Detailed Magazine Analysis

Typography

The typography on this cover varies only

slightly. The cover story talks about Lily

Allen and the text is very jumbled up and

in a variety of different sizes but the font

remains as a simple yet bold, sans serif

font. This makes the text very interesting

to read for people as it isn’t in a straight

line or very conventional. The black

background is also very overpowering and

makes it a main focus point of the cover.

The cover story text dominates the front

cover because of its size and

unconventional letter placement.

The pull quote above the cover story is

also very mismatched in its layout but the

font is also sans serif which is simple but

the distorted placement makes it more interesting. The text is also in a red which makes it stand out

as it contrasts with the white background. Red connotes anger which suits the pull quote as it is

quite an angry statement being made and it represents Lily as being angry which is conventional for

a rock/indie artist.

The masthead is in a sans serif font which shows that the magazine is targeted at a younger

audience because sans serif fonts look more modern. The masthead is also in the largest font which signifies its importance on the front cover.

The coverline at the top talking about the Arctic Monkeys is in a sans serif font. Sans serif fonts are

masculine and so it fits in with the topic as the text talks about a male band. It is also very simple and

modern which suggest it is targeted at a younger target audience of 16-30 year olds. The main title is

in a bright yellow which is very in your face and contrasts from the black background because yellow

is very bright and colourful and black is very dark and boring.

The coverlines on the page are in a smaller font size than the cover story and masthead which

signifies that they have less importance so people focus more on the main, more interesting aspects of the page.

Layout

The masthead on this cover isn’t in the conventional place (top of the page, in the middle) and is

instead in the primary optical area which is the first place on the route of the eye and so will be seen and recognised as NME whenever somebody first glances at the magazine.

The cover story is placed on the bottom left of the rule of thirds because your eye s are drawn to

those areas of the pages which signifies it’s importance as it is the main double spread article inside

the magazine. It is also next to the big image of Lily which shows that it is related to the picture and

so people who are looking at the magazine because Lily is on it will then read the cover story next to her and want to buy the magazine.

In the top right corner, on the route of the eye, is a picture and coverline about David Bowie. It is

placed on the route of the eye because David Bowie is very famous and so people would be more likely to buy the magazine if they saw him when they glanced at the cover.

The names of the other artists are placed at the bottom of the page because they are not as

important as other things on the page because they are only names of bands included in the

magazine and aren’t main stories that people would be more interested in reading about. However

they do have a place on the cover because if people see a band/singer that they like then they will want to pick it up to see them featured in the magazine.

On the bottom right of the rule of thirds lays a coverline in a bright yellow circle talking about a

venue which is shutting down. This is placed on the rule of thirds because people’s eyes are drawn to

that area of the page and it is an important story as the venue was described as ‘legendary’ so a lot of people will know what it is and want to read more about it shutting down.

Colour

The cover story on the main page that is about Lily Allen and the text is white which connotes

goodness and innocence. However, it has a black background behind it which connotes death and

mystery. The two colours connote very different things and also contrast greatly against one another which means it is very powerful and jumps out of the page at you.

The masthead, NME, is in a red font with a thick white outline and then a thinner black outline. This

has been done to make sure the masthead is clearly visible and stands out because the masthead is

very important and shouldn’t blend in. Red has a high visibility which is why it is used so that people can see it straight away.

Containing the coverline about David Bowie is a bright yellow box. This colour has been used

because there is a black and white image within it which doesn’t stand out much so the yellow draws

attention to it. Yellow also signifies joy and happiness suggesting that the article about him is a positive one and people will like to read positive things about him.

The background behind the image of Lily is a simple white colour. They have done this so other

aspects of the page stands out more and so there isn’t too many different colours on the page which

would make it look busy and cluttered so people would be overwhelmed by it.

Throughout the cover there has been a clear colour theme of black, white and red. There is also a

slight pop of yellow to make the cover a bit more interesting and it is used to highlight stories that

would otherwise not be noticeable when people saw the cover. Black, white, and red, are colo urs

that go well together and complement each other.

Images

The image of Lily on the cover is a mid-shot. She isn’t smiling which suggests that the article isn’t

bubbly or positive and is darker than her usual interviews. This will make people interested as they

aren’t used to seeing her like that and will be intrigued by the change of appearance as she never

usually wears black eyeshadow on and under her eyes and her skin is also very pale in this image. Lily

is also wearing a black, red, and white check shirt which ties in with the colour scheme of the

magazine cover and makes her blend in more and suit the magazine as if she was wearing a bright pink, she wouldn’t look suitable for the cover of NME, as it is a rock/indie magazine.

The picture of David Bowie is a close up. This has been used to show the facial expression and to

show what he looked like when he was younger as this is clearly a picture of when he was younger

as it is black and white which signifies its age as images have had colour for a long time.

The small image in the primary optical area is another close up. However, this time it’s an image of

Alex Turner, the lead singer for the Arctic Monkeys. This image has been used because Alex Turner is

the most recognisable out of the band because he is the lead singer and the close up allows you to

identify who it is almost immediately.

