The document analyzes the cover of a music magazine featuring Florence and the Machine. It summarizes that the cover uses light, natural colors and fonts to portray Florence's interview as personal and intimate. The main image of Florence without makeup suggests she will be open and honest. Standard magazine elements like the masthead, date, and bar code are professionally placed to draw the reader in and advertise the key article in a clean, uncluttered layout.

1. Anna Ryan

2. What you get on front covers

3. 1. Masthead
8. Selling Line
or Banner
Web-links?
9. Tagline
Ears?
2. Kicker
10. Feature
Article Photo
3. Cover Line
11. Headline
12. Anchorage
4. Secondary Lead
13. Flash
14. Menu Strip
5. Plug
6. Graphic
Feature or
Puff
7. Caption
FREE –
15. Bar Code
Live music
downloads
16. Date Line

4. Masthead
Plug
Caption
Date Line
Kicker
Cover Line
Selling Line
or Banner
Headline
Web-links?
Ears?
Flash
Bar Code
Secondary Lead
Feature
Article Photo
Anchorage/
teller
Graphic
Feature or
Puff
Tagline
Menu Strip

5. Florence and the Machine NME Cover
The Masthead is very large and bold, standing out against the background of the magazine. This
suggests that the magazine is bold and stands out. It suggests that the music within the magazine is
bold and almost shockingly stands out. It’s one of the first things seen and it’s original in the sense
that it’s the initials of the magazine and not just the magazine, which suggests that it’s different.
The anchorage states, ‘On ghosts, Amy Winehouse and her fear of messing up’. The suggested
meaning behind that is that Florence is going to give an exclusive, personal interview on herself. This
is due to the words ‘her fear of messing up’. People don’t often give away their fears as they find them
quite personal. This connects with the image which also suggests that she’s going to do a personal
interview, or give something exclusive away about herself. It suggests this because she isn’t wearing
any make – up, so she looks very natural, as if she’s not hiding behind anything. It suggests that she
won’t hide behind anything during the interview.
The issue uses taglines, kickers and language to hint lifestyles. For example, a cover line ‘Steve Jobs’
and the kicker ‘1955 – 2011’ The man who revolutionised music’ suggests that maybe they’re going to
do an article on someone’s life and find out what his lifestyle was really like, especially if he died
(which NME makes it sound like he did).

6. Florence and the Machine NME Cover Continued
The advertisement of Florence’s segment is regarded as the most important article on the
cover. This is because she’s the main image, which means she’d the first thing seen on
the page if someone were to just look at it. This suggests that NME want her to grab
people’s attention and let them know that she’s the main topic in the magazine. Also, her
name is positioned in large, bold letters which would also attract audiences and explain to
audiences who she is.
The tone of the magazine isn’t ‘in your face’ but it’s still relaxed and informal. The type of
language used is informal. For example, a cover line includes the words, ‘AND, ER,
QUITE A LOT MORE’ which isn’t something a formal magazine would use. It’s
personification, making the magazine look like it has a mind and look like it’s speaking to
the audience with it’s use of natural, human language. The language might make people
feel more at ease and more comfortable with the magazine, not taking it too seriously. It
shows that the magazine doesn’t want to be taken too seriously

7. How front covers are conceived and laid out

12. Colour
The colour scheme used in this particular version is quite light and not bold, apart from the masthead. It’s not the same colour scheme for all of the
issues, only that one. The colour scheme for other issues seem to be much bolder depending on the band. For example, for the issue with Muse as
main image, the colour scheme includes a dark, bold blue, reflecting on the boldness of the band and music. Florence and The Machine have another
issue where she looks very bold, with bright red hair. This would be because it’s reflecting on the music of the band at that time. In one issue, the colour
mainly focusses on is the vibrant red of her hair, which suggests that the band was vibrant and bold at that time, as well as confident as red can also
connote confidence.
In the issue that I’m looking at the colour is very washed out, especially for the background. This suggests that her music isn’t as ‘in your face’ as usual
and is more relaxing. The colour scheme also includes echoes of red in places, particularly in her hair and the headline. This suggests that there are
echoes of confidence in her music, but not as much as usual.
Fonts
There are roughly about three different fonts used; one for the masthead, one for the headline and one for the rest of the text on the page, even if they
are at different sizes. The fonts change from issue to issue when a new artist is on the front cover, except for the masthead, where ‘NME’ stays more or
less the same font. This makes the magazine recognisable to audiences due to that one consistency.
Style
There is a very natural look and feel about the issue, with naturalistic colours and sizes. The style isn’t too bold but there’s enough boldness to let
audiences know it’s there. The cover contributes to it because of the colour scheme which is very washed out and natural with exceptions to the black
writing and red headline. Even though the masthead appears bold, the colour is white which symbolises naturalness and purity, something that the
magazine is trying to get across.
The main image is a medium close up shot. The image reflects this straight away from her face and clothes. Florence isn’t wearing any make – up
which makes her look very natural. Also, her clothes aren’t too ‘dressy’. She doesn’t look like she’s trying to impress anyone or wear something to
connote a particular image.
She’s using a direct mode of address which suggests that she’s trying to connect with the audience. She isn’t looking away, she’s being open and
invitational in a sense. She’s not smiling but she doesn’t look unfriendly either, suggesting that she’s serious. Her hands are in the shot, which suggests
that she’s not hiding anything in them, she’d got nothing to hide.
There isn’t much of an enigma attached to the image but the anchorage underneath ‘on ghosts’ might capture the audience and make them want to
know why she’s speaking about ghosts and not her music. Has she seen something? Does she believe in ghosts? What happened to her?

13. Use Of Space
The rule of thirds has been used to centre the main image in the middle and decide what’s going on the left third. It is clear that the left side dominates
as it has the most conventions on such as; the masthead (which should be seen first anyway to show audiences which magazine it is), the kickers and
cover lines (which is used to interest the audience and hook them to the magazine. They have to be attracted to what they see) and the date (which
shows the reader if it’s the most recent issue).
The use of space is typical as the masthead is in the left hand corner, the main image in the centre of the image, the headline centred around the
image, in the mid- third. The most important things are highlighted in bold or colour, such as the headline ‘Florence.’ Even the bar code and date line
are in the correct places, the bar code positioned in the lower half, the date line positioned just underneath the masthead.
Everything seems to be spread out evenly on the magazine and nothing looks messy or clumped together. There isn’t too much on the page but
enough to interest the reader. There doesn’t seem to be any dead space on the magazine because everything is so professionally spaced out.
Conclusion
I think it’s designed as it is because the magazine wanted to advertise the main feature as natural, so they’ve gone for a more natural slight less bold
look. It keeps strictly to the usual conventions, with the layout exactly the same as a typical magazine.
Overall, the magazine look stylish and smooth. It doesn’t look ‘in your face’, loud or bold. It isn’t making a statement or trying to show a particular
message. It looks natural, simple and real, like the feature they want to advertise.