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

2. Main Masthead
Lure/hook
Front Cover Main Masthead
Cover lines
Cover lines
Main Cover line
Main Image
Main Cover line
Lure/hook

3. Initial Research- Front Cover
When I began searching different magazines that were in the Hip-Hop genre, the main things that I
noticed about the front covers was that they included several different colours. The vast majority of
the colours were bright, therefore making the magazine stand out, so your target audience, as well as
other magazine readers would be drawn straight to the magazines. You can see this on the page
before where the Vibe magazine includes light blue righting along with pink. Both of these colours go
together as well as them standing out, therefore being readable.
Like other magazines, they also had a masthead, which was big and bold, making it readable, so it
stood out. With the Vibe magazine on the previous page it takes up a lot of the front cover. This is so
the target audience can see what the magazine is called easily and quickly.
With the masthead, they also let the main image cover it up. This is because the magazine is generally
a well known own, therefore as there is a strong customer base that buy it, they will know what the
magazine it called anyway, therefore not needing to see the whole of the masthead.
The hip-hop magazines, also had cover lines, but the main hip-hop brand of magazine I found was
under the brand name of ‘Vibe’. These magazines didn’t include too many cover lines, but in fact the
picture too up most of the space compared to different magazine genres I looked at. The lack of cover
lines, as you can see on the Vibe magazine on the previous page, doesn’t seem to deter the reader
from looking at the magazine as the front cover doesn’t seem bland, boring or with lack of
information. This is because the picture and the masthead take up the majority of the room, making
the cover lines seem less important on the front cover.
Even before I began looking at different hip-hop magazines, for the costumes/outfits I wanted my
model to use were the typical hip- hop clothing such as jumpers, new era hats etc. When I looked at
the different magazines, they used the typical hip-hop style clothing, which I was aiming at.
On this particular magazine (Vibe) they used the same font throughout the front cover. To me this
seemed bland and boring, despite it standing out. I think that if they used various fonts it would have
made certain cover lines stand out more.

4. How did I use the forms and conventions I found
in my research in my magazine?
Firstly, with the use of different colours that were bright as it makes the magazine stand out a lot, catching people’s
eye, therefore making people want read the magazine, I used this ideas with my magazine front cover. I got my
artist/model stand against a colourful background. This background also connoted hip-hop as it was in the style of
graffiti. Hip hop artists are usually associated with the ‘hard life’ and so graffiti usually comes under that category.
Despite my masthead being bold, and the font connoting the genre of hip- hop it isn’t the same as the Vibe
magazine masthead. Unlike the Vibe masthead I have changed my font so it is different to the font of my cover
lines, which will follow through to my contents page, making the house style of the fonts as well as the colours etc
follow through the magazine, linking all of the pages together. My masthead also doesn’t take up as much room on
the front cover as the Vibe magazine’s masthead does. This is because I still think that my masthead stands out on
the page as well as it being easy to read.
One other difference of my masthead compared to the Vibe magazines, is that it isn’t being covered up by the
artist’s head. This is because my magazine is obviously not well known and if it was to go public, it would be the first
addition, therefore people need to be able to read the magazine to know what it is called.
My main image is slightly similar to the Vibe magazine that is shown on the first page of this power point. This is
because both of them show mainly a head shot of the artist. Just showing the head, and slightly the upper body on
the front cover seems to make the magazine more personal to the target audience. This is because it is focusing on
the eyes, and when the eyes are looking out to the audience, once again it shows that the magazine is more
personal. The artist is looking at the audience, therefore making them seem involved in the magazine and that the
information that is told about them is true and that they want readers to know about it.
Unlike the majority of the Vibe magazines, I included lots of cover lines on my front cover, this is so I could engage
the audience a lot more to show them what they could read about inside of the magazine. It seems a lot more
informative, as well as the main image showing that there is going to be information about this artist included in the
magazine.
I also included a main cover line on my front cover showing that there was an exclusive interview. I was unsure as to
weather with this particular Vibe magazine if there was a main cover line. I did include on the first slide that there
was a main cover line as this was the one that stood out the more when looking at the front cover.
Throughout my magazine, unlike this particular Vibe magazine, and others I looked at, I used various different fonts.
This was to keep the audience interested as there wasn’t just one set text making it seem boring and uninteresting. I
also included different colours for more important words such as ‘future’ and ‘more’ so once again the target
audience would be drawn to this and then they would want to read into more depth about the topic.

5. Did I challenge any forms and
conventions? How and why?
Personally for my front cover the only forms and conventions in which I
challenged was the used of extra colour, and cover lines.
With the use of cover lines, as I said previously I used more cover lines than
most of the hip hop magazines I previously found. With the use of cover
lines it allowed me to be able to engage my target audience more as they
have a more information on what is going to be included into the magazine.
Due to this they will know what's actually in the magazine rather than with
a lack of cover lines which don’t particularly inform the readers as to what is
included straight away.
As well as this with the use of different fonts on my cover lines, it made
them stand out more, making them seem more interesting, rather than the
same font running through the magazine.
As for the use of colour, despite me seeing that the majority of hip hop
magazines which I found when doing my initial research, I decided to
brighten it up and use several different colours on my front cover. This was
just to once again catch the readers eye so straight away. It would stand out
amongst other magazines meaning people would pick it up straight away as
it wouldn't come across as being boring.

