Reel Life

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Sept 1, 2002 by Maryjane Fahey

Byline: Critique by Maryjane Fahey, partner of FaheyOconnor design consultancy.

Movieline

Line Publications, LLC PRESIDENT & COO John Evans EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heidi Parker CREATIVE DIRECTOR Richard Bleiweiss MISSION To make the design reflect the new focus: covering Hollywood from all angles

COVER

I understand the urge to move from the 80s, generic-looking logo, but the new logo has little zest. In particular, the gimmicky "l," which now reads "Hollywood life," was an instant turnoff. This mag really does cover Hollywood as a state of mind with all its very candid interviews - so give us an equally intimate cover photo. Give us the "insider" promise of a Vanity Fair cover. Take the celebs OUT of the studio! The new typography is cleaner and, thank God, has fewer cover lines. But the cover would never entice me to pick up this magazine.

TYPOGRAPHY/GRAPHICS

The "before" issue primarily used the serif font as body copy, and its size and leading made for a dense, relentless read. The shift to a sans serif with more leading, particularly needed in the front-of-book section called "Hype," gives a welcome relief of white space and lightens the read considerably. However, the serif is still used occasionally in this section - which is fine - but in very different point sizes from page to page! Why?

ACCESSIBILITY

The front-of-book section, "Hype,"while much improved from the original, cries out for an opener on a grander scale. It's a six-page section and needs the announcement. Plus, there are at least six entirely different designs in the front-of-book departments. When reviewing the "before," it is clear that way too many departments looked exactly alike. However, the redesign has gone from one extreme to the other. At some points I was lost, and couldn't locate departments on the TOC. It feels like (at least) two distinctively different magazines. The new design starts with a stark, minimal British-publication-inspired landscape and suddenly shifts to Esquireland.

The department "Hollywood Ink" does, however, prepare me for the Esquire/Rolling Stone valentine that is the feature well. In the "before," features were too repetitive. The decks uniformly used a font called "officina," and there were no surprises. The redesign, while handsome in many spots, reeks of overkill - and somebody else's magazine!

SUMMARY

Not enough logic and thought went into the organization of this redesign. A series of "cool" layouts, very influenced from existing magazines, does not a brand make.

REDESIGNS IN THE PIPELINE

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