Magazine Case Studies - Practice (notes)

Today in lesson, we were practicing analysing some front covers of magazines. We did one with the class but we had to do one in a pair. However, these are just notes, therefore it means I might not have analysed the elements of the magazines thoroughly or haven't included things. These are just the notes I took during lesson.

VIBe Magazine

Front Cover
Image

• 3 colour scheme: black, blue, yellow
• low angle shot: connotes dominance
• medium long shot: mise-en-scene - styled as a pilot
• aeroplane in the backround; pilot costume; aviator shades - link to pilot, also star status. White t-shirt reinforces this. 
• high-key lighting connotes star quality; iconic US star

Page Layout

• masthead behind cover star
• anchorage - star cover line & cover star; reflects image; big
• skyline: other stars, key selling point
• QR code & barcode & website link
• star cover line & cover lines: aligned left; colour scheme; clean, simple fonts; sans-serif fonts
• circle / plus sign / other symbols = puffs
• serif fonts = more traditional
• sans-serif fonts = more modern looking

Language

• fairly informal - "young and reckless"

Genre

• cover star
• skyline
• mise-en-scene: designer shades, watch...
• simple, sans-serif: reflects genre

Contents page
Image

• Medium long shot (MLS)
• Body language
• Mise-en-scene: clothing

Page Layout

• One column; unusual
• "features" - sub-heading
• Features are more in-depth, longer articles
• Page numbering chronological order - easier for audience to find the pages

Double Page Spread
Image

• Mid shot (MS)
• cigar: old-school, glamour, expensive
• Pull quote
• Q&A structure - bold for Q
• 3 columns
• Vibe logo

Q Magazine

Front cover

Image
There is a clear 3 colour colour scheme on the front cover. These 3 colours are red, white and black. It makes the magazine seem like it's an old issue of the magazine, which can be because the photo of the cover star seems quite old too. The photo of the cover star is a mid shot, which shows him when he was young. The cover star is dressed up in old clothes.
Contents page

• 2 pages used for the contents
• All editorial items are listed
• 12 sections are in the contents page - all about artists; page numbers in chronological order; on one page, there are two columns, aligned both left and right; the only textbox is aligned left
• Images of artists in articles used; shot types are mostly mid shots and long shots, have high key lighting, most of them were not taken in a studio; the pictures connote that the artists are well-known; the images link to the listings in the contents page as they are of the artists that the articles are about
• The cover star is on the contents page with the cover story which reflects the cover. 

Double Page Spread

• The double page spread is about George Ezra, a singer-songwriter and his trip in Hungary's capital, Budapest; the article has a beginning (introduction), middle (telling the reader about how he writes music and where he's been to get inspired) and an end (telling the reader that his career is getting better and that he is a very busy artist).