This document analyzes the front cover, sell lines, main image, house style, contents page, and text of Spin Magazine. Some key points made:
- The front cover uses eye-catching images and sells lines to attract readers. Sell lines are in uppercase and use buzzwords.
- The main image takes up most of the cover and is professionally shot. A 3-color palette is used.
- Sections like contents follow the house style with the masthead and consistent layout. Images draw readers in.
- The body text is concise and uses techniques like pull quotes and columns for readability.
2. FRONT COVER
Front covers of magazines need to be eye catching, professional and
suitable to the genre of magazine. Here we can see that this magazine is a
music magazine , there are different codes and conventions related to
magazines:
• Main image – usually the main feature in the magazine , normally took in
a studio using a close up or medium shot.
• Mast head-brand identity, usually short and sweet (one or two words),
fills the width of the cover and normally placed at the top of the page
• Price and issue number
• Puffs- offering the reader more information
• Sell lines- attract the audience’s attention making them buy it.
• Main sell lines – largest text on the cover apart from the masthead ,
corresponds with the main image and acts as a hook drawing the reader
in.
• Colour – normally a 3 colour palette, keeping it simple and appropriate.
3. SELL LINES
The sells lines are all in Uppercase Letters, standing out to the reader and
making it look more interesting rather than just plain boring text. The
font size determines their importance so the larger fonts are the most
important sell lines on the magazine and are usually for the main
stories/articles within the magazine.
Another idea is the rule of thirds , the main sell line is placed on the left
hand side and this is where the reader is likely to look first as we read
from left to right.
Buzz words are also featured in some of the sell lines such as “Best” ,
“Free” , “Featuring” and “Top” these words make the magazine stand out
and make it sound as it is the best magazine that the reader is going to
read.
4. MAIN IMAGE
Main image is usually taken in a photography
studio , using a high key lighting so that the
audience can see the characters facial
expression and emotion. The image often
takes up all of the front cover leaving little
blank space on the background. It also
overlaps the mast head or vice versa as we can
see here the mast head overlaps the main
image .
5. HOUSE STYLE
Colour Palette- for this magazine again it is red black and white. Using
a 3 colour palette keeps it simple and appeals to the audience and
genre. Bright “pop” colours will not appeal to those who are
interested in the Indie genre and this why Spin Magazine will have use
these rather dull colours.
Fonts- bold block font. Stands out and hooks the reader in to make
them pick the magazine up and look inside.
Mast head- large font , sits at the top of the page and usually takes up
the width of the magazine at the top. Shows the magazine’s brand
identity and people recognise the magazine by this mast head. This
also keeps consistency and shows the magazine is professional .
Layout- Spin magazines all use a similar layout , the main image takes
up the majority of the page ,main sell line covers the main image
slightly , mast head placed at the top, sell lines set just off the main
image and usually on the right hand side of the page.,
6. CONTENTS
Contents page carries the house style used on the front cover ,
mast head(magazine title ) is put on the contents page too.
Image takes up most of the page. The 3 colour palette is used
again. The rule of thirds theory works here, we are immediately
drawn to the main image and her eyes are almost in the central
frame and is shown to be the main protagonist . The artist is
shown with a guitar over her head signifying that she is
rebellious and defiant but the make up she is wearing along
with the clothes show she is glamourous.
7. CONTENT
Main body text is very straight to the point and simplistic. Each
section has a sub title in a bold font standing out from the rest
ensuring the reader knows what each section is about. Then
each article just has a brief description so that the reader
doesn’t get bored having to read masses of text but it helps by
not revealing too much information about the article , creating
sense of mystery for the reader. The articles shown are just
some of the articles included in the magazine.
8. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
Main focal point is the title and main image, the title stands out
the most and is shown right across the 2 pages of the double
page spread.
The main image is taken in a studio and shows Mark Ronson
sitting on the floor breaking musical instruments showing a
rebellious side to him which could appeal to the audience who are
slightly rebellious and don’t always correspond to the rules of life.
The main body text is set away from the image and is kept in 2
columns making it easier to read for the reader.
9. TEXT
Drop Capital starts the main body text off, this shows the reader
where to start reading from and it is written in a large bold font
making it clear for the reader to see, sometimes the drop capital is in
a serif style font making it look more formal but this drop capital is in
a sans serif style font giving the article a more laid back feel to it. The
text is in 2 columns making it easier to read and it isn’t a big article ,
this helps stop the reader getting bored of masses of text. A pull
quote is placed in the text to break the text up , again making it easier
to read.
10. REFLECTION
After looking at Spin Magazine in more depth I have found different things that I need to include on my
magazine to make it appeal to the audience, suitable for the genre and professional. For the mast head I
will use a simple bold font that is going to stand out from the rest of the content on the page. It will also
help if the title of the magazine is short and catchy making it easier to remember , keeping the brand
identity simple for customers to recognize . I have also found that a 3 colour palette of duller colours like
reds, black , white , browns are more suitable for the magazine making it appropriate for the
audience/genre whereas bright colours such as pink and blue give a pop music impression and I don’t
want people to think the magazine is a pop music magazine. Spin magazine only uses one image on
their contents page, I find this boring and too plain so I think to make my magazine more upbeat I will
add a few secondary images on to the contents page that are suitable to the articles within the magazine.
The main body text needs to be simple and by putting it in columns and adding pull quotes this keeps
the reader engaged and helps the flow of the text making it easier to read.
