This document analyzes the front cover of a TV listings magazine focused on soap operas. It discusses various design elements used to attract readers, including bold colors, large text, prices displayed prominently, illustrations of popular TV shows, and emotive language describing dramatic storylines. Key verbal codes examined include "lovers," "murder," and "divorce" which hint at drama to draw in readers. The conclusion recommends repeating design techniques like bright colors, large text, and multiple cover stories to sensationalize content and engage the target audience.

1. Soap Opera Genre –
Ancillary Product
Analysis
Name: Elizabeth Plumb
Candidate Number: 2049
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

2. ‘Family Days Out Save £££s’ –
attracts readers to the magazine
through bold font and colours
which stand out. This also attracts
people to the magazine and
expands the target audience to
families seeking holidays.
‘What's on TV’ – The masthead of
the magazine is large and
attractive to the audience due to
its bright colours.
‘Only 49p’ – the price of the
magazine is inserted into a
bright coloured bubble and
bold font is used on the price in
order to make the price more
noticeable for the audience
A group of illustrated lures, such
as ‘Corrie’, ‘Wimbledon’ and
‘EastEnders’ are used to show
readers the content of the
magazine and promote both
soaps and sporting events. The
lures contain small cover lines
which give the audience an
insight of the advertised TV listing
in order to attract the audience to
read on and tune into the
programme.
There are 2 plugs for this
magazine front cover which are
the Masthead and the advert,
both are spaced out from the
other content as they are located
in the corners of the page to
attract the readers attention and
magazine it is.
A large image of Eastenders
characters Tanya & Max, this is
used as it is the key feature of the
magazine and is supported by
image editing of the glow which
is eye catching and helps grab the
target audiences attention
Verbal codes such as ‘lovers’
‘murder’, ‘divorce’ and
‘showdown’ are used to attract
the target audience of the
magazines to the article or
particular TV listing as the
emotive language is powerful and
gives insight to the main story or
event within the TV listing, this is
also supported by characters that
are involved with the event.

3. The pop-up consists of verbal
codes such as ‘biggest Ever’
which has two extreme words
together. Because of this, the
readers will have an impression
that this issue is a special one, as
the font is larger than the cover
lines too. The ‘ever’ is in italics
which increases the importance
of the information because it
emphasises the word itself, being
different from the rest of the
sentence. The images of balloons
around connotes celebration and
achievement.
Part of the cover consists of
promoting the magazine. The
verbal code ‘amazing’ connotes
that the pull-out is a unique
selling point of this issue, which is
attractive to readers. The image
of the woman could be a typical
representation of the typical
reader, gender and age group.
20 years in a different font to the
other sentences makes the
number seem significant which
connotes glory and formality.
The orange of the main cover story/Headline connotes passion and commitment as the
readers will sense the excitement of the topic of the headline.
The font for ‘every’ on the strapline makes it stand out and promises to the audience the level of detail of the magazine information and
excitement. The strapline connotes that that the magazine prides itself on producing the magazine ‘every week’ with new ‘secrets’
Not leaving a space between the
words of the masthead could
connote that all soap operas are
together in this magazine and the
red colour represents the
magazine takes this with
importance.
The non-verbal code of the image
has characters who are counter
stereotypically represented
gender-wise, because the man is
behind the woman connoting
that the woman is more
important to him. The camera is
overall a medium shot, but it
seems more focused on the
woman with clear outlines of her.
The language used in the cover
story has lack of grammar but
because of this it succeeds in
targeting those who watch soap,
as they understand the narratives
so not many words are needed to
describe it. ‘Cain knows!’ does
not refer to any details of what he
actually knows. The explanation
mark at the end of each short
sentence ‘signifies’ that they are
important events in the soap

4. Conclusion
From completing this task I will ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) the use of bright and
bold colours to attract the target audience as it is eye-catching. I will also repeat the
use of large text and exclamation marks to sensationalise the story.
I will also repeat the use of many cover stories on one page, this is because I feel it is
eye catching for the target audience.