Magazine ComparisonEvaluation with NME and

Preliminary Task.

Forms and Conventions used, challenged or developed on my front cover.

My media magazine challenges magazines by having the barcode in the top right hand corner. Most magazines, such as NME, has the barcode in the bottom right hand corner to be inconspicuous therefore challenging conventions. My magazine also challenges conventions in that my cover lines do not have much difference between them as they are all in size 18 and in the font “Impact”. This challenges conventions as most magazines haven different fonts and sizes of text therefore mine challenges this.

I use conventions of other music magazines as I have a medium close up image of a woman as my main photo on my cover as I believe this makes the magazine more personal and intimate. I have also placed this image in the optical center like NME has. Having the rule of thirds on my front cover by having two rows of cover lines and my main cover line in the middle. This then follows conventions of other music magazines, as they all/most use the rule of thirds on their magazines. I have also got a big, bold masthead which is placed behind the main cover image to not draw too much attention away from the main part of my magazine. the cover lines on my magazine also follow conventions by being left and right aligned to ensure that you are able to read them while my magazine is on a shelf in a shop.

Forms and Conventions used, challenged or developed on my contents page.

My contents page challenges conventions as it has a panoramic photo taken from a camera phone as a supporting photo underneath the main photo. This challenges conventions by having an amateur photo being taken on a camera phone rather than a professionally taken photo on a professional camera.

I have used conventions on my contents page such as having a contents list down the right side of my magazine, supporting photos which support the contents list, like NME does. Also, I have used my model on my front coveras the main photo on my contents page also to show that she is a main feature of a magazine. I have also included a subscription box with a deal and pictures of magazines in the bottom left hand corner. This then follows conventions because most magazines use these to ensure the magazine actually looks like an organized magazine.

Forms and Conventions used, challenged or developed on my double page spread.

My double page spread challenges conventions in that it does not have one side of the page covered with one photo and instead has the article flowing around the photo.

I follow conventions of other music magazines such as NME by imbedding a quote into the center of the article making the most important part of it stand out. I have also used conventions in that I have made an introduction to the article at the top of the page. As it is an interview article, it needs an introduction as to what the article is about, therefore attracting readers and following conventions. I have also given credit to the author of the article and the photographer at the start of the article and on the leg of the photo following conventions as other magazines have also done this. I have also made a top 5 things to do as most magazines have some sort of attraction on the double page therefore following conventions.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from

it to the main task?

Looking back at my preliminary task, I created my magazine on Microsoft word whereas I have no created my music magazine on Photoshop. On my preliminary task, I have also not used any cover lines I just had one article. However, on my music magazine I had changed the article for 5 cover lines, which show what is in the magazine. Also the images in which I used were not good quality as they were taken on a camera phone and they were not manipulated at all. I have now taken my photos on a professional camera to get a better quality photo and then I also manipulated the images using Photoshop and enhanced all of the images I had taken. Furthermore, on my preliminary task contents page I had a lot of dead space that wasn’t covered and my contents list was unaligned. I have now changed this and there is no dead space and the contents list is aligned and straight, therefore meaning I have learnt a real music magazine does not have dead space. I have also learnt from my preliminary task how to use positioning theory as previously I didn’t use it. I have now placed my images in optical centers and used the ‘Z’ theory. I also have a range of font and sizes to create variety where I previously didn’t. Therefore, I believe I have learnt a lot from my preliminary task, as I now know how to create a music magazine using conventions from other magazines and how to use the different skills needed to create a magazine like technology and theories needed.