In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
My first media product, my magazine, uses several of the conventions used before in various other media products. An example of media products that mine is similar to would be some of the magazine covers I looked into and deconstructed; mainly Hannah Montana and Tellytubbies.
Inspired by the Hannah Montana magazine cover, my magazine features my main character as the main visual element of the piece, looking directly at the camera. This is used to draw the readers as it engages them instantly and makes it seem like the character is looking at them.
Another convention I used from the Hannah Montana front cover is the placement of the title; I made it so that it was bold and stood out, in very girly colours and font, used to draw my target audience in and instantly let the reader's know that the magazine is about the show due to the name being another big visual element.
Other conventions I used was having the Disney logo above the title to let the readers and parents of the readers know that the magazine is suitable for their children as Disney is a well-established company known for being for children. I also placed the bar-code in the right hand bottom corner, followed by the price above it.
Although I have used quite a lot of conventions from the Hannah Montana magazine cover, I feel that I have also kept to the simplicity idea from the Tellytubbies front cover; I think that this sort of magazine needs a simplistic design to it and doesn't need much going on, as the show and character on the front sells itself.
Lastly, I believe the one thing that challenges other media products is the fact my cover has different elements used that were in the stop-motion, and they would be featured each month on my magazine, giving a sense of continuity to the readers and also to adults allowing their children to read this - they will know the content with be acceptable and the same every month.
My DVD cover also uses a few conventions similar to those in other media products:
One of the main conventions I used is the placement of the logos on the cover; after analysing 3 real DVD media products, I noticed that the Disney Channel logo was placed in the bottom-left corner of each front cover, so I decided to do that also on my own to show that my programme is in association with Disney Channel and it suitable for the target audience of kids. Other logo's I noticed on Disney DVD covers were the Disney logo above the show's title, and also 'Disney DVD' which was placed on the spine at the top; both of these conventions I have used. I chose to make my DVD a 'U' and placed that element in the bottom-right of the front cover, on the spine, and in the DVD information at the back; this means it cannot be missed and shows people that this show is suitable for everyone.
Another convention of real media products that I used is the information on the back of the DVD, stating all the aspects of the show and what's on the disc; I put this so that parents could see the content of the DVD, from the running time, languages, to special features.
As I have said before, my cover has references to other DVD covers that I have researched into; I chose to follow the convention of the film-strip that is on the original Sonny with a Chance cover, but put mine on the back with clips of the show as I felt that it was an interesting and exciting way for children to see what they're going to watch. Also, it fits in very nicely with the theme of the show which is Sonny going to Hollywood and acting on a show.
A way in which my DVD cover challenges other media products is how the front cover is based on how the show opens - with the cut out clouds and sky behind Sonny - but at a night-time point; this would make the DVD seem different to the audience as it's contrasting to the opening where Sonny is walking around Hollywood in the day, this time the colours are of night-time, so it makes it seem mysterious and different, like the audience is going to see something new.
For my children's opening sequence, I followed a few conventions of the original Sonny With a Chance opening, but I feel the way that I edited it and manipulated it is what made it seem different and exciting. I still kept the opening sequence storyline or her going to Hollywood, but I created it in stop-motion and manipulated each photograph using Photoshop, and then edited altogether in iMovie to make it into a proper opening sequence video.
My animation show's Sonny receiving a phone call, and then cuts to a video of her on a plane and arriving in Hollywood; the signposts and flowers and everything appears around her as she walks around Hollywood, symbolising discovering a new world and everything seeming fresh, and then it finished with everything fading out and the title coming in and pushing her over, making Sonny seem clumsy and quirky to the audience.
I feel that my opening is exciting and eye-pleasing, and especially the end where Sonny nearly falls over, it makes her seem 'normal' to the audience, like she's put in this big world and it's all coming at her at once. It makes her seem down-to-earth and like she is just like the audience, which would attract them into watching her journey.
