3. • The codes and conventions of all music magazines are similar. The masthead or
magazine logo is always placed at the top left/across the top of the front cover,
along with a tagline immediately underneath. Down the left hand side of the front
cover are the main cover lines included in the magazine, and the other sub lines
are often on the right hand side of the page. The main image is usually a mid-
close-up photo of the model who is directly looking outwards (towards the
audience) in order to attract and pull in potential readers and buyers. Barcodes,
dates, issue numbers, and online addresses make the magazine easy to track and
purchase or follow online. A puff may often be included to attract readers with
competitions, prizes and buzz words.
• With my front cover I have tried to follow the conventions with my masthead at
the top of the page with a tagline beneath. With my barcode, price, date and
website url, I have place it at the bottom right of the page where the audience are
less likely to look, so it doesn’t take the attraction away from my main image. My
model in the main image is directly looking out to the audience and smiling; this
will engage readers and also make them feel involved and wanted as the model is
smiling and looks welcoming.
• With my fonts and colour scheme I have tried not to use a large range, yet not all
the same, as to create a house style for my magazine, I have mainly used pastel
colours (cream, blues and greens) and handwritten looking fonts to create the
natural rustic look that is associated with the indie folk genre I am trying to make. I
have also incorporated a couple puffs in order to attract readers.
5. • The title of my contents page is located at the top of the page and in the
same font and colour as the masthead on the front cover, creating a house
style for the magazine.
• I have located the pictures down the right hand side of the page in a
column with the contents list on the left, this format is see very often in
music magazines such as Q, I have also anchored the images with the
story line and page number to make it easier for readers to navigate
through my magazine. I have also included a letter from the editor (me) as
that is a common characteristic of all magazines, not just ones based upon
music.
• I have carried through the hand written fonts for the contents list to make
it seem as if it were my model writing the magazine, and making it feel
very personal to the model (Sophie).
• Addition of social media accounts, such as twitter, will allow the readers of
my magazine to be able to follow the magazine online, if they do not
purchase the paper copy from shops. Social media accounts are used by a
huge number of magazines, to allow them to be publicised and followed
further than if they were just a paper copy.
7. • My double page spread is dedicated to the model/artist (Sophie) as
most double page spreads in music magazines only focus on the
artist the interview is about. Therefore I have included a large
image of Sophie with a guitar to connote her music career; as well
as including a little photo film reel to show her fun ‘other side’
many magazines show images of artists that aren’t related to music,
to perhaps make the audience remember that music artists are
normal like us too.
• The title again is the same font and colour as the masthead,
carrying on the house style of my music magazine. I have also put in
a little cover line that gives and insight into Sophie’s background.
• I have laid out the interview questions and responses in a column
format, which typical of many magazine interviews, as it keeps the
page looking a bit more formal. Yet I have carried on the
handwritten font to make balance out the formalness of it, and
keep the page looking individual and unique to Sophie, as if she had
written it herself.
