Magazine cover 4 : Rolling Stone

This is my 4th analysis of a magazine cover and it is from the magazine Rolling Stone focusing on Mumford and sons.
Colour scheme
Now unlike the other magazine covers this doesn't not consist of predominately 3 colours. However the text is made up of white, yellow and red but only for the text and not the actual image. All four of the members of the band in this photo are wearing dark colours which allows the light coloured text to stand out on top of it.
I do like the contrast of light coloured text on a dark background but I am partial to having a tri-colour scheme as I do quite like the affect it has on how the cover looks as a whole.
Image
This image is of the four Mumford and sons members, Marcus Mumford the lead singer and who the band is named after is at the front and he is the main focus point hence why he is at the front. He is also covering some of the other member's bodies. The image is put in front of the actual name of the magazine which is in the middle but then the image is actually covered by the rest of the text to show the contrast in colour of font on top of the dark coloured image.
I personally do like it when the image is in front or behind the title or text to show which piece is seen as more important and if more value to the overall article in the editors mind.
Text
All of the text is serif which means it has flourishes at the end of each letter and that is done throughout this cover page. The main pieces of information are in white text where as the rest of the text that adds to it is in yellow. This is differentiate between key information and excess information which is not as valuable to the article.
I personally like the variation between the serif and San-serif types of font and is what I want to have on my cover especially to divide the important and then not so important text like this article has done but with the use of different colours and not font.
Layout
The text overlaps some of the image but not very much covers Marcus Mumford as he is the main focus in the image and the other have text over lapping them. However the name of the magazine is overlapped slightly but the title but still visible enough so you can identify the name of the magazine.
Again I like the overlapping look as it does allow the audience to see what the editor thinks is more important compared to something ever on the cover page.

Double page spread 1 : NME

This is my first analysis of a double page spread and it is from NME magazine and the focus is of Liam Gallagher.

Colour Scheme
The article itself only consists of three main colours, thus going back to this common tri-colour which NME is fond on a regular basis. Despite it usually being white, black and red usually; this time the red has been swapped out for gold which is seen a more luxurious colour. The only real use of white is that background which is all white with black and gold text on top.
Again I am fond of the tri-colour scheme and the gold seems to have a different aspect to red but the white and black seem compulsory in such a colour scheme and I would include this.
Image
This image is of an inlargeed shot of Liam Gallagher, so much so that some of the image does not actually fit into the page itself. However it take up the majority of one side of the article and the entirety of the left page almost. He fit the colour scheme of just mainly wearing black in the image and having the black and white newspaper he's holding it has gold text. The image is really superior in comparison to everything else on the page.
I would like to do something similar in the way of having an image dominate one page of the double page spread as it gives real importance to the image and more importantly to the artist the the photo is of.
Text
The bold text is San-serif and doesn't have flourishes on the end of the letters, however the main text does have serif text as it. Some text is in gold and the other in black to match the colour scheme and have a contrast upon the white background. Not only this, but the gold is used for important information or even added detailed.
I would want to use the mixture between Serif and San-serif fonts becasuse it creates a difference between the two and shows what needs to be highltighted as more important.
Layout
The layout have it as an image dominated on one page and the other page is full of text which is has different colours, sizes and fonts to emphasis what is more important than others. The image actually goes of the boundaries of the magazine to show how important the image is supposed to be which is why it has its on page nearly and the text on it is very small in comparison.
I do like the idea of having a large image in comparison to the text to show the contrast and to emphasise the importance of the image.

Magazine cover 3 : Q 2012

This is my third front cover analysis for my blog and it is from Q magazine with the main focus being Florence.

