Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? A magazine is a media product based on a particular topic or subject matter, or aimed at a particular audience, published periodically. Their purpose is to entertain, educate, or inform the audience- essentially, to convey information. Specific codes and conventions are used within magazine design and production to be decoded by audiences as magazines, with more specific codes used to identify music magazines, and an even more specific set of codes across each genre of music magazine.
These are the front covers of the two real media products- magazines I have analysed previously
I will be comparing these to my finished music magazine front cover
Using and developing forms and conventions- front cover Banner- my magazine like these real media products have utilised a banner on the page, for the purpose of visually communicating to the audience the artists found in the magazine. A banner is a conventional feature across many music magazines, as a technical code commonly used on many front covers, as they present information aesthetically, as opposed to straight text. For these reasons I chose to utilise a banner on my cover- a magazine titled vision has a clear focus on the visual, and this is something that has been a real priority throughout each stage of my magazine’s production. Developing this convention through use in my own product was a clear choice.
Buzz box- buzz boxes are used n a similar sense to banners, in that they too represent information graphically, this is a code seen in such a vast majority of magazines, including the magazines I analysed in my primary research, both of which utilised 2 buzz boxes to present information. my cover felt almost lacking without at least one buzz box in place of a coverline. I felt that through the use of a buzz box I was able to further the colour scheme I had set up throughout the page, and this is one of the more minor advantages to this element as a tool- with subtlety they add another accent of brand identity.
Coverline placement- in a similar sense, It was clear when analysing music magazines that coverlines are usually placed on the left hand third of the page, this is the same on the cover of q and mojo as it is on vision, which will aid accessibility for the audience, as the eye is usually guided from the left side of a page to the right side. But also this is a recognised code of magazines, audiences decode this and form an understanding of the signified meaning- these are articles that feature in the magazine.
Language- There are clear similarities in the language style used between the published magazines and my magazine. The tone of the language used on the cover is really a key part of selling the magazine to the right audience, and selling the magazine to the genre.
Using and developing forms and conventions- front cover Symbolic codes- although there are differences in the specific symbolic codes used across the covers, I feel that I have replicated real media products like q magazine, and the ways in which they represent music artists and, as such, their target audience. For example, q has dressed the band on the cover in genre specific, audience friendly clothing- something for the audience to aspire towards, with a feeling of casual class and high-end brands worn. Similarly, my model wore clothing to suit that of the demographic group of 16-19 year old females who prefer minimalist and edgy styles of dress, through accessories and clothing such as the nose ring worn, the choker, and the plain black crop top. This was furthered by the model’s alternative hair colour, which is highly conventional of the music genre, and of musicians generally. I feel THAT THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF A METHOD TO WHICH I DEVELOPED THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS SEEN IN THE MAGAZINES I ANALYSED. Masthead- as a basic convention of music magazines, I placed my masthead in the top third of my page, in order to be seen from the shelves of a newsagent, but also because as noted in my primary research, this is a highly conventional placement for this technical code. It is no coincidence that the real products and my magazine are alike in this. Stylised image: both mojo magazine and vision have used certain tools in lighting and after effects to create a stylised main image for the cover, with mojo filtering the image to be black and white to achieve their vintage, rock and roll cool, and the use of lighting tools to create a coloured, neon effect on my cover, I feel that this was a successful use of forms and conventions, in the way that I creatively replicated an element seen on so many magazine covers, particularly those with an alternative audience, like that of mojo and vision- alternative genres and alternative people want a visual representation of this in the media products they consume, most likely because this affirms their identity, according to the uses and gratifications model. Colour- colour is used effectively, I feel, in my product, AS the usage parallels that seen in effective and renowned music magazine brands. By that I mean the colour scheme and the ways in which a colour scheme is set up to form the brand identity. The real media products I examined used a small range of colours (3-4) throughout the pages TO shape the visual identity of the pages to follow. By limiting the number of colours used, and keeping the theme simplistic, the reader benefits from a sense of expectation, and their eye is not distracted or off-put by too many colours in one page. This does not however limit the vibrancy and vivacity of the colours used, and I wanted to really extend this during construction of my music magazine, through the form of setting up a clear house style composed of 3-4 colours for the audience to focus on. This is highly conventional, and I feel that by using striking neon flashes I have adapted this convention to suit my target audience and their needs perfectly, based on the feedback I received during audience research.
