Print Pre-Production

Sketch of magazine cover

Sketch of tour poster

1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is a film magazine example but the conventions still apply).

• Masthead (title)
• Selling lines
• Coverlines
• Strapline / slogans
• Price/barcode
• Cover image/model/celebrity

2) Find at least five music magazine front covers (either current or former magazines as many have stopped their print editions) aimed at a similar target audience to your project (mainstream music audience). For each one, pick out one design idea or convention that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off:

The font of the Masthead, Colour of background, pose of artist

Quote from interview on front page, model staring down the camera, slogan directly underneath Masthead. placement of cover lines.

Background colour, Placement of artist

Positioning of artist, camera shot used, placement and layout of cover lines

Boxing off of cover lines, pictures and bar code. placement of cover lines, boxing off of main photo.

3) Find at least five double-page spread features from music magazines on Google images. How are they designed? How are text and images displayed? What design tricks can you borrow from your examples?

Name of Interview spread across the top of both pages, both artists on different pages facing different directions, colour scheme, neat even layout of text.

Large quote from the interview, font of quote, position of model, whole page shot that spread slightly onto the other page. 

Positioning of other pictures - Crowded but not cluttered. Colour scheme, positioning of text, font and placement of large font in front of main image.

Positioning of artist taking up the whole page with the quote in front. positioning of name of artist. subheadings through the text.

Picture of artist spanning both pages. neat layout of text, plain but not too plain background, font + placement of title and quote.

4) Find at least five band/artist tour posters on Google images. How are they designed? What conventions do they all feature? How are text and images displayed? What design tricks can you borrow from your examples?

Positioning of logo, positioning of tour dates, colour scheme.

Colour and font of text, one large image.

Positioning of all elements, clean clear layout, colour scheme, logo of band above name of tour.

colour scheme, separate background image, placement of text, layout of tour dates and venues.

Border pattern, one large image, colour scheme.

Planning, sketching and writing

1) Plan a title and slogan (sell line) for your new, original music magazine. Sketch out possible designs for the masthead - font, style, colour etc.

3) Plan the content for your tour poster. What image will you use? (Remember it needs to be from a different photoshoot). What cities and venues will your artist play in the UK? This may take some research into venues that are associated with your chosen genre and the right size for your artist.

4) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of all the issues or topics your double-page feature interview could cover. Remember it needs to include reference to the music video, tour and headphone sponsorship. 

5) Write the text for your double-page spread feature. This needs to be a minimum of 400 words and be completely original and include reference to the music video, tour and headphone sponsorship. Make sure you include a headline, subheading and any pullout quotes or sidebar contents. 

6) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in planning task 1 above.

7) Produce an A4 landscape sketch of your double page spread design now you have chosen the subject matter and planned the photoshoot.

8) Produce an A4 sketch of your tour poster including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing tour posters and then planned in planning task 3 above.

Photoshoot

1) Who do you need to photograph from your artist/band that will appear on the front cover of your magazine? This is vital for planning the location and time for your photoshoot (note: if it is you or someone in the class it will make things a lot easier in terms of running the photoshoot)

2) What image or images do you need for the double-page spread interview feature?

3) What image or images will you use for the tour poster? Remember, you need seven different original images across the print brief in total and the tour poster images(s) need to come from a different photoshoot.

4) Write a shot list for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.

5) What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoots?