Main Task Research - codes and conventions

Codes and Conventions of a Music Magazine Front Cover

Title is always left aligned - usually the full width of the page
Title always one word/letter/or letters
Title is the largest text on the cover
Always uses unique fonts
Bar code is on the front because a company has already paid for an advert on the back
Consistent colour scheme - bright, few colours used
One main image of a band or singer - medium close up
Main image not smiling - conveys an attitude
Main image has direct address - looking at reader
The main cover line anchors the meaning of the main image - usually two lines and second biggest text on page
Cover lines - two or three lines, information about contents, frame main image, left side of cover
Typography - consistent font
Two types of font - Serif which uses a hook, and Sans Serif without the hook
Conations of font reflect target audience and subject
Positioning Statement - above or below the title
Issue, date, price and positioning statement = masthead
Puff - something extra : FREE CD!
Buzzword - Exclusive, Plus. A strip at top or bottom of page - list of names or topics

Codes and Conventions of a Contents Page

Headings divide up contents
Editorial letter -with picture
One large image - with several smaller pictures
Consistent colour scheme
Laid out in two or three columns
Page number on pictures anchor image to written context
Subscription details
White Background
"Contents" at top of page
Page number then text e.g. p3 Amy Whinehouse
Text usually bold or slightly larger than subline - one or two words
Regular content appears in every issue - gig guide, letters and reviews
Feature Content - one off articles
Page number at bottom
Website address

Codes and Conventions of a Double Page Spread

The main image takes up a whole page of more.
The main image is bleeds across to the next page.
The headlines usually stretch across the two pages.
Strap lines or boarders often bleed across the two pages.
There is sometimes drop capitals at the start of an article so you know where to start reading from.
Bold type is used on the first paragraph which has a slightly bigger type face.
More than one image is usually used.
Smaller images are used to break up the text - which makes me more inviting.
Panels and quotes can also be used to break up the text.
Quote are sometimes used on the main image.
There is a byline which is the name or the artist who wrote the article. (usually in or by the stand first or the end of the article)
There is usually a credit (the name of the photographer).
Stand first goes under the headline.
The headline doesn't have to make sense.
Creative, eye catching headlines.
The artist's names are highlighted.
Page numbers are at the bottom of the magazine with the issue date.
There is usually a website address.
There is a limited use of colour.
Usually laid out in columns (3 or 4).
The stand first has a larger font size.
There is usually a creative use of photography.
An informal style of writing is used.
The personality of the writer comes through in the article.
The articles induces opinions.

Preliminary Exercise

Task One

Title : A*

Mise en scene of front cover image : A year eight in the new P.E kit design in the sports hall.

The Cover lines for the magazine are:

• Trowler in the Garden


• Go:Audio come to Weatherhead


• Mr and Mrs Quinn


• OAP's learn QWERTY
  

The main headline is: New PE kit Unveiled

Task Two

This is a rough sketch of my magazine front cover including the: issue, date, price and coverlines.

Task 3

Regular Content: True Stories, Horoscopes, Quizzes, Competitions, News, Events of the Week, Top 5 outfits of the week, IRIS winners of the week, Letters, Best form of the week.

Feature Articles: Mr and Mrs Quinn, Hairspray the Musical, Trowler in the Garden, Paris to Berlin, OAP's Learn QWERTY, Go:Audio visit Weatherhead, Best Halloween Costume, Most Decorative Square, Interview with Charlotte an Elephant Ear, Weathertots School Fair, Superstars.

Task 4

This is a rough sketch of my magazine contents page.

Task 5

These are the six images which will appear in my magazine.

This image will be a feature article in my contents page "Interview with an Elephant Ear".

This image will feature in my contents page for "OAP'S LEARN QWERTY"

This image is for my feature article "Trowler in the Garden"

This image is for a feature article of "Mr and Mrs Quinn" which was a play on words for the film "Mr and Mrs Smith"

This is one of the images i will be using on my contents page, it is related to the GO:AUDIO cover line, i took this at the 02 Academy in Liverpool on the 4th August 2009 where the band have recently toured.

This is the image i will be using on my front cover, the model is a year eight pupil of Weatherhead High School, she is wearing the new PE kit.

Task 6

I made no changes to the photos i took, so therefore they are exactly the same as those in the previous task.

Task 7

This is my new school magazine front cover, which i created on photo shop.

I made no changes to my front cover, except for the colour scheme which is now pink, orange and yellow instead of red, orange and yellow.

Task 8

I created my school contents page on Quark Xpress and the only change i made was not including an Editors letter, as i thought the target audience would prefer to read less text, and have more pictures.

Task 9

I was asked to create a new school magazine front cover and contents page, following the codes and conventions of a magazine. I created my media product on Photo shop which I have used previously. My front cover follows the codes and conventions of a magazine, because the title is only one letter long and is left aligned at the top of the cover; also it is the largest writing on the cover. In addition, I have only one main image on my front cover, which is an anchorage to the main cover line. The cover line is the second biggest text on my front cover; the main image has direct address to the reader. The other cover lines on the front cover frame the face of the main image. The typography used throughout the magazine is a consistent sans serif (Arial).
The issue, date and price are positioned underneath the title of the magazine, and are also situated closely to the bar code which is on the front cover as an advertising company have paid for the back page, and do not want a bar code on it. I have a puff in the top right hand corner of the page and it is a yellow explosion with “Win £100”. Also, I have a buzzword running along the bottom of the page “PLUS” in a yellow strip, which shows the reader what else the magazine has to offer. I have a consistent colour scheme of pink, orange and black, I used these colours as they are bright and stand out on a shelf. The only difficulty I had in producing my front cover is the main image, because the young girl I used has extremely pale skin so it was difficult to find a background to which she did not blend into or a background where she looked like a ghost. The background I have her in on the front cover, highlights her face yet also shows definition of her features, unlike music magazines my “model” is smiling because a school magazine is supposed to be friendly, with no attitude.

I made my media product on Quark Xpress which is a new media computer package I have never used before. However, my contents page also follows the codes and conventions of a contents page because, the main image on the front cover is not featured inside, however there are five other pictures related the cover lines on the front page. The pictures all have a caption which tells the reader what the picture relates to on the contents page, also they all have pink numbers on the bottom of the images to anchor them to the context. My contents page has three columns, but only one of the columns features text, the other two have pictures on. I have two headings which divide up my contents page “regular” and “feature”. I also have “contents” in orange across the top of the page, on a white background. I have one big image of the elephant ear, and four smaller images this is a code and convention.

I had several strengths and weakness throughout the making of my media product, for example one of my strengths was I have previously used Photo shop so was confident in creating the front cover. However, one of my weaknesses was that I have never used Quark Xpress before, and I have not got much experience in photography.

Overall I think I created my media product to the best of my ability.