The document summarizes the key elements of magazine design conventions that were researched, such as the masthead, selling line, photo, and color scheme. It then discusses how the research was used to design a mock magazine cover for a film that challenges conventions by having a simple design inspired by the Little White Lies magazine. The cover design is then compared to the Empire magazine cover, showing how it follows conventions like prominent images and headings while putting its own spin.

1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products?
Film Magazine

2. In the beginning…
I firstly began my research my addressing the key magazine conventions. I then researched magazines and
then finally created my own. Here are the key elements that I discovered:
• Masthead (Large title of the magazine)
• Selling line (Something that enticed and convinces the reader to buy the magazine)
• Frame/Border.
• Photo of main article, eye catching and interesting.
• Simple colour scheme that doesn’t distract from the main image.
• Barcode with price and date
• Small subheadings revealing what else in the magazine aside the main article
I set out with the ambition of fulfilling most of these conventions that I had addressed from researching
successful magazine covers.

3. Little White Lies Research
The first set of film posters that I wanted to focus on where the Little White Lies magazine. Although they
literally go against every magazine convention, they target the market that I was looking to penetrate
(indie/arthouse market). Here’s what I noticed from the posters:
• The most recent covers have no title. (They trust their audiences to be able to recognise what the film
is.)
• The images are interesting and very different, they are arty which attract the target market.
• Their barcode/title are all in one small box, this is very different but instantly recognisable to people
who know about the magazine.

4. Little White Lies mock creation
Taking my research into account and realising
that Little White Lies was a perfect way to
address my target market, I decided to design a
cover similar to the ones seen in the last slide.
Similarly to the Little White Lies magazine’s that
I’ve research my magazine cover is simple with
only the title but has an interesting image as the
focal point.
I have kept the main and only constant element of
Little White Lies magazines was the circle
containing the title, strapline and barcode. This is
the element that makes the magazine
distinguishable.

5. Little White Lies mock creation
The famous Little White Lies header is both relevant in my magazine and the actual magazine.
There is a colour
scheme in both.
Both have simple
colour Scheme and
do not over
complicate the
cover. They’re both
simple.
Both images are of a shoulder up, portrait. They’re both simple yet interesting and eye catching

6. Empire Magazine
Research
I didn’t feel like researching a magazine like
Little White Lies was enough as it was so
simple! I felt I had to research how
mainstream magazines attract their
audience’s.
Through this magazine nearly all the
conventions that I’d addressed were
relevant. This was a perfect magazine to
mimic for my film.
I learnt from this magazine that I needed to
recreate the excitement and eye-grabbing
colours used on the cover, the title is unique
and the fonts are all bright and eye-catching.

7. Total Film
Research
Total Film and Empire are both massive film
magazines and I felt that they both would
be good to research. This is one of my
favourite covers as I love the simplicity, the
red, white and blacks are so effective!
I hoped to recreate this simplicity in my
front cover. I learnt from this magazine that
a black and white image can be just as
effective as a colour.
This magazine once again conforms to the
typical film magazine conventions and like
the Little White Lies cover is has a full face
shot making eye contact with the consumer.

8. Post-Research
After my research I decided to pick my favourite elements from my favourite two magazines that I had
researched and inject them into my design process. Here are the best bits:
The bright yellow box, The boxed subheading are very effective as they
highlighting a special element are separated from the main head but have
of the magazine really caught importance as they’re place just under or above
my eye and I felt that this the header.
would create a interest in my
magazine design The image used in the Total Film
magazine made me certain that I
wanted a b&w image and one
that took up near to all of the
I decided on using the Empire header
cover.
as I felt this was the most prestigious
and recognised masthead.

9. Final Design and Comparisons
Both use shock through contrast of colours. Red and
Large profile shot for main image. Both taking
yellow both used to highlight areas of the cover.
up the majority of the page.
Both have mini
images of other
promotion. They
are highlighted
once again by
bold colours that
contrast with the
background
image.
Both have white borders around the magazine, the difference between the two is that the Total Film cover
uses the border to give more information but my one is simply to be a border.

10. Continued…
Both images are portraits of the key
characters in the films, although the Tron
Both headings are identical, I tried to recreate Legacy cover uses exaggerated colours to
the iconic Empire magazine header by using the highlight its sci-fi theme, instead I use dark
mast head and then recreating the date layout foreboding colours to highlight the
and strapline underneath. depressive tone of my film.
I used the
same set out
as the Empire
Tron cover,
having
connectives to
highlight
which articles
related to
eachother.
Both covers
use a space in
the corner to
promote
something
inside or an
offer.
Both titles are simple and readable yet are individual. They grab the attention of consumers as most of
the consumers will have never seen the fonts before. I copied the Empire’s use of a stroke tool around
the lettering as I felt this helped the text stand out. Something which I identified as a key convention.

11. Followed Conventions
I tried to follow all the conventions that I felt were appropriate to
my magazine.
• Masthead (Large title of the magazine) My masthead is bold
and eye catching, it would audiences effectively.
• Selling line (Something that enticed and convinces the reader
to buy the magazine) There is line that is always below the
masthead that reads ‘Magazine of the Year’
• Frame/Border I have a frame around my magazine.
• Photo of main article, eye catching and interesting. The
photo on my front cover is interesting and intriguing
• Simple colour scheme that doesn’t distract from the main
image. No majorly distracting elements about from ‘Films of
2012’
• Barcode with price and date. I have a barcode but date and
price are separate.
• Small subheadings revealing what else in the magazine aside
the main article. I have smaller sub heading but they’re still
bold and readable to the audience.