Language

The pull quote from Lily makes you intrigued and want to read her feature in the magazine because

she says ‘It’s doing my head in’ and so people will want to know what’s doing her head in and will therefore buy the magazine to read on.

‘Lily Allen Takes on the World’ suggests that she is coming back fighting and makes people interested to know how she plans to take on the world because that is a very big claim.

On the coverline in the terminal area, they use the word ‘legendary’ to describe Astoria. This means

that if people have never heard/seen it then they will feel like they missed out as it is claimed to be amazing and they didn’t know about it so they w ill buy it to read about it.

Conventions

The masthead on this magazine is only slightly conventional as it isn’t on the top in the centre

however it is still slightly as it still lays on the route of the eye which means it is one of the first

things you see and it is still placed at the top. It is also in one of the largest font sizes which is

conventional for any music magazine because it makes it clearly visible and shows the importance of it.

This cover is conventional for the rock genre of magazine as the colours black, white, and red, are

assosciated with the indie genre. The costume Lily is wearing is also conventional because check

shirts are seen as indie and a lot of indie people wear them. The layered jewellery is also very

popular amongst indie artists and so by wearing the outfit she is wearing she looks like a

conventional indie artist.

The high angle of Lily Allen is conventional for an indie magazine cover as they are more alternative

and sensitive that rock magazines. High angles are also conventional for female artists as it makes

them look sweet and innocent. The effect of the high angle makes Lily look less powerful and quite

weak which is unusual considering the angry pull quote by the side of her. The mid-shot is also very

conventional for a music magazine because it allows you to see the artist’s makeup, costume, and

facial expression, without leaving to much empty space around her. She is also placed slightly off

centre as indie magazines are all about breaking the usual rules and conventions and so by placing her slightly off centre shows they don’t care about conventions and will break them.

The layout is conventional for an indie music magazine as it makes use of the left third which is used

because when the magazines are on view in newsagents the only visible part is the left third and

NME have made use of this by using the left third to their advantage by placing most of the coverlines in that area and also the pull quote and cover story.

Double Page Spread

Typography

Similarly to the front cover,

the pull quote text on this

page is in different sizes and

positions instead of on one

straight line. This makes the

text look jumbled up and

more interesting to look at because it is very unique. The advantage of using the same font on the

feature and on the cover is that people can see straight away that this is the article the front cover

was referring to. The text is also very bold and in a large font and looks very over dramatic because it

is much larger than the rest of the text on the page.

The kicker at the start of the article is very bold and is a clear indication that the article starts at that

point, so people know where to start reading. It also draws the eye to that area as it is one large letter, which could encourage people who were going to skip the article to read it.

The subtitle is in a serif font. This makes the text more interesting to look at because it has more

flicks and more interest and is used for the subtitle so people are drawn to read that before the

article because of the different font style. Serif fonts are also more feminine which is unusual for this

article as Lily isn’t wearing feminine clothes and the cover story is very masculine. This feminine font

will therefore stand out as it is the first thing noticeable on the page which is girly.

Layout

On the right side of the double page spread is the image of Lily. This has been placed here so that a

whole page can be dedicated to her image and so people can see as soon as they turn onto the page

who the article is about. The image is also placed here so there isn’t a big empty gap as there isn’t

enough text to cover both of the pages. It is also covering a whole page to suggest that Lily is very

important and therefore needs a whole page for her picture.

The actual feature about Lily is in the bottom left hand corner. It is placed under the pull quote

because people want you to read the quote before reading the article about her because the quote

will give you an idea of what the article is about. It is also placed on the route of the eye as at first

people will read the quote, then look at the image, then start reading the article.

The pull quote starts in the primary optical area and also falls into the rule of thirds. This means that

the quote is very highly likely to be seen and it is almost impossible for somebody to scan past it as it

falls into all the areas of the page where people are drawn to. The quote also covers almost two

thirds of the left page which signifies the importance of the quote. The oversized and position of the

quote will also draw people to this article because it is unusual for a pull quote to be placed above the actual text and is unconventional which some people might like as it makes it unique.

Colour

The main colours from the front cover appear on this article as it ties in with the colour scheme as if

different colours were used it would look out of place. The colours are also very masculine as girls

stereotypically love pink but Lily is wearing black, white, and red, which suggests this article isn’t very girly, very different from Lily’s usual self as she had always been a girly girl.

The text on the feature is in a black font which is typical because it makes it easy to read and if it was a long article in a difficult colour to read then people wouldn’t want to as they want an easy read.

The pull quote text is white on with a black square border around each letter. This bold black

background contrasts with the text inside and with the background too which makes the text j ump out of the page making it very noticeable.

Images

The image of Lily is a mid-shot. This allows people to see her outfit but also means you can see her

facial expression and body language too. Her face isn’t smiling and her body language has a lot of

attitude as she has her hands on her hips suggesting she is very upfront and has a lot of confidence.

The image allows you to see her indie style as she is wearing a check shirt and some long gold jewellery which is typical for people who like rock/indie music.

