As the existing media products which I studied did not include a contents page as part of their magazine, I have gone straight to comparing my double page spread with one from Top of The Pops (TOTP).After researching the front cover of real media products I then researched the double page spread to look for inspiration here. I was able to gather the basic structural arrangement which was used to present the double page spread as a reflection of its music genre and also the artist featured. Here are ways which my media product uses and develops forms and conventions of existing media products:
Structure and Layout When comparing my media product to TOTP I noticed that the layout and structure are very similar. Text is minimal and images are prominent, and also both images and text are featured on both pages. I feel this is necessary to keep the attention of a young reader. Each of these aspects caters to the young mind which is known for its short attention span. Images are frequent so as not to overwhelm the reader with vast amounts of text and both are equally spread across the two pages in order to create a lighter outlook rather than deterring the reader by bunching together large amounts of text. The younger generation are taken by images and this is what initially draws them to the article and so I wanted to keep this consistent throughout my magazine.
Main Heading Another similar feature incorporated by both my magazine and TOTP magazine was its use of headings and titles. On my magazine, there is a clear and eye catching title at the top of the page which is also present in TOTP. When researching magazines of my genre, this was a very effective method of grabbing the attention of the audience. I felt it necessary to include this in my media product. I also found that the name of the celebrity featured was in many cases the focalised basis of the heading and so I used this to create the title for the page. My heading also kept a consistent house style which was primarily based on the overall look of the front cover.
Quotes Once more, quotes are commonly used between the two magazines. It is clearly a very regular method of enticing a reading to read the entire interview. When creating my double page spread, I wanted to create the impression that the artist was opening herself up to Bubble Pop and my readers were being given the opportunity to divulge a secret. To implement this in a way which was obvious at first sight, I used thought bubbles to symbolize this idea. It also gave a view of the reader getting inside the mind of the artist. This was also used by my opposing magazine and this proves this method to be beneficial.
There were also ways in which I felt my media product would do well by challenging these forms and conventions. When researching other magazines I felt there were specific aspects which I believe my magazine either could disregard, or improve upon to create a better finished product. Here are ways which my media product challenges forms and conventions of existing media products:
Content I went in a very different direction in terms of content of the interview. My interview was highly based on learning about the artist and uncovering secrets of their life, whereas the interview features in TOTP was primarily based on giving advice to its readers. I thought this was a nice idea, however I did not see it as “exclusive interview” material. To reach the standard I was hoping for, I wanted to dramatise the interview by slightly misleading the reader with exaggerations to create an impact on the reader. This methodology was used to make the reader want to read the interview.
Introduction Unlike TOTP, my magazine included an introduction. I felt this was a very useful method of drawing the reader in. It was a persuasive passage which worked toward enticing the reader to read the rest of the interview. It was used to convince them that what they were about to read was exclusive and very interesting and created and idea that this interview was a “must read.” This was not present in TOTP.
Structure and Layout When comparing my media product to TOTP I noticed that the layout and structure are very similar. Text is minimal and images are prominent, and also both images and text are featured on both pages. I feel this is necessary to keep the attention of a young reader. Each of these aspects caters to the young mind which is known for its short attention span. Images are frequent so as not to overwhelm the reader with vast amounts of text and both are equally spread across the two pages in order to create a lighter outlook rather than deterring the reader by bunching together large amounts of text. The younger generation are taken by images and this is what initially draws them to the article and so I wanted to keep this consistent throughout my magazine.
Main Heading Another similar feature incorporated by both my magazine and TOTP magazine was its use of headings and titles. On my magazine, there is a clear and eye catching title at the top of the page which is also present in TOTP. When researching magazines of my genre, this was a very effective method of grabbing the attention of the audience. I felt it necessary to include this in my media product. I also found that the name of the celebrity featured was in many cases the focalised basis of the heading and so I used this to create the title for the page. My heading also kept a consistent house style which was primarily based on the overall look of the front cover.
Quotes Once more, quotes are commonly used between the two magazines. It is clearly a very regular method of enticing a reading to read the entire interview. When creating my double page spread, I wanted to create the impression that the artist was opening herself up to Bubble Pop and my readers were being given the opportunity to divulge a secret. To implement this in a way which was obvious at first sight, I used thought bubbles to symbolize this idea. It also gave a view of the reader getting inside the mind of the artist. This was also used by my opposing magazine and this proves this method to be beneficial.
There were also ways in which I felt my media product would do well by challenging these forms and conventions. When researching other magazines I felt there were specific aspects which I believe my magazine either could disregard, or improve upon to create a better finished product. Here are ways which my media product challenges forms and conventions of existing media products:
Content I went in a very different direction in terms of content of the interview. My interview was highly based on learning about the artist and uncovering secrets of their life, whereas the interview features in TOTP was primarily based on giving advice to its readers. I thought this was a nice idea, however I did not see it as “exclusive interview” material. To reach the standard I was hoping for, I wanted to dramatise the interview by slightly misleading the reader with exaggerations to create an impact on the reader. This methodology was used to make the reader want to read the interview.
Introduction Unlike TOTP, my magazine included an introduction. I felt this was a very useful method of drawing the reader in. It was a persuasive passage which worked toward enticing the reader to read the rest of the interview. It was used to convince them that what they were about to read was exclusive and very interesting and created and idea that this interview was a “must read.” This was not present in TOTP.
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