Codes and conventions: Magazine features: Detailed:

Models Overlap the title, but the title of the magazine is till readable as it is 'iconic' (font styles iconic to the magazine)




Torn edges of the background behind the word 'Download' creates an 'urban' feel. This reflects on the genre of the magazine.




A yellow stroke is used on the word 'Download' which makes it stand out and makes it more noticeable to the audience, it also reflects on a possible main feature/ theme that is congruent throughout the magazine.

The colour scheme reflects on the genre of the magazine (hip hop). This colour is a feature that is congruent throughout the magazine i.e. it will follow a consistent house style.

The contents are tilted. This is a technique that is used possibly to reflect on the genre. Hip hop targets an audience that are 'edgy' and 'cool'. This technique to me reflects on this.


There is a cartoon effect on the model. This is to help reflect on the target audience and reflects on the genre of magazine.


Use of 'urban' convention, transferred in the title of the page 'conteXt'.

'WORLD EXCLUSIVE' is positioned in the top left corner of the page. This is to help attract the attention of the audience when flicking through the pages.

There is the use of a large font size in the title to help attract attention.

Colour scheme and font style used reflects on the genre of the magazine.

Black and white pictures - reflects on the rock genre (vintage/ reminiscent)

An information bar is positioned down the right side of the page - this is clearly untied from the main 'writing' on the page and is a typical conventional feature.

Codes and conventions:

Codes and conventions I have deciphered from the analysis of magazine all hold these aspects:


A bar code on the front cover

 Large headings on the front cover and double page spreads roughly size   '120 pts - 150 pts'

Consistent house style throughout the magazine

Iconic imagery that reflects the magazines genre and sub genre i.e. music magazine with a sub genre of 'Indie rock'.

Gaze Theory:

For an indie rock genre magazine conventional imagery that is used is of 'bands' or the 'artist'. This is a band shot of 'Muse'. As you can see their fashion sense is 'indie' which will appeal to the target audience. Hair of all the band members is long and smart but 'trendy' clothing is worn. Two of the members also have slight facial hair which reflects on an 'urban' and 'cool' look.

Girls will aspire to 'get' men like this, whereas boys aspire to look like the men (attractive and well presentable/ trendy).

Main Task - Music Magazine:

After evaluating the school magazine I am now able to channel the negative problems in the task such as time management etc. and use these 'pointers' to my advantage to help me create a stronger magazine.

The main part of the task I have to create the front page, contents page and double page spread of a music magazine. This involves me having to research typical conventions in 'target audience of the genre', 'typical conventions of current existing products' and 'Imagery' (Using gaze theory).

Following this research I am going to have to create sketch drafts to help provide an idea on such features as 'layout; to help me cut down attributes for my final ideas.

Final Versions:

Here are my final versions of my school magazine.

This is the final version of the front cover of my school magazine. As you can see I have used a location and model that reflects on the issues theme (winter). The reason for choosing this features is due to the fact it conventionally reflects the conventions of real media products. Another feature that reflects on the theme is the 'house style' in terms of colours used. The red reflects on 'christmas' a festive holiday during the winter season and white reflecting on snow, an iconic feature of winter.

Lures stand out to help attract the attention of the audience. This element is conventional of magazines in general. As well as the conventional lure a 'brief' contents lure is provided in the bottom left corner of the front cover. This feature is conventional of a school magazine hence the reason for the transfer of this element.





This is the final version of the contents page of my school magazine. As you can see I have kept a consistent house style throughout the magazine. This aspect is conventional of magazines in general. Down the left of the page the contents are aligned. Each article is clearly labelled with a number and title, these features are in a large font to help make them stand out. I have used two images that advertise certain 'articles'. These are conventional aspects from magazines in general that I have chosen to transfer into this product. The articles act as lures and help the articles to stand out.

Conventional of a school magazine is the use of a school 'logo'. This is a feature that i have used in this product as shown to the left. A final conventional feature that I have chosen is the use of 'editors notes'. This is a feature i have come across in various magazines, so I felt that including this conventional aspect would help to make the product close in comparison to a real media product.

A feature that i wish I could change would be not using columns to layout the contents page. This would help the page to conventionally reflect on real media products.

Designs: Preliminary:

After drawing up the drafts for the front page and contents page of the magazine i got a feel for how I was going to lay out the magazine. From here i started the designs of the front page and contents. Following a consistent house style and layout here are 3 versions of the magazine that i have created:

Front Page:

                                                                                                                                     


















Contents Page:

Draft work: Preliminary

After receiving my complted surveys I have decided to get down to creating drafts pages of the front page and the contents page. Here are the drafts:

Research. Target audience:

Before drawing the drafts of my school magazine I have prepared a survey for peers of the target audience to complete. This information will provide a style guide for such features as layout, colour and style of the magazine.

Research: Prelimanary task

For this task I have to create a front page and contents page for a school magazine. Currently I have researched the conventions of school magazines. First of all I analysed the front cover of two existing school magazines:

As you can see from the provided front cover there are a range of convetional features:

The use of a title. The title follows a consistent house style that will be used throughout the magazine and next issues.

The colours that are used on this cover is red, this colour allows the magazine to reflect on the target audience or a current event i.e. christmas will be related to red.

There is a breif overview of the contents. This sections directs the audience to particular pages, these pages may hold 'top' or 'important' storys.

The front cover also used blurbs. This allows the magazine to attract the audience to certain articles.

As you can see from the provided contents page there are a range of convetional features:

The consitent house style will follow onto the contents page. This example isn't the same magazine as the front cover but the front page of this contents page will follow consistent house style.

The use of 'iconic' images to the genre of magazine are used. The images are usually linked to pages. The image will allow for a breif insight of what the page offers.

The contents page list the number of pages in the magazine and what content is on that page.

The start of my Preliminary task

I have been set the task to create the contents front page of a school magazine. This current task will see me researching the conventional features of current exisiting school magazines and transfering these 'iconic' features into my own work. After I have researched the conventions of features such as 'images', 'content' and 'layout' I will have to create designs of the front page and contents page of my school magazine.

This will then lead into the production of draft work which will help me to create a strong 'final version' of the  front and contents page of the magazine.

This work will help me in improving my skills for the main task of creating the front page, contents page and double page spread for a music magazine.