AS MEDIA

AS UNIT G321FOUNDATION PORTFOLIO IN MEDIA

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

Candidate Name

Candidate Number

Centre Name

Centre Number

Georgina Eleftheriou

4055

The Leigh Academy

61101

YOUR ASSESSMENT MATERIALS 

Copy and paste these e-stickers onto your work when instructed to do so by your teacher.

Using, developing and challenging conventions

This cover ‘Vibe’ uses the typical magazine convention of a colour scheme as the colours are limited and match. For example, Kanye West’s collar is blue and so is the title of the cover. Adding on to that, the typical convention of a medium close up has been used as we can only see his head and shoulders. Unlike some other magazine covers, the designer has chosen to add some shadow to the plain background in order to emphasise that the main focus is Kanye.The designer has developed the convention of text placement when looking at this cover. Many designers do not hesitate to overlap text on to the main image yet this cover has no sign of text over the image used. Everything is placed around the shot in order to fit in. This further emphasises what is the main attraction within this magazine.On the other hand, this cover has not got the typical skyline. Normally, a skyline would only consist of one colour however, this skyline has three different colours: pink, blue and black. Thus, this magazine has challenged what a normal skyline would look like by using three colours. In fact, the three colours are used again for the main cover line and each of the other cover lines. Black text may have been used in order to break it up a bit as the blue and pink theme are fairly vibrant colours so,this could be why the designer has chosen to challenge this typical convention. This magazine uses the convention of a barcode just so that when the magazine is being purchased it can be scanned. It’s placement is vertical and on the right hand side. Quite a few magazines place barcodes like this as it doesn’t distract the audience from what the real attraction is.This magazine cover develops the the convention of images as rather than there being one main image, there are three in total. 2 smaller images are over lapping the main image and have been placed at particular angles. If magazine covers do have more images to them it would usually be two. Consequently, this designer has developed the convention of using images by using a few more than you’d usually do. This could be to attract the audience more as people tend to notice images before reading the text. This ‘NME’ magazine cover challenges the typical convention of the proportion of text compared to the image. This magazine’s masthead is a lot smaller compared to other magazines. On other magazines the title is normally across the top from both ends however, this masthead is placed on the far left. Furthermore, the main image is a medium shot whereas, other magazines typically would use a closer shot therefore, it challenges the typical amount of image proportion other magazines have on their covers.

Social groups by OccupationGroup A:

People who come under this group often have high end jobs such as: Bankers, Lawyers, Doctors and surgeons. These are the type of people who can afford expensive holidays, designer clothing and other luxuries. They are less likely to engage in social media, music and film due to their very busy lifestyles.

Group B:

People who qualify for this job have occupations such as teachers, or they’re fairly paid professionals. They have a mortgage, reliable cars and are able to invest in private education for their children. These people wear known high street brands, go on packaged holidays and most likely don’t have time for social media, film and music (similar to group A).

Group C1:

This group consist of those who are nurses, white collar professionals or in Junior management. They receive working tax credits from the Government and invest their leisure in things such as: fitness, attending shows, cinema and holidays. They own a car per household and they are the type to shop for a discounted package holiday. They have high street clothing, yet not the expensive kind and spend 2-3 hours per day with something involving media. They may read things like The Guardian or fitness magazines.

Group C2:

People who qualify for this type of group work as electricians, plumbers or blue collar professionals. These people live in rented property and their cars doubles up as a work vehicle. They purchase DVD’s, CD’s and shop for discounted brands online. 4-5 hours is the approximate time they spend on media and they read things like The sun or Daily Mirror. Furthermore, they spend their leisure visiting local attractions or the seaside.

Group D:

This group consists of drivers, post sorters and warehouse pickers. Living on a tight budget, they live on rented property and shop in places such as Poundland, Lidl and Primark. They have no preference on fashion or cars and they often have second hand cars. 6-7 hours of their day is spent watching TV or on social media. They shop for bargains online and read tabloids. This group are more likely to enjoy mainstream things.

