Ways in which my music magazine… RETRO-PERSPECTIVE

Conventions of a music magazine

Used

Developed

Challenged

(All text in this colour represents ways in which my magazine “Used” conventions of a music magazine).

(All text in this colour represents ways in which my magazine “Developed” conventions of a music magazine).

All text in this colour represents ways in which my magazine “Challenged” conventions of a music magazine).

Masthead:

This is the main title or logo of a magazine and it is always large and highly

visible. As mine is.

The Strap Line/ Selling line:

This a sentence that a magazines usually uses

to promote the publication. During my initial

research I noticed that most magazine had sponsors and usually named the close to their masthead so added this to my magazine .

I used popular names to grab the attention of my target

audience and also offered them and incentive to read

the publication

However I also…

Offered the prize (the incentive) on a platform that

my target audience are familiar with and through

these (Facebook, Twitter) I could promote my magazine

more when they attempt to win the prizes.

List of artist’s that a included within the magazine.

•Issue number

•Date line

•Different platforms the magazine can be found usually a website.

The colour scheme of the whole page matches the artist costume. This is convention for all music magazines and I attempted to imitate this with my Black, White and red text.

A mid shot image in the middle of the page.

Text alignment on music magazines are usually to the right or the left with all the text in the front cover however it such alignment did not suit my page.

Large text that stands to link to the artist on the front cover. I also used a different font for this particular title so as make it stand out more. As this is the main appeal of this issue of my magazine. Music magazine often do this.

Comparison

The two magazine front cover beside mine( retro-perspective) are existing hip-hop magazine that I attempted to emulate...

This is not general convention for music magazines however I got the idea from “The Source magazine. Instead of having the “Contents” as the title I instead have a saying. I think this adds originality to my magazine and not only to sets apart my magazine from others but also helps personally identify with my target audience more. I think my target audience will be amused by it.

Issue line & Date line

Ascending numbering, with the number being a bold colour so as to stand out. Making it easier for the reader.

I also tried to arrange the number in a spiral/curved pattern to add more appeal to the page as when it was straight it was rather boring.

The features of the contents page are split into sections. This helps the page not appear scattered and makes it clearer and easier to read.

The Titles of the features are in bold and are vague descriptions of the

actual content, which should grab the audiences attention and there is also

an more detailed description underneath. So the reader get an in-

sight of what they want to read.

The colour scheme of the page matches the costume of the artist in the images.

This is a convention in all music magazines and I tried to imitate this with my black, white and red colour scheme

Page number on images to link the artist in the image to the page that content on him/her/them can be found.

Most Hip-hop magazines I researched only use one image

however I obtained this idea from a “Rolling Stone” issue

and developed it by taking several images of one artist to make one whole image. I think

this adds more appeal to my contents page

Comparison

The contents page to the right is from a “Rolling Stone” and I attempted to emulate this and create my own authentic contents page…

Music magazines always use a dramatic or theatrical image as the main image for a double page spread. I used my own image of which I edited on Picasa to try and fulfil this convention as I feel the image dark and mysterious..

I also feel that this image will make the audience want to read the article more because of the mystery of the artist suggested by the image.

Music magazine always match the colour scheme of the page to the

costume of the artist.

I did this however when editing my image I gray scaled the entire image

apart from logo on the back of the artist of the artists “hoodie”. And I

matched the colour scheme of the page (the text) to this and I feel this

gives my page its own authentic look.

Music magazine use different text, colour and sizes to make

powerful quotes within the articles stand out. To intrigue

the reader and make them want to read the articles.

I did this with a stylish font and think I successfully made the page more appealing and made the my powerful “Thug

Poetry” quotes stand out more.

Furthermore music magazines always use

different colour in text for the interviewer and the artist

being interviewed of which I also did.

Music magazine usually include a website of which I also included.

Title of the artist that is involved in the pages.

The image in a double page spread usually over-laps both pages. My image overlaps both pages however I shifted the image to the side so as not take attention away from my columns of writing. I felt a plain background would serve as a good platform for my writing.

Page number

Finding a Double page spread to emulate was difficult however liked the concept of pages like this one (on the right side) from “The Source”…

Comparison