Potential Magazine Layouts

In this next post I am designing potential magazine front covers but it is only rough designs. I am doing this to get a feel for what type of layout I want to use. After I'll then move on to more developed layouts with actual text.

POTENTIAL 1

POTENTIAL 2

POTENTIAL 3

After designing a few different layouts I now have a better image of what kind of magazine I want mine to look like.

Magazine Fonts

In this post I am having a look at different magazine fonts that would look good for my magazine. After looking through many magazines I have come up with a few different styles that I think will work with my own magazine.

Potential Magazine Names

In this post I will choose at least 5 potential magazine names for my mainstream magazine and the reasons to why I think they are appropriate.

Horror Film Monthly - This magazine is appropriate for a mainstream audience, this is because of its very broad name and it will naturally include a wide range of horror information.

Slice & Dice - I think that this is a very catchy magazine title and is appropriate for a horror magazine due to its reference of slicing and dicing.


Monster Monthly - This title gives out a different vibe than my other choices and is more of a villain magazine but can still discuss new horror films of the month.


Horror Hound - Horror hound I feel is a catchy magazine title and by using the word hound it feels as if once you open it, there will be no way out.

Blood, Guts & Gore - This magazine title would be quite good as horror films are all about the blood and guts so audiences will instantly recognise it as a horror magazine.

After looking through these option I created a focus group and averaged the scores to see which one is most popular.

Horror Film Monthly - 8
Slice & Dice - 6
Monster Monthly - 6
Horror Hound - 3
Blood, Guts & Gore - 4

From these results I can see that Horror Film Monthly is the most popular and is the title that I will be using in my magazine.

Props/Costume List

Main protagonist:
- Suit: shirt, tie, trouser, blazer.
- Gun

Zombie:
- Selection of ripped up clothing
- Face paint
- Ketchup for blood

Office set up:
- Folders
- Papers
- Coffee mug
- Computer

Cover Lines

My teaser trailer will be coming out around October so the magazine will be coming out around August. I have had a look for certain movies that are coming out around October and after to be featured in the magazine.

Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp
The Cabin In The Woods
Paranormal Activity Sequel
The Amityville Horror: The Lost Tapes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D in 2D

My Coverlines

New up coming Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows and we have an interview with Johnny Depp himself
The new Paranormal Activity
Sneaky pictures into the new Amtyville Horror: The Lost Tapes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre now in 3D
Top Villain of the year

I think the cover lines that I have chosen are very appropriate for my magazine as they are related to horror which is what my magazine is based about.

Specific Magazine Annotations

In the next few posts I am annotating specific magazine (horror) front covers that are related to my own genre that I have chosen.

After annotating this magazine front cover I can see certain things that I will most likely be using in my own magazine front cover such as the cover lines about up coming horror films, perhaps a special on a certain area of horror. After looking at a few more front covers I will have a much better idea of what to include in mine.

This magazine front cover seems to be different from the last as the central image seems to be a saviour instead of a monster which can be seen through her figure behaviour and the items that she is carrying. From this I can see that it doesn't always have to be the monster on the background. The font again is red to indicate danger which is something that I will take into consideration when I choose to make my own magazine front cover.

This magazine seems to have a monster on the front cover unlike the one before where there is a saviour. The masthead is a bold and bloody font to catch the audiences eye. This seems to be convention on most horror magazines.

This magazine front cover also seems to have red font which I have noticed on most horror magazines. Its cover lines are all about horror and upcoming films. When I come to creating my own horror magazine I will have a much better idea of what to include.

5 Different Publications

In this post I'm looking through different types of magazine publications to gain a broader understanding of the types of things that come up in certain magazines.


Sight & Sound

After looking through this magazine I can already see differences from the first mainstream magazine I looked at. In this magazine it seems although the title is in a bright colour it does not seem to be the dominant text on screen. The picture in the centre of the magazine is a director instead of a main A list actor, it is very normal for this to happen as this is an independent magazine and tailors towards a independent audience. The cover lines consist of independent film titles and certain well known directors. If I were to produce a independent film this would be the kind of magazine that it would be shown in.

Empire

After looking through this magazine I can see a massive difference between the Sight & Sound magazine and a mainstream magazine. The title of this magazine is the biggest font on the page and can be instantly recognised. 

American Cinematographer

This magazine is for the more serious film goers, people who are interested in what's behind the scenes. The front cover of other magazines I have looked at have been A'list actors or directors. This magazine seems to be more of an independent type magazine so when I come to making mine, depending on what time of magazine it is will depend of the features that I put into it.

Screen International

After annotating the front cover of this magazine I can see this magazine is aimed at a more niche market and much different than the big and bold mainstream magazines that are full of huge blockbusters. This magazine focuses more on the behind the scenes at the making of the film.

Movie Maker

This magazine also seems to tailor towards an independent audience but still has some mainstream features such as it has cover lines about mainstream movie's. The central image is an up coming actor in Hollywood who last played in quite a mainstream movie. When I decide what magazine mine will tailor to I will definitely have a much broader idea of the kind of things that magazines focus on.