Media A/S coursework

1. Style and
Iconography
by Amy Cousins

2. Fonts
• The Indie and Alternative style/ genre has often been
compared with 90’s/ late 80’s America. Due to this
correlation, I wanted to make my fonts look like an
American high school banner or use ones similar to
popular American TV shows (F.R.I.E.N.D.S and
American Horror Story). It is better to take a more
American style on my magazine as the USA’s culture is
more widely renown. This will mean people are more
likely to buy my music magazine . Moreover, the USA is
always idealised by people as it is always up to date
with fashion, has many celebrities and money.

3. This font style is similar to that of a banner that would be
conventionally hung in an American high school. I like the
idea of it and how it looks like something out of “The
Great Gatsby”. It is a very sophisticated looking font and
would probably look better on a newspaper as opposed to
a music magazine. I will not be using this font even
though I like it.

4. This font is quite similar in style to the previous font as it
also looks like something from “The Great Gatsby”. I
prefer this one as it looks like something that would
appear on a magazine as it is quirky but refined.
Moreover, the font has no background which means it will
be easier to photoshop i.e. if I want the main picture to go
over part of the masthead. It could be argued that the
extra lines make the font look confusing and which could
affect people with bad eyesight.
I do like this font but the extra lines
might make it a tad inappropriate.

5. Even though this font is very simple, it is very effective. It doe
to fill in the holes in the letters with colours as I believe it
looks quirky and interesting.

6. I like how this font is bold and how the first letter is
emphasised. The curly style is legible unlike other fonts.
This adds a sense of sophistication to the magazine which
could contribute to it appealing to an older target audience. I
dislike the the ‘underlying flick beneath the letters as it looks
a bit too excessive.

7. My Favourite Magazine Mastheads
I like the idea of having a shattered affect on the masthead as it
implies the magazine is “shockingly” good. Moreover, it makes the
bold text look a lot less boring. Although the NME masthead is basic;
it is short, punchy and is a play on the word ‘enemy’. This is very
clever as it is easy to remember and it also allows more space for the
main image. I like how Billboard has the letters coloured in on a black
and white front cover. This would be very eye catching to the
consumers as it heavily contrasts the background.

8. Alternative Style Moodboard

9. Albums

10. Possible Themes For The
Magazine Issue
• Halsey’s new album - very popular
• The Sherlocks in Hull Früit - local audience
• Panic! At the Discos new album - large fan base
• ‘Blast from the past’ - appeals to a wide target audience
• Festivals and gigs - appeal to people in varying places
• Popular UK artists - lots of them
• All time top ten - appeals to lots of ages