Analysing College Magazine Front Cover:
I will be analysing Bodmin College magazine – the target audience
for this magazine is mostly teachers, parents and students – aimed at both
males and females. Despite the aim to inform mainly students and adults, the
main target audience is the age range between 11 and 19. It is aimed at varied
social classes, however mostly C, D and E classes. The magazine’s aim is to be
entertaining and also informative, aimed at those who it concerns. This print
magazine is created by Bodmin College with the aim to relate to people
associated with Bodmin College.
Masthead: The masthead
on this magazine is not in a conventional style, it doesn’t stand out and isn’t
produced and a way that you’d expect from a magazine. The typography isn’t
conventional due to its style and the way it doesn’t stand out from the
background image. The Bodmin College logo is used to show the name of the
magazine, which doesn’t attract the eye, or makes it stand out. In a standard
magazine e.g. Kerrang, you’d expect to see a large, bold, typography, which
stands out and fits the common conventions of most magazines – magazines aimed
at a similar target audience e.g. Kerrang.
I would normally expect a masthead to take up roughly 1/6 of the page so
that there is less ‘dead’ space. The masthead doesn’t represent the main target
audience of 11-16 year olds, as you’d normally expect a larger text with more
colour.
Main image: One of the
main common conventions of a magazine is having a ‘main image’ – one image that
takes up the majority of space. This image will often be a medium close up of
the main feature or theme of the magazine. However in this magazine, there are
three images, which confuse the target audience and the eye – there isn’t a
main focal point to the magazine cover. I would expect to see one main image
coupled with perhaps a few smaller images - on the page to show ‘sneak peaks’
of what to expect in the rest of the magazine. Furthermore, the quality of the
images are terrible, moreover the lighting along side the just general
competence of the photographer shows how the magazine doesn’t possess the
professional quality of a mainstream magazine under the same target audience. The
image is a blurry long, dark shot. For example, a magazine such as Kerrang has
a very high quality to their main cover image, this allows it to stand out and
be the main focal point to the target audience. Finally, the context of the
images is not at all relevant to the mass audience – three images showing
female dancers are shown on the cover, this can be shown through the theory of
Laura Mulvey. She believed that women are only used in the theory of male gaze
– the females on the front cover could be believed to be there only for erotic
desire for the reader. Moreover the content is all about dancers, which doesn’t
apply to people who that doesn’t concern or interest. In standard magazine
front convers that follow the common conventions of film magazines have a
three-colour colour palette. This is not apparent in this cover however; as
despite the fact there are three main colours red, yellow and black, with also
a small section of white, there are also many other sections of the magazine,
which don’t match or ‘fit’ the colour scheme or palate. Purple is used widely in
the magazine, alongside green and a large amount of brightly coloured images,
which clearly doesn’t work with the colour scheme. If you look at magazines
such as Kerrang for example there is a clear colour palate of three colours,
this shows the amateur nature of this magazine.
Layout: The layout
of this magazine cover is extraordinarily out of convention; the classic
stereotypical idea of having a main image coupled with surrounding text and
smaller ‘teaser’ images. On a stereotypical magazine cover I would expect to
see a clear top sixth and a left third. These are areas are where the eye is
instantly attracted to and hence where the magazine will host the majority of
its information and text. I can use most Empire magazine for an example of this
theory; Empire magazine has clear sections i.e. top third and left sixth. This
magazine front cover, however, has no clear sections apart from of course the
masthead. Another reason for popular magazines (e.g. Cosmopolitan) having this
section is due to the fact that the eye reads from the left to right. The
Bodmin College magazine cover doesn’t even have any hint of this layout style
however, which doesn’t attract the eye. Popular, conventional magazines, which
follow the common conventions of most magazine front covers, have something
called a reverse. I can use Empire as an example of this. A reverse is where a
white font for example is laid over a darker background (one example of this is
Empire magazine). This is not used on the Bodmin College magazine however – the
Bodmin College magazine has simplistic layout and design, which doesn’t work in
term of attracting a target audience. There is not a reverse at the header,
which makes it extremely difficult to read the text.
Moreover,
most magazine covers have something called a sweet spot, an area on a magazine where
the eye is proven to be automatically attracted to. Once again a clear example
of this is the Cosmopolitan. This magazine often has an area of text where they
want you to view and be attracted to. Bodmin College magazine doesn’t have this
feature has it is very plain and simplistic; it doesn’t hold any technical
devices which will attract the eye and draw in the target audience.
Another
feature of popular children’s magazines are cover mounts – this is a toy, for
example, which is attached to the front cover. Despite this I do not feel that
Bodmin College magazine would require this as it is aimed at a different target
audience. With this in mind, I do feel however that there could possibly be an
extra incentive for the target audience on the front cover in terms of a cover
mount.
