Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
 I decided to choose Indie music as the
genre for my magazine. Throughout my
research, I discovered different
interpretations of presenting this type of
magazine through forms and conventions.
 The emphasis on festivals is a
I took inspiration from the + prominent convention of indie
sign to connect the headlines. magazines so there is a clear
I noticed this small item on similarity between the NME
other indie magazines. magazines content and my
There is a relation magazines content.
between the NME To make the
front cover and my magazine feel more
front cover. The connected to the
colours used are target audience,
similar including NME has used many
the pastel pink and personal pronouns
white as well as the such as you.
vintage convention. Therefore, I adopted
NME used black this convention to
and white to apply the same
portray this, and effect on my
eventhough my magazine. You
magazine is in need to join are
colour, it still has you a festival
quite vintage fanatic?
effects applied. The convention of moody looking band members is included in NMEs
magazine as well as my own. They are all portraying a character of
the indie music genre.
 Some magazines were busy and brightly coloured

Though others used more minimalistic interpretations.

 I thought that the less extravagant house
styles related well to the genre because indie
music has an authentic connotation.
 I felt my retro house style would be suitable for the
forms and conventions of the magazine because
the word indie in itself has a connotation of being
quite old fashioned and vintage.
I adopted the minimalism idea to the front cover to make it
appear un-cluttered and that there would be more
information to read up on inside.
 This is particularly
represented with the
backdrop of the front displaying the indie genre in a
cover, which is just more simplistic, authentic way.
simple, plain and
white.
 The pictures throughout the magazine are solemn;
relating to the conventions in indie music whereby bands
are often quite moody.
 The language used in the centrespread article from an
interview from one of the band members includes a bit of
attitude as the typical indie artist would have.
I took inspiration from bands like Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and
Catfish and The Bottlemen who seem to portray this
stereotype very well.
However, I also challenged these forms and conventions.
For example, I used a combination of soft, pastel colours
such as pink with black to represent the diversity in indie
music.
This convention involves a male and female audience as
indie music is typically directed to a male audience.
I wanted to involve a female audience as well therefore
also minimised use of the male gaze theory by Laura
Mulvey.
Overall, I feel like the forms and conventions I used worked
well due to the peer review I received which said that they
could relate to the genre through the different elements in
the magazine. Such as the article, the pullquotes and
images. On the other hand they also said that the
connotation of pink and yellow didnt portray the indie
genre properly as it is quite feminine.