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

Front Cover

 Use:

1. I have used a masthead on my magazine, mastheads are conventional to magazines. My masthead also uses the same style of recognisable logo, not all magazines have a logo but a lot of the more well known, popular ones do.
2. Another feature I have used is a publication line or strap line, both magazines have the publication line hidden behind the main image, this doesn't matter too much because if the magazine is well known most people will know the line anyway. 
3. Like the Q magazine I have chosen to use a female model for the front cover. Both models are also superimposed over the masthead and strapline.
4. I have chosen a feature article, I have considered visual hierarchy and have used bigger and bolder fonts so that the readers know that it's the most important article.
5. I have added a barcode to my cover.
6. I have included a price and publication date, I have used a very small font as they are the least important things on the page.
7. I have chosen to use the same colour scheme as the Q magazine as I feel these are the most suitable colours which connote my genre (indie)

Develop:

1. Although both magazines have models of the same gender they start to look different because my model is facing directly at the camera whereas on the Q magazine the model has her body to the side but is turning her head to the camera. We also use different shot types; Q have chosen to use a close up and I have chosen to use a mid shot.
2. Both magazines have added cover lines to the front cover but Q magazine has used more cover lines and have used bolder fonts, but I decided to use smaller, less bold fonts as I wanted to make sure that my main story/feature article stood out the most.

Challenge:

1. I have added this bar at the bottom of the page to show the readers that as well as all the new things in the magazine, all the regulars will be in there too.
2. I have included an extra cover line at the top right of the page, I have used a bold font and bigger size than the other cover lines but it's still smaller than the featuring article to make sure it is still the first thing the readers see.
3. Both magazines have completely different backgrounds, Q has a plain off white colour and mine has greens and browns from an image I took of some trees, I have blurred the image in photoshop to create the effect which you can see on the page.

Contents

Use:

1.  Here I have used the same style logo as the Q magazine they are both in the top left corner and stand out straight away so that the page is recognizable and  you know what magazine you are reading.
2. Both magazines have the issue month of the magazine on the right just so that the readers know what issue they are reading and if they are reading an out of date issue.
3. Both magazines have used a female model/artist as the main image for the contents page, some magazines have a few photographs on a contents page but I liked having just one so it doesn't look to overcrowded. 
4. Both magazines have a 'features' category to tell the readers that the articles in the 'features' section are exclusive to that issue.
5. Here I have used the same page title as Q magazine, 'Contents' is a conventional name for a contents page.

Develop:

1. Here both mine and Q magazine have a second category for content which is always in the magazine, however Q have called this section 'regulars' and I have called mine 'Each week'. We have also both used different fonts.
2. I have used a different colour background, Q have used a yellow/cream colour and I have used a light grey, I think that my choice of background colour makes the model stand out more on the page because she is wearing a completely different colour to the background whereas in Q the model is wearing a similar colour and she blends in a little with the background.

Challenge: 

1. I have added a screenshot of the magazine front cover so that the audience know which article I am referring to when reading the contents.
2. I have added social networking sites to the bottom of the page so the audience know where they can follow the magazine online.
3. I have included a byline to credit the writer and photographer.
4. I have a page number in the bottom corner, whereas the Q magazine doesn't. 
5. I have put my title, publication date and logo into a banner across the top, I think this makes it stand out more to the audience. I have also added a thin banner going down the left side of the page to split up the byline from the rest of the page.

Double Page Spread

Use:

1. Both my magazine and Q use female models for the main image and they both take up the whole of one side of the page.
2. Both magazines have small page numbers in the corners of the page.

Develop:

1. Like the Q magazine I have used the artists name as the title, but the title on my magazine is much bigger and bolder.
2. I have written my interview in three columns like Q magazine, this is conventional for most magazines, however my article is an interview whereas Q's is a story and I have used two different colours of text.

Challenge:

1. I have added a small border to the left side of the page, it gives the page shape and makes it look less empty.
2. Here I have used a byline to credit the writer and photographer and also an introduction to what the interview is about.
3. I have included a website at the bottom of the page so that the readers know they can go to watch videos, view photos etc.
4. I have added an extra image in the middle of the article.
5. I have also included a quote from the article, I have noticed quite a few magazines have done this.