Lines: Bodmin
College magazine front cover doesn’t have any lines, which will draw in a
target audience or attract the eye, other magazine aimed at the same target
audience have this feature. This magazine front cover also doesn’t have a menu
bar, an area of the page where information can be shown. Other magazine such as
the Cosmopolitan and Empire, however do have this feature. This is where Bodmin
College magazine is falling behind in terms of popularity and popular desire.
Despite the fact that this magazine is given away for free, it would become
much more desirable if it were to have teasers and text boxes on the front
cover. This will apply to the mass audience and allow the magazine to be
popular in its marketplace.
Analysing
Skive Magazine Front Cover:
This magazine front cover follows all of the conventions that you
would expect from a magazine front cover. The cover presents itself as a
magazine that doesn’t quite know its target audience. I think that the cover as
a whole is not quite artistically coherent due to its confusion in terms of who
it appeals to and why. I would assume that the target audience of this magazine
is roughly 11-18, however I am unsure due to its design and connotations. I am
also assuming it is aimed at the target audience of mostly females due to the
connotations of the pink lipstick and also the images.
To
begin, the masthead is bold and stands out; its colours follow the colour
palette of the page and the textured lettering works well with the theme.
Moreover, the smoke-style design, alongside the lettering works well with
itself, with the rest of the page however I don’t think it is quite technically
sound. I feel as if the masthead by itself portrays a target audience aimed at
younger people, perhaps in the age range of 11-16, however when coupled with
the smoke effect I think that it’s unconventional style makes it seem as if its
aimed at a much younger target audience. Moreover, I think this is exacerbated
by the text overlay, which drops the assumed target audience. Despite this, I
think that the title of the magazine, ‘skive’ helps to represent a rebellious
target audience, it also connotes that it will be an interesting and enjoyable
read. Another connotation from this is that it implies ‘skiving’ off of lesson
– something that will help to attract their audience.
The
magazine cover is technically proficient in terms of layout style and design,
they main text areas are in place where you would expect, there is a clear
‘sweet spot’, a left third and also an upper sixth and finally there are extra
‘teaser areas. My main qualm with this however is there is too much information
in place. At first glance I feel that I don’t quite know where to look on the
page, whether to look at the target texts first or to look at the other
textured texts. This also shows my idea that the magazine doesn’t quite know
its target audience. There are large amounts of text so that the magazine can
try to appeal to a mass audience, perhaps not the most conventional nor appealing
in terms of appearance.
The
idea of a colour palate is followed on the magazine front cover; there are
three main colours – black, white and a misty grey. However, on the cover,
there are also three other colours – this is quite unorthodox for a magazine of
this type as others such as the cosmopolitan and empire follow a rule of three
– three main colours on the front cover. The colours used on the cover appeal
to both genders and also a wide age group. This fits in with Stanley Hall’s
1904 theory. He said that black often represents rebellious youth alongside
depression and negativity. Black also gives the magazine a professional look.
Black also allows the images and texts on the page to stand out, working as a
reverse.
The
main layout idea is conventional and follows most of the common conventions of
magazine covers. To start, there is a main image in the centre of the magazine;
this is a very close up shot of a female’s face. Despite this having been
strongly edited and designed, it still follows along the path of most magazine
main cover images. Other magazines such as cosmopolitan have the same layout
style and main image style. The image
quality and editing is of a reasonable high standard which makes it look
professional and formal. One theory, which isn’t supported by this magazine, is
Laura Mulvey’s theory that all women are used as a sexual desire for the male
population. This is shown through the main image connoting a young target
audience aimed mostly at females. Mise-en-scene in this image can also help
fore fill their target audience – the model is wearing large amounts of
make-up, which will relate to their target audience.
The
layout style and type is very relevant – there are many ‘teaser’ sections,
which allow the audience to have an extra hidden glance of what’s inside – this
can appeal because the main story may not be apparent to the whole target
audience. My main qualm is that there are too many ‘teaser’ sections and
perhaps the magazine doesn’t know its target audience so it’s trying to appeal
to as many people as possible.
Other
images on the cover also fit the stereotypes of many magazine covers – it fits
the conventions of popular magazines such as empire. The images are relatively
good quality however the placement and design of the images are not quite up to
the professional expectation of a magazine, which is trying to appeal to a
young target audience. The content of the images is also relevant as it shows
images of a boat, a musician and also a large group of people. This shows the
magazine’s willingness to appeal to a large amount of people. The boat connotes
a male target audience whereas the musician of course connotes a musical target
audience. Lastly, the image of the female, placed in front of lipstick,
connotes a female target audience who are interested in boys and who wear
make-up (the lipstick).
The
typography on this magazine cover seems to fit the conventions of magazine
covers, as it is relevant text placed in areas, which are going to be easily
seen and read by the target audience. Despite this, the fonts are very ‘mix and
match’ – some are stretched and others have words placed far apart. This makes
the magazine look unprofessional and amateur – on a magazine such as the
cosmopolitan, all of the texts are laid out in a style where they look good and
fit together. In Skive magazine there is probably too much text on the page, it
looks very full and ‘in your face’.
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