At first glance it looks as if Lily Allen is happily posing with two black panthers on the cover of the April issue of Q, out today. But there is more to the image, shot by photographer John Wright, than meets the eye.

The truth is there was just one black panther and it was kept in a cage – although the bars didn't reach all the way to the studio ceiling so it is theoretically possible it could have jumped out had it really put its mind to it.

The Buckinghamshire-based private zoo, Amazing Animals, had supplied a second panther in another cage but it was not used in the shoot.

Wright says the shoot took all day on 5 January but the real work came afterwards, with about 100 hours of post-production.

The cover image is a digital composite of three images – a picture of Allen and two separate pictures of the same panther. There are about 20 variations of the cover, Wright said. In other shots, the panther is replicated so it appears there are three of them, making it look as if Allen is dancing with the big cats.

Allen had flown in from Caribbean, landing at Heathrow about 9am and making her way directly to the studio in central London, where the crew had been preparing since 7.30am.

"I think she thought it was jolly good fun," Wright said. "She went from lying on the beach to being in a room with angry panthers but she was great and completely got the concept and did everything I asked of her. She wasn't sure about taking her top off but we got there in the end."

Allen's people apparently liked the panther concept to fit with her "more wild" image to go with her new album, It's Not Me, It's You, and the tagline on the Q magazine cover is "Sexy beast Lily Allen and her wicked, wicked ways".

Only the handlers were permitted to actually go inside the cage with the panthers. Allen posed for the shots separately and the images were digitally merged in post-production.

With more than 20 people in the room – including Q magazine staff, Wright's assistants, the animal handlers, the video production crew and Allen's entourage – there was the potential for it all to go horribly wrong.

Editorial

• In minimising the social distance between them, the text producer is in a powerful position to mould a like minded reader.

• The editorial or editors letter gives the producers the opportunity to address their readers directly.

• The style will correspond to the house style of the brand.

Double Page spread

Top left, clarifies item & theme. Variety of graphology, size, shape, angle.Bold colours, ‘Morrissey’ stands out.Quotes withing copy.Images present eye contact, subjects leaning out towards reader.Captioned to anchormeaningExclusives highlightedLanguage uses puns & nicknames. Gives senseof belonging & ownershipto audience =identity & brand loyalty

Consider the graphology of your double page

spread. Sketch a flatplan first.

Try out fonts and colours and keep a track of what

you have done.

Identity of the writer

• When writing your copy are you going to be the readers’ friend, advisor or entertainer?

• Try and give the impression that you are of the same peer group as them and use language that is appropriate to that group.

Synthetic personalisation

• Creates impression that the writer knows the reader.

• Creates identity & brand loyalty.

• Can be created by simulating a conversation, very intimate.

• eg ‘Tired of being shoved around by burly bouncers? So are we.....”

Language

• Make a list of puns, nickname or colloquialisms that you & your peer group or target audience would use.

• Consider the register that you converse in.

• For instance, you wouldn’t refer to your Nan as ‘my homy’, would you?

• Research (Sapir-Whorf)suggests that the language we speak may influence or determine the way we perceive the world.

• In terms of music magazines this is particularly pertinent because music often helps mould teenagers identities.

• Certain genres of music are often associated with certain sub cultures, codes of clothing & gesture & pursuits & hobbies.

• Young people are often searching for an identity & a sense of belonging at vulnerable stages of their lives.

• Music can help them cement an identity for themselves and bring them closer to like minded friends.

These two were in the papers as she walked around on the dog chain! Fetish wear, black, crucifixes.Taken to an extreme, sub cultures=lifestyle choice.

Action pose, facial hair, expensive shoes

Sunglasses, cutting off eye contact.Loads of black clothing.Strong dominant, masculine body language, despite girly hair!Camera angle, looking up, in awe!

Notice the codes of clothing & the hand gestures here.Copied all over the world.

Glamourising gun crime?

‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’

What role do music magazines have in the establishment of youth

subcultures?Write or podcast on your

blog

representationDrug user

DrinkerRespected artist

Girl next doorSex symbol

There are very few paparazzi images available of Leona lewis.

There are thousands of amy winehouse

• How will you represent your artists?

• Why will you represent them in this way?

• Consider:

• Your audience.

• Your house style/genre of magazine/brand.

• Your angle, what sells?

• Gossip, glamour, celeb culture or musical prowess?