Challenging forms and conventions- Front cover Layout- the real media products I explored featured busy layouts, with a lot of information expressed, including secondary images, coverlines on both the left and right thirds of the pages, boxes and panels, cover mounts occupying a lot of space, and just simply many coverlines in a small space. I chose to challenge this convention when creating my media product, based on the feedback I received from my audience in the questionnaire I conducted, where 20% of those surveyed prioritized a simple layout, over the 5% who preferred a busy cover. But also I felt that keeping the format minimalistic and simple, I could really grab the young, fashion oriented audience, who would opt for a minimal look to express that this magazine is geared toward their taste over a content heavy cover, expressing many of the articles of interest to secure their readership.
Representation- q and mojo are alternative music magazines of some variety, and yet both feature males on the cover, this is so widely seen on so many indie magazines, and women are rarely seen. I wanted to challenge and combat against this, not only by including and featuring a female artist throughout, but by using article titles as coverlines that focus on the women of the genre- ‘girl power’ for example. I feel that women are consistently under-represented in most forms of media, and this is something that I feel is really alienating young female demographics from the genre of music. It is time enough that a product goes against this, and that is what I was aiming to do within vision.
Font styles- I was expecting to find a number of differing font styles on the covers of real music magazines, and I was surprised to find that this was not the case, it seems that it is unconventional to use a variety of font styles, from sans serif to serif, but I felt that as an amateur magazine, mine would benefit more from changes between typefaces, as this gives a diverse and structured feeling, and keeps the audience from growing tired of the consistencies. I also think it shows a higher level of understanding of the ways in which fonts are used to capture particular audiences and demographics, and the variety of fonts I have used are youthful and feminine, particularly that used for the masthead and coverlines, and then artistic flair is added in the form of the main coverline, followed by an italic sans serif font, designed this way to indicate speech.
Challenging forms and conventions- Front cover Coverlines: the coverlines on most music magazines are composed of the artist names to entice their audience, and instantly convey the genre of music under focus in this way, this is the case with both of the products I evaluated. I chose not to employ this on my front cover, as I felt that titling the articles in a catchy, summarised form, would be equally as appealing as using musicians names to draw in the target audience, as this is a written way that I can demonstrate a level of uniqueness and creativity to the group I am aiming to sell my magazine to, which is, as I understand, a real priority.
Headline: a feature I have since noticed that my product is lacking in, is a headline, placed above the masthead, either in banner form with accompanying images, like mojo, or as a tool to reveal the special edition of the magazine, in the case of q, and this is so often seen in music magazines, simply as another device to bring in a readership with just that which can be seen from the shelves when magazines are stacked one in front of the other. However, I decided that my masthead should take priority, as vision is a new and unknown name that I would be trying to familiarise my audience with. To employ a headline here would only distract from the masthead, thus distracting from the brand.
Secondary Images: another convention of most magazine covers, in a similar sense to the busy layout, is the use of secondary images, in particular those of artists that feature within the magazine, as a way of promoting this graphically. Mojo uses archived images of bands like the cure for this purpose, but with the added benefit of using archived images to invoke nostalgia within the older demographic that make up the readership of this publication, alongside the other elements that create this feeling, as discussed in my magazine analyses, for example, the black and white main image of Lou reed while he was of a much younger age. Also q magazine includes an image of featured artist beck on the cover, which has the previously discussed goal of displaying his inclusion, but also this furthers the colour palette of the clothing worn by the main cover artists, as he is also dressed in shades of beige and neutrals. At the same time, this adds to the representation of the readership and their goals, and financial status as abc1s. My magazine cover does not use secondary images for any of these purposes, this is for a number of reasons. Firstly, I do not feel that this element would fit on the cover of vision, in terms of both layout and the general look this would give- as a minimalist publication, busying space with images would really detract from this simplistic, audience chosen look that I have set up. Also I feel, as explained within my coverline choices, the headings are the focus, and can entice without using artist names, or in this case, images. This is why I chose to challenge convention here.
