Exam Question 1 (Contents Page)

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

The generic conventions are: Masthead, Contents themselves, Main Image, Smaller image, Edition&Issue Number and Page numbers on Images.

Masthead for the Contents Page

This is my Masthead for my Contents Page. I have used the same Gradient fill again with the red background but with the 'Contents' This time.

These are my contents. I have used the same cover lines from my Front Cover and added them to the contents. I have looked at Q's and Top of the pops contents page. I especially liked the way Q's was formatted and set out. I have recreated a similar set out. I decided not to do the header 'This Week' on mine as most music magazines do, I have challenged the conventions by doing this as nearly all music magazines have this. Even without the 'This Week' I think it still works really effectively. I also added in tour dates in the contents page this is for the audience to be able to see what artists they like and their upcoming tours also by adding these it makes it more clear what my target audience is for my magazine, as I have used young/new/popular artists it makes it more obvious that the target audience is for younger people and the genre is more broad than a specific target audience. I decided I would make my target audience more broad as you tend to find that people don't like just one specific genre they tend to like a few. I'm mainly looking at Pop and Rap as everyone I got my audience feedback off liked both Pop and Rap music.

     This is my main image for my contents page. I selected this one because it has a direct mode of address and draws the audience in. I have also put the page number on the image. The image is effective because it stands out on the page and has a really good quality to the image. By having the page number on the image it makes it more easy access for the consumers to access the page and also when they read about Page 16 they can see who it's about properly without having to turn straight to the page.

These are my smaller images that are just below my main image. By using smaller images with your main image it give the target audience more of an insight to the artist and what they're like. I looked at one of Q's contents page and how they structured their images. In the certain one i was looking at there was a main image and two smaller images underneath them. The smaller images where for a different article but I decided to have two extra images of Lauren on the Contents Page, because she's a new and upcoming artist.

I have also put in what Edition the magazine is and the Issue number on the contents page as the Q magazine I was using as a style model also had their Issue number in the Contents Page. I have also added that It's the February edition on the contents page also even though that Q doesn't do that.

I have also added the Social platforms to the contents page. By using the Social Platforms into my magazine I am introducing 'New Media.' I have involved social networking sites that include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Many magazines are now using 'New Media.' by making my magazine available online it allows me to reach out to my target audience on a different level rather than just having it as a magazine and introduces a whole new way of purchasing a magazine rather than just in a shop.