Codes And Conventions Of Music Magazine Front Covers.

In lesson today we looked at a variety of magazine front covers and came up with a group of codes and conventions and we also looked at where everything was placed on the front cover and we will use this to decide what how we will lay our magazine out, and what should be on the front of the magazine

Images

• There is always one main image on the front of the magazine, and a couple of subsiduary images are also used which are alot smaller than the main image.
• The subject/s of the main image are to be looking the camera,so direct adress to the audience is given.
• If the image is only of one person then the camera shot used on the main image should be a medium close up or a mid shot, this is so the camera is showing the whole of the face and to have the focus on the face.
• If the image is however, of more than one person, for example a full band then the camera shot should be a medium long shot or a long shot, this is used to get all the members in.
• The body language and facial expression of the subject/s in the main image must reflect and fit in with the genre of music the maagzine is about. For example: the main image of a popstar cant be the subject snarling and slouched over.
• The background of the front of the magazine should be plain and not complicated.
• There should be a colour scheme of no more than three or four colours.

Title and font

• The title, also known as the masthead , is a large, bold and unique font that is not used anywhere else in the magazine.
• The title and the font used for the title must reflect the genre of magazine.
• The title if more than 4 letters should stretch right across the top of the magazine from the left to the right.
• The title, shouldn't be covered by the main image unless the subject in the main image is a well established person or if the magazine is a well established one that people will recognise the title even if one or two of the letters is covered up.
• There should be 5 coverlines featured on the magazine at least, and they should all be in the same font.
• The text should always relate to a story inside the magazine or an image on the front.
• No more than 4 fonts should be used on the front cover.
• Buzz words such as: exclusive and plus make the reader feel like they are getting more for their money or they are getting something that no-one else has seen.

Barcode

• The barcode is usually in the bottom right hand corner, but can also go anywhere on the right hand side
• Around the barcode is the issue number, the issue date, and the price of the magazine,and a website for the magazine

Examples of magazine front covers