Forms and conventions
- 1. I kept a strong house style throughout the magazine by sticking to the same set of colours; they were black, red and yellow. I did this because I feel that they are all strong colours, Black and red and related with the rock genre and yellow stands out very well on the black background making it hard to miss the magazine. I used a slightly messy layout for my front cover as this links with the well- known Kerrang magazine which is within the same genre as my Magazine; this also helped me as I could bring influences from Kerrang into my magazine.
- 2. My masthead for the magazine was chosen as it has a sort of worn out effect, this is because it links with the genre, as the music is always energetic and makes you want to get up and party, therefore you get worn out. I used a technique where I managed to get a hand into the “M” of the masthead, this makes it so that the top of the “M” where it goes down into a hand, enhancing the look, it is still clearly an “M” but because I have added this affect I believe it brings a better, more professional look to the page and also links with the genre as I have made the hand into a “Sign of the horns” rock symbol. This effect is used in A few other magazines, as they make a relating image to the front cover.
- 3. I used cover lines in my magazine as they are a magazine code and convention, this was used because it brings in extra readership, instead of just focusing on the main photo there are smaller stories along the side of the page to entice even more readers. I placed all of my cover lines on the left side of the magazine as in my research I found out that when magazines are displayed on a shelf the left section is the most visible, therefore I wanted to make it as attractive as possible to potential readers.
- 4. I used the freebie convention as an enticer for more readers to the magazine; I included a free poster special but also a competition to win tickets to the “Download” festival. I added this convention because it is a good way to sell extra magazines but also is rewarding the readers, the rock magazine genre readers are very brand loyal so this I feel is a good way to interact with them by giving away free content.
- 5. I have chosen to make an I have used a split effect in my contents page to separate it. editorial in my Magazine I have done this because I feel it adds more effect to the as this is a code and contents page, the top half is the main focus, showing the convention that is used in main article in the magazine and underneath has other most magazines, it had a bands and articles that they can look at. The reason I liked it direct mode of address so split up is because the main image of my magazine on the it is informing the reader, front cover is the same band. Therefore I want the reader it includes then in the to be able to go into the first page (contents) and they can magazine. find that artists review/article page fast. I did it this way because I feel that the main image on the magazine is going to be what attracts people to buy the magazine, they like that band so they want it because of that. I have used date and issue number in my contents page so that people can easily identify the issues of the magazine, I used this code and convention under my “contents” because it is such a large text that it is eye-catching, therefore I think that it will be easier to spot there because of the large text.
- 6. Page numbers have been inserted so that readers can find articles they want without the hassle of having to go through each page to find what they want. I have implement the code and convention of a subscription option, this allows me to get extra sales through subscriptions, and give extra incentives for those who do subscribe.
- 7. Large heading for the second page, tells the I have used a very large reader what the article quote in my double page is going to be about. spread because it brings This needed to be a attention to the page, it strong convention stands out very well and because this is what is the “Extreme” brings extra going to be hold the attention with it being readers interest. much lager and more prominent being yellow.
- 8. I developed a sidebar convention because it is useful as it allows readers to get a preview of what is to come from the album, which will help the sales. I made a small section at the bottom of the page showing pictures that can be used as small photo shoot. This gives the readers more images and can be used to make captions into jokes for the reader.
- 9. I left some white space around the large quote in the middle of each of the pages, I did this because, the quote brings attention to the page, because it goes over both pages it shows the readers that it is a double page spread. The use of the white space helps to bring attention to it more, as they would not be able to see the quote if it is stuck around a load of pictures and other writing.