These are the contents pages of the two real media products- magazines I have analysed previously
I will be comparing these to my finished music magazine contents page
Using and developing forms and conventions- contents page Double page: I felt that more information- the appropriate and fitting amount for a magazine with a cover price of £3.00, can be presented in a contents page spread over a double page, more articles can be listed, with a larger and more inclusive description of each of them, which is something I really feel the audience benefits from. Clearly, the editors of mojo and q prioritise this also, which is fitting for their cover price of around £4.00 each. I felt that following this convention was a choice that would really help the level of professionalism, and the amount of satisfaction that the consumers feel from reading my magazine- more articles listed makes for more content, meaning more information translated to the appropriate audience.
Main Image: because of the layout I chose- a double page spread, the left hand page was completely opened up for a main image of its own, replicating what is seen in q, mojo, and a number of other music magazines with double page contents pages. I felt that following this convention would not only be an effective use of space, but a way of bringing the cover artist’s image through to these pages, thus continuing to build the association that this issue of vision is centered around emma june.
Layout: Building upon this idea of my layout and the ways in which this follows conventions set by magazines like q and mojo, the majority of the layout on my contents page is composed of boxes that the article lists fill (like that seen in said magazines), I have spread these out over three boxes, as well as title boxes that span half way across the page, as the lists do, in a sort of banner style form. Images are placed around these boxes, in a complimentary, responsive style, allowing space, but also adding colour and breaking up blocks of text that could otherwise tire on the audiences’ eyes. I feel that this is done in a way that develops conventions around my minimalistic aims for the layout, but also follows typical forms, to give a familiar and recognised feeling and format, that also has an edge of individuality, reflecting on an indie audience. Article categories: the real music magazines I explored split up the articles into 3 main categories: those exclusive to the issue of the magazine, those on the cover, and regulars- those featured in every issue. I found this to be an effective method of dividing these up, in that I understand that audiences are familiar with this grouping, unknowingly they expect this from music magazines, and to utilise this format in my magazine, I feel really strengthens the association with vision as a real media product, both subliminally, and to be recognised by the audience.
Challenging forms and conventions- contents page Standfirst: it is really quite uncommon for a contents page to include such a large and graphic standfirst, but I chose to challenge convention, as I felt that using a pull quote, without the added accents of a standfirst, just did not go far enough to continue the visual elements set up throughout, and the priority set up around these elements.
Page Folio: although q magazine has a folio at the bottom of their contents page, they are in the minority, as most music magazines do not use folios on the contents page, as this is an unnecessary device on this page- it is clear that this is the contents, a folio is not needed. However, I chose to challenge this, as I feel that in instances like q magazine, a folio on a contents page can give the illusion of white space, which spreads the whole layout out, and gives the appearance of more space, and I wanted to create this on my contents page, as I have worked so hard to keep my page design simple, yet so much content needs to be included. For these reasons, creating the idea of more space is definitely something I would appreciate for my magazine.
Buzz box: in the same way that I chose to use a banner on the cover- to feature artists that are included in the magazine but not mentioned directly in the coverlines, I also used a buzz box on the contents page. This is not really conventional as many of the artists within the magazine have already been divulged on the cover or in the article descriptions on the contents page, so to reference this again is not strictly necessary, and possibly serves little real benefit. However, I decided to employ this as a tool on this page despite that because I felt that the specific audience I am targeting would value another visual break, and I wanted to continue a feeling of excitement for what follows in the magazine, so that there is no doubt that the magazine will be consumed by its audience for entertainment purposes.
