Front Cover Analysis 5 - Smash Hits

The masthead of the magazine cover is in a red colour and capital letters which makes it stand out, especially against a plain white background. The masthead is large and takes up a large strip of the page, making it very visible. The font used is in a serif font and is unusual and uncommon making the magazine different and unique. The font is bold which relates to the masthead title 'Smash Hit's' as it is very bold an outgoing.
The colour scheme of the cover is limited and uses classic, bold colours that are easy to see. Black, red and white with small amounts of yellow, catches the readers attention as it is block colours and easy to see. The yellow will just catch the readers eye, drawing them in. The colours of the text have been applied carefully and tie into each piece of text on the page, furthermore the colours go well with the image as the star, Lady Gaga is wearing black which goes with the black font for her front cover name.


There is a selling line for this issue at the top of the page, this is seen instantly and draws in the readers attention. "Exclusive Lady Gaga 64- Page special edition", this is placed on a black background in yellow text. The word 'Special' is highlighted in the white colour to make it stand out to the readers that this issue is special edition which will draw them in and emphasises the importance of the issue. This is directly aimed at Lady Gaga fans which instantly grabs their attention.

This issue has a cover line, 'The worlds biggest star uncovered!', Lady Gaga is considered to be one of the biggest stars of today therefore this instantly attracts her fans as they want to know more about her and her life. 'Biggest' is in a larger font size, it stands out to you more showing the reader that it is full of big secrets.

 The main image is of lady gaga which takes up most of the cover, which makes the text revolve around her. Her pose can be seen as a male gaze because of her finger to her mouth and her revealing outfit, which could be seen sexually, this follows Mulveys theory as women being a male gaze. However lady gaga could just be feeling powerful as herself and not afraid to show her figure more. Lady Gaga's black eye makeup goes with her black outfit and the black text on the page, following the colour scheme.

At the top of the page there is a pug, 'FREE Posters', this will draw in fans because they like her and it also gives images of Lady gaga at the bottom of the page, this could be an insight to the posters of her that are inside of the magazine. Making people want to buy the magazine and read on.

This magazine influenced my research and planning because I could use pugs like the free posters one to draw in people that are interested in the genre I chose, I could also make text bigger and smaller to high light the key things that are important.

TA Research - Profiling

'We heart Pop' magazine is aimed at the target audience of teenagers.
The layout is less mature than a Classical magazine. The text is sans serif and shows a modern touch with the kerning of 'Katy Perry' and the letters with gaps such as the A or the P have been filled it, this is a fun way of using text, implying it is more aimed at younger audience because it looks more modern. The speech bubble is very easy to see and looks very pop art, the use of the bubble helps with the magazine name 'We love pop' as it looks like someone is saying it, it has a heart to imply that they use emoticons and that is very modern and attracts a younger audience. Puffs are used to highlight key parts, it attracts younger people because it stands out to them more. A Pug is used to show clothing that pop stars would wear but at a more affordable price for younger people. The star is standing in a position that makes her look as if she is a diva, most teenagers can come across as a diva and will appeal to girls a lot because it uses more styles to suit them.


The second magazine would be aimed at a older audience. The name of the magazine is 'Classic FM' and would be seen to everyone as a classical music magazine, usually people attracted to that style of music are of an older audience. The page is set out to be easy to read and uses a classic colour scheme. The Black, white, red and gold is carried through the cover and these are very safe colours but look elegant and mature. The gold of Paul McCartney's name symbolises that he is an important person, the star of the cover being him will draw in peoples attention as he is a very well known star and is known around the older audience. The magazine doesn't feel as cluttered as the pop magazine however this is because they have kept the text in straight columns. An older audience would be more interested in this magazine too because it comes with a free CD, younger people now download music on apps instead of buying CD's, however an older audience may still buy CD's because they're used to doing that and they don't really use the social media we have today.


The third magazine cover is from 'Billboard'. This magazine is aimed at a young mature target audience, from the ages of 16 and upwards. This magazine is made to look very mature and spaced out. The text is set into columns that are in a white text to contrast off the darker background of the black and white photograph of Drake. The magazine have used a younger artist that appeals to a younger audience, they have also used a white sans serif font through out using small doses of colour to make it pop, however this makes the magazine look young and mature and most appealing. This magazine uses a puff to draw in attention to a story. Overall this magazine is kept simple and stylish to fit a young, possible university students life.

