Production Task-Research into Codes and Conventions

of FRONT COVER

Harry Gupta

Recognizable singer on front cover posing half naked- attracts attention.

Bold masthead- red- color of romance- creates a sensual theme-shirtless male.Magazine focused on men- ‘4 Ways to Rock a Suit’.

Three color house scheme- red, black and white appealing to the eye.

Various artists to entice audience to read inside

the magazine.

Advertising brands such as Calvin Klein

Color coordination- background has been set to a dark color which avoids contrast with his skin colour

Fully displays other issues of the magazine

Cover lines stand out, create meaning for the image- poses interest for reader.

Direct address- singer and model looking at audience- creates personal bond (uses and grat)

Mid shot, revealing torso- hot and sweaty implies target audience- women. Creates personal connection with audience- uses and gratSmaller different text- showing date- unusual and not repeated again on the page.

VIBE Codes and Conventions• Firstly, I have noticed that ‘VIBE’ have used hermeneutic questions to entice the audience into

reading further articles such as, “Haiti, A Survival Story”. This is something that I intend to do. • The bold mast head is very effective and recognizable, which is a key factor in which I wish to include

when I create my Print music magazine.• I find the fact that they used a current artist as their Front Cover model interesting. This creates a

more modern feel for the magazine and will link in a wider target audience range; such as love-struck teen agers, mature young adults, males who possibly see Trey Songz as an idol, not alone in music but in his physical appearance-displayed on the front cover of the magazine. VIBE also targets professional young adults as they’ll be the audience who can afford to buy the magazine.

• They separate cover lines with regular (less urgent to- important text) by highlighting the cover lines in bold, bigger font. This allows the audience to differentiate between the two and decide which is more important to read. I will use this convention as I find it effective to use wasted space, and also that it creates a better understanding and easier layout for the design of the magazine.

• A house style is consistent. They have used the mast head, cover lines and less important text as the boldest theme color, red. I will use this as it attracts the attention of the reader to read that text over some other parts.

• To conclude, VIBE have boldly made it clear that their magazine, is mainly for males. Firstly they state “NO DICE, GAMBLING” relating things back to gambling which is a predominantly male activity. They go on further to say “4 Ways to Rock a Suit” and “Living the Dream… and the Nightmare” suggesting that men are fearless and have a great life, whilst living a horrible one. I intend on using scenarios like these in my music magazine to define a target audience clearly.

Masthead dominates top left hand corner of page. Red and white. Creates power and a sense of global success, with the singular letter of ‘Q’ and slogan ‘DISCOVER GREAT MUSIC’ implying infinite possibilities to cater to all music genres and passions

Creative, angular header with bright colors to attract attention.

Realistic blood trickling down Lana Del Rey’s face- links in with ‘Q’s red theme in addition to this, mentioning of Jay-Z and Kanye West.Red- sexual semiotics

Recurring theme of pink, as it is a female artist who will attract the target audience of teenage girls (aged 10-20) pink would be the stereotypically appropriate color.

Incorporating blood with speech and a pun to include humor and appeal to a wider target audience.

Hermeneutic attractions, putting the number in bold to display how many there are- usually the bigger the number the more interesting the product/event is.

Different font of text to introduce the meaning behind the artist on the front cover. (Uses and grat),

Direct mode of address, artist looks directly at the audience, creating a personal relationship with them- leads them to question why she is bleeding- creating sympathy.

Possible sexual gaze, sexual desireMedium shot- Uses and Grat

Q Codes and Conventions• Firstly, I have noticed that ‘Q’ have used hermeneutic labels to entice the audience into reading further

articles, which I intend to do. I will include this key piece of research, when I’m creating my music magazine. They have also displayed a hermeneutic question with the blood on her head. Most readers would question this and wonder why she has blood on her forehead, querying as to whether it has anything to do with an upcoming song or a past experience, and would wonder if it reveals so inside.

• The bold mast head is very effective and recognizable as its is their logo and just a single letter. I will remember this when I create my Print music magazine.

• I find the fact that they used current artist, Lana Del Rey as their Front Cover model very effective. The global success of Lana Del Rey on the front cover will attract a wider target audience range; such as female teenagers and young and older adults.

• They separate cover lines with regular (less urgent to- important text) by highlighting the cover lines in bold, bigger font. They also distinguish the artist Lana Del Rey’s identity by having her name spewed across the left corner of the page in a contrasting, bold and pink font. This allows the audience to differentiate between the two and decide which is more important to read. I will use this convention in moderation. As much as I find it will be useful for me to use when creating my magazine, I feel it will be more important to publicize what is inside the magazine rather than display the ‘celebrities’ name.

• There isn’t really a house style consistent on this Pop magazine. The masthead is a bold red logo of Q, however then some of the writing is in pink bold font, with contrasting black, white and red colors as well- not including the pink and yellow header above the Q logo. The quirkiness of the design could be resulting in the fact that the target audience to buy the magazine will be younger teenagers (ages 13-15).

Back drop is pink- demonstrating that the target audience supposedly would be aimed at young girls- this is supported by the fact that the model and singer, Katy Perry has pink gerberas and yellow daisies rapped around her. She also is wearing a hot pink lip stick to incorporate herself into the backdrop

Striking bold black masthead at the back, with added color to tie in with the colorful theme. In addition to this, the main cover line, ‘Katy Perry” is also in black signifying an importance.

Sell line- uses a contrasting combination of colors, no fill effect just a circle drawing the readers attention to it.

