Media Conventions

1
Magazine Construction

• Student Copy

2
Conventions

• What you get on front covers

3
1.
Masthead
8.
Selling Line or Banner
Web-links? Ears?
9.
Tagline
2.
Kicker
10.
Feature Article Photo
3.
Cover Line
11.
Headline
12.
Anchorage
4.
Secondary Lead
13.
Flash
14.
Menu Strip
5.
Plug
6.
Graphic Feature or Puff
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15.
Bar Code
16.
Date Line
Caption
7.
4
Masthead
Selling Line or Banner
Web-links? Ears?
Tagline
Kicker
Feature Article Photo
Cover Line
Headline
Anchorage
Secondary Lead
Flash
Plug
Menu Strip
Graphic Feature or Puff
Bar Code
Date Line
Caption
5
Masthead
Selling Line or Banner
Web-links? Ears?
Tagline
Graphic Feature or Puff
Feature Article Photo
Plug
Headline
Kicker
Anchorage
Flash
Cover Line
Menu Strip
Bar Code
Secondary Lead
Date Line
Caption
6
Noticing Conventions

• What does the masthead tell you about the
  magazine?
• How does the anchorage help to create meaning
  with the photo?
• Do the graphic features tell you anything about
  the style of the magazine?
• Does the way things are phrased or designed
  (including taglines, flashes, quotes etc) give
  you hints about lifestyle the audience and
  artists are expected to have?
• Do the fonts and colours communicate a certain
  style or approach?
• What impression do you get about the artist
  judging by the photographic styles and techniques
  e.g. positioning, mode of address etc.?
• How does it arrange the space on the page to tell
  you what is most important?
• How do the kickers and cover lines work?
• What is missing from the list of conventions and
  is that significant i.e. is it less important?

7
Conventions Notes

• The headline icons explains what the images
  used are about but also explains that perhaps the
  magazine is an icon itself. This could
  additionally add an overall effect to the
  audience
• The anchorage adds to the interaction as it
  gives more information about the headline but
  also makes the magazine more interactive by
  linking it with the image.
• In the taglines the lifestyle suggested with
  life is loud is that they are out there in
  society and also with their
• The use of language used implies that the
  audiences lifestyle should be maybe less
  sophisticated
• I think that the headline and anchorage are the
  most important as they are the largest text on
  the page and they also link with the main image
  which suggests that the text linked with it is
  probably the main focus of the magazine.
  Therefore the largest items are probably the most
  important
• The tone of the magazine is less sophisticated
  and links with the title as kerrang! isnt very
  formal

8
Design

• How front covers are conceived and laid out

9
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10
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11
Direct mode of address can appear in yer face,
serious, warm
Indirect mode of address can be mysterious,
lively, sombre
Creates a wacky, fun image, sharing an identity
with the reader that offers the independence of
indie music.
Enigma what are they getting up to now?
12
House Style Design Notes

• COLOUR - Is a colour scheme used? Is it the same
  with every issue or switch according to the
  images? Is there a pattern as to where colour is
  used? Does colour have its own meaning?
• FONTS - Roughly how many different fonts (not
  sizes) are used? Can you link the same fonts
  with the same conventions?
• STYLE - What look and feel is created? How much
  does the cover image contribute to this? What
  photographic techniques are used? Describe the
  mode of address and overall look e.g.
  invitational, mysterious etc. Is a theme used
  e.g. futuristic? Does an enigma prompt the
  reader to ask questions?
• USE OF SPACE - How has the rule of thirds been
  used? Does the left-third dominate? Is the use
  of space typical e.g. masthead top-left, headline
  sitting at the bottom of the mid-third etc.? Is
  it spread out, blocky, chaotic? Is there any
  dead space or white space?
• CONCLUDE Why do you think it is designed as it
  is? Does it reinforce or challenge the typical
  conventions? Is it poster-style, busy , loud,
  inyerface, smooth, slick, stylish, fun etc.?

13
House Style Design Notes

• On this magazine cover it uses the colours pink,
  yellow, white and black. White and black seem to
  be used on most Kerrang magazine covers as shown
  in the smaller images. The masthead is always in
  black and white but the rest of the magazine
  seems to change colours.
• On this cover there seems to be around 3
  different fonts, the selling line, tagline,
  headline, anchorage, menu strip and the cover
  line all being in the same font, the masthead
  being another and the caption is the final
  different font.
• The pink on the magazine makes it look and feel
  more feminine, however, the feature article photo
  is a male. This evens the magazine out and
  therefore makes it appeal to both genders. The
  overall look without the pink would be rock as
  the majority of the colour is black, he has a
  black hoodie and the title is black, however, the
  bright pink makes the magazine more feminine but
  the two colours contrasting makes it look more
  appealing as without the pink it would look plain
  and basic.
• The rule of thirds has been used in this
  magazine as the headline is almost directly in
  the centre and his eyes are in the top third.
  Also, the title has been placed so that this is
  in the top third as well. The barcode and date
  have been placed in the lower right corner and
  the caption being in the bottom left corner.
  Finally, the menu strip and flash are located at
  the bottom so that as you turn the page it gets
  seen. Therefore, I think that these items have
  been placed the way they are so that there is no
  space or gaps on the magazine cover.
• I think this does reinforce the typical
  convention as it has the title along the top,
  barcode and date in the left corner and the
  headline almost in the centre which is normally
  where these are located. I think this cover looks
  a bit like a poster as it has items in the usual
  kind of places for a poster.