TA Profile Slidely

Bethany Banks's Slidely by Slidely Slideshow

My target audience My target audience is aimed at two types of audiences, a younger audience from ages 15+ and for the older age group of 50+ too, this is because it could interest the younger audience as they could like this style of music and the era. However I want to also target the older audience because they may have lived this era of music and style, so it will take them back to the days! I want to aim this at a younger audience because I am a teenager and I love to read about the vintage rock'n'roll days and the style, fashion and the women of them days inspire me! The women were glamorous and stylish, amazing singers and dancers and they always seem to be having fun! I also like the male singers such as Elvis, he was called the King of Rock'N'Roll, he was an amazing singer that brought a whole new world of music! I like to listen to Vintage Rock'N'Roll because its very enthusiastic and makes you want to get up and dance.

Locations Moodboard

My Inspiration

I am choosing a female star for my story, I am inspired by the vintage stars Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Audrey Hepburn. I am inspired by these ladies because of there power, their beauty and their talent.
The women could be seen as a male gaze like Laura Mulvey's theory, they were seductive, beautiful and fun. Audrey has big brown eyes that catch attention, her thick eyebrows give her natural beauty the shout out and the signature makeup look makes her stunning look pop!

Yet again Judy Garland also has that look, she has big brown eyes and the signature vintage makeup look. Her hair style is what attracts me because I love the curls, I would love to use this hair style look in my magazine for my star.

The one I am inspired by the most by the looks is Marilyn Monroe. Her beauty is known all around the world, her big eyes and pouty lips. Blonde, effortless curls. She is the model that I am taking inspiration for looks off.

My Stars Name: Survey

I did a survey as to which name people were most attracted to, this helps me decide on what name I shall use for my star in my magazine. I wanted the name to be appealing to people so that they would want to read about the star. I did a survey of 20 people of a range of ages.

From my results I have decided to choose Delilah Rose to the name of my star, I like this name a lot and I think it will suit my star.

Vintage Hair and Makeup Moodboard

This vintage hair and makeup mood board I have created has given me ideas of how I want to make my star look, so that they will fit into the genre of music.

Vintage Fashion Moodboard

Here I have collected fashion ideas for my model to wear in my magazine, this will help link it to the Vintage Music theme.

Star Image in magazines

The star image in a magazine has to be glamorous as they're a construction, not a real person - Richard Dyer says. I agree. The star image has to look the part for the magazine, they create the image of the star to fit the genre.

Here Johnny Cash sits for a medium close up, looking directly at the camera for Vintage Rocks magazine cover, he shows a powerful, yet emotional facial expression. The direct eye contact of the star and the reader draws the reader in, they want to know about this strong, powerful and deep looking man. Johnny Cash is written in a large serif font, attracting the reader, however underneath it says 'Outlaw poet and voice of the dispossessed', its like the magazine is saying the lost voice, relating to the death of the famous singer.


This magazine cover shows a woman, in a medium close up, that was seen as a 'Rockabilly Queen'. So here the magazine presents her as a beauty, hair in curls that look effortless, bold eyebrows and bold lips and a delicately detailed clothing to show her importance in the music world. She's smiling, showing she is happy and looking directly to the camera, looking right at her audience with bright eyes. This plays a huge part of the star image as they need to look appealing so that people will want to read about her. The star image shows a beauty, with a talented voice, she looks very glamorous and looks as if she is just about to go on stage. It shows that she is passionate for her singing and will attract fans and others to read about her.

Analysis of DPS 3

Locations used in existing magazines

I found that in many Vintage Rock magazines, they contents locations for their shoots are usually on a set and performed.

They have a block colour background and the some of the artists on the front covers are not with us anymore, showing that the magazine edits pictures of the artists onto the magazine.

The photos are not taken by them. The photos are usually black and white, to show the age of the performer, so when they use a block, bright colour for the backgrounds it represents old with new.

The magazines usually show the artists in motion and on each magazine there are various angles, wide and close up shots. The covers usually use a classic coloured background, the colours are strong and mature.