Language

The subtitle before the main article uses the word ‘identikit’ which isn’t used a lot in casual

conversations. This word will intrigue people into reading the article as it isn’t typical. It also says Lily

is a ‘breath of fresh air’ which suggests she is new and unique and isn’t something you want to miss because she is something you have never seen before as she isn’t ‘bland’ like other pop stars.

The pull quote makes Lily seem very upfront. She describes herself as ‘honest’ which will make

people want to see what she has to say if she is going to be honest in the interview. The pull quote

also indicates she might address the accusations of her being an attention seeker and people will want to know the truth so they will carry on reading to find out all the gossip.

Conventions

The double page spread layout is very conventional. The feature is placed in columns and is very

small compared to the pull quote and image. This is because the page is very image -dominated

which is conventional for double page spreads as it shows the importance of the artist. The image

also takes up a whole page which is conventional as there is never usually enough text to cover both

of the pages and so by having one page full of the image takes up space so the double page spread

doesn’t look too empty and boring.

The size of the pull quote is unconventional as it is very large and dominates the double page spread.

This is unconventional as usually the pull quote is only small and placed alongside the image of the

artist, however, this pull quote is as large as the image and takes up more space than the whole

feature.

The use of the route of the eye is very conventional as all the key elements of the page fall on the

line such as the pull quote, Lily’s head of the image , and the whole feature. This is conventional because all magazines do this so that people see all the main aspects of the page even at a glance.

Contents Page

Typography

The NME in the primary optical area is in the same font as

it is on the front cover. This has been done so that it blends

in and has the same theme throughout the magazine

otherwise the magazine would look messy, unorganised,

and unprofessional. People like structure and by using the

same font for the NME shows structure and flow through the magazine.

The Arctic Monkeys story is in a sans serif font because a

lot of the other text on the page is also in this font so it

keeps the same theme and it also looks very modern and

masculine and the Arctic Monkeys are modern and are all males so it suits their band whereas a curly font wouldn’t.

The headers such as ‘news’, ‘radar’, and ‘reviews’ are all in

bold white sans serif fonts. This has been done so it

contrasts from the black border around it and to signify its importance as bold text stands out more and the headings need to stand out so people know where to look.

Layout

The ‘NME Contents’ is placed on the top in the centre. This falls on the route of the eye and will be

one of the first places the viewer looks and will be able to see that it is the contents very quickly. It is

placed here so people know what it is and to indicate the importance as it is the title of the page and often titles of pages are across the top of the page.

The subscription offer is placed on the bottom row because it is on the route of the eye and means

that people will read it and want to subscribe to save money. People are also likely to see it because

it is below the advertisement for the Arctic Monkeys which a lot of people will look at first because they are very famous and there is an image of them above the text.

The page numbers are placed on the far right because they are less important than the story about

the Arctic Monkeys, but it is still easy to identify because it is in a long column down the whole side

of the page so people will know where to look if they want to find a page.

Colour

The main colours on the page are red, white, and black, with a pop of yellow on the advertisement.

Only a little yellow has been used and only on the subscription advert because it makes it stand out

from the rest of the page. This is good because people will be drawn to the yellow as it is a new colour on the page and is very different from the other main colours that have been used.

Black, white, and red have been used again on the contents page so the colour theme flows

throughout and people know what to expect. If they used a lot of different colours it would make

the page look messy and cluttered and the contents is very organised which makes it look more

professional and this has been done by using the three colours. They have also used these colours

again as they complement each other well and are typical colours you see associated with rock and indie bands which suits the genre of this music magazine.

Image

One of the only images on this page is a picture of one of the Arctic Monkeys members which has

been placed above a piece of writing about them. This image is very large as they are a big feature in

this magazine and they are also very popular so most people reading the magazine will recognise them and then turn to the page that they are on.

Language

They used the word ‘mosh’ in their piece about the Arctic Monkeys. They used this word because

younger people will know what it is referencing to and will be drawn to the word because it stands

out to them. They are also using words like ‘new tunes’ to make people want to read about them to find out how good their new music is.

They use the word ‘save’ in the subscription advert because people are always looking for ways to save money and using that word will encourage people to get the subscription.

Conventions

This contents page is conventional because it has adverts on it which is conventional because a lot of

magazines choose to advertise here because everyone reads the contents page to find out who is in

the magazine. It is also conventional because they have a short piece of writing talking about one of

the pages so people are more likely to turn to that page because they have more knowledge about what they will be reading about which will make them eager.

The layout of the contents page is conventional as it again uses the route of the eye, similar to the

front page and double page spread. The title of the page is conventionally placed at the top so

people can quickly look to see what the page is instead of having to waste time looking in different

places to find the title. It also signifies the importance of the title if it’s placed at the top. The image

also falls on thr route of the eye which expresses it’s importance as it will be seen straight away.

The contents part of the page is arranged in a column down the right hand side which is

conventional for a contents page because the long column is almost always going to be the contents

so people will automatically look there if they want to find a specific page . It is also conventional to

be placed down one side of the page.