the majority of male fans; not however distracting from the musical talent and the actual band itself.

Close up shotThe close up shot challenges the convention as any music

magazine of this genre would most likely show a medium close up shot of an entire band, or an obscure image of one member; for example a fun pose at a Dutch Angle (tilted). However I felt that the close up and direct address would combine to give a sense of relation to even the male part of the target audience, as the audience is roughly the same age as the model, with clearly the same music interests. The close up gives a shallower field, giving every part of the model’s face and hair focus and colour. The colour contrast between the hair and the background, and the hair and the face is also crucial to this shot, as the close up would not work without the colour contrast and direct address being the staple parts of the shot.

Contents Page

Using Conventions Symbiotic Link with typography

Page Numbers12

Page Numbers

The page numbers are a convention that is used in virtually every single magazine on the market. They give the reader a navigational tool that will allow them to find their desired page with relative ease. Looking forward to the Double Page Spread, this is mirrored on both pages, linking the contents page article teaser to the article itself.

Symbiotic Link

The symbiotic link is crucial in a magazine to link all the pages and various articles to the one brand of magazine. I believe the contents page follows this convention, by using the same fonts used on the front cover to display the information on the contents page. The numbering uses the same font as the smaller articles, as does the title of “Contents Page”. Another link is the artist herself, with the signature red hair to link the articles together.

Developing Conventions

Smaller Related Images across all article features

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Artist present but no address

Smaller Related Images

Smaller related images are a convention on contents pages, however they are not seen among every article feature. I have developed this convention by placing related image with every page description. I believe this will allow the reader to have a visual reference to the articles, drawing more attention to each one and giving the reader a quicker response to the articles that they find interesting, rather than reading through the entire page and then deciding. A reader (from personal experience) is impatient when reading, and wants to be constantly entertained. This will help to provide instant entertainment.

Artist Position

The artist is present in the frame, as is a convention on contents pages. However this has been developed by introducing the profile of the artist rather than the portrait. The lack of direct address here does not draw attention on the model, but rather on the pictures on the left hand side, and therefore their corresponding articles.

Challenging Conventions

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There are no real challenges against conventions on this page. The lack of direct address can be viewed as an advancement; as well as the colour scheme can be placed under the symbiotic link to the rest of the magazine. The conventions of a contents page are followed here, with the only real broken conventions being the lack of any sub-titling and sectioning. However this can be argued that the sectioning comes with the Smaller Images. The image does take up almost half of the entire page, which could be seen as a challenge; although this is to allow the articles more interest and attraction. Overall the contents page does not veer far from the conventions of a normal contents page.

Double Page Spread

Using ConventionsSymbiotic Link

Use of a pull quote

Pull Quote

The pull quote is a feature used by many editors in order to draw attention to the main wording parts of the article. In my article, I used one pull quote, in order to attract attention to the main body copy in the middle, and also to pull out one of the more interesting quotes, that could spark some curiosity without any proper context to it.

Symbiotic Link

The symbiotic link comes with the article’s typography, as the same font is used again from the contents page and front cover. The link also comes from the red hair of the obviously same artist from the cover and contents page.

Developing Conventions‘Next week’ Article

Colour Scheme

Artist

Artist

The use of the female artist from a medium long shot allows the reader to see all physical traits of the artist. For the male audience and some of the female audience, this is more physically attractive than a close up on just the face or hair. The pose develops the emotion that is put forward in the article, whilst the red hair strengthens the genre and again appeals to the physical attraction of the image and therefore artist.

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme is a development from the convention of bright and complementing colours, as my magazine utilises black and white as its staple. I chose this colour scheme especially for the double page spread as the hair and colouring of the background itself contrasts and gives the reader a more interesting image overall to look at.

“Next Week” Article FeatureThe feature in the top right corner allows the reader

to have a ‘sneak peek’ at the main article for next weeks issue of the magazine. It is a common feature in music magazines, however I have developed it by placing it in the corner of the page, and given it a similar colour scheme to the rest of the page in order to make it blend in more. This is to draw attention to the main article more than this, as it is obvious it is there, so there is no reason to pull main attention away from the main article in order to ‘show off’ next week’s article.

Challenging Conventions

Article Structure

Background

Article Structure

The structure of the article does not follow the conventions of a normal music magazine. It does follow the column format, but not as a singular body copy. It consists of many separate answers to questions proposed above, in order to segregate the questions from the answers; making the article easier to read.

Background

The background of the article is not one that would usually be found, but I decided to keep the background as an urban drop in order to reinforce the genre and artist. The scene includes a concrete wall in the background, and an overview of the tops of some buildings behind the body copies. I believe this challenged convention worked, as it does not interfere with the text too much as to obscure the text itself and the artist is still very visible as the main image of the article.

Conclude

Overall, my three pieces of media work mainly develops or challenges conventions over using them as they come. I believe the challenged conventions work well at portraying both the genre of the magazine and the brand identity throughout each piece, displaying a clear symbiotic link.