Main Research Task

1. AS Media Coursework Rebecca Maul Research TaskFront Covers

2. Due to the boldness of the red block colour, and the black shadow that falls behind; the masthead of this magazine stands out, even though the main image overlaps it. It is simple yet eye catching and although the image is placed, obscuring the view of the masthead, it is a well known title and logo that it is still easily recognisable to readers due to the font which the title well known among readers The main image for this front cover is of a well known music star – Lil Wayne and this made clear by his name being in bold red capital letters which is also one of the headings. This is the only heading that overlaps the main image showing that it is of some importance and allows the reader to assume that this what the main story is consisting of The headings and subheadings of this front cover continue the theme of the bold black and red block colours. It keeps the front cover in order and makes it easy for the reader to see what is featured in the magazine as the block red headings draw attention to the main articles and acts as a selling point for the magazine. The black subheadings stand out just as much as the red and the two colours used compliment each other in the way that they both make the other noticeable when placed next to each other

3. The masthead of this magazine is ‘Q’ and it uses a very simple format with red and white. It is also used for the headlines and throughout the magazine. The red is very bold and strong against the background and attracts the reader’s attention immediately The image of the lead singer portrays a very destructive character. His clothing is dark which makes him seem less than innocent and gives an insight to what stories will be included in the magazine. The image would appeal to people who are interested in heavy rock music as it can stereotypically be portrayed as very destructive music, in many ways The main headline of this magazine which is ‘MUSE’ is very bold and contrasts against the background image of the magazine. It stands out and is the first thing the readers would be drawn to. Also, the subheadings below the main headline stand out much more on this side of the magazine than they do on the right side of the image as they seem to be much more eye catching with the alternate red and white colouring and the subheadings themselves are very wild and would appeal to their audience The front cover shows the lead singer of the band Muse acting in a disorderly way which ties in with the strap line and pull quote

4. NME is an indie magazine that normally uses a bright and garish colour scheme, however, this magazine cover uses very minimalistic colours. The colours used for the masthead and the main heading are black and white. This offers a major contrast and distinguishes the headings the subheadings; also due to the font and text size as well as the colour The image used covers the whole page and as the writing contrasts with the colour of the image, it is very eye catching for both parts of the magazine. The image is of a relatively well known main singer of the band ‘Florence and the Machine’. Her red hair and facial positioning portrays a very strong character and gives the magazine a very strong and dominant feel which would attract the target audience for this particular magazine The subheadings of this front cover are smaller than the main headings and all written in white. The font and text size varies which provides a change throughout the cover and allows certain, possibly more important, subheadings and sections to stand out

5. This masthead is very bold and stands out immediately as you look at the cover. It overlaps the image which almost links the two together. The simple font, large text size and white writing allows it to overpower everything else that is on the magazine. This means that the name of the magazine, followed by the image, are the first things a reader will see when looking at the magazine. This magazine is much older than the previous magazines I have analysed. The main image takes up the middle section of the front cover, however, it is a very striking image. This is due to the bright blue eyes that both men have, which links with the colour of the subheadings. This keeps a running theme for the magazine which makes it look neat and attractive. It appears to have been edited to make the eyes look brighter and have much more depth than they probably did, however, this is a very effective technique This subheadings are written in a shade of blue which stands out against the black background. The main heading is written in a slightly bigger text size and also in a white font which contrasts with the background and draws in more attention from the reader.

6. The masthead is the typical ‘Kerrang!’ logo which makes it very identifiable, especially to regular readers of this magazine. The masthead itself is being slightly overlapped by part of the image, however, it also overlaps the two other people in the image. This creates the illusion of several dimensions of the masthead which would attract readers as it is eye catching and easily recognisable amongst other magazines. Overlapping the image is the main heading which is in large, simple, white font stating the bands name. this allows the reader to know at first glance who the featured band is in this issue of the magazine This front cover is busier than the other covers I have looked at as there is a lot more image content. Some people prefer to look at more on the cover but some find one image enough of a selling point. The main image for this cover partly overlaps the masthead, however, it is only overlapped by one of the band members, giving him more importance. The image uses the binary opposition of black and white to again show importance and contrast. The main singer is in white, and the two other band members are in black which creates a symbol of status within the band. Below the image and the main heading, there is a section in red which acts as a selling point. It offers something ‘free’ and makes sure the reader is aware of this by capitalising the word and bordering the images and text in a rough red outline

7. This NME magazine is the extreme opposite of the first one I analysed. The colour of the font is a very bright, garish pink in contrast to the white font which the first magazine used. The pink is very eye catching and it stands out amongst the image used in the background which uses mainly dark colours. The masthead ‘NME’ is in the same position as usual, keeping the consistency of the magazine logo. This allows it to remain recognisable with readers. The main image used for this front cover is of a very popular female singer. Her name is written across the centre of the image which establishes exactly who she is and informs readers of the main story in this issue of the magazine. She is placed in a rigid position with a sincere facial expression and her hands on her hips which gives her ‘attitude’. The singer has a bird on her shoulder which creates an edgy, mysterious persona and makes readers want to read the story inside about her. In order to retain the colour scheme and make the magazine attractive to readers, the singers eye make up matches the colour of the bird on her shoulder, and her lipstick matches the colour of the font used for the magazine headings. The subheadings used on this magazine are in mainly white and black. This keeps within the running colour scheme and as well as contrasting with the background, it allows readers to see each main section featured in the magazine clearly

8. This is the Vibe music magazine featuring Eminem. The masthead is very eye catching and uses strong and bold colours. The red and black colours are very harsh colours and represent hardness. The red usually signifies danger, and this could be seen to represent Eminem’s persona as he is a very tough character in the celebrity industry. The font is simple yet attractive to people of a younger generation as it is not too bland or dull. Above the masthead, there are taglines which provide the readers with extra information at first glance about what is in the magazine. Next to the image of him, in bold red, larger writing is written ‘Eminem’ to inform readers of the star featuring on the cover and in the magazine The main image is of the rapper Eminem holding a very strong and aggressive pose. This is what his fans have known and loved him for and by portraying him in this way on the front cover, ‘Vibe’ keeps his persona and encourages his fans to buy this magazine. The image is central on the cover and overlaps all the writing, including the masthead and main headings. This gives the image more importance and really attracts the readers to what the magazine is about. The subheadings follow the theme using black and red font. It makes certain sections stand out more than others and gives the magazine a more consistent feel, even though there is a lot of writing on the cover