Evaluation Question One: In what ways does your Magazine use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Cover

Use
From the 'King Blues' edition of Kerrang! Magazine, I really liked the factor of it being busy and overloaded, I think that it gives the magazine it's own personal look, I wanted to recreate this on the creation of my own magazine. One the factors that I used from the Kerrang! Cover was at the top there is a small banner giving the reader an idea of what else is in the magazine, much like a more creative cover-line. I really think that this brings in the magazine, also linking in with the bottom of the magazine in which there is a 'Plus:' banner, telling the reader what other bands they can expect to see stories, posters or news about. The other thing that I decided to use from the Kerrang! Magazine was the masthead, both mine and Kerrang!'s have a distorted image about them, and are in basically the same place on the magazine, the same size. The other thing that is similar about them is that they both have their own background, making them stand out from the magazine and make sure that it doesn't blend with the main image, however Kerrang!'s is white with a black background and my magazine is black with a white background. The last use that I took from the Kerrang! Magazine was the colour scheme, I really liked the idea of having blue instead of red, this appealed to me and I thought that Kerrang!'s magazine looked good, so I went for it.

Develop
The first main thing that I noticed about both my magazine and Kerrang!'s magazine is that our cover image's are very similar, more or less the same pose and facial expression, however my model has her arms up and is a girl instead of a man, differing their poses. The other difference being that the sizing is a little bit different, however bringing it together how they both cover a short bit of the masthead, making sure that the masthead is not covering them and bringing the attention away from the main audience focused part of the magazine, as the main story is what draws in the reader. Another develop that I decided to do between my magazine and my example magazine is the line of images going down the side of the magazine cover, telling the reader about any posters or additional stories that are going to be in the magazine or the posters that are included, I think that this also ties in the magazine and gives it that 'busy' look that is so conventional of a rock magazine, making sure that the right audience is approached and gained.

Challenge 
A challenge that I noticed between the two front covers is the band's announcement on the cover. On the Kerrang! Magazine, 'The King Blues' is in the middle of the magazine and is in the blue colour that we both used in our colour scheme, whereas my band's title is in white and is in a completely different place to the Kerrang! Magazine's band title. Obviously, a main difference is the fonts as each band has its own original font as I stated in a previous post on my blog.


Contents

Use
There is a lot of similarities between my contents and one of Kerrang!'s contents pages, one of the main things that I liked was the cut of point in the middle, with the main contents image being at the top, I decided to do this for my magazine, using my model Lois in the same position that Slash is on the Kerrang! Magazine, also with the arrows coming out of the side, stating who it is in the image and what page you'll be able to find them and their story on. The other thing that I used was the banner going across the middle with the 'RECKLESS this week' type in the middle, which is much similar to that of the Kerrang! Magazine, however with the font colours being different, as my contents and the Kerrang! contents had different colour schemes. Another thing that I got the idea from the Kerrang! Contents is the headers and column sizes for the stories in my magazine. I liked the idea of the black block with the header in, so you can clearly see when there is a new section. The last thing that I decided to recreate from Kerrang's magazine was in the top corner I would have the word 'Contents' instead of having it somewhere random on the page I think that having it here is a nice placement.

Develop
There are quite a few develops between my magazine and Kerrang!'s. One of the features on the Kerrang! Magazine that I liked was the editor's note as I think that it really ties in the contents and makes it seem more life-like. So I wrote my own editors note and then went onto a font website to find a suitable signature looking font, as I think that with any editor's note, they need their own signature or they may as well not even be a real person, then I added a flick underneath as on everyone's signature they have their own personal flicks and touches, however the difference being is that they are on other sides of the magazine, and my editor does not have a picture to her name. Another thing that I got inspiration from Kerrang!'s Contents is the sneak previews of what the reader can expect inside of the Kerrang! Magazine underneath the word 'Contents', using a screenshot of my double page that I created as the 'Lisha' preview, making the magazine seem more realistic, and another shot of my model Charlotte as 'Bailey Walliams' to show the reader where they will be able to find her. However the positioning of these two 'sneak previews' are a bit different to Kerrang!'s as I didn't really like the way that they set out the pictures.

Challenge
There is only one real noticeable difference between my magazine and Kerrang!'s magazine, of course a bit of the layout, ie the previously before stated editor's note, but on Kerrang!'s contents in the bottom right hand corner there is the competition where Kerrang! is giving away free magazines, and there is a small cut-out picture of a rock band member. I did not do this on my magazine and instead involved the 'competition' part in the normal contents like it was another section of my magazine. I did this because I do not have multiple front cover designs, like Kerrang!, so it would have looked silly not having that there. As they are giving away magazines I would have had to show which magazines and I do not have multiple ones, this is where my magazine contents differs greatly from the Kerrang!'s contents.

Double Page Spread

Use
The first thing that I noticed I really liked about Kerrang!'s MCR Double Page spread is the amount of pictures. They have carried on their theme from the front cover, adding numerous pictures to the double page spread instead of just one large one. I recreated this with my models in the bottom two pictures, however I added a blue border to mine to fit in with the colour scheme my magazine follows. The other thing is that the pictures of MCR are of them in action, for example Gerard Way singing and studio photos, however I could not recreate that as I do not have the environment to do so. Another thing that I really like is the section in the top right where Kerrang! does a short review of MCR's album and what songs that are their favourites in it. I thought that this was a really nice unique idea so I wanted to recreate this with my double page spread, making up some song names and reviewing them. 

Develop
The first develop that I noticed similarities between mine and Kerrang!'s magazine is that the main image we used are the same size, filling a whole A4 side of the magazine and is on the left hand side of the page, I did this however they differentiate because my image has two people instead of just one person, and they are doing different poses. Another thing that is similar about mine and Kerrang!'s magazine is that the text for my double page spread and Kerrang!'s is in a similar area on the page, my magazine article has more writing and is more in depth than Kerrang!'s, and mine is an interview and theirs is just a short section about MCR and their upcoming album, however the columns are still the same size and relatively in the same place. The last develop that I noticed between mine and Kerrang!'s magazine is the 'Interview' and 'News' in the top left corner. They are both in similar places with the same style, the word and then a short line underneath, however I wrote mine as an interview as I am actually talking to the band about what they are doing and what's going on, however Kerrang!'s is a news section because they are talking about the band, not with.

Challenge
There are some things that are completely different between mine and Kerrang!'s magazine, the main focal one being that Kerrang! has added a small picture on the main image page. I did not like this as I thought that the main image should be separate and on its own as it is the main focus of the double page spread. Another challenge that I noticed between the two is that I added a pull-out quote onto the page, I like it when magazines do this as it gives the reader an overall idea about what the interview is going to be about, however Kerrang! perhaps just didn't have one because their article is not an interview, but a section about the band. However the title for Kerrang!'s double page spread is a quote, with the band's name added into it so this could be counted as their title and their pull-out quote.