Textual Analysis cover page - NME

Textual Analysis

This issue of NME is very basic; it has very little writing and not many colours. There is a large image of Rihanna which would appeal to a lot of customers as she is such a famous artist. I think the layout is effective as It focus’ on Rihanna as she is so popular so you wouldn’t want to cover the image with lots of text.  There is a quote from her on the cover which works really well as it makes people want to read about it and therefor purchase the magazine. Also I think the use of  having  ‘f**cking’ in the cover as well as Rihanna identifies the target audience as teenagers and young adults as it wouldn’t appeal to an older audience and also It isn’t aimed at a younger audience as it includes a swear word.

The colours are very limited although the colours present are quite bold such as the pink/purple used for the masthead and both cover lines. I think the lack of colours work well as it then focuses on the main parts of the cover and also doesn’t distract from the main image. The background itself is silver which contrasts the pink and also the image of Rihanna as she is wearing black so again it doesn’t draw your attention away. The image itself is very abstract as there is a glittery blue bird on her shoulder which seems really random and grabs the reader’s attention, also how she is standing and her body position seem really unnatural which could be to stand out and look interesting.

There is very little text on the cover, although the text that is present is very effective. In the top right hand corner it states that it is ‘4 of 10’ special edition covers, this obviously will attract costumers as special and limited edition items always attract a larger audience, also as it stats there is 10 issues it also advertises the forthcoming issues of the magazine, generating more sales. The masthead is very bright and bold but also basic, it stands out a lot and will appeal to the target market, also on most magazines the images often overlap the masthead whereas on this cover the image is underneath which makes it easier to see and stand out more. 

The target audience is young adults or teenagers as they are most interested in Rihanna and her music, also the lack of writing on the front would appeal to a teenage audience as it is informal and most teenagers would prefer to look at images as appose to reading. Also the use of pink colour and a female artist may appeal to a more female audience as generally pink is associated with girls, although Rihanna obviously can appeal to both genders. 

Textual Analysis cover page - Q

Textual analysis - Q

The cover of this issue of ‘Q’ is quite basic; it lacks quite a lot of colour and also there is a limited amount of text. Although there is a large, close up, picture of Adele which draws the customer’s attention and also will appeal to hats inside a large audience as she is extremely well known around the world. The image of Adele is quite different to the common perception of her as she is a very good vocalist and doesn’t tend to pose in this manner as the picture is highlighting her appearance as appose to her voice. This will therefor appeal to a different audience than if the image of her was quite natural and focused more on her singing. Also there is quote from Adele saying “If you’ve got it, flaunt it..” this is a very clever quote and works with the picture and also the main cover line which reads “Adele blows us away”  ,  these there for identify the target market as mainly male.

The cover lines are really effective, ’Liam Gallagher’s last request’, ‘Keith Richard’s secret stash’, ‘Bono’s bum deal’, they all hook the reader in and make them want to read on and find out more so they there for buy the magazine. Although there is quite a limited amount of text compared to some music magazines, there is still enough to provide the reader with information about what is inside and predominantly sell the magazine.

The colour scheme is really limited although I actually think it works well as it highlights the image of Adele which I think is the key selling point of the magazine. Also the basic colours and fonts make the text easy to read and clear to see which means people will be more willing to buy it. 

There is selling line underneath the masthead that reads ‘discover great music’ this is effective as it will appeal to their target audience who will be interested in music so it works well. Also they are promoting the magazine by showing that it is the 300^th issue, this shows that it has been out a while and is a good quality magazine.

Overall I think it is a really good cover, especially the image of Adele as it appeals to a wide audience and also as it shows her in a different light so it will appeal to a different type of audience as well. I like the basic colour scheme as it is clear to see and easy to read and doesn’t distract from the image.   

Textual Analysis cover page - TOTP

Top of the pops is a music magazine that is very much targeted at a young audience. The masthead is bright pink therefor it stands out a lot and also indicates that the magazine is predominantly aimed at females, also on the on the masthead are stars which connote fame and stardom.

The main cover line reads ‘Oh Boy, Its Bieber!’ this links with the main image of Justin Bieber. The use of Justin Bieber on the cover is extremely effective as it will appeal to the target audience of teenage girls. In the image he is wearing casual clothes that suggest that the magazine is a ‘casual’ read as appose to a really informative, overwhelming text. Also he is facing towards the camera and is almost smiling, this connotes that the magazine is light hearted, also the text; ‘the secret side of the superstar who just wants a cuddle’ will definitely attract the target audience as lots of girls are interested in his personal life.

There is also lots of images of famous celebrities surrounding the main photo, this is appealing as it shows that there are multiple things to read inside the magazine as appose to just one article. Some of the celebrities include Harry from 1Direction, Jay from ‘the Wanted’ and Tulisa. The male celebrities used will attract the target audience and also female celebrities will appeal because most teenage girls aspire to be like them.

