CCR Draft 1

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

My product does not necessarily challenge any conventions, especially because art, photography, and theater have been around as long as people can remember. It does represent social groups in the way that it shows actors committing to their work in a rehearsal space. While my magazine does not directly represent many social groups, it indirectly represents a social issue.
Cover: On this issue, the cover features a photo of an American Flag half hung. This is because it was the anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting on December 14, 2012, just over 6 years ago. This represents the social issues regarding gun control and gun laws in the United States Government. I also used the image of the flag on the cover to provoke curiosity in many readers because everyone knows what a half-hung flag can symbolize, and they may then be curious about what the rest of the magazine is about.
Articles: In the articles I used red and blue the most. This is to coordinate with the cover photo for this particular issue. In other issues, the same would be done for consistency and a good look to the eye. Bold fonts for the subtext are often used in many magazines as I found in my research, such as Playbill Magazine. The blue and red tones used on the front create certain emotions. It is proven that blue is more gender-neutral being liked by both men and women. Blue is seen as an inviting and trusting color by many people. Red on the other hand gives the feeling of joy, sensitivity, passion, leadership, and courage. Using these two colors in one can cause many emotions, and many Americans are drawn to their beloved red, white, and blue combination.