These are the double page spreads of the two real media products- magazines I have analysed previously
I will be comparing these to my finished music magazine double page spread
Using and developing forms and conventions- double page spread Layout: I utilised a three-column layout, as is highly conventional for print media, because I felt that this would instantly familiarise my audience with the pages, and direct their eye in a comfortable and naturalistic way. Also the gutters between each column aid readability. Q have used the same technique to mirror that of other print media brands, and I was sure to do the same, as I feel this is the best way of formatting and presenting body text in terms of accessibility. Interview Style: when writing my interview questions, conducting the interview, and writing this up, I kept in mind a friendly, descriptive interview style, like that found in q and mojo, where simple, and frankly repetitive, question and answer style interviews are switched out for a kind of, narrative, descriptive, experience based interview style, that acts more as an account of events in some ways, for example, discussing the body language and gestures of the artist, and the manners in which they answer each question, to give the audience a real understanding of what it felt like to be in the room with their favourite artists. I felt that this was a really audience benefitting convention to follow, as this really provides an inviting feel, which has always been the aim. Main Image: my left hand page is occupied by a main image of the artist featured in the interview, and throughout the full magazine, as is highly conventional, almost a necessity, and can be seen in both q and mojo, as well as so many music magazines, as presenting the artist next to content based on them is a great way of representing that the content does in fact relate to that artist. Because of this, I chose to use this form within my work, and I believe that this has really paid off. Pull quotes: I have included several pull quotes throughout the magazine that relate to this interview, and another on this page, as is conventional for a double page spread to feature. This really helped to break up the huge columns of body text, which would otherwise have been impossible for the reader to trace, and just generally, appear very unappealing and uninviting. This specific use of pull quote is quite grabbing, which is another aim- to entice the reader into the article using bold, stand out quotes. Following convention here greatly improved my double page spread.
Challenging forms and conventions- double page spread Colour Scheme: I have continued the colour scheme I had previously set up on my front cover and in my contents page to consolidate a consistent aesthetic and set up a house style, the benefit of furthering this into my double page spread is that these effects are prolonged, so much so that even with pages separating the contents and double page spread, the readership is reminded of the brand identity, and is consistently drawn in and enticed by the repetition of the colour palette. This also means they will begin to associate this with the artist and her representation. These are the reasons I chose to challenge the convention of separating the double page spread from the cover and contents, as seen in q and mojo magazine.
Drop caps: the other double page spreads I explored used drop caps, and these are a real convention across so many types of print media. However, on the right hand page I have used a drop cap to start the body text, as conventional, but I also used a drop cap to open the introduction or blurb of the article, as I felt that this would add an element of interest in the form of an eye catching motif that directs the eye to the body of the splash. I found that challenging forms and conventions by way of including this was hugely valuable, as this made a really effective visual addition to the pages as a whole, and allowed me to incorporate the font I used on my cover for the main coverline, strengthening the identity and representation.
Wrap around text: a convention that I feel my double page spread is missing is the commonly seen wrap around text, where the body text wraps around the main image, or an image, a pull quote, etc. I did consider laying my pages out in a way that would really welcome this feature, but I decided that my previous layout ideas (the ones I opted for, that can be seen in my final product) would be more in keeping with my audience preferences- a simple layout. On reflection, this would have shown a lot of skill with indesign as a tool, but I still feel satisfied with the overall appearance of my work, despite that way I have challenged conventions and not included any wrap around text.
Name motif: a minor way that vision is not following convention is in the lack of motif on the double page spread pages with the article title or artists name, indicating that the pages that follow are a part of the article, and related to the artist or feature. I did not include any sort of motif of this style on the pages that stated that Emma June was the focus, the reason behind this being that I felt that my pages were linked so clearly that this wasn’t essential on the pages. During construction I tried to ensure that I was doing everything possible to keep the pages feeling continuous and an extension of the page before, so I still feel that challenging this convention was the right choice- it just wasn’t a necessary element for me. Also, the inclusion of this may have over crowded my minimalist magazine.