Front covers

ConventionsPhotography

Representation

When shooting for a front cover you must consider:

1. Position of text and features on the page

2. Position and size of the masthead (must take up the top 1/6 of the page)

3. Whether the audience will be able to see and recognise the star from far away/ on a crowded news stand

4. Use of light, colour, negative space, framing, eye level of the star, plain backgrounds.

Representation• Representation is how you choose to FILTER

your image to appeal to your target audience, and exclude those you don’t want using your product.

• Filters include: clothes, hair, make up and accessories, facial expression, posture, eye contact

• You can also filter the representation by altering: mode of address, colour, shot type and angle, fonts, layout

Magazine profile

Name of magazine: NME

Target audience: alternative

Brand identity: The name of the magazine gives the magazine its own brand identity. NME – standing for new musical express, suggests new music and individual style. Having a short, catchy name like NME is a unique selling point – being easy and recognisable.

Unique Selling Point: Florence Welch and 10 special edition covers are used to persuade the target audience to buy the product.

1 -EYESEyes on the top line, being the first thing you look at when you look at the magazine.

2- MASTHEADlooking up from the cover stars eyes you see the NAME of the magazine. Being in the top left corner.

3- FACEFace being the main object of the page, is placed in the middle box.

4-FEATURES The reader reads from top to bottom, as a list. This also stops the text anchoring the cover stars face.

5-COVER STARS NAMEBold and in black the cover Stars name stands out, being anchored on the white of her T-shirt. Her name being in the left bottom corner, shows the audience that the magazine is being aimed at may know who she is already.

Masthead The masthead needs to be the largest piece of text on the page. It needs to be striking and bold.

Colour SchemeThe colour of her hair, face, t-shirt and text, all collaborates to create a distinctive house style. Giving it that professional look.

Barcode Essential for the magazine to be on sale, showing the price.

Eye contactEye contact with he consumer, is important to engage their attention, to buy this magazine over others.

Fonts No more than 3 fonts should be used on the front cover. On this front cover 3 fonts have been used, it gives it a professional look – neat & bold.

Tag lineSmall & short but distinctive.

Anchor‘Florence’ is the next biggest piece of text on the cover. Showing the consumer who the cover star is.

QuoteGiving the reader a snippet of information of what the interview will be about.

Importance Important text goes at the top to show importance.

FeaturesWho or what is in the magazine. Creates a genre.

Minimal use of colour in her clothing, doesn't take away the attention from Florence’s vibrant hair.

Cover stars clothing

The reader is also drawn in by the fact that the cover stars giving the reader eye contact.

Eye contact

Mouth

The use of a pout but not a smile shows a hard look – the star looks strong and defiant.

Hair The use of a close up on the cover stars face, doesn’t show much colour, but here Florence's vibrant red hair, (which she is known for) can show emotion - red meaning danger or in the quote in one in one of the features where she refers to the ‘X – Factor’. This is also it is a unique selling point, for it would stand out amongst other magazines on a stand.

OCR require you to:

“Create the front cover and contents for a new college

magazine”

But first we have to figure out what students want to

read...

TASK: Audience research

Look through the following front covers and answer the following questions:

1. Are there any common features e.g. Driving lessons, student discounts, giveaways, careers advice, competitions?

2. Which features would persuade you to pick up the magazine?

3. What would you like to see on the cover?

4. Does the cover star attract your attention on any cover in particular? Why?

Past examples

TASK: Representation• An attractive cover star is vital to the success of your

magazine. Your star should look like an IDEALISED version of the reader. You need to create a positive, unthreatening representation to attract as many consumers as possible.

• Define your primary audience by delivering a questionnaire to 30 people around college.

• Then come up with a list of at least 10 positive adjectives that describe the kind of student that should be on the cover of your college magazine. How do you want outsiders to view you?

Aquinas Magazine Planning• Flat plan in Publisher the front cover for your

Aquinas Magazine