MAGAZINE COVER ANALYSIS VIBE

This magazine is targeting the male younger adolescent generation, who are more involved and idolise the hip-hop culture. This is done by using the artist “Drake” as the main feature of the cover, this is a very attractive and affective person to use as he is known to be one of the most successful and influential artists in the commercial Hip-hop industry of today. This automatically attracts the audience as they subconsciously want to know more about him or what his involvement is in this magazine. The overall lay out of the magazine is very tidy and neat, showing a sense of perfection,

“Drake” is looking directly at the reader giving a sense of a direct address, looking quite cheeky and confident portraying a bold presence over the magazine, this is also emphasised as he is placed centre of the page showing that he is a dominant feature. The bold white masthead “VIBE” at the top of the page automatically catches your eye as there is an immediate contrast between the black background and the black top and hat that the artist is wearing.

This colour balance is used so that the words “VIBE” and the cover line “UNSTOPPABLE” stand out making the reader recognise the title, which could also be portraying that Drake is “unstoppable”; the colour balance also uses the colour yellow as this colour also looks dominant over the black background, using the words “DRAKE” in capital letters to reinforce his name, and “EXCLUSIVE” which automatically leads the reader deeper in to what could be in the magazine.

Rapup

This magazine is targeting the younger female market, interested in the Rap, and R&B culture. This is evident as the main background colour is a bright pink which creates a very vibrant and bold colour contrast, effectively catching the reader’s eye. It also represents this market as there is a female artist “Ciara” who females will be more interested to be reading about, as they could idolise her.

The masthead of the magazine is in bold black print which emphasises the contrast in the colour balance on top of the pink background. The cell lines are also in quite bold writing spread around the model, with different symbols such as exclamation marks and stars emphasising the femininity.

The artist used as the model is standing centre frame posing on her side to emphasise her curves showing that she is a very feminine and this is a feminine magazine. This makes her look slightly sensual and draws the readers eye. She has her hands on her hips to show that she is dominant and confident in herself. She is also wearing a black striped leotard with black tights, and this emphasises her presence as the colour balance contrasts. She is also holding a camera in a way that makes her look effortless and professional, the outcome of this is a bright diamond like looking spark which inserts a “glam” factor.

RollingstoneThis magazine is targeting the male market that have an interest in the more “Indy/Rock” music style. This is evident from the title of the magazine, “Rollingstone” which is imitating the name of a famously known rock band “The Rollingstones”. The font used also gives an impression that the masthead is “rolling”.

The artist used on this cover is nearly filling up the whole page, and the cover line saying “Lil Wayne Goes Rock” is implying that he is dominant and the main figure to this magazine. He has his top off and his hat is slightly tilting to the side, showing that he is relaxed and has quite a rebellious swagger as he is revealing his body covered in tattoos, including on his face; three of which are tear drops famously known to be a symbol of taking someone’s life, this portrays he is quite a dangerous and rebellious artist.

The background and the overall colour balance is quite subtle, which is effective as this sets a contrast with the eccentric, eye catching amount of tattoos on the artist “Lil Wayne”. The cell lines are positioned on only one side of the artist, portraying the lay out as more of a column from an article. This makes the presentation neater and clearer to read, making it easier for the reader.

NME

This cover, has purposely positioned its cell lines in a deconstructive manner, fitted all around the artist in font which could be portrayed as hard to read. This could be representing the “messy” and “individual” style to emphasise the message that “Rock” music is portraying. The cover line, “THE FINAL WEEKS OF JIMI HENDRIX” is printed in bold white font, in order to stand out infront of the combination of bright colours behind it, these colours could be representing that he may be dead but his presence is still very much around.

This magazine is also aiming the “Rock” target market, as the front cover consists of one of the most famous, influential men in the rock music industry “Jimi Hendrix” famously remembered for his guitar playing skills. The front cover immediately attracts to the eye because of the extreme colour balance. The “NME” font is in a bright flu recent pink which automatically stands out next to the black and white colour background of the artists’ face, creating a contrast.

BLENDER

This magazine is targeting the female teenage market, this is emphasised by the pink font and the main feature being about the new idolised female artist “Katy Perry”. The artist used is posing with her hand on her hip to her side, fluctuating her femininity. The cell lines are in bold pink and black font, with the main words highlighted in pink, this portrays a girly and organised, neat lay out.

