Q1: in what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product uses conventions in many significant ways in order to convey a more attractive and eye catching media product piece. The way I laid out my magazine front page was merely inspired by the past magazine analysis I made previously. For example the first front page analysis I made was of a college magazine called “Rio Salado”, this was really useful because it gave me a clear idea of how a magazine should generally look. I was able to pick out the connotation and denotation of the magazine, how Mise en scene is used to engage the audience, as well as features that support theses connotations, and draws the audience to the magazine. For instance the girl posing in the magazine seems like a stereotypical figure of a student, this is ideal because it’s aiming at students. Analysis like this made it easier for me to understand features that need to be thought of before making a magazine, loads of ideas that have to be put down and considered,  and connotations that have to be clear and precise because the audience have to understand the purpose of why you’ve put certain features in certain places.

Similarly, I was able to also analyse a music magazine so that I can get familiar with the ways other creators of music magazines incorporate ideas and connotations in order to produce an eye catching magazine. I noticed that the masthead was in the middle of the page, and believe it’s intentional in order to attract the audience. I also realise that this magazine follows the typical conventions of music magazines.

In the run of this I decided to use the typical convention of the production of a music magazine in order to effectively attract a wide range of audiences and ages because my target age group like things that they are familiar with. I first started off by creating a masthead that could possibly attract the audience and keep them wondering why my magazine has been called this strange name “Switch”. I did this based on a study that I produced by asking people their preferred music genre, I varied them from R &B to rap, from Pop to opera, I also included genres that are particularly popular to the same social groups so that I can get a valid and accurate evaluation. My conclusion was that most people between the ages of 16-25 are interested in R&B and rock. The thing that I found very interesting is that a lot of the people who left comments said that the thing they love about R&B music is the famous “slow jam” songs, I felt that slow jam songs and soul/jazz music fit the same features, and it was because of this that I decided to do a magazine on the music that was left behind so that I could show the audience a newer and, possibly, more popular side of music. As you can see, next to the masthead I put “out with the old and in with the new” to show the view that trying new things are good and “popular”. Similarly I used conventions with the shots I made with my model for my front page, I took my photo at a medium close up because I felt that it was ideal to do so that I can attract my target audience who are not too keen on magazines that challenge conventions, also because my topic is very different to what a typical music magazine would usually be about I have to make sure the features and attraction of my magazine outweighs the topic tremendously. Similarly the reason for the large, bold and dynamic font of my masthead it to make it stand out to my publishers and the actual audience because, intentionally, I want my magazine to be the most attractive magazine to read, this also shows that my magazine is dominating and controlling. The colours that I used for the masthead were intentional because it connotes a sense of “royalty” and “popularity” the purpose is to make the reader feel as though it’s a magazine that must be read and talked about afterwards. I also felt that the colours “blue and purple” went with the theme of my magazine because it looks more relaxing, not too much is going on so it doesn’t look disorganised and messy.

Referring to my Masthead further I decided to place it at the top left corner of my main image. The reason for this was because I was given inspiration by a particular magazine that goes by the name of “Jazz”, it’s masthead was placed in the same way and I felt that it worked very well being that jazz music hits a minority of social groups the way the masthead was aligned with the main image made the magazine look much more attractive and eye catching for the audience. The main Image of my magazine was also inspired by this same “Jazz” magazine I was observing because the models costume was a stereotypical outfit that people into jazz music would wear, this was a very useful technique as it shows culture and originality of a social group that is not very popular or has not been heard of. So in the run of that I made sure I thought very hard about the models I use in my magazine, particularly front page, as a main image, I purposely choice accessories that connote my jazz theme.

 For example, this image here was my front page and the main image