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

I think that now my final product has been changed and improved, it uses and develops forms and conventions of real media products rather than challenging them. Having taken particular inspiration from Q and NME magazines for the aesthetic elements of my magazine, and from NME magazine for the content, I feel that I have achieved a magazine that follows conventions, yet stands out because of its particular emphasis on up-and-coming artists. Primarily, the red, white and black colour scheme of the front cover and contents page helps them to stand out, and takes inspiration from the colour scheme of Q magazine. Furthermore, the fact the I have colour co-ordinated the fonts on the front cover with the cover image, tying in with the pale green of the artist’s coat and the red of her guitar, shows that I have used the conventions of typical magazines such as NME. Another thing that uses and develops forms and conventions of magazines such as NME and Kerrang! is the small article on the contents page about an up-and-coming artist to look out for. Small articles or reviews on contents pages are common in these magazines, and help to make the contents page more interesting whilst keeping the reader's attention. I think my contents page in general is quite similar to the contents pages in Q and NME magazines, as it is streamlined and following a black, red and white colour scheme, as well as following conventions such as having photos with page numbers of some of the artists featured inside. I have also tried to emulate the style of the contents column in NME, by having the artists' names in bold capitals to draw attention to them, and having a smaller short description below. I have developed these forms and conventions by attempting to emulate the original and artistic style of double-page spreads in indie magazines such as NME, through my use of unusual props such as apples, and the smudging of the page border in order to make it look like it has been painted on, to match the quirky nature of the double-page spread artist. This method of adapting the mise-en-scene, fonts and layout to fit in with the genre of the magazine and the double page spread artist is very effective, as the respresentation created by the "arty," creative style of the double page spread ties in well with the fact that I have mentioned "Ella Doshi" is original and creative in the article itself. The green and brown colour scheme of it also connotes nature, which emphasizes the quirky personality of the double page spread artist. The use of several different eye-catching fonts is also conventional, and is very aesthetically pleasing. However, I have tried not to challenge forms and conventions, by ensuring that the size and proportion of all of the fonts is exactly right, so that the page doesn't look cluttered. Overall, I think I have used and developed forms and conventions of real media products well in order to make my own magazine look as conventional and professional as possible.