XXLXXL is the No. 1 selling music magazine on newsstand, covering some of the biggest artists. They have used one of the most influential faces of hiphop as their front cover artist “Jay z”. This is a very efficient way of attracting the reader’s attention as he is one of the most powerful men in that industry at the moment. The way they have positioned him is between two buildings, showing the comparison of him taller than both of them. This proximity of the artist being lager than these buildings represents just how superior and huge is presence is. He also has his hands in his pockets, and wearing sunglasses, which portrays he is relaxed and maybe slightly arrogant as he knows how high and mighty he is.

The colour balance is used in a very subtle yet effective way. The white background shows a clear comparison from the all black outfit that the artist is wearing, which could be representing his separation from the normal world as he is living the “higher life”. The bold red font also immediately to the eye, as these three colours are easily distinguished between each other.

KERRANG COMPLEX

This magazine is more targeting the “Rock” listeners, as they are publicising this with a “Biffy Clyro” as their main cover line; “unfold this puzzle of life”. This sets a sort of enigma as it makes the reader want to read more in to it. They have positioned the band in a way that they could be showing the order of importance, and the white jumper that the main artist is wearing contrasts with the dark and striking background.

This magazine has a less formal and organized lay out. The font is in more childish bubble writing and the cell lines are scattered all over the place, portraying that this is a more “fun filled” music content, than a factual or formal magazine. The colour balance is kept equal throughout, mainly dominated by blue and yellow, which is also what the artist “Keri Hilson” is wearing as well to portray her involvement with the magazine. It looks as if it is designed to look more like a scrap book, by the scribbles and purposely misspelt phrases eg. . “BUILT 4 SUCCESS”

VIBE NME

This cover automatically attracts the reader’s attention as the vibrant colour balance stands out, in a clashing yet unique way. The setting is portrayed to represent a childish setting, because of the cartoon like flowers and animations to emphasise a sense a child’s dream. The background is blue representing the sky which combines with the pristine white cloud and head mast in order to form a contrast with the shocking pink the artist is wearing.

The artist they have used, “Nicki Minaj” has recently become the new woman of today’s Hip hop world, therefore by using her face on this magazine will influence the readers to be attracted to this; the cell lines also bring this to attention by saying “HIP-HOPS NEW SUPERWOMAN” She is standing with her legs apart and her hands on her hips which could be represented as how a super hero would stand, confident and fearless. She is licking her lout to give a more a sensual edge, her orange hair also portrays a sense of individuality.

This magazine directly stands out to the eye because of the bold red head mast, combining with the neutral red colour balance over the page; the red top, and red lips, specifically arranged in this colour to set a coordinating colour balance. This also compares with the subtle white and grey wash in the background. The artist that is used looks very relaxed and slightly rebellious as her hair is messy and she is wearing a shirt which is not done up properly, this shows she doesn’t really care about her appearance and has self confidence. The way the cigarette is positioned, without her holding it shows she is informal and careless.

CONTENT ANLYSIS - VIBE.

This contents page uses a subtle black and grey wash in the background fading into each other as the models legs follow up the page. The whole mise en scene here gives a sophisticated and feminine feel. The font used is a swirly, flowing font to represent that the contents of this page which appeal more to females. The cell lines are arranged in collums on one side of the page, leaving the majority of the page for the model, this gives more of an edgy feel towards it as your main attraction to this page is the model, not the contents.

The model is lying on her back with her legs in the air in a pair of heels and a grey leotard, this coordinates in with the colour theme. They have positioned her in quite a sensual way in order to attract more attention. Her legs end where the text begins which creates clearerspatial awareness, and brings attention to the word“Features”, the opening of the text. .

VIBEThe objective of the mise en scene in this page is to portray the difference between our society and another. This page gives off a slightly serious vibe, as the artist on the front “Mavado” is looking directly in the readers eyes with a look of despair, yet power. The colour balance is black and white to portray the dull yet sincerity of the environment this image is portraying. The lay out of the cell lines is organised in a small font, columned structure to focus the readers attention on the main image.

The cell lines on this contents page are structured at a tilted angle, in order to portray an abstract design , which will catch the readers eye. The black and red font over the white and grey wash in the background sets a neat and distinct image in order to read the font clearly. The bottom part then contrasts with the main focus as it is black with bold white font, this portrays the two seperate messages of the page, the “X” from “contex” is printed in a different font and colour to put an emphasis on the word itself.

The red slant across the side of the page also brings out the image of the artist, yet is still in co ordination of the three main colours being used overall. The artist used is looking over his shoulder wearing a black T-shirt to also combine with the rest of the page, and the way he is positioned in the bottom left hand corner of the page shows that the main focus is the content information, giving the reader more space to view it.

