Contents Page Plan

Before I could begin making the contents page I had to create a flat plan so I could decide where to put each of the conventions. I have decided to put the main image in the top right hand corner, as that is the place where you tend to look first, as it will attract your attention. I have also decided to add an Editor's Letter as it is an introduction to the magazine and the reader will feel that the editor is talking directly to them.

Front cover texual analysis

Front cover textual analysis

 

 

 

On the front cover of Q magazine, the masthead is placed on the top left hand corner of the page. It is effective because colour scheme of red against white really makes the letter stand out, and it is also what you would call an enigma as the audience may not know what it means. The main image of Lana Del Rey takes up the middle third of the cover and she uses a direct mode of address, looking directly at her audience to entice them in. The magazine uses the tagline "Discover Great Music" and it is set underneath the masthead so it will be one of the first thing that the reader will see when they look at this magazine. The skyline at the top of the magazine is also an important feature of the article. It has the words "140 Songs You Must Download Now" going along the top and this is effective because it ties in with the Pop/Indie/Rock genre of this particular magazine as each word is in a box and they're all laid out in a jagged line, emphasising the quirkiness of the magazine and the genres as a whole. The magazine also uses buzz words to express their excitement to the reader. "With Exclusive Pro Green Track" is an example of this because the word 'Exclusive' makes the magazine stand out, as it implies that this particular magazine has information that nobody else has yet, making it seem more important, thus enticing the audience further. Sell lines are placed around the main image, and these are useful because they give the reader a small insight as to what is inside this particular magazine, and they use small secondary images or brightly coloured graphics to attract their readers into buying their product and reading further. The anchorage text is placed to the left of the main image and is there for the purpose of giving a meaning to the main image and also giving a slight hint as to what the main article is about. They do this to attract the attention of their target audience and hoping it appeals to them. On Q Magazine, the anchorage text underneath 'Lana Del Rey' says 'So what's so bloody good?'. This is a rhetorical question for the reader, asking what is so good about Lana Del Rey and why she is popular with people of all ages. The reader may also want to know the answer to this question, so they may buy the magazine to find out the answer. This is exactly what the magazine is trying to convey to their audience. The magazine also uses a colour scheme of bold colours such as red, purple and yellow to contrast with a white background. This gives us as readers a feeling that the boldness and brightness may be reciprocated in the kind of music genre that Q magazine is based upon.

Front Cover - Main image ideas

 

Front Cover - Main image ideas

 

For my magazine, I gathered up several images of potential front cover photos and decided which ones would be best to use. I have put a green tick next to the ideal shots for a front cover. These shots are correct because they are centred in the middle and are looking out at the reader, therefore they would be ideal for a front cover.

Front Cover Plan

Questionnaire Results

Questionnaire Results

 

Before I could begin my magazine I had to create a questionnaire to gain better understanding of people's personal preferences, so I would be able to include them in my magazine. I asked ten people these ten questions:

 

1.       What genre of music do you listen to?

2.       Who is your favourite band?

 

3.       What social networks do you use?

 

4.       What do you do in your spare time?

 

5.       What is your favourite genre of films?

6.       What is your favourite film?

7.       What is your favourite clothing place?

8.       What phone do you have?

9.       What do you spend your money on?

10.  What subjects did you take?

 

After receiving these ten questionnaires back, I was able to create various charts based on the results collected.

 

From these graphs I created, I can see that there are various things that are more popular than others:

 

The most popular music genre is Rock

The most popular bands are Bastille and Arctic Monkeys

 

The most popular social networking site is Twitter

The most popular hobby is Shopping

The most popular film genre is Comedy

The most popular film was Iron Man

 

The most popular clothing place is Topman

 

The most popular phone is the iPhone

 

Most of the people spend their money on Clothes

The most popular subject was Media

Magazine analysis 3 - DPS

Magazine analysis 2 - Contents

 

Magazine Analysis 1 - FC

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is when you place your image in a 3x3 grid. This is used to effectively make the image the main focal point of the page. There are various examples such as:

Centre image

After placing the grid on this picture you will notice that the eyes become the main focus of this image as they can be seen clearly in the top-middle box. Magazines generally use this idea for their front covers, because the eyes will attract the attention of the reader to the magazine.

 

Image slightly to the left

 

Placing the image to the left of the grid is also effective because you can tell that the real focus is on the coffee machine next to her. This takes up two thirds of the image itself, and will be the first thing the reader looks at when they see this image.

 

Image slightly to the right

Placing the image to the right of the grid is also an effective way of doing this because she takes up two thirds of the image while we can clearly see the book she is reading on the table, and the object stands out.

 

Annotated Magazine Conventions

           Features of a magazine front cover