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

Essay form:

When creating my magazine, Slick, I tried to include typical features shown in the music magazines genre Hip-Hop/R&B to make it attract the target audiences. I used the research I had done at the beginning of the course, for instance analyzing magazines, to help gather up enough knowledge on the design of Hip-Hop/R&B magazines and are presented; this helped my magazine to appear as professional as possible and still appeal to the target audience.

I wanted to make my magazine stand out from others in the market, I felt like if I copied the magazine I inspired mine to be like (vibe) then it would not be unique. So firstly I achieved my unique magazine by having a different colour theme than any other music magazine on the shelves (purple). I used these colours as it displays my magazine as something new as the first thing people see is the colours and the pictures of the magazine. I also created the name of my magazine also has many links with the genre of the magazine as it as the same feel as cool or wicked. This is the type of magazine my target audience would like to read as it seems from the very start that it’s a chilled, easy reading magazine; just like the type of music, R&B.

For my main sell line I used a font that is different to all the other sell lines to make it stand out; the font has the same feeling as someone who has handwritten the word ‘Back’ this again relates to the genre of the magazine. I placed a banner at the bottom of the magazine which showed that the magazine has Facebook and Twitter, this appeal to my target audience has part of their social habits is to be on social networking sites. Also my other sell lines contain many well-known artists, which means it will attract a wide variety of audience.

Like many music magazines, especially Vibe magazine, my contents page has a large picture of Bradley (my main model) in it. As during my early stages of researching I gathered that the main feature of any magazine tends to have a very large picture in the contents page. This is another thing that has made my media product to convey a professional look that feels and looks like a real music magazine. There is also a section on the contents page, which has the Facebook and Twitter logo's which appeals to the audience as the target audience are usually active on social networking sites and are quite young.

My double paged spread continue to use the them of white, black and purple, reflecting the mood as chilled, relaxed and originality which plants a seed into the readers mind; whilst reading the article they will then feel laid back. In the first double paged spread I have created a large quote which the reader can read in seconds, this allows the reader to know whether they would be interested in my magazine or in this case my article. I have carefully chosen where my photos have been taken to ensure the target audience is enticed. For instance I took the out side photo shoot of Bradley Moore in London city with buildings and people in the background, which fits in with the article of Bradley being a London city boy. This also links with the target audience as they go up to cities on a regular basis to go to clubs and so on, the target audience also prefer the busy city instead of the quite country side, thus why I did not have the outside photo shoot in the woods. Also the picture on the first double-paged spread will entice the audience and draw them in, as Bradley face is half covered by the shadow which implies the article will be interesting and there is some gossip to know; the target audience like to read about gossip, so this will appeal to them highly.