6. Features-
Title
Contents Page
Features-
Title for page
Title
Listing of what's included in
Title for page
Several different
magazine
Listing of what's included in
images
magazine
One main
image

7. Initial Research- Contents Page
When looking at different hip-hop contents pages, like the front cover the main hip-
hop magazines that came up was of Vibe magazine. This is because they are a
popular hip-hop genre magazine.
For Vibe, as you can see on the previous slide, they mainly use one main image, like
on the front cover. With my initial contents page, I did use one main image similar to
this. Despite this I changed my idea as the image seemed to stand out too
much, meaning that the main information that the page was used for didn't stand
out very much, as you can tell on the Vibe contents page on the previous slide. The
picture seems to dominate the page too much.
The use of the word ‘contents’ was also set out in a different fashion to the usual
convention of what magazines look like. For me this made the contents pages of
Vibe seem out of the ordinary and therefore stand out. This would be a positive for
them as the audience would like how they are trying to be different and so read
their magazines.
As well as this, with my initial research, the contents pages seemed to have a
coloured background which stood out. They didn’t have white backgrounds. This
once again, made the contents page stand out and seen unordinary.
I also found, that Vibe used listing of the pages. To my this seemed a little boring
and confusing. They use of font they used seemed hard to read and due to the
picture the layout didn’t seem, particularly on this contents page (on the previous
slide) also didn't help that fact that the information didn't stand out. This seemed
the case for every hip-hop magazine I found.

8. How did I use the forms and conventions I
found in my research in my magazine?
For my contents page, I didn’t particularly use many of the same forms and convections to the ones
I found/ this is because first of all if the title wasn't on the page then you wouldn't straight away
know what the page was, and also they layout and use of a main image didn't make the text stand
out.
One thing I did do the same as Vibe magazines contents pages was the use of the coloured
background. This was mainly to keep a house style running through my magazine as my front cover
background had orange in it.
For my contents page, unlike Vibe magazines, I decided to use several different pictures on my
contents page. This is so both pictures and text stood out and not one picture was dominating the
whole page.
As well as this, to keep with my house style I used the same font as I did on my masthead for the
title of this page. This is so they both stood out on the page.
Unlike Vibe magazines, I used several different texts, and several different colours. This is so the text
stood out and didn't seem boring, therefore making the magazine seem uninteresting. The use of
different colours keeps the audiences attention towards to magazine.
Another way to keep my house style running through my magazine, I used a black box at the bottom
of the page, like I did on the front cover, unlike Vibe I included the email for the magazine online so
then the readers could also access the magazine online if they decided too.
I did use the word ‘features’ like Vibe, which gave the readers insight to what was featured in the
magazine. I also used the words ‘on the cover’ and listed what pages the information the front
cover included which gave the readers a quick and easy way to quickly go straight to the page they
are looking for if for example one cover line on the front page caught their eye and they wanted to
read about it.

9. Did I challenge any forms and
conventions? How and why?
I think I may have challenged some forms and conventions of the Vibe
magazines in which I found. This is because their contents page, despite
being attractive and unique, it didn't seem like a ‘typical’ contents page
which the main reason for the page if for the readers to instantly find the
page that they are looking for. As the font was small and didn't stand out
and layout also didn’t help the text stand out, it made the main attraction
the main image.
As well as this, I used several different fonts and colours which made the
page altogether stand out and look interesting. This differed from the
contents pages I come across as they only used one coloured text, as well
as them usually using one font. Despite this on the contents page you can
see on this slide, you can see that the subtitles they have put in
bold, which do stand out more than the titles of the pages.
Following on from this, I also used several different pictures which stood
out, and split the page up. They do catch the audiences’ eyes but they
don't dominate the page as the text also stands out.

10. Following the
same font trough
Double Page Spread Following the
for main titles- Main paragraph
same font trough starter Main
house style Main for main titles- Lure/ main Image
Image house style
Main paragraph quotation
starter
Page Website Page
Numbers Lure/ main Website Numbers
quotation

