Analysis of Professional Magazine Covers

Analysis of Professional Magazine Covers. on Prezi

General Research

·         http://www.qthemusic.com

·         http://www.nme-magazine.com

·         http://www.mojo4music.com/

·         http://www.uncut.co.uk/magazine

RESEARCH

Q magazine

·         Prices of Magazine- £3.99

·         Frequency of publication- monthly

·         Regular Content- The magazine has an extensive review section, featuring: new releases, reissues, music compilations, film and live concert reviews, as well as radio and television reviews. It uses a star rating system from one to five stars; the rating an album receives in Q is often added to print and television advertising for the album in the UK and Ireland. It also compiles a list of approximately eight albums, which it classes as the best new releases of the last three months.

Lists such as:
"The 100 Greatest albums" to the "100 Greatest '100 Greatest' Lists".
A lot of the magazines devoted too famous music artists.

Feature articles- The November 2010 issue is a special collectors issue of Q – a celebration of John Lennon to mark what would have been his 70th birthday. As such it will feature 4 separate covers, each featuring a rare or unseen shot of Lennon from a different period of his life (one of which is a previously unpublished David Bailey shot from 1963).

Other Music Magazines.

NME Magazine  

·         Price: £2.20

·         Frequency of Publication: Weekly, every Wednesday

·         Regular Content: Feature article, interviews, competitions, Free CDs, CD lists etc...

Mojo Magazine

·         Price: £3.99

·         Published: Monthly

·         Regular Content: Feature article, interviews, Competitions, Free CDS, CD lists etc...

Uncut Magazine

·         Price: £4.99

·         Published: Monthly

·         Regular Content: Free CDs, feature article/interview, Behind the scenes, Top Music, Old concerts etc...

This research made me see that the majority of music magazines are monthly, this conincides with my results again. It gave me insight to see what is in a music magazine. I saw from my research the clear questions that would need to be asked on my questionaire. 

Evaluation

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge form and conventions of media products? 
How did use media technologies in the construction of your media product?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of both the product and your use of new media technologies?


Through the planning of manufacturing my school magazine front cover and contents page, I attempted to follow the strict codes and conventions of a magazine. For example the use of a medium close up as the main image and different colour and font of the title, and the use of one font size for coverlines, attempting to leave as little spare space as possible. Also the use of a bar code, a price and a date on the cover, reflects the codes and conventions of any magazine. 
I used Adobe Photoshop to make my school magazine front cover. Although I had previously used this product for a Media GCSE,  I felt like I needed to be refreshed on how to use it. However, I quickly adapted to it and saw that it was easy to adjust too. The software allowed me to crop images from pictures, and edit pictures and writing to the follow the strict codes and conventions and the ways I wanted it to be. When creating the cover I had originally planned for my main article and image to reflect the story, "New School Dinners" yet the images I took did not fit the codes and conventions, so I changed my main story to, 'Adapting to Sixth Form'.  This did not set me back in time. 
      In producing my contents page, I was very unfamiliar with Quark. However alike with Photoshop it was easy to adapt too. I used three columns and featured two pictures and all the coverlines that would feature in the School Magazine.
      The front cover I've produced in my opinion looks professional and sticks firmly to the codes and conventions. I like the way the how the front cover reflects the images yet the coverlines still stick out due to the use of the colour red. The black and red, theme is shown throughout the cover. I feel the image fits the background. 
     The problems which I faced was deciding on the font size for the contents page, I did not contemplate how many coverlines and how much space would be needed on my draft, I have tried my best to follow as many codes and conventions of a contents page. Also I felt there was problems with my front cover, due it reflecting alot of white space this leads to the main image being the main focus, so it reflects on the slights problems with editing. I feel that I did well in completing to the work to a deadline due to starting the course later on in the year

Completed Front Cover.

















Completed Contents Page.

Codes and Conventions of a Magzine Contents Page

• A variety of images to match the main headlines.
• Page numbers on pictures which anchors to the written contents.
• Small writing.
• Small picture of the front of the magazine in the top left.
• The pictures have captions.
• Hardly any colour.
• Columns, usually 3 or 4.
• One main picture related to a feature article.
• Structured layout/created layout.
• The name of the magazine is at the top & the date, issue, contents.
• Subscription and contact information.
• Sometimes an editors letter.
• Contents is divided into catergories & headings used to identify each category.
• Simple colour scheme.

First line

• Contents are written in the same way: page number/ one or two words(artists names/ambiguious text to intrigue the reader) in bold type, often Capital letters (average of 12/13pt).
• Capital letters

Subline

• Give you more specific detail about what the articles about.
• Smaller font and Roman (No bigger than 11pt).
• Photography is credited for the front cover.
• They are not Boring photographs, they are interesting & varied.

"Features" and "Regulars" Main category heading

• At the bottom theres a page number, title & date often the web address.
• Usually one or two pages.

Codes and Conventions of Magazine Double Page Spread

• All have a main image which is relevant to the article.
• Main text bigger than all text.
• Columns.
• Heading Long- Stands out.
• Simple colour scheme- colours keep to a minimum.
• One large picture which takes up to a whole page and sometimes bleeds between pages. (link the two pages together).
• Sometimes the picture is a cross the whole DPS with all text on the picture.
• Quotes are used sometimes in the title/headline on the picture stand first or to break up the text.
• The stand first introduces the article and is positioned at the begginning of the headline.
• Often includes the journalists name.
• First letter of the article is bigger to show you where to start reading.
• Other techniques for the same thing include bold text, slightly bigger type space, capitals at the start of the article.
• Sometimes uses stylized fonts.
• Headlines used to draw the reader in but don't tell them what the articles about thats done by stand first.
• Byline-who wrote the article, photographers credit.
• Laid out in 2-4 collumns.
• Strap line at the top- what the article is about.
• The article is usually written infromally and the personality
• of the journalist come through.

With this double page spread the main image takes up the whole page, in doing thi.  

Mojo Magazine.

Introduction

Breif explanation

Preliminary exercise: using DTP and an image manipulation programm, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally candidates must produce a mock up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP.

Main task- the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.

All images and text used must be original, produced by the candidate(s), minium of four images per candidate.

Codes and Conventions of a Magazine Front Cover

• One central image which takes up the whole cover
• Special offers 
• Bold Title 
• Small price printed 
• Issue Number
• One main headline
• Buzz Words

• Singer/band it is usually the main feature article
• Studio photographs (conveys some sort of attitude) 
• Direct address(looking into the lens of the camera)

Trade Mark
Unique Font- usually one word, fills the width of the cover, or is on the top left. 


Mast Head 

• Positioning Statement-usually above or below the title shows the genre of the magazine. 
• Price and issue date by the little (11pt size)
  (sometimes barcode)

• Puff- offering something extra to the magazine (CD, article, clothes)
• Buzz Word- "exclusive" most commen-(illustrating main feature)
• Cover lines-(sell lines)- small snippets of extra stories in the magazine.
• Main Cover line is the largest text on the cover and it anchors the meaning of the image.( names/describes image). Usually a subline in smaller text giving more information about the article . Other cover lines are usually one or two words with sublines. Explaining them. This is consistent across the line.
  First two lines or words in colour/larger font size/different font to sublines.
  Some are used to intrigue the reader.

Barcode
Strip across the top or bottom containing a list of artists names who feature in the magazine. 

• Coverlines frame the image or are down one side of the magazine.
• Small number of colours used.