This has influenced my planning and creativity because it shows how the vintage magazines are set out to show the old and the new to their audience. I could possibly do something like this so that I can show the old and the new in my magazine too.

Analysis of DPS 2

Masthead: Font survey

I did a survey involving 20 people and 6 fonts for my magazine masthead. The majority of people (11) chose the font 'Verve' by Dieter Steffmann. This must be more appealing to people as they must think that it goes better with my choice of genre.

Masthead: Possible Fonts

Here are some possible fonts for my masthead. I like each of these fonts because they are each very different and show age of the magazine. Each of them are easy to read and look appealing.

Masthead Name: Check

I checked to see if my name for my music magazine is already used. I looked on Wikipedia for all the names of music magazines; it then shows me all the magazine names and mine is not there.

Masthead Name

I researched words relating to my genre, Vintage. We found the word Notable, I like this as it is relates to music notes in the word. The word also shows that Vintage music is important and is a noted music in history.

Photo shoot plan

For my photo shoot I am going to use two models, my mum and my auntie. My magazine is targeted at a wide audience of young people to older people, using middle aged people will help in my magazine as it will show young people in the past. This will be appealing to younger readers and hopefully to the older audience too that can relate to the magazine genre more, than the younger audience that want to know more about it.

I will shoot my photos at Normanby Hall and also at my grandmas house. This is because the grounds of the hall has some beautiful landscapes to take pictures at and it shows a vintage look with the lovely old hall. The beautiful and free landscapes will relate to my story as a young artist having a comeback into the music world, feeling more free than ever. The scenery at my grandmas house is appropriate because she owns big grandfather clocks, beautiful record players and musical instruments that she once used in her younger days as a singer herself.

I want to use a range of shots, for the cover I would like to use a medium close up shot, so that the model is a main focus for the magazine. For the DPS I would possibly use a longer and wider shot.

Initial Ideas Post

The genre I have chosen is Vintage. I like vintage music because it reminds me of rock and roll, swing, jazz and war time. The genre of music can range from fun and exciting music to classical and softer music. I already own some props that i am going to use in the photo shoot for my music magazine such as a record player.

My star is going to be my mum, my auntie may also be included as a model in my music magazine. I chose them to be my stars because they are also interested in vintage and they enjoy going to 1940's weekends, I also chose them to be my models as I feel like the audience of my magazine could be older ages, this will help me in my process of making my music magazine because they already own the right clothing I would like them to wear for my music magazine, such as fur coats, pearls and big earrings. The makeup they will wear, I will do myself, this will include the classic red lips and the natural eye makeup. The hair styles my auntie will sort as she is a hairdresser, I want to have the classic curls or up do. The glamorous look reminds me of the women singers in the 1940's and so on because they was all so elegant and classy.

I would like to take my pictures at a classy place, such as Normanby Hall or somewhere that has a vintage vibe with big grand father clocks and record players. This adds to the vintage genre because it shows the years it would be set in. The colour scheme I will use shall include gold, black, white and possibly red. These are very classic colours and the gold would symbolise that this type of music should be treasured.

I have decided to make my double page spread on a story of a comeback, a young female artist that wasn't accepted as well into the music industry by the other, older artists. There will be quotes included and a story of the females background, also where she disappeared to in the time she was gone.

My genre will follow codes and conventions as it will use the target audience as an age guide, a wide age bracket should be able to enjoy this magazine and it will be from a young age of 15 to later ages such as 40's +. This is a wide target audience and I need to ensure that I include many features to attract this wide range of audience, such as formal yet exciting and fun language to get the readers attention to the genre of my choice. I will use page numbers, columns and correct text wrapping for my magazine.

Analysis of DPS 1

How research has informed my creativity and planning:

• I like the different types of text for the title.
• The text wrapping looks attractive because it shows the full image of the singer.
• I like the pull quote, I could use this in my magazine to add more features.
• The bright colours make the magazine more appealing.

Contents Page Analysis 3

Contents 3 from BethanyAlisha

Ideas: Record Player

There is a vintage record player that my grandma has at her house, it has given me inspiration to choose vintage music as my genre because I like the old, classy look of the instrument and the chic, glamour and amazing music that came with this. Records were played and danced to, I like to imagine the scene of the older days and the joy that came with the music.

