How does my media product use, develop or change forms and conventions of real media products?

1. How does my media
product use, develop
or change forms and
conventions of real
media products?
Anya Wagstaff

2. Comparison of Cover
Main Image
Like the piece I have used to re-create I have two models showing the main
parts of the ‘band’ which is shown at the bottom. I have placed my lead singer
slightly in front of the other to show their dominance. There is just a plain white
backing to show the main feature. I have also copied the professional magazine
in overlapping the left models hair on the logo.
I chose my main model (Marcus) very carefully because I wanted someone with the
‘short back and sides’ look with long hair on top that is once again coming back into
fashion. I wanted two males to re-create the professional magazine shown.
The second model (Will) I chose because he reminded me of a member from a well
known ‘indie’ band; ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ and I thought this was appropriate the genre.
Mast Head
The ‘NME’ title stands out a lot
because of the colours and bold font.
To Re-create this I have used similar
colours and again a bold font.
However I wanted a font with a ‘twist’
to represent the indie genre, and to
reinforce the arrowed centre I placed
a red line behind it. On the NME font
it has an ‘inner-shadow’ on the stroke,
however I have put an effect on the
outer block to separate in from the
top band where NME has the black
stroke to do this.
Like the NME magazine I have
used a circular black and yellow
sell line/offer. Using these
colours I have moved away
from the repeated colours to
give it another look and widen
what I can use throughout the
magazine, not restricting myself
to much but still keeping house
colours.
Sell Lines
I have shown the sell lines as they are on the professional
magazine with alternation between black and red with lines to
separate them. I would like to have done more as the area
around the models looks bare and boring. I have also used
boxes to show some more important features of the magazine,
this I have taken from other magazines such as this NME one.
If I were to re-do it I would like
to include a text across the
middle like the professional one
to fill more space and make it
more interesting. I would also
use brighter colours but due to
the colour of my models
jumper that I wanted I could
not contrast the different
shades to much. It would be
useful to, to include a bar code,
however this might interrupt
the other texts and blocks.
Other Images
The other images I have used are the ‘full band’ and a female
model by herself, she is later featured on the double page
spread. She is smoking in this image and I got this idea from
another magazine and I feel it shows the independence of
the genre and how indie people don’t always play by the
rules. Both images are against a brick wall this is because for
both I wanted a plain back ground but not a white, studio, I
also wanted them to be the same because photos from both
shoots are then featured on the double page, and blend into
the back ground of each other.

3. Contents Page Main Image
I have used the main image similar to the one of a professional magazine because it is outside and
relaxed and as if the group are not working. I have also used a banner along the top of a view which
backs up the outside feel.
I chose this model (Beth) because I thought her fringe was appropriate to the genre, and the dark colour didn’t
contrast with the house colours. Having this model in front and another behind in a different colour shows their
statues and that she is the lead singer. I also had her smoking again to show how ‘indie’ people are independent
and don’t always play by the rules. Through doing audience research I found that people of this genre often wear
label clothes, this is why I chose to have her Vans/shoes in more focus and front than her face.
Other Image
I wanted to show the ‘new album’
mentioned on the front page but I
could not re-create the Arctic
Monkeys band or the album cover
so I took a picture od the album
logo t-shirt.
Here I have included
a grey box with an
offer in like on this
professional
magazine. I have also
included a logo type
block the start the
box, copying the
stamp on the cover
promoting this offer.
Like the professional magazine I
have separated and headed each list
with a line however I have not split
my pages into categories. However
instead of using bigger blocks rather
than lines to split them I have used
a backing block on the number. I
have also used a bold font for the
main title of the pages then a small
summary or caption in the ‘light’
font. The page numbers are also in
the ‘blacklisted’ font just add
diversity and change but it is my
house font and hadn’t been used
much on this page.
To improve this I would add a small article on this page like the
one on the professional page. It would also have to be about
the main image on this page, so I would either have to take a
new image for this story or write about the story on my double
page spread and find another for that, because currently it is
advertising the double page spread.

4. Double Page Spread
Main Image and Layout
This is the professional double page spread
that I have tried to re-create. Like this I have
used one main image that take just over half
the two pages with a block with the story in.
The image I have used was against a brick
wall because I didn’t want any action behind
but I wanted a pattern or something
consistent behind. I chose to have my
models hood up because I thought it would
represent the genre through having her
hiding herself and being independent. She
needed to be smiling because the quote in
bold and blue stuck out from the rest of the
story is ‘Best experience of my life’.
I added in the shapes because I liked the
effect it had on the professional page,
however I don’t think the mainly house
colours I used had the same effect.
Although the blocks on the brick wall are
effective because they look as if they
belong with it. I have also separated the
columns with a line and begun the text
with a larger, blue capital letter.
The title of my page does not standout as much as
the professional one, however I think starting each
word with the ‘Blacklisted’ font was effective. Using
black for the title was effective against the red
backing and the white main text colour. Using the
blue and the white bolder text was effective in
catching the readers eye, as it does on the
professional page.
Using two small images was effective because it showed the other bands that would be featured in the story and
showed that there wouldn’t just be one. Using the one with the same brick backing was effective because it blended
with the other. The studio photo is from the same shoot as the cover image so this shows where it is relevant.
The models in the studio image are pointing and in a draft I placed a text next to it saying ‘We Need You’. This was to promote
ticket sales or band entries, however it did not fit with the layout and in trying to re-create the professional one it meant there was
to much on the page.
Although this album may
not be considered ‘indie’ I
felt the wall background
was very effective and
inspired my main image.