PRINT MEDIA PRODUCTION SESSION 11 - MAGAZINE PROPOSAL PART II

OK - you've told me
what your mag's going to be about
who it's for
what the content is going to be like and
what the title is going to be.

These are all essential for a pass on the planning criteria but in order to let you hit merit indicators it's crucial that you go into more detail about your proposed magazine. Time to tell me the following . . .

What fonts will you be using?
For headlines? For sub-headlines and standfirsts? For the main text of the articles? Choose carefully - it's crucial that they're readable and that they suit the subject matter of your mag, the content and the target readership. Have you seen these fonts used elsewhere? If so, where?

What will the language be like?
Will it be specialized/technical - only really understood by people into the subject or is it going to be simple and readable for anyone? How will the mag 'speak' to its readers? Like a teacher, or a friend? Think about the target audience you've identified - what kind of writing will they read? Serious/jokey, formal/informal? If you can, tell me what you want your readers to feel about your magazine.

What colours will you be using?
For headlines? For backgrounds? For the general feel of the mag (light or dark?)? I realise it will depend on the articles that you're going to write but can you give me a flavour of the kind of colours that will dominate your mag? Light/white/pastel colours or strong/vivid/vibrant colours? Think about your target audience - what will they want your mag to look like? Also if you're going to make your backgrounds mainly dark you're going to need fonts that are really clear and easy to read if the main text of your articles is going to be white text on a black background, so make sure you've mentioned fonts that are easy to read for the main body of text. Of course, headlines give you an opportunity to use more stylish fonts. Also just because your mag is going to be dark doesn't mean you can't have the text as black on a white background if the text is contained in columns/sidebars.

And finally (and perhaps the toughest thing to answer) what’s unique about the editorial perspective or attitude of the magazine?
What is it going to provide that other magazines don’t? Give me it’s USP.

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Level 2 Print Media Production

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