Magazine ResearchJessica Smith

Front Cover AnalysisThe background colour of the magazine shows a close relation to the mise-en-scene of Katy Perry’s clothing and the flowers on her. It also complements the text colour scheme which all fits well together. They used three main colours of pink, black and yellow. This makes the magazine look more welcoming and invites you to look at the main image. Also the pink background makes it look more feminine, so with the main artist and the colour scheme it looks like it is aiming for a certain audience of young females.

The artist’s name is the largest font on the page. This is done to suggest to the reader that the magazine will include a large article on this person. The typography of this title is done in serif font which gives the magazine a more professional look and emphasises power which also relates to the image. The teaser line underneath the head line tells you more about the article of Katy and makes the reader want to read more about it. Also the smaller cover lines advertise the other big articles in the magazine. The yellow font helps to organise the front cover and makes each story stand out more.

The central image is a long shot showing the whole body. This is done since she is the main subject of the magazine. The clothes are shown as it may suggest that its relevant to the article in the magazine about her. Her make up also reflects the main colours as it is all pink themed, with lots of blush and bright pink lipstick.

In this magazine the language used is moderately complex. This shows that the magazine isn't aiming at kids but people with a bit more sophisticated language like young adults or teenagers. There is very little writing but the cover lines are all placed on the left had side which gives the cover page a clean structure to it. This also suggests it is for a slightly older audience since the magazine isn't clustered like children’s magazines are. The less cover lines means the features within the magazine will be detailed and not rushed.

The splash promotes something using a graphic. In this case it is promoting chart heat using a red circle to make it stand out more on the page.

The subjects facial expression is clearly shown due to the mode of address being shown. This makes the reader feel more involved in the magazine and to the subject.

The masthead has the main cover image overlapping its title. It stays the same every magazine with a simple sans-serif font and coloured in letters which makes it look a little childish.

Main feature headline. Entrances the reader and makes them aware who is on the cover straight away.

The puff is a competition in the magazine that is put on the front cover to get people to buy it to win the competition.

This skyline advertises content included in the magazine. in this magazine it shows that ‘Sheryl Crow” will be in it.

Contents Page AnalysisFor this contents page, the typography is varied using a range of different fonts. Billboard use both serif font and sans-serif font. I think they do this as the magazine is aimed at a large range of people so they are trying to match the font styles to everyone too. On the right hand side of the page, there is a column written in small font which suggests there will be a lot of information within the magazine. The titles included are in a much larger font as they are trying to stand out so people know that they are looking at the ‘contents’ page.

The layout of the contents page is a bit crowded; however a contents page informs people what the magazine consists of so this is very helpful. The contents are in 2 columns and show only the main contents of the magazine and not all articles. The contents are split into 4; ‘upfront’, ‘features’, ‘music’, and ‘in every issue’. This is a god way of categorising to help the reader know what they're looking for. On the left hand side of the page there is a Billboard chart. This is consistent with every magazine so it becomes regular and people want to look at it and what the popular songs are at this moment. Even the charts are categorised into 3 sections of ‘albums’, ‘songs’, and ‘this week on .biz’. this makes it feel organised and gives the impression that s what the magazine is going to be on the inside.

The colours used are very bland such as black grey and white. however this gives it a formal and sophisticated look. The artist seems to blend in well with the background. The main 3 colours in this are black, blue and yellow. These are the theme colours on the page to make it look professional. It has a simplistic colour scheme and the colours chosen all compliment each other well. These colours are neutral and fashionable so they will appeal to both genders of the young target audience.

For images, there are inserts which are relevant to the features within the magazine, as there is a lot of text the images give the page more colours and make the layout more interesting. The shot used for the main image of the artist is a long shot because you can see her whole body. This is effective in showing the body language and her kneeling down pose shows her having a humble and relaxed attitude. She is kneeling however at eye-level which also shows it was taken with a low-angle shot. This is also effective since it connotes her being comfortable and content. The simple background causes more attention to the main image. The other 3 images are all relating to the articles in the magazine. Most of these images are using direct mode of address therefore entrance the reader into coming to the article they are about.

The language of this magazine is very informal and therefore suits the target audience with simple to moderate language. The use of contractions and simple sentences gives the impression of a lack of professionalism with the audience reading this.

For conventions, the title-‘contents’- is at the top which is usual or most magazines. conventionally, there is a page number for each feature/cover line. On the other hand, the list of features in the middle of the page is unconventional as it is normally positioned on the left side of the page.

The page numbers shown are only main features that will appeal to the readers. The page numbers are in black whites bold to help it stand out to the readers.Also, the few images that are shown have page numbers next to them which is effective as it makes it easier for readers to simply go to the page they want by looking at the image.

There is a ‘billboard” logo, which suggests branding and gives the magazine an established look.

There is a column which shows what songs are currently in the charts. There is a variety of charts as there is not only just one official chart. I think his is appropriate as Billboard magazine is based on the US so it will interest readers.

The title is ‘contents’ which is suitable as it tells the reader exactly what the page offers. Its style is in block letters and is black which makes it stand out and contrast with the background.

The main features within the magazine are in the centre which gets the most attention as it is in the centre of the rule of thirds grid. People generally go straight to it instead of the left hand column because it has smaller font.

The white hotspots are on or around the column and the image which catches the readers attention and draws them in.

Double Page Spread AnalysisThe font is representing what the words are saying as the word ‘fiercely’ is put in a very bold font whereas the word ‘creative’ is put in a font which is quite artistic. One of the negatives of this article is that the texts are too small to read however with the small texts, the article does look more professional.

For colour, both words in the main headline stand out a lot as they juxtapose the background which is a gradient of pink and purple which targets the female audience more. This is continued on the image through the artist’s make-up. The bold white writing is easy to read and informs the reader straight away on what the article is going to be about. They have used a mix of four different colours for this article which is not always normal for magazine companies to do, this gives the page a sense of uniqueness which appeals to certain people.

For the layout, in the top right hand corner is a caption for the article that says ‘woman of the year’. This tells the reader the article is going to be about a woman who is most likely famous. There are two columns of writing for this article. They are located on the left page because a lot of writing can feel quite intimidating to many readers. If the columns were placed on the right hand side, it would be the first thing that people would see so could maybe put them off looking at those two pages or the article altogether.

The main image is placed on the right hand page and takes up the whole page. This is because when the reader turns the page the first thing that they will see is the image so will automatically know who it is about. Her make-up hair and costume are all statement so stand out to the reader which is in relation to the title which includes the word ‘fierce’. The hot is a median close-up to show her facial expression to the audience.Her mis-en-scene is what it is trying to show in relation to the word ‘fierce’.

The language of this article is quite intense and inspiring including words such as ‘fierce’ and ‘achievement’. This magazine is aimed at appealing to young to adulthood females. The language is not too complex so can be understood by the ordinary person using things such as contractions and slang.

Sub-headingShowing the audience what might be included in the article. Also showing audience she is well known.

The artist is looking directly at you which may suggest that the purpose of her article is to connect with the audience.

Main Image.Takes up half of double page spread which highlights she is the centre of attention.

The main image links to the title of the double page spread. The word ‘fiercely’ links with the make-up on Beyonce’s face. The costume also links to this.

The byline is located underneath the stand first, above the article. It is in capital, white, bold font as it contrasts against the background. It isn't a large piece of text as the byline is seen as irrelevant information to the reader.