Magazine Conventions

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Magazine Construction

• By Heather Armstrong

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Conventions

• What you get on front covers

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Selling Line or Banner to sell the mag
Masthead logo/title
Tagline - slogan
Kicker title for cover line
Feature Article Photo
Cover Line
Headline 2nd biggest from title
Secondary Lead second most important thing
Anchorage reinforces meaning of image
Plug selling point
Flash word that stands out
Graphic Feature or Puff - shape
FREE Live music downloads
Menu Strip
Bar Code
Caption
Date Line
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Selling Line or Banner
Masthead
Plug
Pug or Ear
Graphic Feature or Puff
Kicker
Cover Line
Feature Article Photo
Headline
Caption
Anchorage
Flash
Bar Code
Menu Strip
Date Line
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Conventions Notes

• The masthead is red with a white outline. These
  are quite simple yet bold colours. This could
  connote that the magazine is daring. The colours
  are also the same as Q magazine which is also an
  Indie Music Magazine.
• The feature article photo is quite alluring. They
  are using direct address and look very confident.
  This relates to the anchorage Everyone else has
  fallen for them. Will you? because you are being
  persuaded into liking them by the picture.
• USA loves us hints that the lifestyle of the
  magazine is very friendly. The language in
  general hints at a relaxed but smart lifestyle.
• The most important feature on the cover is the
  image of Paramore. This is because the lead
  singers head goes in front of the masthead,
  therefore portraying she is more important than
  the magazine.
• The type of language used is very informal and
  the tone is very friendly and cheery.

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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?

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Design

• How front covers are conceived and laid out

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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?
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House Style Design Notes

• There is a colour scheme of red, black and white
  on the majority of the NME Magazines. Although
  some do change depending on the picture. For
  example, the front cover on the right, was a 40th
  anniversary special so they have changed the
  colour of the masthead to a gradient of colours
  from the jacket Jimi Hendrix is wearing. They
  have used the same colours for the text around
  him as well.
• They have also used the colours black and white
  on the front cover. They have de-saturated Jimi
  Hendrixs face so that they stick to the colour
  scheme of the black and white. But this also
  links to the anchorage of The final weeks of
  Jimi Hendrix because it makes him look pale and
  almost dead.
• The red white and black are very simplistic yet
  bold colours. They also compliment each other
  nicely. The colour scheme looks professional.
• However as the editors changed, the colour scheme
  changed. It used to be mainly red, white, black
  and yellow. But when they changed editor they
  used colours from the main image for the masthead
  and headline.
• It looks as though they have only used one font
  on the cover of the magazine. Although it looks
  slightly different to that of past magazines.
  This may be because they have decided to change
  the style of the magazine and make it more
  modern.

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House Style Design Notes

• The look and feel of the magazine is very
  professional and neatly set out. The cover image
  fills the whole page and ,therefore, there is no
  dead space. The photograph is a mid shot of the
  band, Paramore, and they have used a big depth of
  field so that you can see everyone clearly. The
  overall look of the main image is very
  invitational they are all using direct mode of
  address. There is a theme of black used in the
  main image so that their faces stand out. They
  will have been told to wear just black so that
  the focus isn't on their clothing but their
  faces. The black clothing also helps the text
  stand out.
• The rule of thirds has been used for the front
  cover. The woman's eyes on the main image lay
  right on the top line. This is so that you see
  them first. The left third dominates because it
  is where the masthead has been placed. The
  masthead has always been on the top left corner
  for every cover to date. The headline sits on the
  bottom line of the rule of thirds and this is
  also that it stands out. There is no dead or
  white space because there are lots of conventions
  on the magazine.
• I think it is designs as it is because it is an
  indie music magazine, and that means they can be
  individuals and design it how they want. It
  usually reinforces typical conventions, but in
  their own style. The main style is quite poster
  like