Front Cover Analysis

 

Front Cover Analysis

 

 

One code and convention of a magazine front cover is the colour scheme. The colour scheme on the front cover of NME is red, white and yellow. These house style colours are not gender specific so allow for a wide range target audience. Using primary colours appeal to the target audience, males and females aged between 16-30, as they are bold like the genre of music, alternative rock. The bold colours also stand out when on the shop shelf compared to a colour scheme of pink, for example, which connotes a magazine for young teenage girls who are interested in boy-bands. The large capitalised letters and the bold red colour of the mast head are allowed to stand out against a pale background. The mast head is featured in the top left third of the mise-en-scene to draw in the attention of the audience even more. The contrast of the white text against the dark clothing of the cover stars allows the main cover feature title to stand out to the target audience. The sub headings relating to the main feature informs the reader of the feature, encouraging them to read it. Another code and convention of a magazine front cover is the pug which is an auto-shape that includes extra information to help it stand out. The pug in the bottom right hand corner is coloured bright yellow to really draw in the audiences’ attention to the extra information provided. Using the title ‘The NME Verdict’ shows the target audience that the opinion of the magazine is respected and influential on other readers as it is classed as a big feature. As well as this, the pull quote is a code and convention of a magazine front cover. The pull quote is featured on the top right hand third of the mise-en-scene. The copy is in black block capitals to draw in the audience’s attention and the band’s name is in a contrasting colour as well as being underlined to distinguish between the name of the band and the quote. The pull quote does not relate to the main cover feature; however it is the only other feature title presented on the front cover of the NME. This is done to show the exclusiveness of the main cover feature so all the attention is drawn to that. The main image, which is another code and convention, takes up the whole mise-en-scene. The appearance of the cover stars, the well known alternative band The Arctic Monkeys, connotes the music genre. For example, their hair is greased back and their clothes are retro to connote the alternative music scene. Their expressions on their faces connote the seriousness of their music compared to, for example, manufactured boy bands as The Arctic Monkeys want to have a much more mature approach. The positioning of the band is clear to see who the lead singer is as he is stood before the other three members. This is because the target audience of the NME will immediately recognise the lead singer, Alex Turner. Also, the background of the main image links to the main feature subheading. The image shows tall palm trees which are known to be in the city of Los Angles and the subheading states ‘LA Boulevards’ which helps the audience create the connection between the two. The other codes and conventions that feature on the front cover of the NME are the barcode, the price and the date. The barcode is presented in the bottom left hand corner so is easily assessable for the audience when purchasing the magazine. The price and the date is situated twice on the magazine front cover: on the top right hand corner next to the mast head and in the bottom right hand corner next to the barcode. This is so all the important information is situated together and is easy to find for the audience. The website address is also featured near the barcode on the magazine for the audience to go online and find out more from the magazine such as subscriptions, competitions and exclusive features tailored to the audience needs and expectations.