Magazine ideas with feedback

 

Music Magazine Double Page spread

The final things I would need to take a look at are double page spreads. This is the final thing I'd be making along with my cover and contents page.

• On this example, something good I noticed was the pull quote. It wasn't in a usual layout like the text or title it was just placed in some space over the image. It was also done in bold capitals and in a colour that stands on the black and white yet still fits the colour scheme as it matches the kicker is in the same colour. The colour and bold letters of this means it catches the reader's eye and is one of the first things they read, he quote tends to pull the reader in and make them want to read more. I will have to use a pull quote in my double page spread but I will think about how to make it stand out like this one.
• Something else this example shows is the use of columns, these are good because they make the text seem easier to read and make the page seem more organised.

Music Magazine Contents Pages

As well as the cove page, I'll be making a contents page. Again I will have to look at existing contents pages to get ideas of what to use in my own.

• On this contents page the layout has been clearly shown. The parts of this page aren't just all over the place, the masthead is at the top, the image in the middle, the contents at the side, etc. This makes the page look a lot more professional because it shows time went into thinking about how it should look. It also makes the page look a lot more visually appealing and makes it easy to read. I will think about the layout of my contents page because that is very important and can make the page look very good.
• Another thing on this contents page is the subheadings over the contents. They are in block capitals and are big compared to other things, such as the contents information, meaning they are easy to read but also they have been done in a style that suits the theme of the page and makes it look better then just plain, magazine text. I will think about the font, size and style in text in my contents page as it can make the page look more appealing and eyecatching. 
• I noticed there was an advert to subscribe on the bottom. This is common on magazines now and is often advertising an online version of the magazine. The layout and font size have been used again here as it is in a fairly large and bold font size as well as in a black box with yellow/white text making it stand out to the reader, however it's also at the bottom of the page because it's not that important and so t doesn't take up too much room. I should try and use this on my magazine as this is a very common thing too see and it would make my magazine look more like a real magazine. 

• Something I noticed on this page was the size of the main image. There are a few more images at the bottom but this one is a lot bigger than the others, in fact it takes up most of the page. This may be a bad idea as there wouldn't be very much room on the page for other things, like other images as a contents pages tends to have at least 3 to 4 images. However it does show how the main image tends to be a lot larger then the others as it's more important and the larger size means it'll be the first thing the reader sees. I will think about image size on my contents page as it is an important factor in the design of a magazine. 
• Something I saw on the page that may not be visible on this as the image is a lot smaller, yet something that is still very important is page numbers. The page numbers on this page are in bold font and in red, rather then being in black like the contents information. This makes the page numbers easier to see and read. This is something I will need to think about as page numbers are one of the most important part on a contents page, they make sure the reader can navigate the magazine very easily. 
• Something interesting on this example was at the bottom. Under the main image there is a part for the editor to talk to the readers. It is at the bottom as it's not the most important part of the contents pages, there's not out standing fonts or sizes for it either, however it has been given quite a bit off room so it's not the least important thing. This might be a nice touch to add to my magazine if i have the space or time. 

• Something I noticed on this example was that unlike most contents pages which usually have 3 to 4 images at least, this only has one large one that fills the whole page with the text over the image. This is a nice idea as it looks quite appealing and professional. However it may also be a bad idea as it's not reliable that the information will be easy to see as photos are many colours, it's harder to find a colour for the text that can be seen sometimes. I might think about using this because if it's done right it could look good.
• Another thing on this page is that the layout makes sure the page isn't cluttered. This makes sure the information is easy to read and makes sure it doesn't look like a lot for the reader. This will be something I will consider as it makes the page seem better to the reader.

Music Magazine Cover

To create my music magazine front cover I needed to look at some existing covers to help give me ideas on what to put on my front cover for my magazine. 

• On this front cover, the first thing I noticed that was good was the title or masthead. It had the usual block capitals, boldness and large font size to make it stand out and be the first thing the reader sees and reads. However it is also in an interesting font that suits the genre of music the magazine's for. This makes the text seem less plain and more original. i would like to use this on my cover because I think it makes the front cover and the masthead look more interesting. 
• Another thing I like on this cover is the text going across the width of the page saying the bands name. the colour of it fits with the background image, contrasting with the red of the singers hair. it is also in the usual bold, block capital style. I would like to use this on my cover because it stands out to the reader and catches their eye.

• On this cover I liked the photograph, which wasn't just a plain one in the back ground, the people were over lapping the title masthead making it look more professional and better. I would like to use this on my cover because it makes the whole cover look a lot better and more professionally done.
• I also like how they changed the colour scheme to suit the picture, the first one had a lot of colour so they used colours to match that, this one had less so they used white and black with a bit of colour to suit it. I will use this on my cover as it would look a lot better than having colours that didn't match and make it more appealing. 
• Something I didn't like on this was the texts in yellow. They didn't really suit the colour scheme of the cover. I will make sure not to do this as having colours that don't work with the colour scheme would make my whole cover look worse. 

• What i like on this cover is the font they used on the masthead. It's not the usual block writing, it's thinner but still has the same effect. This makes it look different from other magazines and more professional, I might want to do this as it makes the cover look better. 
• Another thing I liked was how they put their short masthead in. since it was only "Q" they put it in a box to make it stand out and justified it to the right, I like the way this looks on the magazine and it is clearly also useful for giving the pictures more room, I might want to consider this for mine, even if it is not as short as one letter I could possible make it work.
• Something I didn't like on here was the layout of most of the text. It fits the picture well but it also made the page look like it had a lot of empty space. This made it look slightly worse in my opinion. I want to try and avoid this if I can.

First AS Media Blog

For my AS media course i have been asked to make a music magazine cover, double page spread and
contents page. I will have to use original photos and articles for it, meaning I will have to make my own. I will use this blog to record my research as I do the course. On the left of the text is an example of a music magazine front cover. This will help give an idea of something I have to create. This is also the same genre music as the genre I am using.