Hermeneutic question: leaves the audience wondering who else is on the Charts Heat and in which order and also leaves the audience wondering if Taylor Swift will debut with a million copies sold.

Contrasting house style colors of black, white and yellow, with the yellow color essentially being the subheadings and the black font to be the important key features of the front cover

Medium-long shot creates an impersonal, distant feeling-however due to the pose of the artist can spark a feeling of mystery and intrigue, causing the reader to discover why the artist is being ‘distant’. Uses and grat

Fun themed coloring and design layout of the magazine, partially due to the fact that it is basically a teenagers Pop music magazine.

Finding common interests with the audience by linking in social media- builds stronger relationship.

Billboard Codes and Conventions • Firstly, Billboard have clearly displayed that the main target audience for their magazine is girls, due to the

stereotypically pinkly dressed Katy Perry (a global icon to teenage girls). Additionally she is rapped up in pink gerbera flowers and what looks to be like white/yellow daisies, representing happiness and fun. The contrast between this ‘Billboard’ magazine and the ‘VIBE’ magazine in which I looked at earlier is that the VIBE magazine focused more on the male target audience, it is made clear that there will be more females purchasing a copy of the magazine, due to the lack of muscle, discussion of suits and gambling. I intend on doing just this and creating a definite target audience, one in which is easily recognized.

• Billboard have used several Hermeneutic questions in their print, where they left the reader wondering about the various celebrities on the ‘Chart Heat’ list. In addition to this, they also cleverly used another one which stated “CAN TAYLOR SWIFT’S Q4 ALBUM DEBUT WITH A MILLION SOLD?” leaving the reader wanting to find out if it can, what are the chances and possibilities. This creates desire in the reader. I will definitely include this when I come to creating my print. I think that it is useful and creates a reality to a magazine.

• Billboard have displayed a contrast of colors and the house style is black, white and yellow- not forgetting the pink background. I will incorporate a house style, but have it in keeping with my target audience.

• Finally they have found a small common interest with the reader, Facebook, as most people would have social media. By including Facebook it allows you to question what Facebook has to do with ‘making money’ as it is described and why it is on the front cover with Katy Perry. This poses as a Hermeneutic question on its own.

White back drop- inferring a ranged target audience. Also the model/singer, Taylor Swift is positioned with suggestive leg (male gaze) and her attire is a ‘jocks’ jacket

Direct address. Personal connection with audience, (uses and grat) poses as a hermeuntic question- why is she looking at ‘us’ the audience like that? Why is she sitting the way she is- is there a purpose to this?

Cover lines- introduce the artist on the front cover and also has a describing sub cover line describing her purpose on the front cover of a music magazine, besides being a global success.

Contrast in colors against background- purpose?- when describing the word hot- appropriate to use the color red- connotes heat. Hermeneutic question

Hermeneutic question- leads the audience to wonder and intrigue about ‘Mitt Romney’s Mormon Ghosts’- are they real? Intrigued to read more

Archetypical to have a successful blonde, beautiful singer on the front cover of a magazine discussing heart break. Contrasts against background.

Another cover line, this time in bold to contrast against the background of white.

White T-shirt connecting to back drop of white- white background possibly displaying purity to the reader about this blonde singer- stereotypical view on a blonde- innocence- possibly showing rebellion against innocence due to her wearing boys jacket and revealing shorts.

Rolling Stones Codes and Conventions

• Firstly, the Rolling Stones haven targeted their main selling audience as male and females of 15-40. This is due to the fact that Taylor Swift is a monumental ‘teenage girl’s’ icon, however the magazine has displayed a heavy metal rock group, Led Zeppelin, most popular in the 1970’s. This would attract the attention of parents of the teenagers, possibly. They also discuss the late John Lennon in ‘Lennon’s Lost Letters’ and Rod Stewart- an elderly singer from the 1970’s also. This all is tied together by the young and centered Taylor Swift- appearing on the cover for her second time. This could connote that she is a popular celebrity with both teenagers and adults. This is definitely a technique that I plan on using when making my print front cover.

• In addition to using Taylor Swift as their model to advertise the magazine, I intend on using someone well known, who of course isn’t a celebrity but attracts attention from possibly the male gaze, and female admiration. I think that using a female model is a lot clearer to advertise the magazine, rather than using a male. The fact that Swift is showing bare leg, appeals to the men more than the women, but when the cover line discusses “The Heart Break Kid” that applies stereotypically to the women, having to deal with the majority of heart break themselves.

• Rolling Stones have displayed a contrast of colors and the house style is black, white and red- similarly to that of VIBE magazine. I will incorporate a house style, but have it in keeping with my target audience. In addition to this I think that, although it is a Pop magazine, they have masked that to keep it available to a wider target audience which I think is clever and I intend on doing just that.

• Rolling Stones have used various Hermeneutic Questions on the front cover for e.g., her long distanced gaze into the camera, creating a direct address with the reader. This poses the question of why is she sitting the way that she's sitting? Or why is she brushing her hair off of her face and looking so serious. Finally there is a cover line stating “ Lennon’s Lost Letters” and “Mitt Romney’s Mormon Ghosts” leaving the reader puzzled and interested to find out more, and to reading the music magazine.

Common Codes and Conventions

• There is the bold, commonly red masthead situated at the top of the page, center or if not then the top left hand corner.

• The cover line is usually in contrast to the back drop color- creating definition.

• The artist is always situated in the middle of the screen, posing in either strange of suggestive way.

• There is always bold text to separate the important information with the more minor information.

• Alternate fonts and colors to entice the reader.• Hermeneutic questions or pictures to entice the reader.