What you get on front covers.

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Masthead

Kicker

Cover Line

Secondary Lead

Plug

Graphic Feature or Puff

Selling Line or Banner

Tagline

Feature Article Photo

Anchorage

Flash

Menu Strip

Bar Code

Date Line

11.

Headline

Caption7.

Web-links?

Ears?

e.g. Connotations of the Masthead What meaning is added with the

interaction between anchorage and photos

What lifestyles are hinted at in taglines, kickers and use of language in general

What is regarded as most important on the cover and why you think this is

What tone / type of language is used

How front covers are conceived and laid out.

Direct mode of address can appear ‘in yer face’, serious, warm…

Indirect mode of address can be mysterious, lively, sombre…

Creates a wacky, fun image, sharing an identity with the reader that offers the ‘independence’ of indie music.

Enigma – what are they getting up to now?

Colour - The colour scheme of the Rolling Stone magazine seems to stick with being red, white and black. The colour scheme does not stay the same through issues and depends on the image being used. Such as in image one, Prince is wearing a white shirt with red dots, this then works well with the Rolling Stones red title. Where as on another magazine cover, the colour scheme is focused around the colour black. The colour red is always used as the titles colour, and this does not change. Where as the writing on the cover usually sticks to the same sequence of being either black, white, or red.

Fonts - There are around about 4 different fonts used on the overall cover. Style - The front cover gives you an overall feel of intensity, as the feature photo on the article is looking directly

at the reader. Also the look of the cover gives it a sophisticated feel, as the colours are not too bold, and the text is not in an unusual font. The overall look of the magazine holds an invitational feel, as the feature photo looks at the reader. This also gives the magazine a slight uncomfortable feel. The theme of the magazine could possibly be seduction, as the feature photo is invitational, but also has the shirt unbuttoned. Also from the features of the magazine you can tell it is very sexual as it uses quotes such as ‘FAITH! FUNK! SEX!’.

Use of Space - The left third does not dominate as much as the right third does on this magazine cover. As the right third holds a lot more information than the left third. The masthead is also not in the top left corner, but instead covers a strip at the top of the magazine cover. The headline is also not at the bottom of the mid third, but is in the middle of the left third. The text and images on the magazine hold a square theme to them, as the font is straight up and down, with no curves to it, also the images that have been used to hold the text, are all square. It is also quite a chaotic front cover, as the whole of the magazine is covered by images and text, and there is no dead or white space.

Conclusion - I think the magazine cover has been designed like it is, to go against the typical magazine conventions and show something different to appeal to audiences as this magazine being a particular different layout to many other magazines you may see. The magazine holds a slick but loud style. As the long fonts seem as if they may be in a bold, and this draws attention to them. Also, the regular use of the same colours does not make the magazine look tacky, or overdone, but a lot more classy and thought out. Also, because the magazine cover is full with no dead or white space. This makes it loud, as there is a lot more going on, on the front cover, compared to what you may find on other magazines.