Unit 1 FACT SHEET Nicole Forber

Front Cover Analysis

Masthead
The masthead is the name of the magazine and will more than likely stand out on the
magazine through the use of colour. It is always the largest font on the front of the
cover and usually spans the whole width of the page. The creators of the magazine
position the masthead along the top of the page so it's more likely to grab the
audience's attention as they read top-down. The masthead signifies what the genre
is of the magazine and is clearly visible to customers of what the magazine is and
what it is about.It is also a conventionally unique font that is not used anywhere else
throughout the magazine.

The masthead in the Take A Break magazine is clearly in a bold white font in the top
left corner of each magazine. This is so the masthead can be clearly seen by the
audience whilst viewing in shops. The Take A Break magazine is the biggest font on
the page and this is so the magazine can grab the audience's attention. The
masthead signifies a genre for the audience to draw them into the target audience
for Take A Break. Take a break magazine targets 18 year olds to 80 year olds, this
shows that the magazine allows them to dive into relaxation and read gossip about
the other information going on in different parts of the world. The masthead for Take
A Break is for the people who like to learn more about their favourite hobbies and
interests meaning they will enjoy the magazine. Things included in Take A Break
magazines are gossip including different topics. By putting this in a magazine it
would cause curiosity and intrigue and create more readers. Take A Break magazine
stands out to the background of the front cover of the magazine because it stands
out against the variety of colours.

Main image
In the main image direct address is used to grab the audience's attention and make
them engaged; this is because it appears as though the model is looking directly at
them. The main image will be visually interesting and engaging to appeal to the
audience.The main image is conventionally positioned in the centre of the page and
is often as close up or mid shot of the model. Text is positioned around the main
image and may overlap parts of their body but never overlap the model’s face. To
create a more visually interesting main image for the front of a magazine cover, mise
en scene is used to create meaning and understanding for the audience. By using
mise en scene it involves different settings, props, expression, body language, colour
lighting, makeup and hair therefore mise en scene will be used for all main images
for magazines.

The main image in a Take A Break magazine has a model's face on it creating a
direct address with the audience to make them more intrigued in what is within the
magazine and grab the attention of the reader. The model’s face creates a direct
address with the audience by making the model stare ahead on the magazine front
cover ,therefore creating a direct address between the audience and the topic of the
magazine. Text is wrapped around the sides of her face with a variety of different
topics within the magazine to attract the audience's attention. Mise en scene is used
in this magazine by using an ordinary woman within the target audience to show
what age range the magazine is aimed at and does not detract from the information
around her. High key lighting is used throughout the image and particularly on her
face to give off a glow for the main image. The model's facial expression is that she
is smiling directly at the audience. By doing this she creates a friendly atmosphere
around a ‘gloomy’ magazine.The background of the image is surrounded by colours
that pop out at the audience like purple, red and yellow. The background of this
image signifies a dark and spooky atmosphere that's filled in each other's articles
throughout the magazine therefore using a model that is smiling is used in contrast
to this to show there is always a positive side to a negative background.The body
language used by this model is that she is standing up right towards the camera.
Cover lines
Cover lines are the text surrounding the main image. They link to articles inside of
the issue of the magazine, therefore providing the audience with information and
persuading them to buy the magazine. For cover lines conventionally there will be a
word or two first that's in a bigger font/different font or even different colours to the
text underneath. The cover lines appeal to the audience the most so it stands out.

The cover lines surrounding the main image link to a range of different articles in the
magazine and provide information. In the magazine there are a range of different
mythical superstitions and theories about ghosts. This is because conventionally in
Take A Break Fate and Fortune magazines there is ranges of different articles
surrounding the supernatural to get people's stories heard and to create a creepy
and spooky background fro the gossip.The cover lines are in different colours like
white and black but the key words are in colours like yellow and red to make the key
parts of the articles important to the audience. One of the cover lines on the front of
the Take A Break magazine is, ‘ Dead famous! Spooks made me a celebrity’. This is
an intriguing cover line to draw attention in for the magazine. This is because the
target audience would be interested in reading the entire article as it gives out a key
piece of information on how spirits and spooky happenings could cause someone to
be famous and known to be a celebrity. This cover line sticks out on the magazine as
yellow and white san serif bold font is used on a black background behind the text.
This does not draw all the audience's attention away from other key parts of the
magazine. The font size used is not too big however not too small, this is so it
doesn't draw attention and eyes of the audiences away form the main image or the
masthead.

Main cover line

The main cover line will stand out more than the other cover lines because it is a
bigger font and is conventionally linked to the main image.

The main cover line in the Take A Break magazine is in a big and bold font towards
the bottom right of the magazine. The colours used in this is a yellow background of
the text and the main text is in black and red. The main cover line usually links to the
main image on the magazine making the audience more interested to find out more
about the article in the magazine. This is unconventional because the main image
does not link in any way to the main cover line. THis is as the main image is just a
picture of a woman in the background giving the audience direct address. The main
cover line in this magazine is, ‘ I caught a ghost coming out of my doll. my poor cat
fled in terror’. The main cover line has its own secondary image on the background
of the text. This cover line is used to give the audience a chance to recognise the
variety of spooky haunted things that are to appear in the Take A Break magazine.
Sub line
The sub line is the text that lies underneath the cover lines which provides more
information about the articles within the magazine.

There are various sublines involved in the Take A Break magazines as there are a lot
of cover lines describing in little detail the the range of articles involved in the
magazine. The sublines give the audience a little context of the articles intriguing
them to find out more about each of them individually. An example of this in the
magazine would be ‘my poor cat fled in TERROR’. This is the main cover line sub
line. This shows the amount of fear that both the human and the cat both felt during
this experience. This gives the audience a bit of intrigue into the article to allow them
explore more into it to see what happened. The text is a san serif bold white font on
a background of black. This sub line text is smaller then the main cover line to allow
the audiences full attention on the main cover line.

