Evaluation Question 1 draft

1.In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of music magazines)

I chose to draw most of the inspiration for my magazine from The Fader. Because of this my magazine has used many of the conventions The Fader displays.

My Masthead follows the same conventions as the Fader’s masthead. The fonts used are similar and they are both positioned at the top of the page in the largest font on the cover. This ensures that potential readers notice the magazine on the shelf as the title of it will be sticking out at the top and remain visible if the magazine is stacked behind others. Readers will remember the title of the magazine easier if it is bold and stands out, this could create brand loyalty but only if the content is good. A convention I haven’t followed is the use of a coloured square being placed behind the first letter of the masthead, I didn’t feel it added any appeal to my cover.

The layout of my contents page is almost completely inspired by the Fader contents page. It uses basically all the conventions of it and that is obvious when you look at mine next to the example image. The layout of my cover uses a lot of the conventions used by the example Fader cover. The placement of the masthead is very similar. The secondary cover lines are in a similar position and under a “+” like on the example Maceo edition. The layout of my double page spread uses many of the conventions of the example double page spread I’ve given. One page is focussed on an image of the artist then the other page is full of text. I used this convention as I like the simple layout, it makes the article look more appealing to read in my opinion. I also used the convention of putting the issue number on the cover next to the mast head as I thought it looked appealing in that position whilst also giving the reader information on the issue.

I have been conventional with camera work and the framing of my images. My cover features a mid-shot of the artist which is a common shot type used on Fader covers however on the example here a close up is used which is also a conventional shot used for magazine covers.

I styled my artist in a conventional way to how hip hop artists are usually styled in magazines. My artist is wearing chains and sunglasses which are typical accessories of rappers. The Fader styles rappers in a similar way which can be seen on my blog where I have used other Fader magazines as examples.  

My article header is conventional to The Fader’s article header as it is in a different font to the rest of the text on the two pages. This makes it stand out to the reader so they are drawn in to read. The double page spread is also the main feature of the magazine so conventionally should have a title that makes it stand out if the reader is just flicking through the issue.    

Hip Hop as a genre I think has become more laid back and less “in your face”. The simple layout of The Fader magazine represents the current state of hip hop well in my opinion. That is why I chose to model my magazine based on The Fader. There is very little text on the cover or contents of my magazine which is conventional to the Fader and executes the representation of hip hop I’m aiming for. The genre is more relaxed and broad as a whole which is why a simple layout is needed. The images used in my magazine are conventional to modern rap magazines such as The Fader as they show how broad rap is now. One of my images has two grime artists with the stereotyped rapper image of a thug then another has a picture of a rapper with indie style sunglasses on and a smile on his face.

The colour scheme of the cover of the example Fader magazine matches the artist well as it gives the issue a raw, urban feel. Conventionally the colour scheme of modern rap magazine covers should give an indicator of the type of artist on it. My magazine I believe uses this convention as “Cassanova” is quite an elusive, secretive, dark artist so a black and white cover is perfect. A colourful image of him follows in the double page spread as the reader is opened up to his personality through an interview. The colour scheme of the contents is simple and has no particular personality or vibe. This is a convention from the Fader I have used as I believe contents pages don’t need to be over complicated or colourful to be effective in doing the job they are meant for. On the physical version of the Maceo edition of the Fader the barcode is placed in the bottom right of the page. I have used this convention for my cover.