The white background with the slight black wash in the corner, portrays a sense of simplicity yet clarity of the page. The font of the head mast and the cover lines give an edgy feel to the page as it is slightly faded and bold to show it is making a statement, “NEW RELEASES”. The cell lines are spread out from each other to show a sense that there is as little writing as possible, motivating the reader to want to read it. The boxes next to the cell lines clearly state what page you can find this information, making it as clear as possible for the reader to follow.

The three pictures used are clearly positioned underneath eachother to distinguish the difference between all the three events. They have also used pictures which look as if there is alot of lively atmosphere, in order to make the reader want to read about it. The first picture shows a mosh pit of people at a concert, followed by the others of the artists on the stage with all the lights and the smoke machines, this is effective as it automatically makes the reader want to see more pictures. The over all lay out of the page is clearly structured and subtle, yet edgy and unique.

This NME contents page, shows a more informative and clustered lay out with alot more different sections of the page to read from. This could be seen as a lot to read and could put the reader off, however because NME is such a well known and ranging magazine, readers will be more likely to want to find out as much information as possible. The font is all in black over a white background, with the cover lines blocked around by a box showing the different sections of what is available.

The overall layout of this page, portrays edgy and messy structure which gives a sense of informality which can relate to a younger generation. The font which is being used, looks as if it is mimicking look of graffiti, which portrays a sense of rebellion and risk taking which will attract a certain target market. The black and grey wash in the background emphasises the different sections of black text boxes with the white and yellow font to distinguish the different sectors of the page.

The colour balance is also used effectively as the page numbers are printed in a different font over the pictures in order to stand out and make the reader remember the page number. It is also clear that the pictures used on this page are quite ammeter, as you can tell they have not been taken in professional conditions, of famous people; this could be seen as very effective as readers will feel that they have been related too, and are more interested in the real world. The pink rim around the pictures , emphasises their presence on the page and attracts the readers eye making them intregued.

This content page, attracts itself more to females as it has a clear, neat structured lay out. The clear, cream and white background portrays a sense of emptiness and cleanliness to the page, this also is very effective to the eye as the models red lips, red skirt, and red mushroom that she is holding extremely stands out to eye. The spatial awareness is structured in a way that the main focus of the page is the model, and the cell lines are crammed on to the right hand side, even though this may prove difficult to read; it portrays a sense of structure and that the page is purposely set out to give an awkward

sense of spatial awareness in order to catch the readers eye. The colour balance is very plain yet vibrant as there is only three colours being used (white, red and black) however they have been co-ordinated in order to become eye catching, like the pitch black head mast with the models pitch black hair. The overall mise-en- scene

This contents page for “Juice” gives an overall friendly warming feel to the reader, as the pictures used look informal and fun as the model is prancing around in the sun, wearing a summery dress with an umbrella. The bottom picture also portrays this as she is sticking her tongue out and looks rather average, this gives a relaxing feel to the page which the readers can relate too, attracting their attention. However it is clear that this is more attracting to females, not only because of the pictures but the font used looks

quite feminine as it is a red bubble writing font, which could be portraying it is quite lively and vibrant. The colour balance used is also well co-ordinate to structure the page, as in the top two pictures the model is wearing a blue dress, along with the cell lines, and the same with red at the bottom of the page. This helps to distinguish the different sections of the page, from “This week in juice” to “Editors letter”.

This contents page automatically catches the readers eye because of the vibrant colour balance. The striking clash between the red wash in the background and the bright orange jumper of the artist, grabs the attention of the reader. The mise-en-scene is neatly laid out with the main focus on the artist, and the cell lines positioned under each other, simply naming the artist in which it will be talking about in that section, allowing the reader to elaborate if they turn to this page; “Large professor”. The white font stands out from the mise-en-scene and this is crucial as it gives the reader a clear indication as to where the information is.

The pose that the artist is pulling shows that he is quite careless yet in control; this attracts the reader as they want to read more about him.

This contents page has a very old and classic feel to it, this is presented by the black and white colour balance, the use of “Old school” artists being present, and the black and white image of two middle aged artists dressed formally in suits dancing with each other. Because of this mise-en-scene this magazine would be more appealing to the older generation. The black bold cell lines on the white background emphasise the presence of the font, giving the reader a clear indication of where and what sections they can read.

The main focus of the page is the black and white image of the men, this is effective as they both look as if they are having fun and gives a friendly feel to page making the reader want to read more about this event.

