magazine analysis of front covers, contents pages and double page spread.

1. Analysing Magazine Pages

2. Front Covers Masthead Cover Lines Flash Image Bar code Banner

3. Q Masthead – the masthead of Q is short and bold and is always placed in the left third of the front cover, in every issue they have made. The colours which they use (red and white) are simple, but are recognized when being bought. Image – is the main image and is what is going to make people buy the magazine because of the article which will be related to the main image. Lilly Allen is looking seductively at the audience which will appear to both men and women and make them want to buy the magazine because she’s famous and sexy. Flash – it uses colours to follow the colour scheme, however the red writing on the grey background isn't used anywhere else on the front cover. Which makes it stand out a bit more than the rest of the magazine, which draws the audience in. Cover lines – these are usually to the side of the image, explaining what is going to be in the magazine. The colours usually tie in with the rest of the colour scheme. Black and red. Which also matches the masthead.

4. Cover lines Masthead Bar Code Image

5. BBC Music Masthead – The masthead of bbc music magazine is very simplistic, as it says what is it. A music magazine run by the bbc. The word ‘music’ looks handwritten giving it that authentic look. The colour is plain and simple – white. And the background on bbc is purple which Is different to a normal bbc sign as they are usually red. This magazine will already have a mass audience as it is run by the government and they can use their other forms of media to promote the magazine. Image – the image uses a close up/mid shot of a musician. Which seems to be the same as any other magazine as they seem to us a close up/mid shot of someone appearing In the magazine. Those who the magazine appeals to will recognise the image and make them want to buy it. Cover lines – again toward the side of the image showing us what will be in the magazine. The colours tie in with the rest of the image, white. Just slightly smaller as they are less important than the main masthead.

6. Contents Page

7. The bright red box around the titles make them stand out more than other text. As these are the more important things. Which must be paid attention to. The image is different and very unique and the music magazine is about indie music The layout and design of the contents page is very simplistic. The design is very grid like. It also has the same font throughout. The colour scheme is the same throughout the whole magazine following on from the front cover which is red, black and white. Which would be symbolic to the audience Following the codes and conventions of other magazines, Q magazine offers a chance for its audience to subscribe with an indication as to which page you can go and fill out a subscription form The main topic in the magazine will obviously be ‘the courteeners’ as it is the biggest image on the page and has the biggest writing. Making it appear more important than the other features.

8. Shows which issue the magazine is. Which is what most magazines do but most magazine vary because this information could be included on the front cover or by the bard code. This contents page is very simplistic and set out very smart as you would expect classical music to be – smart. The whole contents page follows the same colour code. This content page is different to other magazines and doesn’t follow the codes and conventions of other magazines as the contents page is on a double page spread. Whereas in other magazines they keep the contents to just one page The pictures which most people are going to want to see have numbers in the corner of them so the audience know which page to look on if they want to see the article about that certain individual. The bigger the picture the more popular the article will be which follows the codes and conventions of most magazines.

9. Double Page Spread

10. The colours used in this double page spread are the staple black, white and red. After looking at the front cover and contents page it is clearly established that these are the main colours in which they are likely to use. This creates there statement ‘house style’. The page is split into two sections, the top half is the image, mainly images and the bottom half is all text. The colours have been chosen to match the colour scheme, his shirt is red and white which matches the colour scheme. The red wall paper and black furniture also matches the colour scheme of Q magazine. The writing also cleverly uses the same colour scheme as the rest of the magazine so all the colours match together and comes together as one to follow and keep the house style Q has. The page is set out very simplistic and therefore doesn’t look cluttered.

11. This Double page spread is not from BBC music magazine but from another classical music magazine, the colours are very dull or simplistic. You can tell this magazine is aimed at the older generation as it’s not as ‘loud’ as a magazine for teenagers. Loud meaning colourful and bright. The double page spread is lead out half and half, one half is the image and the other half is the text or story. The layout of the text is very simplistic. The image is very relevant, the article is about a jazz band and the main model is holding something to do with jazz. Also it is a classical music magazine so the instrument and the smart dress the model has in the picture is relevant to the name of the music magazine and the genre.