Group E:

These people do not have an occupation. They're either students, unemployed or pensioners. They live on state welfare and benefits. They do not have any predefined spending's habits as they don’t have a specific income flow. They shop for bargains and discounts. This group are likely to read free media such as metro or material on public transport. Similar to group D, this group are also likely to enjoy mainstream things such as pop music.

Although you can’t see the full title of the masthead, it is bold and has an interesting font to it emphasising this magazine is quirky and doesn’t lack style To elaborate the font chosen still ha sa certain degree of maturity to it thus, still engaging an older audience. It also consists of one colour and matches with the colour theme. More on the colour theme, it mainly consists of black red white and grey. The choice of colours also implies that this magazine is aimed for an older audience as vibrant range of colours hasn’t been used yet they still go well together giving that professional look. Things like the layout and organisation of the cover will attract an older audience more as having to much colour could make the cover look ‘tacky’. Consequently, sticking with 4 well paired colours is effective as it shows that this magazine is well put together which would be something an older audience would look for rather than a younger audience who may not care as much if the colours looked good together.

The barcode is located in a sensible area therefore, making it easy to find when the magazine is being scanned. Furthermore, the barcode being placed in a subtle area could represent that the magazine wants the most important things to be seen. As the magazine is quite busy full of cover lines, the barcode is not a main thing that needs to be seen in order to get the audiences attention. So, the area it has been placed isn’t too noticeable nor does it clutter the magazine. Most importantly, it doesn’t distract the target audience.The magazine has many different cover lines placed in various part of

the cover. They have been distributed well in order to keep the audience engaged with what this magazine includes. Also, on the far right there are a list of cover lines in different font size. This could suggest to the readers which articles are more important than others which will be helpful to them.

The main cover line is very eye-catching especially because it is one of the biggest, boldest pieces of texts displayed on the cover. This infers to the target audience that this piece of text has a high level of importance. Furthermore, the anchorage text is also a bold piece of text that is fairly large which suggests to the readers that this piece of text is also important as it goes with the main image.

Many magazines that have a younger target audience often have a skyline. Therefore, the fact that this magazine doesn't’t have one suggests that this magazine has an older target audience. Not including a skyline within the cover adds a mature atmosphere to it which will engage the correct target audience that this magazine is aimed at. Furthermore, skylines can be used to frame the cover yet the placement of the cover lines frames the main image which could be another reason as to why no skyline was involved within this design.

Masthead and colour theme

Main cover line and anchorage text

Cover lines

Skyline

Mis-en-scene

Barcode

Main imageThe fact that the masthead is not completely visible could show to the readers that Amy Whinehouse is the most important attraction within this magazine. The medium shot used of the star partially overlaps the masthead making it clear that she is more necessary than the masthead. Amy matches the theme of the cover as she is wearing a black white and red dress. This could infer to the audience that this magazine is of a professional level as the matching outfit brings the cover together and avoids any clash of colours or the impression that this cover is ‘childish’.

The mis-en-scene of this cover over all works well as everything compliments each other. For example, Amy’s makeup (pale face with a red lip) works well with the lighting as her face doesn’t look to harsh under the light. Also, the subtle background used (a grey tone which progressively gets lighter) doesn’t overpower the main image or clash with the bold red tone on Amy’s dress. Furthermore, the props used (which involves a cigarette) match well together with the rock and roll genre and Amy’s outfit which has a 50’s vibe to it. Conclusively, nothing ‘ruins’ another convention or part of the mise-en-scene of the cover. This represents this magazine as stylish, mature, sophisticated and highly likely to engage adults as they are more likely to possess these qualities. This design of this magazine could even be described as to having a vintage theme to it which would appeal to an older target audience as teenagers tend to like things that are ‘current’ and ‘on trend’.