This double page spread is covering an interview between a RnB artist “Jamelia” they have put two portrait pictures of her in the background structured so that it is behind the font. This is effective as we are reminded throughout the interview of the artist as her face is constantly in the background whilst we are reading. The font is in white and red which creates an effective colour balance on the page as the background is a very dark grey and black wash. The head mast of the page is positioned on the left hand side of the page over a picture of her, the font is bold and has been filled in with abstract fonts and patterns in order to stand out from the rest of the page; this creates an edgy feel to the name of the artist making the reader want to read on. The cover line is in a bold white font also over the black picture in order to emphasise itself. In one picture she is wearing a baseball cap and is posing in quite a confident, cocky position designed with a black background; in comparison to the other picture where she is dressed in white and posing in a quite an innocent vulnerable position, and has a white background. This portrays the difference between the both pictures and conveys how she may have different personalities.

This double page spread also uses the black, white and red colour balance using a white wash for the background under black font in order to stand out. The head mast “Got the love” is in a swirly black writing to emphasise the femininity of the article as it is quite girly. This is also supported by the model “Florence and the machine” posing as the main feature of the page, also in black to co ordinate with the font. The model is sitting on the red and white step, with one of her legs up and resting her arm on her leg; showing a laid back yet sensual pose in order to catch the readers eye.

This double page spread, is using a more subtle and earthy colour balance yet it is affective as the members of the group clearly stand out. They have positioned this so that only one side of the page is text whereas the majority of the page is a picture of the pop group “Black eyed peas”. This is effective as straight away the reader is drawn by the picture and knows exactly what the article is about. The Cover line “will he wont he?” also sets an enigma and makes the reader want to read on and elaborate. The way they have put the text all in the same proximity n the same font makes it a lot clearer to follow, rather than being positioned all around the page, therefore this also makes it a lot easier for the reader and looks more appealing to read.

This is a very vibrant and expressive page, as the first thing that grabs the readers eye is the red Head mast and the luminous green Cover line underneath saying “Haters, I cant fuckin hear your reception” This could be seen as controversial yet this makes it more attractive and creates a bigger impact, as people don’t know how they should react to this. The red and green font automatically stand out from the black background, and the pictures used give an active and realistic feel to the page as these are evidently live pictures; which makes the readers able to relate to the story more.

The man attraction on this double page spread is the full body picture of the artist “Cheryl Cole” she is striking a bold and expressive pose punching the air, which could be showing that she is triumphant and powerful, she is also wearing a black lycra outfit with what looks like metal studs, this conveys an aggressive and boisterous part of her which may attract the reader. The other page is covered by a big red C evidently standing for her name, this is effective as it emphasises aswell what the article is about. The white background also helps to emphasise the black outfit and the red C, making it clearer and more vibrant to the eye.

The picture used here is an over the shoulder shot close up, this is effective as it focuses solei on the artists expression, which is seen to be extremely happy. This automatically creates a comfortable and warm felt vibe on the page as the reader will be able to relate to this relaxed look as she looks so normal and casually happy, instead of made up and dressed in couture clothes. The text is neatly laid out in columns on the right hand side, showing a neat and structured look, of a standard black text over a white background.

In this double page spread the cover line has been printed to look as if someone has made a collage hand made with different letters from different words. This edgy, rough look goes with the look “Lilly Allen” is going for in her picture. The red checked shirt that she is wearing stands out from the black and white background, bringing more of a focus to herself. This is quite cleverly done as the cover line quotes “people think I’m an attention seeker” and the way in which this has been presented could be seen as an attention seeking way.

The colour balance here is kept the same throughout both pages, the mise-en-scene is kept very simple and structured as the artist is positioned on one side of the page and the text is down the other. The artist is wearing a black jacket and T-shirt with a white print on it, which co ordinates with the white background and the black font. This is a more subtle yet effective feel to the page, as it is not vibrant or abstract yet it is neat and looks slightly more formal.

This double page spread is a lot more compact and lively, the pictures are positioned around the page with the text in-between them. This portrays a more action packed page as normally there is only one main picture however there are a few here, I think this makes it more effective as we are able to see the artist in different states, and it gives us more to look at whilst reading the article.

This double page spread is very much divided, as one side of the page is fully covered by a picture, whereas the other is more text filled. The picture conveys the band in full action which gives the reader an idea about what they are like and who we are going to be reading about. The colour balance is very subtle as the lighting on the picture is very warm as is the grey wash which is set as the background of the text.