The document summarizes the front covers and inside pages of four magazines: Four Four Two, Billboard, and Four Four Two again. For the front covers, it describes the layouts, prominent images, fonts, and placement of key details. It notes design choices aim to attract target audiences while de-emphasizing price. Codes and conventions discussed include consistent use of fonts, images, and locations of specific elements. Inside pages summaries highlight featured articles, language, and techniques like questions and boxes to engage readers.

1. Critical Magazines
Ben Huyton

2. Four Four Two Magazine ( Front Cover
Overview)
• The masthead of fourfourtwo is a very big
convention of the magazine. It takes up the top 3rd
of the magazine and is in big and bold so is very
attention grabbing. Even though the target audience
of this magazine isn’t for kids it is for young
teenagers so hey still like big and bold fonts so it
appeals to their target audience. The main image is
of an extremely popular and well known footballer
called Neymar. This appeals to four four two’s target
audience because everyone who are interested in
football will instantly recognize his face. This main
image attracts all target audience’s eyes because
they view him as a role model. Cover Lines at the top
of the magazine lead the target audience into a story
or topic that will be developed in the magazine. The
white background with plenty of black text gives it a
slight newspaper look to it which gives the
representation that it is formal magazine. The bar
code, price and date issue are small and tucked away
because they are not important in the football
industry. Another reason why the price is small is
because it is an expensive magazine and they don’t
want the target audience to see how expensive it is.
The barcode is used so that the magazine can be
sold internationally all around the world. The
subtitle ‘Neymar’s on a mission’ is big and bold to
grab the reader's attention that this will be the lead
article in the magazine.

3. Four Four Two Magazine (Codes &
Conventions)
• In terms of the codes and conventions of this magazine it will always have a main
image in the center which will be the main feature article. The photographs are
always usually studio photographs and are taken in medium close up. In terms of
the masthead, Four Four Two use a unique font to be their trademark which helps
them separate their magazine from others. The masthead will always fill the width
of the cover. This media product will always have a main cover line supporting
their feature image which anchors the meaning of it. This will also be supported by
a sub line in smaller text giving more information about the article. In Four Four
Two there will also be other cover lines with one or two words with a sub lines
explaining them. These will normally be placed down the side of the front cover so
that the main image is not covered. These will usually be in the same font to
create a distinctive design. There will also be a strip either at the very top of the
cover or at the bottom containing lists of things that feature in the magazine. This
could be player interviews, quizzes, previews etc. This therefore conveys the
magazine is full of interesting stories and the audience is getting value for money.

4. Billboard Magazine (Front Cover
Overview)
• This is a very plain formal magazine which is devoted
to the music industry and all it’s genres. The target
audience for Billboard varies from 16-26. This is
because the magazine provides its readers with the
latest updates with the charts. The layout of the
magazine is very mature as it is not over crowded with
images. The main image is of one of the most
successful artists of his generation which will instantly
grab the target audiences attention because they view
him as a role model. The subtitle ‘finds happiness’ is
also used to the magazines advantage because it gives
the impression that it is a positive story which readers
are more inclined to read about. The colors contrast
well with each other and gives the magazine a very
formal look about it. Once again the barcode, date
and issue number are small and tucked away because
they are not important in the music industry. It is also
an expensive magazine so the publisher wants to hide
the price best as possible. The publisher can find out if
this product has been well received with its audience
by checking if there has been an increase or decrease
in weekly or monthly sales. If there is a gradual
increase it will mean that the publisher is doing a
good job but on the flip side if there is a decline in
sales it will mean that he is not reaching his target
audience effectively.

5. Billboard Magazine (Codes &
Conventions)
• Billboard use a variety of fonts on the cover to make it interesting. For instance
they will use their trademark font for their logo but use other fonts for cover lines
and sub headings. Billboard always have a medium close up studio photograph of
an artist along with a cover line to support the image. This will always be
billboards feature article. The feature article cover line is always the biggest and
dominates the page and is the one that producers hope will sell the magazine.
Billboard however have a different color palette for each magazine and don’t stick
to the same one all the time. The background will usually contrast with what the
artist is wearing. The date, barcode and issue date will usually be provided above
or just below the masthead. It is always very small and tucked away to make sure
they don’t distract the reader.

6. Billboard Magazine (Inside
Overview)
the masthead is a big convention of this magazine, ‘top line’ suggests that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are the
feature of this page and this is backed up by them being the centre image, This magane uses more
sophisticated language and is targeted at young adults plus. This page looks very professional as it is not over
crowded with images. The rhetorical question on the featured article ‘why isn’t R&B radio shopping at the ‘Thrift
Shop?’ entices the audience in more and leaves them with a question to answer. The black and white vibe to
the page makes it look very formal, with the simple text backing up this point.

7. Billboard Magazine (Codes &
Conventions)
Like i have previously mentioned, this page uses an effective strapline of a
rhetorical question. This will entice the customers into the article and make them
want to read more. Billboard also use an effective tag of ‘Top Line’ to underline
the importance of the article and help engage them in with the story. Page
numbers are present at the bottom right of the screen to help the audience
determine where abouts they are in the magazine. This is deemed necessary in
most if not all publications. A kicker is also used in the page in the form of the
large ‘m’ to start off the article on the feature. This is done to make it look unique
and therefore stand out from others article on the spread.

8. Four Four Two (Inside Overview)
This double paged spread makes it quite clear what the main subject is. The only topic of discussion is the
career of Alessandro Del Piero. There are added straplines of rhetorical questions to further entice the
reader into going through the article. The phrase One On One is classed as the headline essentially gives
away what sort of article we are looking at. Del piero is confirmed as the focal point with the giant image of
him being present on the right hand side of the spread. This could also be seen as a splash as it is telling
the reader ‘I’m Here’ In terms of the colour scheme is notoriously red, black and white. Although probably a
coincidence the black text on white background could be used as a reference to Juventus, the team where
Del Piero spent the vast majority of his career. The publisher can find out if his magazine has been well
received by checking on monthly sales, obviously if it sells well it will show that it has been well received
with his audience.

9. Four Four Two (Codes &
Conventions
Like i have already touched upon the masthead is used to be the most eye catching
convention of the magazine and in most circumstances has to be distinct. There is
also a clear box-out in this article containing a fact file. This is done to make it
stand out and separate it from other information on the page. There is a clear
feature on this page as Del piero’s massive picture on the right signals the
intention that he is the main asset. His name being put in big bold writing also
helps it stand out and makes it the main statement of the article. In terms of the
text itself the questions are put in bold with the answers in standard. This helps
the reader separate as to what is which. The red in the colour scheme could
potentially show that the article is important like the ‘red carpet’. The publisher
can find out if his magazine has been well received by checking on monthly sales,
obviously if it sells well it will show that i has been received well within the
audience. On the flip side though, if sales are poor it will show the publisher that a
lot of work needs to be done.