Magazine cover analysis

Representing and appealing to social groups

The mise-en-scene of this magazine cover is incredibly busy. This cover consists of a strapline, puffs and many cover lines all dotted around in various places. Furthermore, even the model is is not placed in the center like many covers normally do which could capture extra attention from the audience. As the cover is mostly occupied, it would be highly engaging to a younger audience in particular as the more that is going on the better. Teenagers tend to like a magazine with lots going on or they may not even give it a read at all. Thus, this type of placement would most likely be aimed at the social group E (teenagers/students rather than pensioners). As for the lighting, everything that is on the cover is vibrant therefore, it is clear that a high level of light was used. If the cover consisted of gloomy dark colours and had dull lighting to it, then this wouldn’t necessarily attract the teenagers. A younger audience often likes things with more colour as they tend to be less mature than the magazines such as ‘Good Housekeeping’. Also, for people of a younger age, the brighter/colourful it is, the higher chance that it would catch a younger persons eye.The body language of the model is very laid-back and relaxed. She is laying back in a rounded chair with one of her legs crossed over. This infers that this magazine shouldn’t be taken to seriously and gives the message that it is fun. This would particularly appeal to the younger generations as they like things to be light-hearted and casual. The use of language within this cover is informal as cover lines such as ‘Get an insane body’ is used. For an older audience, sophisticated formal language would be used to accommodate the adult readers. Consequently, this magazine has accommodated to the type of language younger people would use such as ‘hot’. Adding on to that, social group E are often students who are likely to be unemployed therefore, this magazine would attract them as the main cover line reads ‘Free makeup’. This social group shops for bargains and discounts so the make-up would be a great bonus for them. Also, the cover line that claims you can ‘make your own room for no $’ would especially attract younger readers as they don’t have a flowing income.

A magazine aimed at social group E

Magazine Institutions and Distribution

Distributed by: Thrust publishingProduced by: Ben Murphy

Distributed by: IPC Media

Technology and ProcessesPhysical TechnologyPhotographical cameras are used to take images of any models that feature in the magazine and the studio is

for the lighting and the backdrop.

Digital TechnologyThis involves technology such as computer hardware. It is important that a suitable computer is used with a HD screen in order to see the magazine cover clearly. Also

a computer with lots of storage would be highly necessary as many things would need to be saved.

SoftwareA software program such as Photoshop would be used in order to alter, edit/adjust any images especially the

images taken of the models.Promotion software, electronic billboards and app

advertisements are all forms of advertising.

PrintingThe printer is the last process that actually prints the

magazine off. As it is printed in mass of production the printing press is used.

Printer hardware is the computer that goes with the printing press. The file is uploaded to the computer

then the printing press prints it off.

Researching my preliminary exercise

Main imageThis school magazine portrays a medium close up image like most magazines yet it develops this convention as it is at a lower angle. The typical magazine cover would have an eye level shot for the main image. Furthermore, this convention is further developed as the image used is slanted. Most magazines stick with a portrait shot so it looks as though the person who features on the cover Is looking directly at you. So, the designer may have chosen to develop the images angles to make the cover appear ‘different’ which should entice a young audience as anything that appears to be ‘breaking the rules’ will appeal to them.

Within this magazine cover two straplines have been used. Having seen other magazines, most only feature one thus, this cover has developed the typical convention of straplines. The designer may have chosen to do this as it adds a frame to the cover, it makes it looks tidier and brings everything together rather than parts of the magazine cover being dotted around the main image.

The main cover line is the boldest piece of text to feature on the magazine cover. This insinuates that this is the main article and that it is a vital part of what will attract the audience to read this magazine. The size also indicates this as other cover lines appear to be much smaller on the cover. Adding on to that, the bold font will ensure that the readers notice the anchorage text below which explains what the meaning of the main cover line is. A criticism of this cover’s main cover line would be the fact that although the font is fun and upbeat, it gives the magazine an unprofessional look. In the attempt to grab the audiences attention by using another font, it creates an unorganised aesthetic as most designers tend to use two fonts. If to many are used the audience may not be attracted as they may go on to think that the contents of the magazine is ‘unprofessional’. Thus, I will ensure that when creating my magazine cover, I will stick with two type of fonts (one for the masthead/logo and another for the cover lines, anchorage text, puff text etc.) In order to still make certain pieces of text stand out more I will increase the text size and boldness depending on it’s importance.

