2. Issue number &
The masthead date
Use of the Cover image
left third
Cover lines Cover story
Barcode &
price More
cover lines
“More” feature
band at the
bottom

3. Masthead Masthead
Issue number
& date
Cover
Cover lines
lines
Cover
lines Cover story
Track
Image listings
More
Image artists
Cover story Masthead
Interview –
cover lines
Cover lines
Image Cover lines
Cover story
Barcode

4. Used conventions Developed conventions Challenges conventions
Masthead – this was used in my front Masthead – the masthead could Prop – on my front cover I have used
cover and matches the conventions of also be in this category. This is the prop of a guitar, looking at other
similar music magazines e.g. Billboard or because if I was only looking at the pop genre front covers this is not as
Rolling Stone. However, it is less like Q pop magazine Q then as it’s conventional. However, this isn’t
magazine as there masthead is more masthead is at the top of the left unconventional as guitars are a prop
like a logo. third then my masthead would be of the pop genre and in other pop
developing this as it’s more in the magazines there have been some
style of Billboard and Rolling Stone. images of guitars, so this prop slightly
challenges the conventions.
Left third – the use of the left third is Cover story – although all the similar Use of banded cover story – To make
conventional for similar magazines. products did use cover story’s as this my cover story stand out I had it
Looking at similar products I can see that is a convention, my cover story written on red bands – fitting in with
in my magazine I have used the left seemed to take up a higher my house style – I haven’t seen this
third, however, this feature is not used in proportion of the page than other feature on any pop music magazines.
the Billboard front cover. magazines did. However, after So I think it challenges the
doing research into similar products, conventional cover story/cover lines
they quite often use bigger cover format of straight on top of the image.
story’s very much like mine is. Although, mine appears
unconventional I think it works as it
stands out on the page and helps to
create a consistent house style.
Image – a majorly obvious convention is Barcode & date – this is used in Image – in a way my image
the image. I have used this convention some similar products, but because I challenges the conventions of a
as I have one main image of the cover based my magazine on Billboard’s conventional pop magazine, this is
story artist in a long shot. I decided to style I decided to use the barcode. because usually the images are in
include the prop of a guitar, but looking This is a convention of pop front of the masthead, but on my front
at other magazines not many of them magazines. However, it is not cover the image and masthead are
include props, they are mainly just an common on every single pop level – this could also be due to the
image of the artist and they express the magazine I researched into, making red band style I have which would not
story through make up, costume and it a slight development of look conventional at all if the image
pose rather than prop. conventions. was in front of it.

5. Top ten chart
(similar to
Billboard)
Masthead
Title Page
reference &
title
Features
Image
Caption
What’s in
every issue
Image
Page
Reviews reference
section & title
(similar to Q
Magazine)
Subscription
offer

6. Masthead
Title Track listings Title
Image
Page
Features referenc
Features
In every issue In
every
Date & issue
Title issue
number Contents
Image
Masthead
Images Page references
Page references Image
Features
Page
Contents references
Review
In every issue Image
Page references More contents

