Self Assessing my first attempt at a front cover
How well is the masthead proportioned and how unique is it?
My masthead is fairly well proportioned to the rest of the cover. it has an impactful presence because it is in a bold red box. In terms of being masthead being or not being unique, I feel it is moderately unique. The outline of the text is the only way it is visible. I like this effect because it gives it a modern- ‘I only need an outline to my text not an inside colour’ feel. I also feel I broke some conventions in that the actual font I used is more classical. This was resolved by adding some larger stroke to give the masthead a slightly more distinguished and modernistic appearance.
Describe how the cover models are framed well and are they large enough to take centre stage?
I feel like if there is anything I nailed in this draft it is the framing of my model within the front cover. He fits the frame perfectly and the only part that I am a little unhappy with is that his head doesn’t rise into the masthead. so I need to cut his head out better in my next draft. this will be tricky because of the texture and material of the hat my cover model is wearing. What I desperately needed is a boarder if I want to have the image out of the frame of the final cover. Without a boarder the effect is ruined and I think for my next draft I will just fill the whole frame with my image.
How has DTP been used to integrate text and images?
I composed my magazine using desktop publishing software such as Photoshop and In-Design. In photoshop, I was able to invert the colours of this image. I managed to additionally cut out the my model within the image but I wasn’t happy with how the hat had white specs in it because I couldn’t cut out such a material to perfection. I feel like the tones of inverted colours hold very modernistic ideas because inverted colours is a new form of editing people have started using to make their images stand out.
In what way does the colour palette reflect the genre?
The deep tones of my chosen colour pallete that exist within my front cover through the image being inverted reflects the genre in a number of ways. My image utilizes the fact that dark tones to transform to light and the light to dark to really make my cover model pop. I would class these deep ambiguous cyan’s, dark blues and limes as conventional to my genre because these are very cold and each combine in a contrasting manor. 
(Not accounting for my use of red just accounting for the actual image)
How far does the font choice convey the genre?
My choices of typeface which are Gill sans ultra bold and Engravers MT are in turn highly representative of my genre. At least, in my opinion. The high stroke on a classic typeface causes the masthead to look modern because of the mix between a flicky fancy classic font and a bulky modern smooth stroke. The additional factor that I left the masthead unfilled adds a modern look because we no longer have a need for fill colours in these advanced times of graphic design. Italicizing my wordage furthers the trendy hip hop feel and replacing letters with symbols like the dollar sign is a very hip hop rap and edgy sort of design choice.
How far does the Mise-en-Scene communicate the star image and genre?
MES on my front cover helps to communicate both the star image and genre in that props such as the sunglasses, the phone, chain, vest and bucket hat I each considered items that are closely associated with the rap hip hop genre. The sunglasses and the phone pair together to give a sense of exclusivity and the phone is to convey that we are in modern times of the touchscreen iPhone. The vest and bucket hat are a must when recreating hip hop as I wanted to give me target audience a throwback to the times of 90s hip hop. Making a statement like this I feel would bolster social interaction. This is because people who both read the magazine and were around to witness the era will be able to reminisce, therefore creating an outlet for social interaction.
What language is used in the cover lines that is appropriate for the target audience?
The language I incorporated within my front cover is what I would call, genre appropriate I used modern phrases such as “on the scene” which is a way of saying- they have arrived in recent times. My conventional use of wording gives my magazine front cover an orthodox sense of youth audience targeting. Although I most definitely could have involved more genre appropriate language in my first draft, it is something I can take into my second draft.
What conventional technical elements associated with a magazine cover are present?
The conventional technical elements I incorporated within my front cover were the musts; a masthead, cover lines, singular cover model and barcode. Where the rest I wouldn’t consider unconventional more just less common or outdated. In my following drafts I will definitely look at drawing more of a scope on the conventional elements on magazine composing. Because looking at my front cover from an AIDA perspective it just doesn’t quite do it for me yet.
How has the use of photoshop helped communicate star image and genre?
My use of photoshop has very minutely helped me communicate star image and genre. This is only because I wanted to try something somewhat unconventional through inverting the image, but I feel It worked. You could say my use of photoshop helps communicate my own personal identity because I didn’t want my front cover looking like everyone else’s. I wanted to stand out from the beginning.