The colour theme of this cover is white orange blue, black and white. Most magazines stick with three to four colours yet this cover has developed the convention of a colour theme as there are five colours used. The designer may have chosen to do this as colour is a key concept of engaging an audience, especially a young one. The colour orange may have been chosen because it is a fairly vibrant colour which will automatically appeal to the target audience. Adding on to that it is seen as ‘unisex’ colour which could imply that the designer wants a mixed gender audience. Furthermore, the dark blue logo may have been chosen to make it stand out from the rest of the cover. Logo’s are quite important when it comes to designing a magazine due to the fact that, designers want the audience to remember their logo so if someone enjoys the magazine it will be easy for them to spot out the next issue. It is like a form of advertisement.

MastheadThe font used for this masthead is very quirky and unique. It’s a large readable size and appears to be fairly bold. All of these things about the masthead will be effective to the audience as it stands out on the magazine cover making it easy to notice. Conclusively, the designer of this cover has used this convention well as it is clear to the audience as to what the magazine is called, it’s a good size and has an eye appealing font.Main cover line and anchorage text

Cover linesThe cover lines that are seen on this magazine cover all have a heading above them then text below which explains the heading. For example one heading reads ‘Exclusive interview’ then below that is text explaining who and what is mentioned. Therefore, this designer has developed the typical convention of cover lines as they have been used but it’s like they have anchorage text for each cover line when that’s only really used for the main cover line. In one sense this is useful to the readers as it is clear what will feature in the magazine yet most magazines don’t give too much content away otherwise readers can decide quickly if they're uninterested. Adding on to that, it creates the cover to look more like a poster rather than a magazine cover. Moving on from that, one cover line features a cut out of a small image. This a development of the cover line convention as only some magazines do this such as ‘NME’. This is an effective way to grab the audience’s attention as people generally prefer to look at things than read (especially if the audience is young).

Colour theme

Straplines

Mise-en-sceneThe general look of this magazine cover doesn’t resemble a typical magazine cover giving it a slightly unrealistic look. The placement of things add a little bit of realism to the look but the number of different fonts used eats away at that. As for the image, it’s quite peculiar angle yet the face is still in the center which is where most magazines place the subject. In a way the ‘unique’ look could attract more attention to the audience as it’s something different and young people don’t tend to like the usual things.

Researching my preliminary exercise Masthead

This magazine cover displays a vibrant quirky masthead with a slogan below it. The typical convention of a masthead has been developed as most covers have theirs across the top completely whereas this one nearly reaches half way across the top. Adding on to that the slogan is also a development as only some magazines actually feature them. The bright colours used for the masthead will engage the audience as it stands out against the main image (the background) and the slogan is easy to remember. The slogan created for this cover gives the impression that this magazine is made for you (the students who this magazine is aimed for) which will definitely engage the audience as it is like the magazine is ‘talking’ to you.

How is it effective?How are the conventions used?How will it engage the audience?

Main cover line and anchorage text

it to stand out. This is because the attention from the audience is already there due to the main cover line’s aesthetics. Keeping the anchorage text less bold and smaller in size is effective or it won’t be clear to the audience what that piece of texts purpose is. If it to bold then people could mistake it for being part of the cover line and quickly lose interest as it will look to long. Most magazines have a bolder bigger (and short enough) main cover line with smaller text below for the anchorage text just like this magazine cover does.

Main imageThe main image used for the magazine cover wouldn’t come under the typical type. Firstly, the girl that features in this image is not placed directly in the center. Most typical magazines usually place the model/celebrity (etc.) in the middle and place the masthead, cover lines and other pieces of text around him/her/them. With this main image, the designer has chosen to place the girl on the far right so that the background of the image can be seen (which is the school where you can also see the majority of its name). Thus, this was done for effect and to add to the appearance of the cover. This should engage the audience as it is not a typical image. Instead, the image has an interesting background whilst also making it clear which school this magazine is for.