7. Used conventions Developed conventions Challenges conventions
Title – I used this so that readers knew Images – typically there are images on Chart listing – this feature is used in
what the page was. This is used in all the contents cover but generally Billboard but theirs is a major focus on
of the other magazine contents pages these are images of the artists there contents page. I wanted to use
I looked at so it a definite convention. featured and there are usually this idea but developed and changed
By using this my magazine fits in with different sized images. I have it so – as my magazine is weekly –
the genre of pop music magazines. developed this convention further, by there are the top tracks for that week.
using an image of an artist as well as I used Billboard’s idea but made it
an image of a concert, I’ve done this more concise and made it into a part
so I can appeal to a wider audience of my house style. But using influence
of people who are interested in both from research, this helped make my
the music and the artists behind it. magazine conventional.
Masthead - I used the masthead in my Contents sections – this is a Image captions – although it is
contents page, this is a convention, convention of pop magazine contents conventional to have a page
more so in Q and Billboard than pages. The contents is split into reference and perhaps a title for the
Rolling Stone, but it helps to create a different sections. But I have article it refers to it is not conventional
consistent house style which is a developed this further and completely to also have a caption, so my
convention of all music magazines. I separated different parts of the captions challenge the convention in
tried to create an original house style contents: rather than just with titles of this way.
but used similar colours to Rolling the areas of the contents, I’ve used
Stone in order to use my audience text boxes as well so they are clearly
feedback and appeal to my target separated.
audience.
“In every issue” - this was a feature of Images – although the images are Subscription offer – looking at other
the contents pages I looked at; a conventional for the genre I have pop magazines I have researched I
section of the contents that readers developed their layout further. did not seen any other subscriptions
can expect every issue. I decided to Looking at other pop magazine offer so in this way my magazine
do this in order to create a consistent contents pages the images are challenges the conventions of the
style for my magazine, making it more generally more ordered than the way type of pop magazine I produced.
conventional. mine are laid out. I decided to have Although it is fairly common in pop
them cluttered slightly in order to magazines aimed at younger
make it look “choppy” and cutting audiences. The subscription offer is
edge to appeal to my target due to the fact this is a “pilot”
audience. magazine, if you will, it’s the first issue
so has no consistent readers.

8. Kicker By line Stand first Headline
Full-page
photo
Small
image
Interview
Page
number Pull
quote
Issue Caption Body text
number &
date

9. Headline Caption
Headline
Kicker
Stand first
Body text Full page photo Stand first By line Full page photo
Body text
Kicker
Full page photo Body text
Kicker

10. Used conventions Developed conventions Challenges conventions
Headline – it is conventional to have a Body text – the body text is a Smaller image – the smaller image
headline on a double page spread of convention of pop genre magazines used on the right page is not a typical
a pop music magazine. My headline is but I developed this further and convention of pop magazines. It is a
conventional in this way and it’s incorporated an interview into the convention for some (e.g. the Rihanna
typography style of clear and easy to body text as well as a typical article. I double page in Billboard) however, I
read is also conventional, it is a san did this because an important part of wanted to use a smaller image in
serif font and helps to make the my production was creating an addition to my full page photo. This
double page spread. original house style for my magazine, was because it was important for the
this development helped to do this. creation of a house style.
Main image – the main image is a Page number – the page number at Colours – the colours are fairly
conventional feature of double page the bottom of the page is a conventional for a pop music
spreads in music magazines. This is convention of pop genre magazine, magazine. However, it is not
because it is a full page photo and but I took this a step further and put conventional to have different colours
although a long shot is not the most the issue number and date next to of body text in the type of pop
common shot type expected in pop this. This has been done in other pop magazines I have researched into.
music magazines it works here as I also magazines and I think it helps create a However, my magazine is aimed at a
have a close up high angle shot as consistent house style and so I used wide target audience so different
well. this convention for my double page colours caters for the younger of my
spread. target audience.
Pull quote – I have used two pull Stand first – these are typically used in Headline – the headline is
quotes in my main body text, this pop music magazines so are a conventional, but in some aspects it
feature is a convention of pop music convention, however, my stand first is challenges the conventions. This is
magazines. This is because it highlights slightly longer than a typical stand first. because typically headlines take up a
important parts of the article and So in this way I have developed the higher proportion of the page.
holds the attention of the readers. I convention further. I did this because However, mine is only slightly bigger
have used this convention because the layout of the page needed a than the body text. I did this in order to
the cover story I wrote is supposed to slightly longer page and as this is a make sure there was room for my
be both hard hitting and inspiring and fictional artist I had to make the story body text. Another reason was to start
so I wanted to pick out significant a bit more believable so the slightly to create an original style, in trying to
parts in order to attract readers’ longer stand first allowed me to be a little unconventional in some
attention to the most important parts. create a background for this artist areas of my magazine I have tried to
making the story and therefore this reach a different audience. There are
magazine page more convincing and so many magazines, mine needed to
real. have a unique and original style.