Preliminary Evaluation of magazine front cover and contents page.

Evaluation.

The most common and most well used codes and conventions of magazine front covers are as follows; big, bold mastheads, contrasting cover lines, a main cover line, a main image, and smaller feature articles. These are then followed by the likes of barcodes, and the price of the magazine, or issue dates etc.

These are similar yet different to the codes and conventions of magazine contents pages. This is because contents pages consist of full columns containing the needed information about the features and coverlines on the front cover, as well as what stories are included in the magazine. The columns normally contain images with relevance to the topic/subject that is written near by. Also, a letter following and image from the editor about the magazine, and how he/she feels towards it for example.

My media product mostly follows all the previous codes and conventions. This signifies that my magazine does not challenge or develop forms and conventions of real media products. Therefore my magazine has similarities to most other school/other magazines due to the expected coded and conventions. My magazine 'Success' follows the codes and conventions as it has a masthead, clearly stating the name of the magazine. The colour of the masthead links as well as contrasting with the other colours on the magazine, e.g. the other feature articles and the main coverline. My main image is referring to the title of the main coverline and I have made this obvious, as the main image is of a girl in school uniform at a medium shot looking directly at the camera. Further below are other school children in different years, and my main coverline is about friends effecting each others futures, therefore the images symbolize and connote the coverline.

My contents page follows the codes and conventions or a real contents page product, by firstly the columns. This is because I have four columns filled with information and direction throughout the magazine. Next, I have put in an editors letter and photograph, so that it does not deviate drastically from the codes and conventions, as this is one of the most followed. I have main images and smaller images throughout the text, the main one being obviously bigger. Finally, the colours compliment each other and are likeable from the target audience.

In the construction of my media product I used media technologies, some being completely new to me that I have never used before. Therefore I had to prepare myself beforehand so that I was ready when I came to use the new programme. This new software was called Quark, and it is used by many professional companies to produce their contents pages, therefore the quality and standard of the software was more than just the ordinary. I also used digital photography to take and upload my images and photographs which was different to GCSE, all of which I had to become aware and experienced at. I was very successful in using both the new media technologies.

I believe that the strengths of my media product are the codes and conventions, however not in all areas, as I do not believe that my front cover is as convincing as my contents page. I also think that the feature articles and coverlines are very well thought and connected to my images. On the other hand, I feel that one of my weaknesses was time, and preparation for the final product. Therefore my magazine front cover was not exactly how I wanted it to be. Similarly, I believe that the ideas I had come up with where too difficult to proceed on Adobe Photoshop, and deviated a little too much from the codes and conventions, of real media magazines. More so I feel that using the new media technologies was one of my strongest points in creating the product altogether, as I felt I grasped the techniques quickly and was able to proceed in my task. The only weaknesses in relation to the new media technologies was again the preparation time, as I felt we needed a little more time, to focus on getting the images right for our magazines. As an outcome of this I had to go back and take another attempt of the picture, for my main image on the contents page, which took away time in finishing the final product.

Once I had completed my final front cover and contents page, I got audience’s feedback and response from it. My front cover was liked due to the contrasts and layers standing out. The bold title was commented on in a positive way, and the use of shapes was enjoyed. My front cover was also said as eye catching due to the colours, boldness and clearness. To add to this, the audience said that my contents page has a very good layout and that it was very structural. Another person said that the dots underneath the title worked well in separating it from the rest of the contents. Finally someone made a comment on how my contents page connected well with my front cover.

To conclude, in producing my magazine, I came across some tasks that were hard and some that were easy, both managing to proceed through to my final media product. I learnt that there is much more in preparing the making of a magazine front cover, and contents page, therefore a lot more work has to be done beforehand, like thinking about how layers will link and how colours will contrast, or how the product as a whole will sell to the target audience. Finally, I believe there are some things I could have done better to improve my final product. These would consist of collecting a few school magazine beforehand and focusing on the techniques i would use to help me in making my own. I would mostly change how i tackled my preparation, time and research for my school magazine, as i feel if i had made an extra effort in these areas then i would have created my magazine exactly how i planned it to be.