Evaluation, Question 1:

In what ways does your product use, develop or challenge forms and

conventions of real media products?

MastheadMasthead

Central ImageCentral Image

Cover LinesCover Lines

For my magazine cover, I have tried to maintain the typical conventions commonly used by other magazines within the genre. The masthead is a large, dominating red colour with a distinguished font that gives it that different look to others, still fitting in with the theme of metal music.

There is one central image, again a convention that I wanted to take from established magazines, as I tried to keep it as clean and simple looking as possible. Having too many pictures crowding the cover would distract the audience from the main feature.

The cover lines are there to help sell the magazine, so they are positioned on the left hand side to remain visible amongst other magazines on the shelf, so the potential buyer would still be able to have a quick glance at the content of the magazine. Again. These are in red keeping with the general colour scheme of the cover, in large “Bank Gothic” font which helps to reinforce the conventions of the metal music genre and could possibly appeal more to fans.

Central Image

My choice for the central image of my magazine is one that challenges the conventions of modern music magazines, a big difference being the lack of eye contact from the star. Traditionally the subject of the cover is staring at the camera, or is facing forwards, however mine has his back fully turned and is looking away. This is unusual but it helps to create a sense of mystery regarding the artist. A curious passer by want to know more, find out what he has to hide. The key piece of this image however is the guitar. Although his face is obscured slightly, the guitar is an iconic instrument, and even more iconic relating to the band involved (Infamous) It’s the standout part of the cover, and although still fitting with the colour scheme of the rest of the cover it adds a new layer overall.

Magazine Name and Font

Because my magazine is metal and hard rock, I wanted a name that captured the mood of the contents. Metal is well known for being loud music, and in some cases aggressive like thunder. In the same way that “Kerrang!” is a onomatopoeia, the phonetic sound of a guitar, thunder is a deep, bass filled noise that can be heard for miles.

The aesthetics of the masthead were chosen for it’s Norse appearance and adding to the overall Greek mythology feel, relating the elements such as thunder and lightning to “Gods”. This also helps emphasise that the artists included within the magazine are of an extremely high status within the genre, and are to some, worshipped as Gods.

Contents Page

The contents page acts as the portal to the rest of the pieces within the magazine, and so I set this out in a clear, simple and easy to read layout in order to aid the reader. I kept some typical conventions such as a footer and the “regulars” and “features” sections to make it easier to find new content. As I have noticed from some other contents pages, the main feature of the issue is often the standout image page, so I decided to do the same, but keeping other features clear in the lower half of the contents.

Double Page Spread

The double page spread I decided to use is the classic interview/Q&A format, asking the cover star about an upcoming album. This is a popular occurrence in music magazines as it gives the readers and fans an inside scoop on the latest news regarding the artist.