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

All media products use, develop and challenge codes and conventions, a convention can be defined as the way in which something is done. In the case of a magazine it refers to how a magazine is generally constructed depending on targeted demographic. Conventions allow magazines to be formulaic, meaning magazines in general have rules they follow. The main conventions of a front page often no matter what the genre include the main image, the masthead, date, issue number, feature stories and the barcode. These elements of the magazine are what form the mode of address which is the way in which a media product communicates with the audience. The way that the forms and conventions are used, developed and challenged also helps to develop the mode of address. The mode of address highly influences the response of the reader of a particular magazine. The way in which in the conventions are coded is intended to appeal to the demographic.

In the magazine I created I followed many codes and conventions. One of the most common conventions I followed is using a masthead. The masthead is usually placed at the top of the page, in the left hand corner. This is the first area a buyer will look at therefore  the reader can easily identify the magazine straight away, especially when it is placed on shop shelves. This is important as the masthead is a key part of the brand identity of the magazine.  The name of the magazine promotes the brand identity also the name of a specific magazine can reflect what a reader is to expect. In the case of my magazine the word “Chill” relates to something be ‘cool’ which is colloquial term for an admired aesthetic of attitude, behaviour, appearance and style. As this is a hip hop magazine aimed at an urban demographic using this as the name of my magazine is very effective. This compliments the mode of address. Communicating with the audience is key when developing a media product, using words such as ‘chill’ make the reader feel comfortable which benefits your brand. This creates a sense of personal identification for the reader with the magazine, which goes in line with the uses and gratifications theory. This is a part of the theory which suggests that people use the media in order to find reinforcement for personal values. The uses and gratifications theory states that one of the main reasons people use the media is for personal identification and other things such as information, social interaction and entertainment.

On the front cover of my magazine the colour scheme can be easily identified with I used different shades of the three chosen colours. Also the size of my text suggests the importance of the stories and that the featured stories is the main attraction/selling point. However everything presented on the front cover is formed to appeal to someone. It also creates the idea that the magazine is full of content. These feature stories include a heading and a sub-heading, in order to briefly inform the audience of what is inside the magazine, and to attract consumers. This is a common coded convention of many magazines, and it is rarely broken. Another way in which I have developed the magazine to catch the attention of my audience is through the use of buzz words such as “Exclusive” Buzzwords are words which create an excitement about your magazine. These buzzwords are unique for every demographic and need to be used correctly so they appeal to its demographic. There are vital conventions a magazine must consist of; a barcode, issue number, date and price on the right bottom corner of my front cover. The barcode makes the magazine easier to purchase for the consumer. The issue number as well as the date keeps the consumer aware of the number of magazines that have been released and when they were released. This would highly benefit those who are collectors of the magazine. The price is there in order to inform the consumer of how much the magazine is. It is evident that the price of ‘chill’ magazine is fairly low this is because of the financial state of my demographic.

 

Another coded convention I followed was putting borders at the top and the bottom of the front page of my magazine. I did this throughout my magazine in order to form an accustomed look for the readers, and to stay consistent throughout. I used the bottom border in the conventional way, and included more artists which can be found within the magazine. This convinces the readers that the magazine is full of content. I added an inducement in my magazine. Offering a free exclusive will instantly persuade the readers to purchase the magazine.

 Another common convention of magazines is to have an inspirational figure as the model on the front cover of the magazine. This is usually someone who your readers are very familiar with and aspires to be, as the magazine should reflect the reader’s goals and aspirations. This falls in line with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which includes five stages that can be divided into basic needs. (e.g. physiological, safety, love and esteem) and growth needs (self actualization). The target demographic for this magazine have self-actualization needs which refers to the need for personal growth and discovery that is present throughout a person’s life. In self-actualization a person comes to find a meaning to life that is important to them. Therefore using a celebrity they aspire to be is very effective as they hope to reach the same goals as him/her, and the magazine motivates them to do so.

Furthermore, my magazine features a famous male hip hop artist, who the readers of my magazine aspire to be. A popular convention I used on my magazine was to have the model in front of the masthead which conveys that the person featured on the magazine is larger than the magazine brand itself. This convention is only used when the artist is a level where they inspire millions therefore having them cover the masthead doesn't tarnish the impression readers receive. In addition the artist featured on the front cover is fairly attractive which means not only to the male portion of the demographic aspire to be him but that the female portion desire to be with someone of his stature.

In addition, another convention is for magazines to have a 3 colour scheme. The three colour scheme is constant throughout the magazine. The three colours are black white and blue. Blue is a masculine in the western society males prefer the colour blue from a very young age, according to studies, it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability. As this magazine is targeted at mainly a male audience it is ideal to represent the brand with this colour. Also this magazine features only male artist therefore it makes sense to use a colour that symbolizes the male gender. Blue also has connotations of calmness and tranquility, which creates as relaxed atmosphere for the reader as opposed to red which has very powerful emotional connotations. The colour can be associated with formality, elegance and prominence which is highly beneficial towards a magazine targeted it aspirers. Also the colour black allows the blue to stand out which makes the magazine aesthetic. Also white contrasts with black therefore it’s useful to have both of them in the 3 colour scheme. My colour scheme creates a sense of success and desires. As the people featured in the magazine are successful and that my demographic have desires to be.

There are also conventions that are visible in the contents page. Firstly a common convention is to have the title of the page as ‘contents’. I used an image of the models head to replace the ‘o’ which is quite unique and makes the page more interesting. I included images which is also a convention keeps the readers engaged. The page has fashion section which suggest the demographic are materialistic and are very concerned about their appearance. Also this suggests that they are mainstreamers and like to follow the main trends. Also the main image relates to the main featured story and the story on the double page spread which is another convention of contents pages. The borders and colour scheme is still consist which reinforces my brand identity.

It is very clear that my double page spread follows many conventions. The most obvious convention is the drop capital, the first letter which is larger than the rest of the text, which is used to indicate where to start reading. Also the article is in columns which is a very common convention of a double page spread. In my magazine the article ends with a ‘tombstone’ but instead of having a basic full stop. I replaced It with ‘chill.com’ which promotes the brands website introduces synergy. Also on the banners which reinforces the brand identity I have also promoted ‘chill magazine’s’ Facebook, Twitter Spotify. Which links to synergy. Although this is not necessarily a convention as the rise of social networks it has become vital to include viral marketing. Another significant convention is the anchor, the quote was also used as the title which is an additional coded convention. Moreover, the main images takes a lot of space which is essential for as he/she is the main attraction.  On this double page spread there is a younger new coming artist who is featured on the page. Although he is only given a small portion on the space this benefits the new artist and the audience. As the magazine has risen awareness and also the audience are mainstreamers therefore they thrive on being the early discovers of a new artist because they do not like missing out on trends.

In conclusion, the codes and conventions contribute to the mode of address. As hip hop is a massive genre I made sure I followed most codes and conventions because this audience are not fond of different complicated concepts. Due to the simple fact that they are mainstreamers. Also the conventions have helped me reach the aspirers. This all links to the uses and gratification theory and that the readers can personally identify with the magazine.