Cover linesOn this magazine the cover lines are only on one half. This is effective due to the fact that the target audience will still be able to see the important part of the main image (the student which is placed on the right hand side). This should engage the audience as a young target audience are more likely to give attention to large images. Keeping the cover lines on the left would make sense as the audience wouldn’t be able to see the text if it was placed anywhere else. Therefore, the designer has taken in consideration of the audience and thought ‘where are the best options to place the cover lines?’ in order to still make them readable. Adding on to that, the designer using mildly see through boxes to place the cover lines inside is more convenient for the audience. It increases the ease to read the cover lines. One downside would be that the bright yellow text slightly blends in with the green boxes’ however it is still readable. More on to the boxes, they create a tidy look for the cover as it gives each cover line a frame. This should engage the audience as the cover looks relatively professional meaning they are more likely to read the magazine.

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Colour themeThe designer has stuck developed the typical convention when it comes to colour themes. 5 colours have been used on the cover (most magazines use about three to four colours) which are luminous green, yellow, pink black and white. The green and the yellow compliment each other well and are both vibrant which should engage the audience as the colour theme is key for appearance. Furthermore, these two colours in particular were a good choice as neither of them lean more towards a females taste nor do they lean more towards a males taste. This is effective as it will ensure that both sexes are attracted to the magazine and it shows that the designer wants the audience to be female and male.

StraplineOne luminous green strapline has been placed on the bottom of the cover which is a typical convention on a cover of a magazine therefore, it adds realism to the look. The placement of the strapline is effective as the main cover line and anchorage text is right above it so the audience will spot it quickly which is key as it withholds important information. If the designer had placed it up the top, then it jeopardizes it’s chances of being read whereas having it down the bottom is more reassuring that it will get noticed as the main attractions are further down on the cover.

placed further down on the magazine and is the boldest piece of text to be displayed on the cover. Adding on to that the font is different from all the other text that is shown on the cover which could indicate it’s importance. Having a different font for the main cover line means that the audience are more likely to notice that piece of text first compared to the other cover lines etc. which is what the designer most probably intended. Thus, making the main cover line look different to the rest of the cover lines is effective as it guides the audience to the main attraction first. Furthermore, it is effective as the audience should then naturally read the anchorage text that is directly below the main cover line. The anchorage text is in a smaller more casual font compared to the main cover line as it is not necessary for

Mise-en-scène The general mise-en-scène of this cover is very good. For example the placement of text, straplines etc. has been done well. The designer has thought about what they want the audience to be attracted to first then second and so on and this has been done by placement. The boldness, brightness and size of text has also played a part. The designer has made the pieces of text look bigger or bolder etc where it is needed. As for the main image the lighting is not to bad. The image is clear and of decent quality but there is one down side. The left part of the image is a bit brighter which is why it is a little difficult to see the yellow cover line even with the green box to help it stand out. The designer could’ve made that section a little darker and maybe even added some light to the other half of the image where the student is in order to keep the attention there. More on the student herself who features on this cover, the props and clothing choice are suitable for the type of magazine and make the cover look realistic.

Researching my preliminary exercise This contents page displays an image of a student in front of a brick wall to the right of the frame.

This was a good choice of image as this magazine is aimed at students thus matching the subjects age with the target audience will be appealing to the target audience. To elaborate if the image was of a much older person the audience may be thrown off and become uninterested as they may feel the article will be irrelevant to them. As for the brick wall, it is a simple background which does not take any attention away from the subject which is important as you want to ensure that your audience are not focusing on the insignificant things.Moving on there is some text overlapping the image in a purple rectangular box. A page number and some information is displayed in the box. This is useful because instead of the page title along with the page number being listed on the left, the designer has chosen to put it on top of the image. Therefore, it makes it easy to know that this image is related to that particular article title.More about the text, the rest of the page numbers and text beside them are lined up on the left of the frame in order. This is effective to the audience as it will be easy to read and the neat aesthetic makes it look more eye appealing. The page numbers are a lot bolder than the text placed beside it which is useful as it it will be quick for the audience to see which page they need to find. Further down the page there is some segregation. Another purple rectangular box has been placed below the main image and titles of the articles. A page number with the words ‘TOP STORY OF THE MONTH’ is displayed in the purple box. This is useful as it tells the audience that this is another key story within the magazine. Below the purple box another image is displayed on the left of the frame and a paragraph is on the right. So rather than have text on the left and the image on the right, the placement of image and text has been swapped around for the bottom half of the contents page. This will be eye catching to the audience due to the fact that, the look is changed up and has avoided a basic look. Also having that extra image further down the page breaks things up nicely as a lot of text is displayed considering that it is just a contents page. Consequently, due to the uncommon placement of text and images, the mise-en-scene of this contents page is interesting to look at. The designer has successfully managed to change things up a little bit without over complicating the appearance of the page. If the contents page is to complicated then the target audience may not want to read any further in to the magazine.

