AS Media Studies Coursework Evaluation

By Rob Rushton

Front Cover Evaluation

Masthead- larger and bolder font than rest of text on the cover, the masthead is designed as the second thing the consumer sees when first seeing magazine cover. Sans serif font used here. The fact that the masthead is covered by the rappers name connotes power.Colour Scheme- the colour scheme used is grey and white which contrasts greatly with the rappers dress and dark tattoos, sunglasses and hat. This ensures that the artist stands out and takes more prominence in the cover. The colour fill in the bottom left of the magazine tie in with the colour scheme as well, echoing the red of the rappers coat and timepiece on his neck. Red is symbolically known as a dangerous and dark colour, most commonly associated with blood.Barcode- typically conventional in any magazine associated with the genre in question, in some magazines, they prefer to put the barcode at the back, but vibe are well renowned for barcodes being visible at the front.Layout- The layout of the magazine isn't too cramped, however the picture is extremely prominent and large leaving only a small amount of space for the written lures. Vibe magazine is also well renowned for the use of only one picture on the cover, as other magazines prefer to have a much more cramped layout involving many more images.

Front Cover Evaluation (2)

Conventional Or Not?- right at the beginning of the process I had to make a decision whether or not to be conventional, non conventional or a bit of both, I examined all the pros and cons for each and made the decision to go for as conventional as possible.Colour- After examining many different magazines of the genre I decided to go for a dark based colour scheme, the background and the model are both colourless, however I have ensured that the artist stands out by wearing light coloured clothes and topless, therefore the ‘black and white’ feel isn't too dark. I have also made sure that the model stands out proficiently from other magazines on the shelf, and the use of the fluorescent yellow does this, not to mention the hints of red, which not only adds variety but bears representation of danger, something that I want to portray in the title.Layout- the layout of the magazine is a simple one, this is mainly because the target audience are mostly lower class and will have skipped a lot of school . Also they won’t want to read a lot, therefore I haven't cramped up the cover with writing that isn't always going to be read. Masthead/Main Image- the masthead is a conventional bold one. Designed to stand out from the page, I have ensured that the mastheads the fluorescent yellow, making sure that the mastheads one of the first things the consumer sees.

Contents Page Analysis

I found this contents page during research and I was pleasantly surprised by it’s layout, its nothing like any other magazine contents page in the genre. There is something fascinating about the pages diversity from the norm.Layout- the layout, with the unique style where the text on the page is on a slant whereas the picture of the artist is very much straight gives the impression that the artist is giving stability to the page, not only that, but it draws the consumer onto the artist as soon as they look at the page.Colour Scheme- The colour scheme is common of the genre, red and black, however they have used white as the insert, and this again, shows variety and contrasts well with the black and red, not to mention giving the page a whole cleaner feel to it, connoting that the magazine is a more expensive, upper class model.

My final Piece, inspired by vibe magazine

Colour Theme- the colour scheme in this case is connotive of many magazines of the genre, a dark one, a black background, with the artist wearing dark clothes, the dark black of the background is extremely easy to contrast with the white of the writing, therefore making it extremely easy to read.

Use Of Quote- Its almost one of the golden rules when creating a double page spread which involves or incorporates an interview in it. The quote is there as a lure, the reader wont read the interview straight away, he/she will scan the page to see whether its worth reading, and the quote pulls the reader in and grabs their attention, in this case the quote has words that are in alternate colours designed to make the quote much more desirable and eye-catching

The image- the image covers a whole page, giving the reader a both a potential poster and also a clear indicator on who’s in the interview an what the interviews about. The use of ‘@’ in the text underneath relate directly to the audience as the reader will use this symbol regularly on a computer and when texting.

Layout- the layout of my magazine double page spread I have kept quite simple, I have kept the normal connotations in the fact that one of the two pages is taken up by a large image of the artist in question, however I have refrained from just using one picture, I have used another as well, this time a picture of him in action with the mic, I have put three of the same picture next to each other but with varying colours, this is to add some colour to the otherwise relatively dull colour scheme and it also adds as an attraction or lure to the reader who may be just flipping through the pages to find a good page.

Incorporating quotes and variety- I decided that the colour scheme of magazines don’t stay the exact same throughout, occasionally the house colours are varied, especially on an individual page basis, therefore I decided to add more colour, I did this to give variation to the magazine, which I felt was a bit basic otherwise. In terms of the regular quote, I decided to incorporate one into my double page spread as well, and to make sure that it stood out from the rest of the page, I put a colour fill of yellow in behind the text itself, contrasting the bold black text beautifully.

In the process of making the front cover, contents page and double page spread, I have used a variety of techniques and pieces of technology including Microsoft word, Microsoft PowerPoint, adobe flash player, various computers, laptops and cameras, not to mention innumerable websites on the internet used to research and find information.