MAGAZINE COVER DECONSTRUCTIONS

Masthead falls behind the main image. Therefore the main image is viewed as more of a selling point than the brand of the magazine. It follows the typical magazine cover convention as it is positioned in the top left hand corner.

The eyes on the main image are facing directly forward. This almost makes it feel like she is looking directly at you which would draw the audience in.

Yellow background is bright and would be eye-catching on the shelf.

Subheading creates a direct, conversational mode of address due to the inclusion of a rhetorical question. The explicit language appeals to the target audience, particularly teenagers, because at this age they are experiencing freedom and being in control of themselves as opposed to following the rules of their parents/guardians and may therefore use such language in their everyday life.

Provocative main image appeals to the target audience of late teens to young adults. The majority of NME readers are male and therefore this image would attract them. However, the majority of Lady Gaga fans are female and therefore this image would also appeal to them.

The colour scheme (yellow, black, blue and white) is very bright and random. As a result, it would appeal to the target audience as it could be viewed as representing freedom of expression.As well as this, these colours make it aesthetically pleasing and would cause the magazine to stand out on the shelf.

Main coverline ties in with main image as it portrays Lady Gaga as ‘unzipped’.

Masthead is the main focus and selling point of the cover as the main image is tied in and it is in Matt Bellamy’s eyeline.

Subheading is intriguing and would make people want to read the magazine to learn the relevance of this.

Masthead is being broken by the guitar in the main image. This is reference to the general rock theme of the magazine and would appeal to the target audience.

Colour scheme (black, white, grey & red) makes the magazine appear very professional and reinforces the ‘rock’ theme which would instantaneously appeal to the target audience when viewed on the shelf.As there are many music magazines aimed at teens, Q aims for music lovers of both genders aged over 25. This colour scheme is appropriate for this as it is not gender biased and does not include very bright colours which would be more appropriate for younger readers.

Main coverline falls on top of the main image and stands out due to the contrast to the dull colours on the main image. This creates the idea that the inclusion of Muse is a main selling point.

Lexical choice (e.g. ‘nutjobs’ ‘yeah, right’) is very informal. As a result, this would appeal to the target audience because people aged over 25 would be used to working and behaving professionally and would therefore read this magazine in a time of leisure. This light-hearted tone creates a mood of relaxation and down time as the dialect is tailored to the target audience.

The inclusion of a smaller image increases the appeal of the magazine as it allows people to see, even at a glance when the magazine is on the shelf, what else is going to be included. Coverlines etc. may not be this easily noted. Due to the undying popularity of The Beatles, the fact that this image is of them would definitely increase interest and sales of this magazine.

The impression of a scrap book is created through the fact that the image is positioned at an angle, various fonts are used and the coverlines on the top right hand side have a white background. This is an interesting concept as it is aesthetically pleasing and would stand out from other magazines with a rigid structure.

The Main image is incorporated into the masthead as Lady Gaga’s hairband is in the place of the ‘I’ in Billboard. In a similar way to the NME cover featured earlier, the masthead falls behind the main image which, once again, reinforces the idea that the magazine feel as though Lady Gaga is a larger selling point than the magazine name itself.

The main coverline is larger than the masthead which insinuates that the inclusion of Lady Gaga is viewed as more of a selling point than the brand of the magazine.

The colour scheme ensures the masthead stands out as the general colour scheme is black & white however bright colours (red, yellow, blue & green) are incorporated into the masthead. This would immediately attract people’s attention when on a shelf and it creates a sense of structure and an instantly recognisable logo as these colours are always included in the masthead.

Subheading tells of what relevance the main coverline has to the issue. This would intrigue the audience as it informs them of what the Lady Gaga interview is about and would therefore make them want to read the story and find out more. As a result, this would increase sales.Various different fonts are used which

could be representative of the various different genres included in this magazine. However, the cover appears mature and fashionable as the fonts used are simplistic and neat. This would appeal to the target audience of teenagers to young adults as people at this age are very style-conscious and aware of how they present themselves.

Other coverlines which state what else is included in the magazine are situated at the bottom of the cover. They appear in a smaller font which suggests that this cover does not aim to grab attention through the coverlines however once the audience is looking closer at the magazine this would confirm their purchase. The fact that there are many coverlines creates the impression that the magazine includes a lot of interesting articles, has something for everyone and is well worth the buy.

The masthead falls behind the main image in all.

However, this feature is more evident in the NME

and Billboard magazines as it only happens very

slightly in the corner of the Q logo.

The main coverline is the same colour as the

masthead and falls in front of the main image.

The main coverline (name of the artist) is larger than the masthead on both the NME

and Billboard covers examined.

A minimalistic colour scheme was used on

both the Q and Billboard covers which

causes the masthead to stand out.

The masthead is incorporated into the

main image.

The main images on NME and Q tie in with the main coverlines and subheadings as

they show Matt Bellamy as ‘out of control’ and Lady

Gaga as ‘Unzipped’.

Main image:- The eyes are facing directly forward- Provocative

Bright coloured background

‘Scrapbook’ style image incorporated

The subheading is a rhetorical question

Informal lexical choice

Various colours included in the masthead

The main coverline is not written as simply as on NME and Billboard. ‘Lady’

is featured within ‘Gaga’.

COMPARISONS

As a result of completing the previously shown deconstructions, and analysing the comparisons between them, I have been able to pick out some features which I

would like to include in my own magazine in order to make it appear professional.

I believe it will be vitally important to feature the masthead falling behind the main image, as this attribute occurred in each of the magazines I analysed. As well as this, I will attempt to make the main coverline larger than the masthead, even if

just marginally, as this is another element which I noted repeated on 2 out of 3 of the magazines. Furthermore, I feel as though the main image used on the NME

cover was very effective due to the forward facing eyes which draw the reader in. Due to this, I will consider using a similar image with my ‘artist’ looking into the camera. A final feature which I have drawn from this analysis and would like to

include in my own magazine is the format in which the main coverline is presented on the Billboard cover. The way in which ‘Lady’ falls inside ‘Gaga’, as well as the

font, makes this magazine appear sophisticated and professional – Characteristics I would like my own magazine to convey.

MY MAGAZINE