More on the mise-en-scene, the subjects colour of clothing in the top right image matches well with the colour theme. The colour theme for this contents page appears to be white purple and black which is are the colours the subject is wearing within the image (minus the black). This is effective as if random colours were thrown in it could create a messy/tacky look for the page which would deter the audience to read the magazine.

Overall, this contents page is of a good standard. The colour theme is well maintained, the distribution of text and images are fairly balanced and the layout is different yet not to abstract that it ruins the look entirely.

For the masthead I will use the title ‘The Leigh’s spark mag’. Although it is longer than most mastheads, the name is not to complicated that the readers.

The skyline is at thetop of the magazine

cover based on a competition included a

skyline so extra important information

could be displayed. Adding on to that it

improves the appearance of the

cover as it frames the image nicely.

A puff will feature on this magazine cover reading ‘Exclusive’ then below that text will read ‘Cornwall pics -2015’. Using a puff is necessary because it fills gaps within the cover and is a key convention of magazine covers as they have important information in them. I will use a polygon outline for my puff so it catches the audience eye as it is not the usual kind of puff people see.

I will not be using a logo as that ties in with the masthead. Most magazines masthead is there logo as well so this won’t jeopardies the look of my magazine.

The main cover line will be about textiles coming back as an option for A-level students. Bold text will be used as it is the main article in my magazine. It has to be larger than the rest of the cover lines to to ensure this main cover line gets noticed first. The size and width of the text should display the importance of this article as well.

The cover lines will include GCSE results, articles based on the new students who

joined sixth form this year and tips for studying. Choosing to have cover lines on

my school magazine will attract my audience and influence who will purchase it

as it gives them a taster as to what I will include within my magazine. I have kept the titles short and simple which should make my target market interested and

wanting to read more.

A barcode and issue number will feature on the bottom right hand side and will be

vertically placed. This features on my cover so that the magazine can easily be scanned

when being purchased. Furthermore, placing it in a subtle place will ensure that my

audience won’t be distracted from what the main attraction is and the appearance of the

cover is not ruined.

A medium shot of a female student in front of the Leigh Academy sign will be used for this cover. This image will be further edited on Photoshop to enhance lighting/colour and to edit any other corrections needed. I will need to crop the image to so that it is the correct size of a magazine cover. The main image used is the first step to attracting the audience so it must be clear of what the image is portraying and must be visible from a distance. Therefore, I will use a high quality camera to capture my image and as the image will be shot outside I must check the weather before hand.

Masthead

Main cover line

Logo

Main image

Cover lines

Barcode

SkylinePuffs

The colour theme will be white and navy due to the main image. This ensures that everything will match together which is more likely to appeal to the audience than if I used multiple colours which would add an unprofessional, amateur look to the cover.

Colour theme

Plan

Researching your main task

The text placement is all to one side which nicely frames the main image. The designer also may have decided to place the text to one side in order to keep the attention on the main image. Adding on to that, keeping all the text (apart from one little piece in the top right corner) keeps the page looking neat and tidy. The text on the top right side mentions who the photography is by. The designer may have decided to keep this separate as it is not linked to the actual content of the magazine and this piece doesn’t have the same level of ‘importance’ as the list of text on the left. So, the designer may have placed it in a more subtle area as they don’t want the audience to be attracted to that piece of information before the contents list.