Magazine Contents Page Analysis 2: Rolling Stone

Mediacontents from BethanyAlisha

Magazine Cover Analysis 4

The most outstanding feature on this magazine is the image, it is a long shot of Elvis Presley. It is black and white which is attractive to the target audience because it shows that it is within the vintage era, this links to the magazine title. The image is partially covered by text but his face and body are not.
The image looks to be taken as a studio shot, it is sharp and clear. Elvis looks like he is having fun and is in action, this shows that the magazine is fun.
The masthead is at the top of the page, just underneath the banner that includes features. The masthead is large and is in a bold and is a serif font, this links to the genre because it isn't a very modern looking text yet it is bold like the vintage rock music is. The colour of the masthead is black which links to the background and image, it shows the links between the vintage genre.
There is around 11 stories featured on the cover, the main one being Elvis Presley. The text is all the same, however different colours which tie into the background, black and white text, with pops of red, this is a classic colour that shows boldness, just like the genre of music.
The magazine is intended to appeal to both genres, it includes many stories that could appeal to both. The target audience could be aimed at an older audience because it is an older genre of music, however if young people are interested this is a good magazine because they use types of slang and fun ways of writing the stories.
There are pugs included such as a barcode, prices etc, this makes the magazine good because it gives information and looks formal.
This magazine could come across cluttered to some people but in my opinion I like that it has a lot to offer inside and it shows it in columns which still makes the cover look organised.
This magazine cover influences me to do a black and white theme in my magazine because it shows age and you can make it look good by adding pops of colour.

Links, synergy and brand identity

The magazine cover and the contents page have similarities and a brand identity is clear:

• the colour red is the same 
• font styles
• the images 
• coloured background with white font

How this research has influenced my planning and creativity: 
1. Colour needs to carry on through the pages
2. I need to carefully choose font styles that i can use on all pages.
3. Need to ensure that my images are of the same style and genre.

Magazine Contents Analysis 1: Vintage Rock

Images

These are some images I took of my mum when she took part in a 40's weekend. This inspires me to do a vintage music magazine because I like the makeup looks and the clothing styles, it looks fun and stylish! I'd enjoy doing this because it looks like a creative genre.

Anaylsis of magazine 3

 The most outstanding feature on the magazine, for me, is the shot of Wanda Jackson. The black and white photograph contrasts from the red background and looks very classic, it is also eye catching because it is a medium close up and its placed so her face is centre.
The masthead is underneath the banner at the top of the magazine and is behind the image, this follows conventions.
It is big and bold so that people can read it easily and they can recognise it. The font of the masthead is serif which captures the vintage look because it is very fancy compared to sans serif which is modern.
On this particular magazine cover, there are up to ten cover stories and features. These all have the same sans serif font, it is more funky and slightly more modern however I do not think you would see this font on many modern magazines. The sizes of the text vary, the more important, appealing names and stories are in a larger text, the less appealing is in smaller text.


The magazine is aimed at both genders. It includes articles that females would enjoy reading and the same for male readers.
The text on the banners is regularly black, the colour of the banners and the shapes are a bright yellow, it is classic and contrasts which makes it stand out. There are some banners which are semi-transparent and the text is a white font, it stands out against the red background and is easy to read.
There is a colour scheme for this magazine cover. The colours used mainly are red, white, black and yellow. The brand identity would be the masthead, it is always the same and is very recognisable.
The magazine is very appealing and makes me want to buy it because of the vintage photos, it makes me sure that the magazine will be about vintage music and I personally like the layouts and the colours. There are pugs included such as a barcode and prices, this is helpful to the audience because they will know how much it is.
The magazine includes puffs because it has bright bold shapes that promote some of the features which the editor may think that the audience will want to read. The magazine includes a slogan, 'Hail! Hail! Rock'n'roll!...' etc, this makes the magazine seem very joyful and will make people want to read it.
The image is a medium close up shot and it relates to the main headline because it mentions the name of the person who the picture is featuring. The feature character is looking directing at the camera which is intriguing to readers. They're smiling, showing they're happy and they look relaxed, just being their selves. Only a small amount of the image is taken up by the text so it doesn't break much of the conventions.

