Convention Analysis

Magazine Cover Analysis - Magazine 1

This is the front cover of Classic Rock magazine. It has a colour scheme of grey, white and blue. The grey and white is also used throughout the magazine. The masthead of the magazine is very large and white. The font used is very smooth and gives an effect that makes the letters look sophisticated. The colours of the letters stand out against the grey. All the letters are big, and the unique font which is used with every issue of the magazine makes it recognisable and unique.

The cover page makes the reader know what the issue is about - Steve Vai - stands out from the masthead, it has a separate unique font and is almost as big as the masterhead's font size. 'Steve Vai' is highlighted in a different colour to make them stand out it also gives the magazine its own look which is not common in some other magazines. Highlighting this makes it stand out to the reader so it is clear from the cover what the reader can expect will be inside.

The magazine has only one picture on the cover, the main image takes up the whole page. It is one musician who stands out to people and will be easily recognisable. The guitar makes him look like a rock star along with the costume he is wearing which is a dark shirt with a waistcoat which has not been put on in a very smart way. The makeup and dyed black hair gives him the typical conventions and image which a rock star would have. 

Magazine Cover Analysis - Magazine 2

This is 'Q' magazine. Although their usual genre is not rock music, in this addition of the magazine they have changed their usual style and created more of a rock vibe to the magazine. The masthead is larger than it usually is on other magazines magazines and they have added an effect where the Q is sitting behind the bassists head. The large letter in the top left corner is typical of this magazine. This is a big contrast to Kerrangs magazine cover. They use rough and broken looking letters in their masterheads as it created a hard rock look; Q uses more sophisticated letters. The colour scheme also consists of basic dark colours; which allows the title of the magazine to stand out more. This is not a convention of a rock magazine as the music is often associated with dark meanings so usually bright colours would not fit in well - however, 'Q' manage to make this happen in a very sophisticated way.


The colours also help to make the image stand out. It gives a very 3D like effect to the magazine and the writing which is either highlighted white or is red; this makes it fit in with the title and also stands out against the background that the artists are in front of. The artists who from the alternative rock band Muse, is also represented in a typical rockstar way. They are wearing dark colours which are common for rockstars to wear along with a very unique looking jacket. Matt Bellamy fits this style as he is wearing a black suit with a unique gold design on the shoulders. Matt Bellamy is also well placed on the magazine. He is big but not too big that he takes up almost the entire space of the page with his chest upwards being shown while leaving enough space for writing along the bottom and for his bad mates to be to the left and right of him.

The words on the side of the magazine are also typical of any magazine, however, in this issue of 'Q' the words are along the bottom. Q does follow the conventions though as they are using thick letters that stand out against the background. The letters also fit along with colour scheme of white and red.