A masthead features at the top of this page which clearly states that it is the ‘contents’ and tells us the date and issue number along with the logo on the left hand side. The designer may have chosen to use bold text right at the top of the page to make it direct to the readers what is on this page. Unlike the typical magazine, a strapline for the bottom of the contents page is also used. This page develops the typical convention of a strapline as they usually contain important information (like the top strapline showing the title of the page etc.) On the other hand, rather than this strapline feature ‘important’ information, a quote is used from the main article. It reads ‘I fart in your direction’. This text may intrigue readers to go read this article which could explain why the designer has put the page number next it. This particular quote from the main article was most likely chosen to also shock the readers thus making them want to read to the article even more. Adding on to that, two straplines may have been used as it also gives the image a frame.

Main image and colour themeThis contents page features a medium close up of a celebrity. The designer may have chosen to use this particular type of shot as it is dramatic and keeps the attention on the main attraction of the magazine. This could also explain why the designer has only used one image rather than multiple images. More on the image itself, the clothing that the celebrity is wearing matches well with the colour theme of the contents page which is(grey white and red). This ensures that the page is well put together. Furthermore, the colour coordinating makes it easier to identify who the target audience would be (the average age of people who read Q is 29). This is because if the magazine had an audience for social group E (teenagers) then a lot more colours may have been involved within the page. However, with this page, the range of colours isn’t to broad yet the red causes it to still be eye appealing. Although 29 may seem fairly mature, technically it is still classed as a reasonably young age in our society. Thus, this could explain the designers colour choices as the grey and white gives the mature effect to the page whilst the red indicates that it is not all ‘serious’. This is a perfect balance for a 29 year old.

This page has the contents list placed on the left hand side which could also add to the frame of the main image. The title ‘Features’ is placed in a black box with a red box underneath that is filled with some of the ‘100 Greatest Albums Ever’. The fact that there is a puff (the red box) shows that ‘100 Greatest Albums Ever’ is a key article in this magazine. The vibrant colour emphasizes it’s importance as well as it being the most eye catching colour used. Lastly, it is placed at the top so the designer clearly wants the readers to look at that section first of the contents page.

Strapline and Masthead

Puff

The logo of the magazine has been placed in the top left corner of the contents page. This is just a design choice and is used throughout the magazine as it is such a strong brand logo. For example when Q do reviews they reuse their logo and for other various points in the magazine as well.

Text placement

Logo

Contents page

Researching your main taskA medium shot of a celebrity has been used within this contents page which infers who the main article is about. The shot has very dramatic lighting to it which adds attention and keeps the focus on the image. The designer may have chosen to stick with one image in order to maintain the dramatic effect rather then having multiple images which can look a little messy on the page.More on to the subject of the image, the clothing choice is dark thus ensuring the attention stays on the subjects face. Moving on, the pose is very stern that the subject is portraying. It matches well with the dramatic lighting and keeps the ‘serious’ mood it gives off. The designer has created a shadow on one side of the subjects face which creates more light on the front of his face where his features are. This is effective because it ‘guides’ the audiences’ eyes to that particular part of the subjects face as it is brighter/more noticeable. The eye level shot engages the audience as well due to the fact the subject is making ‘eye contact’ with the audience as he is looking straight into the camera. This just makes the image more personal and creates a connection the subject of the photo and the reader.

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Contents page

As for the colour theme, it involves darker colours when it comes to the actual image (mainly black and brown minus the white stripes on the subjects tie). This creates a modest appearance which again ensures the focus is strictly on the celebrity. As for the text, the colours consist of white and yellow. Also, the designer has developed the use of text on this contents page. This is because even though 2 colours are strictly used, the use of each colour is heavily unbalanced. The designer has used a lot more white text over yellow text to segregate the sections of the magazine which will be useful to the readers. The white text that follows makes it understandable to the readers what is in each section of the magazine also. Thus, the designers choice of making the colours heavily unbalanced is effective as it helps the readers when they want to find where to find a particular article they’re interested in. Lastly, the text is placed on the right giving the image a frame on the left making the page look tidy thus that little bit more appealing.

