Existing Product Research.

College Magazine

www.collegemagazine.co.uk

College Magazine is a quarterly magazine that offers advice and information to students. The magazine was founded in 2007 by Writer and Publisher Amanda Nachman. It was distributed around one campus, before gaining popularity and moving out to others. The magazine has a writing staff of 45+ who regularly write stories. The magazine is written by students, so that the information given to students has come from first hand experience. By doing this, students are given un-biased information that will help them settle in or tackle issues concerning student life, career choices and success stories from people like: Mike Posner, Kate Voegel, Sarah Bareillis, Nastia Liukin, Kim Kardashian, Glenn Howerton and Chelsea Handler. As of 2010 around 200,000 copies of the magazine have been printed, reaching 14 universities across the US including Washington D.C., Maryland, Philadelphia and Florida. 

Conventions Summary 2.

The front cover image represents the audience, meaning audiences can easily identify the Ideology of the product. Subjects used on covers will often look directly at the camera lens. This makes it appear as if the subject in the cover is looking directly at you.

















The barcode is placed on the right hand side of the magazine and is usually very small. This keeps it out of the way of the main image so that is does cause distraction.

Conventions Summary.

The masthead, is always situated at the top of the product. It will either be placed across, like a banner, or to the left. Having it on the left makes it easily visible when stacked on a stand. Very rarely does the masthead appear over the head of a subject. In some cases, when it is placed over the head of a subject, the masthead will never come down lower than the hair line. Having it behind, stops it from interfering with the subject.

Cover Stories attract readers by giving them a piece of information (often an extract or quote) from within the article, but not enough to properly inform the reader. As a result, potential readers are forced to pick up the product and buy it. Having the main cover lines on the left makes them visible to buyers.

Conventions Analysis 2

Medium Close up used to show the exited expression on his face.

<- Masthead over the top of the subject. 

<- Cover stories relating the students

<- Story containing information on getting a job

<- Main Story with advice from a successful graduate.

Direct address to readers.

Convention Analysis 1

 Mid shot used here, but his face still draws attention.

<- Masthead passing behind head of subject. 

<- Issue date (11 Fall 2010)

<- Cover Lines

     -Bold = Main

     -Small = Extension of the story

     -"MIKE POSNER IS COOLER THAN YOU

        Duke Grad on his 1st World Tour"

     -the word 'cooler' represented in the image...

<- Barcode with price (Free)

Medium Close Up/Mid Shot

Conventional use of framing within most magazines that shows facial expressions of the subject. 

In this example; rather happy.

Mid Shots are also used to add context to covers that represents the Ideology of the Institution.

Brief for Preliminary task

Preliminary exercise: using DPT and an image manipulation program, produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photograph of a student in a medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally, you must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate their grasp of DTP

Main task: the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you - minimum of four images.