The letter abbreviation Q is used as this magazine title as it is short and catchy and not fancy or complicated to construct on to a magazines front cover. In this same was I feel that the use of AIM as my magazines name is catchy and thus could be said to be a convention of a magazine, in that it is catchy. Secondly, a masthead should run across the page and as Q is only a single letter, it is big enough to be conventional. My magazine's masthead certainly spans the page and as is custom, portrays the genre and the look of the magazine.
A Mastheads conventional layout, as mentioned above, is one which spans the page, is large and reflects the style and genre of the magazine. Q Is large enough-due to it being a single letter to span the page and it reflects and knowing/expertise of the music world. As in masthead custom it also either sits above or below the main image. They always meet. This is definitely a factor I included in my magazine as my Artist easily touches the masthead which remains below his image.
Using the black bars placed at the top and the bottom of the front cover plus the image centered in the middle gives symmetry to the page. I have tried to use the same techniques on my magazine, by having my single artist on the front and then cover lines on either side of him. However, unlike this Q magazine I have not used banners along the top of the bottom to add symmetry in that way. One place that both my own magazine and this edition of Q magazine differ from convention is on the shot used for the main image. It is convention for magazines to use mid shots for the main image; especially if it consists of a single artist. I did try with a mid shot but in the end decided that the long shot, framing the whole body worked better with my magazine.
Both this edition of Q and my media product have props used on the front cover, contents page and double page spread. The use of the suit reflects the idea that Q is wise in the ways of music. It suggest high class, most likely the genre of the band Elbow but also the magazine. The use of the stand and the "old school" microphone suggests he is classy and perhaps has a classy singing voice. On my media product I have my main artist holding a guitar and his clothes are definitive of the genre of my magazine. I aimed to have him wear "indie" clothes to give the impression of being laid back and easy; to convey as sense of not just his own character buts also that of the character of the magazine.
The props used in the photos on the double page spread of this edition of Q are used to convey the image of a band. The us of black and white on the central image seems to have been used to create an iconic feel to the picture; perhaps mirroring the idea that they are an iconic band of a certain era? My double page spread used the same prop as was used on the front cover plus the same clothes as well. However I think this is useful in showing the genre of my magazine.
As I have mentioned before the conventional main image shot is a mid shot, and that both my own media product and the Q edition presented above do not follow this. Both of the products use long shots. I used a long shot to convey the genre of my artists, I believe Q have used a long shot as it helps create symmetry and convey character. He is framed well by by the positioning of the Cover Lines and I have tried to create this effect as well, by listing artists down one side and cover lines down the other.
Both my media magazine and Q have placed the name of the artist being reviewed in the top left corner. Q has used three columns on one page to present their article whereas I used columns across the page and put the image in between the first and second columns. I would say that here my media product challenges conventions as most magazines seem to leave one side of a double page spread to images. Font wise, both my magazine and Q use a standard font. The writing style of my magazine portrays the genre of the magazine; which is a convention of Double Page spreads. A relaxed and laid back style.
Q's genre is fairly similar to my own however My magazine incorporates the slightly more alternative bands whereas Q seems to follow fairly mainstream music. Q's cover conveys this not through its masthead but through its cover lines as this is where it announces what music or musicians it has articles on. This is conventional for most mainstream magazines as they have been around long enough for their audiences to know their genre. This is where my magazine challenges convention as the genre of my magazine is portrayed through both cover lines; specifically the list of artists and the Masthead, which has an alternative font.
My contents page presents my genre perhaps the most out of all three of the pages as in incorporates the alternative font on numerous occasions; most notable as headings to each section of the magazine.
My double page spread again, similar to the others, uses the same alternative font.
My artist is portrayed in the same way on both my front cover, contents page and double page spread. This is similar to Q as the artist from Elbow is portrayed in the same clothes over each.
My colour scheme follows convention in that. like in Q, it is repeated over each of the three pages as both my front cover, contents page and double page spread have the three colours, Red, orange and white. Which has differed from my original plan.
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