Main image & mise-en-scene

Colour theme & text placement

Researching your main taskThis double page spread has very different layouts for each page.Although the left page features some text, the main attraction is the medium close shot. The designer has developed the convention of text placement due to the fact that text has been placed over the main image. With other magazines, when there is a double page spread with one side only presenting an image, it is normally left plain. Although the designer has developed the convention of text placement, he/she has also done the typical thing as well. Most double page spreads pair the main image with a key quote on the same page (from the artist) which is what is displayed on this double page spread. Designers do this as it intrigues the audience to read the article in the first place as for some, it may be off putting to read a double page spread because a lot of text is involved. Thus, the quote that is placed on the main image is like a ‘teaser' of the article.The colours used for the main image have been challenged by the designer. There is a visible line in the image where two thirds of it is a tinted red whereas the third left over is a a pale green/turquoise. The designer may have done this to match the theme of a current album the signer had at that time or possibly for an upcoming album. If not, it could have just been to match up with the cover as the celebrity was likely to feature on the front cover as well as he is the main article. Moving on to the pose of the image, it is very serious. The designer may have decided to keep the pose of the subject very serious due to the fact that, the article may be modest and in depth with the subjects feelings. Thus, the designer may have thought it would be best to match the subject’s mood portrayed in the image with the kind of article it is. On the other side of the double page spread, lots of small text has been used as this page is for the actual article. As one whole side of the double spread is taken up by an image (and little text) this could explain why the font is quite small. A large ‘J’ has been placed in the center overlapping the small text. The designer has challenged the typical convention of text placement as it is very rare for a big letter to be placed on top of the main text. However, the red J compliments the image of the celebrity and the colour matches the theme too. The designer may have decided to place a large letter on the text just to add some visual appeal for the audience. On the other hand, it could've just been to have a unique layout as it is like this particular magazines ‘signature’ to place the first letter of the celebrity's name which the main article is about on top of the text.

Lastly, at the top is a title for the article which has been developed by the designer. It is not as ‘bold’ as other titles would normally be and isn’t to large in text. It also has a border around it with two lines on each side where a strapline could be placed. On the other hand, the designer has decided to use two colours for the title like normal magazines would do. ‘JAY-Z’ is in a red text while the rest is in black. This could be because the main focus of the article is Jay-Z. As for the border, the designer may have decided to add that to the page as lines up nicely with the big J thus the border may just be there to improve the appearance of the page.

Double page spread

Researching your main task

The designer has also chosen a casual pose for the image as it ties in with the title of the article ‘Do I ever have a casual Friday? Absolutely!’ More on to the actual title, the designer has used a typical design for this convention. It is common for designers to have a key quote as the title which could be a way of giving the readers a teaser as to what is included in the article. Another thing is that the title is at an angle and fairly large so part of it overlaps on to the left side of the spread. Thus the designer has developed the convention of text as he/she hasn’t made the text smaller in order for the text to stay on one half of the spread. They may have decided to do this in order to emphasise that particular word (which in this case is ‘Absolutely’) which overlaps on the other page. This shows it’s importance and the implies that the designer wants the readers to notice that certain word first. Smaller yet still angled text is placed underneath. Like the title, the text comes in two colours. This could again be to show which words are more ‘important’/which the designer wants the readers to focus on more. The text below, which is the actual article (an interview) also comes in two colours. The designer has chosen to do this to display which is the question and which is the answer. This allows the audience to understand the concept of the article and avoid confusion. PuffA puff has been placed in the left hand corner also. The designer has challenged this convention as most double page spreads wouldn’t include a puff. Instead they are more include a cut out image or have a quote on the spread.

Double page spread

Main imageOne side of this double page spread portrays a medium shot of the subject who is related to the article on the other side of the page. This is quite common for double page spreads thus the designer has gone for a typical layout. The designer has matched the subjects clothing with the colour theme (which is typically four colours: black, white, grey and pink). The designer may have decided to do this as it is more appealing to the audience. It wouldn’t make sense to have the subject wear completely different colours to the colour theme of the spread or the page would look messy/to busy. Also this could possibly put the readers off of reading the actual article. Pose, title and text

BorderThe designer has challenged the appearance of a typical double spread as he/she has chosen to have a border around the spread which is very rare. The designer may have chosen to do this due to the fact it frames the spread as whole nicely. Also it just adds some visual appeal for the readers.