Thursday, 11 December 2014

Analysis of existing magazines COVERS 1







The Masthead is a serif font, which have serifs on the ends of the letters. This makes the magazine look traditional yet up to date and forward thinking with the high impact red colour and shadow effect. It is clearly placed in the top 5th of the page which is effective because it is the first thing that people read therefore making the magazine more recognisable. Additionally, the position of the masthead is effective because if it was to be placed behind another magazine on a shelf, it could still be recognised by their trade mark masthead.


The typography used is in a serif font, this is effective because it stays with the retro theme of the magazine. The magazine itself has been in publication since 1967 so the traditional font ties in with the culture of the magazine. However the Drop Capitals used for ‘LANA DEL REY’ appear to be more modern which is effective since it appeals to the younger audience and shows that even though the magazine has been published for a long time, it moves with time and is still up to date to read. Furthermore the font size and style appears to be very Retro American, this is effective because it adds to the principles of the magazine, it makes it clear where the magazine was published making it more familiar to their audience.
They have used a straight on angle of Lana and it is almost a long shot. This is effective because not only can we see Lana’s face but also her body, this portrays the idea that she is not only a music icon, but also a lot of people look up to her as a fashion icon too. The mise-en-scene of having her tattoo on show portrays this idea, as it exaggerates her originality.  They way her hair is to one side, represents how young American girls took part in beauty pageants if they were seen as beautiful or as an icon which is effective as it attract s girls to read their magazine even if they aren’t interested in the music.  The straight on angle allows us to see Lana as you would in real life, her costume proves her femininity yet is classy and the 60’s swimsuit adds to the retro feel of this particular cover making it stand out on shop shelves. Additionally, Lana is actually positioned as if she is looking down at the camera, however this is not a low angle shot- we get the same idea. She is looking down at the photographer making her look more powerful and she dominates the front cover. The image is in black and white, this is effective as it is traditional and very 60’s. Additionally, not many magazines are published this way so looking at a shelf of magazines we would be interested at this one as it looks different from the rest. More so, there is a juxtaposition of the colours. This makes the typography stand out and makes the image look traditional which looks different on the shelves in the shop making it appeal to their audience.
The key item for this cover clearly is the shot of Lana which is placed in the centre. This is effective because it allows her to dominate the page, it follows the conventions of other music magazines and almost looks like an album cover, making it appeal to their audience who are fans of music.  The image related to the main article topic which is anchored by the main cover line. The sell lines are in a vintage font with serifs on giving it the retro personality to the magazine. ‘Lana Del Rey’ being in the larger font also conveys her authority in the magazine and further portrays the idea that this looks like it could be one of her album covers.
The position of the text is effective as it works around Lana which shows her authority on the magazine. The shadow behind Lana also shows her authority as it looks as if the light is always on her. Additionally the text can be seen when other magazines are placed on the side or in front of it on the shelf.






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