The layout is quite random and scattered, this gives the impression that the magazine is informal and quite casual this is because it is aimed at a younger audience as appose to an adult audience who would be more interested in a formal, structured layout. The layout links with the colour scheme as the colours are very bright, bold and contrasting. The main colours are pink and blue which work quite together as they both stand out and contrast, also the blue links with the colour of the clothing Justin is wearing. The use of pink and blue is quite effective as the pink generally associates with girls whereas blue is commonly associated with boys, this could broaden their market as boys are less likely to buy something that is completely pink. On the other hand the main audience is girls so the use of pink and other more female orientated colours such as yellow is valid and will appeal to the target market. The text is mainly black and white so it is legible against the bright colours on the magazine.

The cover seems to work as a contents page as it has a lot of information on it about what is in the magazine, this works well in some aspects as it advertises the contents of the magazine to the customer without them opening it. On the other hand I think it makes the cover extremely clustered and compromises the visual aesthetics.

Overall I think the cover will appeal to the target audience very well and communicates the contents of the magazine effectively even though it looks really clustered and Informal. I think the colour scheme is really bold and will stand out to the consumer, and also appeal to the target market. I think the images used are really effective, as the use of famous celebrities will appeal to the target audience.

Textual Analysis - Content Page 1

Textual Analysis cover page - Bass

Textual Analysis

‘Bass’ magazine is a magazine based solely on guitars and musicians. It is part of a collection of magazines such as ‘Acoustic’ and ‘Drummer’ which are also music magazines but they each specialize in a different area such as drumming.

The magazine front cover is extremely bright and bold; it has a large masthead, which is ‘bass’, and the white colour contrasts the red and stands out. There is a large image of ‘Bootsy Collins’, which is extremely loud and eccentric, therefor it will catch the consumer’s eye as he is wearing bright colours and a lot of shiny items. Also there are multiple cover lines situated around the image that are quite dull and contrast the bright background.

The cover is aesthetically pleasing, especially to the target market because of the bold colours on display. The main colours are yellow and red which are very loud so it therefor stands out and appeals to a teenage or young adult audience. I think they chose to use bright colours to represent the issue as the musician on the front cover (Bootsy Collins) is a bold character so the colours link with him.

The main cover line reads ‘interviewed Bootsy Collins, schools out at Funk University!’ this links with the main image and also identifies the target audience. As the issue is based on that individual guitarist it could narrow their audience as some people may not like his style as he comes across really bold and extravagant. All other cover lines are based on guitars and musicians so the magazine is clearly only aimed at an audience with an interest in guitars. Cover lines are mostly written in capitals and all are in bold, this makes them easy to read and stand out so customers can clearly see what’s inside the magazine. The fonts used are quite dull and also the colours are bland but that is so it easy to read and doesn’t clash with the bright colours in the background.  The cover lines will appeal to the target market, for example ‘top players interviewed’ this will definitely appeal because if you are interested in bass guitars you are going to be interested in the best players.

The selling line is ‘the UK’s number one bass guitar magazine’ which is positioned at the top so it Is clear to see and therefor can increase sales for the magazine. Also, placed at the very top is an advertisement for a competition which will appeal to customers as it is a prize that is relevant to the target market.

Overall I think the cover is good, the bright colours will stand out and attract the target market, and also the image of Bootsy Collins will attract some customers. The masthead is clear and bold so it enables people to see which magazine it is and the cover lines stand out so people can easily read them.

Magazine & contents page

Evaluation

Evaluation

I had to produce a front cover for a college magazine and also the contents page. My target audience was college students, so they are aged between 16 and 19 predominately.

My audience was not particularly generalized to a specific audience within college, the issue could appeal to multiple groups in college. Due to the contents and cover lines, such as ‘mac tips’ and ‘sports’ section, it could appeal to a particular audience such as students taking Mac oriented subjects or for those who are interested in sport.

Also there are sections on ‘getting involved’ and a college map so this could appeal more the first year students or other new students.

Before starting the project I had a brief knowledge of how to use adobe Photoshop that helped a lot, although I also learnt a lot of skills through out the course, which was also helpful, so now I am very comfortable with using the programme. I also had to use digital cameras, which I was already extremely comfortable using.

Overall I would conclude that the project was generally successful. I am pleased with the final designs of my front cover and also the contents page and feel they meet my target audience well. One of my peers said that overall he liked both pages and thought they were good. On the front page he said he liked the main image, as it is relevant although a little busy, he also liked the colours in general but thought the red was hard to read in places as there was areas of red in the background. He thought the contents page was basic but it worked well and was an effective contents page. He liked the contrast in colours but thought the font could have been larger so it was easier to read.

To improve I would have chosen different coloured fonts for the cover page so it clearer and also increased font size in places to make it easier to read. Also on the contents page I would have added more images and made it more visually appealing to the target audience. 

photoshop induction

I found the photoshop induction lesson fairly helpful, although due to other subjects i already knew most of the basic functions. On the other hand there were some things i learnt which proved really helpful that i didn't already know.