11. Initial Research; Double Page Spread
When looking at several different ideas for my double page spread there was a variance of they
layout the use of different pictures. In some double page spreads I came across, one A4 page
was used for a picture of the artist/group while the other A4 page was then used for the
information. On the other hand, there were also a couple of other style’s of the double page
spread. For example there was a layout like the one on the previous page. Personally I think that
this stood out a lot more as aswell as everything blending together, there is several different
pictures of the artist, as well as there being a main image which brought attention toward
it, therefore catching the readers eye’s and straight away them knowing what the page is about.
I knew that I wanted to have the double page spread as an exclusive interview, this was
because, as it was promoted on the front cover, people would be interested in getting exclusive
information they wouldn’t get from anywhere else, therefore it was more likely the magazine
would sell well. Adding to the fact that it was an interview it may have included questions in
which Connor’s fans would want to be answered, and this was an easy way for them to be
answered.
Looking at the different layouts of the double page spreads initially gave me lots of different
idea’s of how I wanted my page to look like. This enabled me to make drawing plans and give me
an idea of where I was going with the page. Despite this, as I had too many different ideas and
not the right pictures, I did in fact do lots of different versions of my double page spread.
However this can be seen as a positive down to the fact that I was finally able to get my double
page spread how I wanted it to be like.

12. How did I use the forms and conventions I found
in my research in my magazine?
By looking at different double pages spread’s and gathering different ideas from each page I initially looked at, I used several
of the normal forms and conventions which are found in a magazine. This was to enable a professional look towards the
magazine, as well as it connoting the correct genre of music in which my magazine was about. First of all, like other double
page spreads, I used the use of a main quote/lure. There are used to draw the readers into the article. If the lure is
interesting, yet short it makes people want to read the article, or in my case interview to find out more about this quote.
Therefore it give the writer more people reading the interview/article.
I also used the use of the internet link of the magazine on this page like most other magazines use on their double page
spread. This was to enable people to go onto the website, enabling more viewers of the magazine, therefore potentially
giving the magazine more readers, and then getting more money. As well as this, it also enabled the readers to read
additional information about the artist in which I was interviewing and writing about.
Following on from this, I also used the use of a starting paragraph at the beginning of the article. This is used so people are
able to read short overview of the article or of the artist/band to enable readers to know a little bit more about what they are
reading about, and ‘initially to be setting the scene’.
Like other magazines I have also used a main image of my artist. This was to enable it to stand out straight away, so people
looking/reading the magazine straight away know what this page is going to be about.
Similarly, I used the use of the house style running through out the magazine. In my double page spread, along with my other
page’s I used the same font and font colour on the main titles of the pages (as well as other features contributing to house
style). This enabled the house style to be clearly seen through out the magazine, linking the pages together. As well as this, as
you can see on the professional double page spread, in the top left hand corner they have used the same font and layout as
they have on the rest of their pages as it is part of a Vibe magazine. This is like a logo, when you see it, you instantly know
what magazine it comes from. I also used the use of columns, like in most other magazines in which you see. This is because it
makes the whole page look organised, therefore looking professional and therefore worthy to buy. As you can see on my blog
on different double page spreads I created, I challenged the used of the layout of the writing to see if it would work better set
out in a different way. Despite this, none of the other layouts in which I used looked at neat and professional as it does on my
final double page spread, which I have used structured columns like other magazines. By using the forms and conventions of
magazines which already exists, it enables readers to identify the pages straight away and they are able to compare them to
other magazines in which they have previously read. If there was a completely different layout and style of double page
spread to the ‘normal’ layout of a double page spread, then it would be harder to identify what page it is.

13. Did I challenge any forms and
conventions? How and why?
I did try to challenge several different forms and conventions of the usual double page spread. First of all the
use of my picture wasn’t on one side of the magazine, and my text on the other. It blended into both
pages, which personally for me I think looked a lot better than a picture separate to the text. I seemed to
show that they picture and the text was linked, which it was, therefore making the whole page work better
together. I also
included an internet link of Connor’s own personal Facebook page. I didn’t see this on any magazines I looked
at, so I thought it would be a good extra to include. It enabled the reader to not only go onto the unstoppable
website, but also to Connor’s own website/fan page and get closer to him through that way.
Following on from this, I also used the use of a lure/hook, in the top right hand corner. This was reminding the
readers that they were able to get a free poster of Connor on page 50, once again drawing them into the
magazine again as they were able to get a free magazine of an artist in which they liked.
Unlike most of the double page spreads I initially looked at, I included a main title onto my page. This straight
away enabled the reader, both if they did and didn’t know the artist, who is was and what the whole page
was about, once again ‘setting the scene’. It gave a different twist to things, as some pages looked a little bare
and ‘un personal’. They didn’t quite draw you into the page as there wasn’t a main title telling you what it was
about, therefore potentially making you loose interest. I also put a bold red box around the main title, which
once again draws you into the page as it catches your eye therefore you want to read the title. As well as
this, I used the same font I had previously used in my magazine on my contents page and front cover. This
continues the house style throughout my magazine, and linking the pages. The title font also is bold and
connotes the genre Hip-Hop.
Unlike most double page spread’s I came across, they were plain and with lack of colour. This is why I
challenged this form/convention by making my page as bright and as colourful I could with out it looking too
‘tacky’. It made the page stand out, like my other pages and it gave a little more colour into the magazine. As
well this it also connoted my genre of magazine as Hip-Hop is associated with bright colour’s.