Positioning statement
The positioning statement is the slogan or tagline for the
magazine. The positioning statement, positions the magazine in
the market place and is designed to give the audience information
and appeal to them, therefore leading them to read if it is one of
the customers interests. The positioning statement can usually be
found near the skyline.

This issue of Take a Break does not have a positioning statement

however this one does.

Issue information And Price

The price and issue information is usually in a small font and is positioned near the
barcode or the masthead. This is because it still gives key information, however, is
not a main thing involved in the magazine front page.

In this Take A Break magazine the issue information and price is shown towards the
top of the magazine close to the masthead. This information is in a small white bold
font. This is because as it is important it's not the main thing involved on the front
cover of this magazine.

Barcode
This is used to scan the magazine in the shop and is conventionally positioned in the
corner of the magazine or to the edge of the page.

The barcode is conventionally positioned towards the bottom left of the Take A Break
magazine as it is not a main thing in the magazine it is not classified as important
however it is still placed so the audiences are able to scan and buy the magazine.
Skyline
The skyline is the position that runs along the top of the magazine cover and will
either have a cover line involved in it or the positioning in the statement.

The skyline in my magazine is ‘ Top Psychics + Horoscopes + Angels’ This runs

along the top of the magazine to provide information about what is inside. This is
done to give the audience more insight before buying the magazine. THis skyline
was used to draw the attention of the target audience as this would give them some
gossip and scares to read through. The skyline background is black with white and
yellow bold font so it stands out on a more colourful background. Conventionally this
is at the top of the magazine to grab the attention of the audience when the
magazines are on the shelves of the stop.

Puff
The puff involved in a magazine is usually a shape that looks familiar to a sticker. it
will often have an incentive or cover line within it and used to draw the audience’s
attention.

The puff in my magazine is ‘ Your spooky real life mag’. This grabs the audience's
attention as it looks like a sticker on the magazine therefore this intrigues the
audience to find out the range of different articles that make the magazine ‘spooky’.
The puff in this magazine is on a white background with bold
black font therefore allowing it to stand out more on a colourful
background and drawing the audience’s attention. The word
‘spooky’ gives the audience a thrill of scare/chills with this
word. This is because the word ‘spooky’ is known as gloomy
and dark so is therefore used for the supernatural happenings
therefore is used to describe the magazine.

Incentive
An incentive is something that makes the audience want to buy
the magazine. For example something free or with a chance to win something like an
offer on something or a holiday.

There is not an incentive in the magazine I chose to do however there is in this

magazine. For example, in this magazine the incentive is ‘ big cash prizes’. This is in
medium font coloured yellow. This therefore allows the reader's eye to be drawn to
the top right corner of the magazine. This could also draw the audience's attention as
it involves cash, this draws attention to the cash prizes as those reading may be
struggling in the present with money problems and this could intrigue the readers to
pick up the magazines with a chance to win a big cash prize.
Buzzword
In a magazine buzzword is words like “win” or “free” are used
to create a buzz to appeal the audience into the magazine
further.

There is not a buzzword in the magazine I chose to do,

however there is a buzzword in this magazine. The buzzword
in this magazine would be ‘WIN’ This would intrigue many new
viewers for the magazine because it involves either a cash
prize , free gifts or a win. This is so the magazine goes out
further to a larger target audience therefore gaining more
recognition for the Take A Break magazine.The word ‘WIN’ is
used as a buzzword because it draws more of the target audience in to read the
magazine and there is a potential to win something just for reading the Take A Break
magazine.

House style
The house style of a magazine refers to the style of the magazine. There are 4 key
elements to the house style of a magazine, these elements are: colour scheme, style
of fonts, style of language and style of layout. These are important for a magazine as
it creates a fitting look that is suitable for the target audience. When considering all of
this information the creators need to make sure it is appropriate for the genre and
designed to appeal to the target audience. The more clean the magazine cover looks
the higher the target audience. The busy and more cramped the magazine is, it is
more likely for youthful and young adults.

Take A Break magazines have a range of different colour schemes to pop out in the
background. Mainly the colours used in the background of my magazine of Take A
Break are red, blue, yellow. However for the fonts they used white, red and
sometimes yellow this is to allow the white to pop out on the front cover of the
magazine and use the red and yellow to show what colours are key to the articles. In
the Take A Break magazine the font used is san serif meaning it is all in bold writing
and in a big font. The biggest font on the front cover of a magazine is the masthead
however the rest of the text is also quite big too apart from the cover lines and
sublines. The style of the language on Take A Break magazines is in an informal
tone as it could be interpreted to the readers that it is aimed for them specifically.
This is because it has a more personal tone and also includes slang. The style of this
layout is quite messy yet also organised. This is because the creators of the
magazine have made it seem like it's busy to create a larger target audience and
signify that the magazine is packed with content - yet it is also organised as
everything has its own space and fits well all together. A range of information is more
scattered around the front cover of the Take A Break magazine because it attracts
the target audience as this is something they would be wanting for a younger target
audience. This would be a perfect magazine for those wanting to escape from reality
for a little bit of time as it talks about the spooky happenings to other people. All of
this information and facts fits together to create a magazine perfect for those that like
to keep entertained and keep updated with gossip from everywhere else. This
magazine would be proved to show that it is for young adults from age 20 upwards.
This magazine would be suitable for the target audience and it keeps them in the
loop of new things. It also gives them a break from ordinary everyday life and allows
them to dive into some new topics each month.