Colour scheme
This front cover does contrast slightly from the previously looked at posts which both had the tri-colour scheme. However this does have a tri-colour scheme but is different in its use. The colour has been chosen to match with the colours Florence herself is actually wearing. Her red hair is not the same colour as the infamous red Q but it is still red. The blue eyeshadow then it is again blue around the article. Also white as she has quite a pale skin tone, it is also incorporated into the cover. Blue, red and white then become the 3 main and only colours despite there being different shades of each. The colours used match the colours of Florence's skin and appreance which is very bold and well thought of.
Again I do I like the use of this tri-colour scheme and an initial idea, however choosing the colours on the basis of what the model is wearing or how they look to them convey the cover in their image is very bold and I do like this and would consider the inclusion of this in my magazine.
Image
The image is a close up of Florence's face which is the background for the full front cover. This image has significance along side the text of her saying 'I feel so alone' this image then has captured alone which nicely fits with the text.
I like how the image is the first main focus here and then the link of the text is brought in and almost backs up the meaning of the image which shows the thought put into it and is the type of thing I want to get across in my magazine.
Text
Nearly all of the text is bold san-serif text apart from the 'I feel so alone' quite which emphasises the importance of that heading and this shows by it being different to the rest of the text on the cover. It is also the size of the text represents how important each piece of the is on the cover, the bigger the more important. All of the text is white which makes it clear and visible up against Florence's red hair.
I might want to include the use of the more important pieces of information in a different font as it shows that the more important information against the not so important but there are other ways to show this also.
Layout
It has been positioned so that the text is on top of the image of Florence but incidentally no text covers her face and only covers her hair to show despite being covered over by text she is still the main focus in the magazine. The 'Q' takes up the top third as it is important to clearly shows the magazine company in bold. The text is deliberately not touching any of Florence's skin as it is white text on quite pale skin white emphasises the cover is all about her.
I like the face that the image really dominates on this cover and there is no doubt that the text isn't as important but still needs to be there to some up this image.

Magazine Front Cover 2 : NME 2010

This is my second front cover analysis and it is of the NME with the main focus being Oasis.

Colour scheme
This front cover seems to share the same colour scheme as the last one I did an analysis on which is a tri-colour scheme. Incidentally, the last post was another NME magazine and the colour scheme of white,black and red was repeated. However on this cover the colour red has less emphasis as it did because its more frequent use on it. Liam Gallagher is wearing the same colour red as the text where as Noel Gallagher is wearing black. This tri-colour affect does not have the same influence because as there is more content on the front page, therefore the three colour have used more and could say have been over used.
I do like the use of the tri-colour scheme but it has a more significant affect when there is less on the page and the third colour has more impact up against the white and black. From this cover I do like the black text on white background and vice versa.
Image
The image is of the Gallagher brothers who formally associated themselves with Oasis before their split. Liam is wearing bright red and Noel is wearing black. This contrast in colour so the difference between the two brothers and therefore backing up the breaking up of the band. From the tone of skin I can infer that these are two different photographs, this therefore emphasises the scale of the bust up that they will not be photographed together never mind in a band.
The contrasting colours do have an appeal and  shows the difference without have significant text saying so. So if I was to show difference I would try to do it by what my models are wearing instead of having the text say so.
Text
Pretty much all of the text is in block capitals letters to show the importance of what is being said. The black and red text is on a white background whereas the white writing is on the black background. This emphasises what the text says by having a background that makes it stand out. The three colours are also the three main colours on the magazine.
I like the idea of having a lot of the text in capitals to show it's importance, but however I would have more in lower case as not everything is as important as everything.
Layout
The cover has either Gallagher brother standing either side of the cover showing the literal divide between the two brothers. The difference in coloured clothing also shows this divide between them. The text is positioned between the images and even goes behind the images at points which shows they are the main focus.
I like the overlapping images on top of the photos or the other way round to emphasise the test or the image dependant on what it is.

Magazine Front Cover 1 : NME 2014

This front cover is the first that I will analyse for my Media Studies coursework. I will use these covers to identify the common codes and convention in the media today relating to front covers, in order to have a better idea of how to structure my own. This NME magazine has Alex Turner on, lead singer from the Arctic Monkeys.

