Evaluation Question - Part One

In what ways does your media product use, develop or 

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media product “Live Rock!” uses conventions of real media products by conforming to reliable layout designs, eye catching titles and photographs, and conventional colour schemes.

My product is a rock music magazine, focused towards a rock/metal and alternative market. In order to create my magazine I studied conventions from well-established rock magazines such as Kerrang! , Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Rocksound. I found that they were aimed at a younger age group, attracted readers with more outrageous stories and used an informal mode of address. The main colour schemes used were red, black, white and yellow, and covers/features are often cluttered with lots of content. This creates a loud, in your face image which draws potential buyers in. The codes and conventions of this genre of magazine is very different to a publication such as Q magazine, which a clean cut image.

I have used these forms and conventions in my own product as you can see:
My masthead is bold, bright and stands out. I have chosen the name “Live Rock” as it has connotations of a double meaning. It firstly sounds like a lifestyle, which many avid music lovers consider their chosen genre to be- more than just the music but the lifestyle that comes with it. In this case, examples could include wearing band merchandise, going to gigs on a regular basis and discussing/ reading additional information about their favourite artists.  This idea of the lifestyle has proven important to readers of real magazines as market research displays that readers of this genre attend gigs and buy merchandise on an extremely regular basis. Secondly, my masthead could also be interpreted as “Live Rock”, in a sense of Live rock music, which is something of a primary focus for my chosen genre.

My imaging also conforms to conventions of real magazines. My front cover image features a young male band, dressed in casual clothing. I chose to use props to create a more unique image. Like many rock magazines, I wanted to imply the idea of a rebellious and outspoken nature. I positioned my models to look as though they had vandalised CD-ROM disks. The main one, held forward, reads “ORIGINALITY IS DEAD.” I felt that the bold statement would capture attention. My other models destroy the CD’s – one is being burned and the other broken and being bitten. This also hints at humour and gives an immature impression. Outrageous behaviours and bold statements are largely used in this genre.

I also aimed to fill my pages with a large amount of content. I feel that I created my own images and designs in a way that put my own mark on my product whilst sticking to regular conventions. For example, I stated in my mission statement that my magazine would also encourage musicians and so I created cover lines such as “The Drummers guide! Master sections of Slipknot and BFMV!”

I chose to use a double page spread for my contents piece, as my product is a monthly publication. So this idea was taken from Q which always feature bold double page spreads. However, I altered my spread to conform to the image of a rock magazine by featuring large rock styled images and genre based editorials. I used conventions for my contents pages such as:

-Branding

-Editor’s note

-Subscription offers

Adding the editor’s note and branding also supports convergence culture. My branding features my product’s web address showing that it is part of a multimedia platform. My editor’s note also shows interactivity and a relationship between the producers and the readers. The note also encourages reader to use the website. I have tried to challenge conventions in a minor way by mixing conventions from different music magazines and working them together in one single design. Page references such as "posters" and "win!" entice the reader and I have tried to create a selection of interesting references.  The largest photo, I edited in order for it to make it look more eye catching. The flames surrounding the band has connotations of Hell, and this rebellious dark image is popular in the rock music scene. As the rest of my page was fairly bright, I felt that this would help establish the genre. I also used my own concert photography to present real images of bands under the "gig reviews" reference, this also created realism. The subscription offer signs readers up for a limited time, hopefully encouraging them to continue to be loyal when the offer ends. The "posters" page is also a particularly popular feature in music magazines. Teenagers specifically are known to collect posters of their favourite artists. The "special features" section displays references that are exciting, new and specific to this month's issue , highlighting the best content to the reader. I have circled each page reference number in bold red, making it clear for the reader to see.

My double page spread (article) uses the following conventions that can be found in almost all magazines.

-Bold Title

-Oversized starting letter

-large pull quote

-large, clear main image of the band

I also again reinforced my brand by displaying the web address, and also added my own extra features as opposed to presenting the article alone. I found that in magazines where artists spoke about new albums, the album would be promoted in additional ways rather than solely within the article itself. I added the release date information and created an image of the album myself using photobucket to advertise it to the reader. I also created a “track guide” to give a quick review to fans, recommending the best songs loved by “Live Rock!”

The overall way in which the article is written remains mostly friendly. I wanted to give the impression that communication between “Live Rock!”and the artist is relaxed and comfortable. I felt that this may make the reader think are reading more trustworthy information. Whilst the article remains light hearted in tone, the fact that I have chosen an article which isn’t an interview still allows an informative view on the band and their music.