Codes and Conventions of a magazine front cover.

In todays lesson, we discussed the codes and conventions of a magazine front cover, and wrote them down onto paper, we then tranfered them onto the computer adding more of our own ideas to the work.

Masthead...

• Title
• Postioning statement -Sets out the magazine ethos: Kerrang- 'Life is Loud'

• Title is kept clear and seperate from the image unless the magazine is established only way it could happen is an image underneath the title.        

• Title-Own unique font and its not used anywere else on the magazine.

• Barcode/issue number/date/price/website-Genrally bottom right.

• Buzzwords- 'Plus' and 'exclusive'   makes the reader think they are getting extra for money or no-one else has this.

• Images-One main image, sometimes subsiduary images which are smaller.

           -closeup, headshot-no text over face.
           -direct address is used..person in image looking straight at the camera.

Other images are storys within the magazine.

Colour Scheme...

• Simple colour that don't glash
• 3/4 colours
• colours reinforce brand

Coverlines...

• Font of main cover line is bigger
• Same style font
• Text is close to an image
• Normally 5 coverlines-relate to genre chosen
• Only a few fonts used-its limited
• Plain background to make main image stand out
• Picture of band -Long shot -Medium long shot
• Single artist -Medium closeup
• Looking at the camera -Direct address
• Body Language must fit genre.