 Colour scheme                            
 The colour scheme for this cover is black, red and white which is commonly associated with dominant male figures and from what I can infer from my current and recent studying of front covers. The 3 coloured colour scheme emphasises the importance of the text and reminiscent of old tabloid newspapers which printed in white, black and red. All of the text is in red so this shows the most important bits are in red, including the name of the magazine.
I would consider the incorporation of such a colour scheme to create such an impact upon the readers. It also defines the main aspects of the magazine, I feel this works very well especially with the colour scheme or white, black and red.
Image
The image on the front cover is a close up of Alex Turner's head. The main image of his head is behind and also in front of some bits of text. This gives the impression that the photo of him is important but share the same importance as the text. Also the pointed hand links to the famous World War One poster of Lord Kitchener which give a different element to the cover. The shot of Alex Turner must be a close up to almost try and replicate the image of Lord Kitchener to give the added affect that goes with it, this to make more noticeable.
For my front cover I may include the overlapping of the main image and text if both had the same importance and created the same affect on the cover, also if one was not predominately more significant than the other. 
Text
The text 'Rock 'N' Roll Needs You' is again a play on words from the Lord Kitchener WW1  poster where it was 'Your Country Needs You'. This again links to the image of Alex Turner's famous acceptance speech at the 2014 Brit Awards Ceremony. The font is block writing and it matches the title of the magazine. The font used is Sans-serif which is basically letters without flourishes, this gives the effect of it being more informal.
I think for my main text on my front cover and the title of the magazine I might not use a serif type font and too demonstrate the importance of the main focus and news. However saying this I would most defiantly like too use serif type fonts in magazine but the front cover my not do it justice.
Layout
Now the layout for this front cover is very interesting as to how it is set out. Obviously the image is a main viewing point but the way it is overlapping and also being overlapped by some parts of text shows that the image is just as important as the text. This cover is very centralised with pretty much all of the key text of images within the rule of thirds where the reader is most likely notice it.
I like that the key and most important elements are all near one another so all the reader needs to see is right in one place and I may use this to make my own magazine easier to appeal too.

This is the World War 1 poster of Lord 

Kitchener that has been referenced 

in the article.

Initial Ideas

                                    

For this post I will be talking about what I may want to include in my final magazine, however the ideas I bring up here my contrast to my actual final front cover of my  magazine.

Firstly my initial genre type will be Indie Rock as I feel it is a very popular genre in the current day and may speak our to a lot of the audience.

Front Cover

Image

For the image on my front cover I would ideally like to have the my model/models being the main focus of the cover. I could have some standing ahead of other if I went for a group to show the more dominant characters. Another aspect that I have picked up which I would be looking to incorporate is the main image overlapping some text to some its importance on the cover. I will also have the inclusion of some additional photos to back up the other articles in the magazine highlighted on the cover. This will be to replicate a lot of modern magazine where they have brief remarks or images to acknowledge what else is featured in the magazine. The main story will obviously match with the main headline ad the size of the image will represent the importance hierarchy of the story to match it.

Fonts

The fonts will be something that is very likely to change many times over this process but however my initial thought for the main headings in the magazine is 'Painter' which has a old school look to it. This should work well with the genre of the magazine as the font gives of the alternative Indie Rock theme I am hoping to get across. For the title of the magazine font I would incorporate a font similar to the name of the magazine which is yet to be confirmed.

Colour scheme

For me the colour scheme will be vital to the success of making my magazine fit the genre of its supposed type. A factor I have noticed is the tri-colour scheme of three colours which keeps getting repeated and is a strong dominant look for this type of magazine. Already from my recent research white is a very common colour of the Indie Rock colour scheme and I will look to add this in. Also to contrast well with this is black which is the second mainly used in this tri-colour scheme. Now a popular third colour would be a red, blue or an orange but at this moment I am settled of having this colour scheme and this could be a good start for colours.

Preliminary Task

Prior to the start of my coursework, I was required to do a School Magazine as a preliminary task to show my current skills and knowledge on the subject and the codes and conventions. Now by no means necessary is this a finished article or my best work as my understanding is not as advanced as hopefully it will be in the creation for my actual coursework. However I do feel this task gives me an insight as to how to and how not to do my Music Magazine. This finished task in basic in my personal opinion but I feel that the more research I do the more wrongs I will hopefully right. I went a dark blue background as that is the main colour scheme of the school. The main cover image is a mid-shot of my model and predominantly takes up the majority of the cover. In hind sight the image could use some editing if not a lot, and also relate to the background cover colour. The font is Copperplate Gothic for both the cover and contents page titles. The layout of the contents page is not great to say the least and could do with some resizing and rearranging. For the contents I went for the same font and colour scheme for title and background colour. all in all it was not my finest work but it as a start and I now know where I can work from and how to progress.