This research has influenced me to do a vintage music magazine because I love how it shows a powerful women on the cover being called a 'queen', breaking through and showing her voice. I love the way the magazine is set out and how each of the colours compliment yet contrast each other.

Analysis of magazine 2

The most outstanding feature of the magazine is the picture because the person, Blondie, is looking away from the camera and looks as if she doesn't care, she is wanting to look above things.
The masthead in at the very top of the page, to the left. It is boxed separately with the 'Classic' text in the red box, and the 'Pop' text in a black box. The text colour is white and contrasts against these two colours, they are very classic yet rebellious colours. The text is a serif font and is different to each other so the top part shows the classic vibe and the 'pop' part shows a more modern vibe. It is the same on each of their magazines, this makes it more recognisable for the readers.
There is up to 12 cover stories on the magazine, this appeals to the audience as they know there is plenty of things to read.
The magazine is intended to appeal to both genders because they include stories that would interest each gender in different ways, the magazine makes sure to have a range of stories.

The features are laid around the image and doesn't over lap very much, this doesn't really break the conventions. However the name of Blondie lays overs the image of her, this does break conventions but it catches readers attentions and makes sure that the audience knows that it is her and the magazine is mainly featuring Blondie. The image relates to the main headline because it shows Blondie looking like she isn't bothered and she looks powerful. It also relates because it mentions her name and has the image of her. The image is a medium close up. It is a studio shot and is well performed. The image is in colour so that you can see the bright coloured clothing that relates to the exciting, pop genre.

The hair and makeup is very bold, this relates to the pop genre because it is exciting and expresses herself. Pop is a bold and buzzing type of music that makes you want to dance, when you look at Blondie, she looks bright and happy, this is what you want to see in a pop artist.

The magazine includes puffs such as a barcode and the price, this makes the magazine legit and gives the reader knowledge of how much it'll cost.

The background of the magazine is a dark purple/pink colour, this contrasts against the bright image and bright headline, it also contrasts against all of the writing and masthead so that it is easy to read.

The image supports Laura Mulveys male gaze, as it looks seductive and her clothing is quite revealing as it doesn't cover her shoulder towards the camera. The lipstick she wears is red which can be looked at as a sexual colour. It breaks conventions because it is a magazine focused on the pop genre and they are creating a seductive type of woman.

This magazine cover has influenced my planning and creativity because it has shown me that I can do shots where the model is looking away but it makes the magazine intriguing still. It can make the model look powerful.

Vintage makeup inspiration

I was looking on the internet for makeup ideas and I saw this makeup look. The makeup on the model reminds me of the type of makeup you would apply for a vintage look. The colours are quite classic and stand out, women used to apply makeup to the eyes and lips mainly to make themselves stand out. This could've made them feel more powerful, this inspires me to do a vintage music magazine because I like these makeup looks.

Analysis of magazine 1

Vintage Rock magazine cover

The masthead is large and uses serif text. It is easy to read and is recognisable as that magazine to the readers. The masthead is coloured black which is classic and reminds you of a newspaper,
which nowadays could be seen as quite a vintage thing. The masthead is underneath the image which goes along with conventions.

The image is a medium shot, it is black and white, this shows that it is a vintage magazine because we now have coloured photographs. It is placed in the centre of the cover to show that it is the main subject in the magazine.

It shows Elvis singing with an old fashioned microphone, which also suggests the year the magazine is set in and also shows him playing a guitar, it implies that he was a talented man.

The font is serif and gives the vibe of vintage. The colour of the text is black, this makes in bold and easy to read and is also a classic colour. There are six cover stories and two features, they're placed around the main image so that the it is still visible, it only over laps a small amount so it doesn't really break any conventions. They can be linked to the genre because they have included old, well known famous names and it talks about vintage albums and music.

The magazine could be aimed at either males or females because it includes subjects for women's likes and also men's, it has features that attract both genders.

The background is gold which symbolise treasures, this could mean that thy view vintage rock stars as treasures. They include monochrome text which contrasts from the gold background and matches up with the photograph. They use modern text for the features and cover stories, this could be a mix of the vintage rock and the new rock.

This magazine cover has inspired me because I like the way that it is laid out and that the image the centre of attention. I also like that it includes lots of features and doesn't break many conventions because it is laid out so that the image is the main focus.