Q1. In what ways does your media products use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

         Forms:

• Print.
• Digital Version.
• Facebook Page.
• Twitter.

          







I have included these forms as part of my magazine as it widens the target audience as most young people nowadays use social media more than a print form of media. By having a digital version available and social media pages to follow it will hopefully attract more of the younger generation interested in the rock genre. Also by advertising social media networks the magazine will hopefully attract a wider range of people as social media is a big part of the younger generations lives nowadays. The digital version is available because if people dont want to buy it then they can view it online.


Conventions:

• Models looking into the camera throughout- having the models looking at the camera gives the magazine a more professional look.
• The size and placement of the masthead.- The masthead is placed at the top of the magazine as this is where they are normally placed so people will know where to look for the magazine name.
• Having a digital online version available.- will widen the target audience as most things are done online now.
• Models wearing clothes and make up related to the genre- connects the models to the TA as it's similar to what the people buying the magazine would wear.

 I have stuck to these conventions as people will think my magazine is professional as they've seen the same type of conventions in more popular rock magazines like Kerrang! or Q. I think by me sticking to these conventions it will attract a similar audience to the more popular rock magazines.

Developed conventions:

• Masthead across the top in a bigger font- I have made the masthead bigger than it normally would be so it would stand out from any magazine that was on the shelf next to it.
• Broken banners- These are used to make the cover stories stand out more.

I have developed these conventions so that it would appeal to people who maybe don't like the normal layout of a magazine and will be attracted to a new style and different look. By developing these conventions it might attract a different type of audience too aswell as those attracted to Kerrang and other Rock magazines.

Broken conventions:

• Slash effect through 'Contents' 

          The slash effect has been put in connection with the magazine name and to create a different effect that is not normally seen in magazines. I have broken this convention as the slash effect obviously links to the name and also makes the word 'contents' look less boring

• The 'contents' being on an angle- I have done this to make the contents look more quirky and unique. This broken convention has been done as the word fits well in the corner and pictures can be put further up the page and I can fit more in.

John Hartley, a theorist who is against sticking to conventions said "Genres are agents of idealogical closure, they limit the potential of a given text" -1994

Hartley suggests that some magazines have the potential of being very different but are so restricted by conventions that they all deliver the same type of message & representations. With my magazine I did try to do different things by not sticking to some but in the end I did feel restricted because of these conventions so I decided to not make my magazine look too different so that it would appeal to a similar audience that buy other popular rock magazines.

Overall, what I could have improved with my final magazine is, from the start I should have done a single page contents so I didn't have to change it half way through from a double page to a single. Another thing I could improve is I could have taken more photos of different models so I had a wider range of pictures to choose from. For example I wish I had taken a group photo of a boy band so that would widen my target audience.

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?