Research into Codes and Conventions of magazine covers

Masthead: It’s bold and quite simple, stand out from the background. It’s eye catching and very recognisable. Cover lines: They are in the same colour as the masthead except they are much smaller. They give a look into what is inside the magazine. This is unconventional as most magazines have a lot more cover line. This makes it more easily recognisable. The cover lines are all in caps which would be more eye catching. Artist’s name: It is bold like the masthead which makes it stand out from the rest of the cover (except the masthead). It has a shadow which draws attention. It is also all in caps to be more eye catching. Main cover line: It is in the same font, colour and size as the other cover lines except it is used to create questions (what dream?)- hermeneutic code. It is also sans serif which would be more appealing to a male audience. It would also attract an older audience which is why the target audience is young adults. Colour Scheme: Basic, plain colours- White, grey and black Strap line: Shows what is in the magazine. It is very simple and clear. Background: It is a very plain and boring background. This puts more emphasis on the model. The colour is very dull which goes with the general colour scheme of the cover. Main image: The model on the front has an indirect mode of address as he is not looking directly into the camera. It is also a close up of the models face.

Masthead: The masthead is very simple and in a bold, sans serif font. Part of it is also hidden behind the model- This shows that it is recognisable because you don’t even need to see it all to see that it is a clash magazine. Colour scheme: Very basic- pink, white and black. Artists name: It is bold to attract attention to it, it also has a shadow effect which makes it stand out from the rest of the text. It is in a blocky sans serif font to attract a male audience. Background: The background is very basic to put more emphasis on the cover lines and model. The pink background makes it look very feminine. Main image: The model is very prominent as she is in front of the masthead, this shows that she is important. She is also looking into the camera (direct mode of address) which creates a personal relationship and it draws the readers’ eye. Main cover line: This follows the hermeneutic code as it makes the audience wonder about the artist. It is intriguing. This help the audiences Cognitive needs (uses and gratifications theory). Cover lines: This is the smallest text on the cover but it is in the same font as the main cover line and is in all caps along with al of the writing on the cover. This makes it stand out from other magazines. Strap line: Very short, tells you about what is in the magazine. Model: She is wearing a black dress which makes her stand out from the light background (dark on light). It is also a mid-shot to show her body language.

Main Cover Line: The main cover line is unusual because this is where the artists name is, it is not in big bold letters. The line does, however, create tension in the audience using the hermeneutic code as it creates questions. Masthead: It is in a bold font which targets a male audience but it is white which is a unisex colour because the target audience is both male and female. Colour Scheme: The colour scheme is quite basic, it is mostly blue, black and white with a leopard print on the model’s hat. Main Image: The model is looking into the camera, direct mode of address, to attract customers attention. It is also a close up to show his emotion. Artists Name: This is unusual because it is not in bold letters. It is in fact part of the main cover line. In its place is the words ‘High Life’. This is to show that he is living the high life. Model: He is wearing a black top which contrasts to his hat thingy as it is leopard print. He also has gold teeth which also stand out because the background is blue. Cover Line: The cover lines are white, all in caps and are sans serif. This follows the other magazine covers. Strap Line: There is no strap line. This is highly unusual. Background: The background is very plain and simple. It is blue which is a male colour. The background contrasts to the model’s hat because it is not plain and simple as it is leopard print. This makes the model more eye catching and draws your attention to him.

Codes & Conventions of the Clash Magazine Masthead: The masthead is always the same. It is in the same sans serif font every time. This makes it more recognisable, so you don’t even need to see the entire logo to know that it is a clash magazine. It is also always white which is a gender neutral colour, this shows that it is for both male and female readers. Colour Scheme: The colour scheme is always quite basic, it usually only has 3 main colours often including white and black. Background: The background is also usually basic. It is often block colours to make the model and cover lines stand out. Main Image: The main image is a picture of the artist in the main cover line (Rita Ora etc.) They are usually looking into the camera (direct mode of address) however this is not on every single magazine. Close-ups are also very common. Artists Name: The artists name is usually the biggest block of text on the cover (excluding the masthead) to draw attention to it. It is also white like the masthead with a black shadow effect. This effect makes it unique compared to everything else on the magazine which makes it more eye catching. Main Cover Line: The main cover line is used to draw people in. It is placed next to the artists name so that it is the next thing that is read. It is the same size and font as the other cover lines but it uses the hermeneutic code to make people want to find out more and fulfil their cognitive needs. Model: The model on the cover is usually wearing simple clothes that contrast with the background and follow the general colour scheme. This is so that the model stands out and draws people in. Cover Line: The cover lines are all in a small, bold and white font. They are also either down the left or right side, out of the way, to put more emphasis on the model. Strap Line: The strap line is very simple and basic. It tells you the kind of things that are in the magazine and it takes up a tiny amount of room in the top right corner.