Colour
Red connotes love, passion, romance, energy, romance, power, strength, femininity and desire. Red contrasts well with lighter colours. White connotes innocence, purity, goodness, positivity and when put with a product is often associated with safety and is trusted. Black connotes power, elegance, mystery, seriousness, grief and is often associated with fear and the unknown.
Layout
The main image of Amy has been placed on the right side of the page; this is because images are read from right to left and so the reader’s eye will be drawn to the image. The masthead is on the right side of the page because text is read from right to left; the text anchoring the image is also on the right side of the page so it is more prominent as it obviously important information about the contents of the magazine which will draw readers in. The skyline reads ‘EXCLUSIVE AMY WINEHOUSE TRIBUTE CD’ the fact that this is at the top of the page suggests it is the most important thing in the magazine and the use of the buzz word ‘EXCLUSIVE’ suggests that it is a one off feature. The barcode is positioned in the bottom right hand corner of the page; it Is quite small and doesn’t stand out which could be because the price of the magazine is quite expensive and so they want to draw readers in and make them want to buy the magazine before they see the price so they are more likely to buy it.
Features
The advertised features include; a tribute CD to Amy Winehouse, a main story on Amy Winehouse, an album guide, an interview with Charlie Watts and features on new and upcoming artists. Buzz words like ‘exclusive’ ‘incredible’ ‘inside’ and ‘hottest’ have been used to create an excitement about the features and make them seem individual and special to the magazine. The USP of the magazine is that it is ‘THE WORLDS GREATEST MUSIC MAGAZINE’.
Images
The main image is a medium close up of Amy Winehouse. She is looking straight at the reader (direct address) which will grab the attention of anyone looking at the magazine and make it stand out more – it also seems as though Amy is looking at them and trying to talk to them which will also make the magazine appealing. The images angle is straight on which will make the reader feel as though they are equal to Amy (a celebrity) and iconic figure which will boost their ego and persuade them to buy the magazine. The lighting is fairly low key which could suggest that this edition is going to deal with a serious matter (Amy’s death). Part of her face is covered by her hair which could suggest that she is hiding something; she was always a woman of mystery and so this complies with her previous reputation. Her lack of clothing suggests vulnerability and exposure which could imply that Amy is going to be exposed and ‘bear all’ in this edition. She is wearing a lot of black; black connotes seriousness, elegance, grief and mystery. These connotations fit well with Amy’s characteristics as she was very elegant but also very serious and this edition tributes her death and so the black could represent the grief of her fans.
Font
All of the font is in capital letter which makes it seem like it is being shouted and so grabs the reader’s attention. The font is fairly simple and looks similar to a font that may be used in a newspaper; the simplicity of the font could be to not draw attention away from the image and its newspaper like look could suggest that the things covered in the magazine are serious. Almost all of the font is in red or white; this stands out from the low key and dark background and lightens the mood slightly. The colourfulness of the text could also suggest that not everything in the issue is going to be serious and about the death of Amy; it will also be about brighter and more positive things as white is a colour that is associated with positivity. Most of the puffs are on the right side of the page where the page flips over, this could be to entice the reader with the contents of the magazine and make it irresistible to buy it. The puffs on this side are in quite a small font but fill up most of the strip on the page – this suggests that the magazine is jam packed with exciting and breaking stories. The text that anchors the main image is however on the left hand side of the page (naturally where the eye falls to read as we read from left to right and the font here is bigger which suggests it is the most important and outlines the main story of the magazine.
Colour
Red connotes love, passion, romance, energy, romance, power and strength. White connotes innocence, purity, goodness, positivity and when put with a product is often associated with safety and is trusted. Black connotes power, seriousness, and masculinity and is a very bold colour.
Layout
The page is separated into 3 columns and has a separate row at the bottom of the page. This is an easy to follow format and allows you to find what you want on the page without there being too much information cramped together as each column has a subject. ‘Inside’ positioned at the top left of the page in black writing to stand out and give the intentions of the page. Date of the issue positioned underneath. The first column contains the artist features of that week and gives some information about them to entice the reader without giving too much away. The second column displays the week’s special editions and contains lots of questions to make the reader think and gain an interest in the answer so they will look at that feature and it also seems as though the reader is being directly spoken to. The third column contains a band list which obviously one of the USP’s of the magazine and advertises exclusive things about the magazine.
Font
Most of the writing is in black which gives it a more serious effect, black is also quite a bold colour so the text stands out and it also makes the writing easy to read as writing is often black and so this makes the page easier to view and comprehend. Most of the font is small which suggests that the magazine is packed full and contains lots of features. Some titles are bigger, bold and in a different colour to really draw attention to them and also make it easier for the reader to follow the information on the page.
Images
There aren’t many images on the page so as not to give too much away about the magazine. The pictures featured on the contents page are mostly ones of celebrities to anchor the stories about them; this makes the page a bit more exciting to look at and also by showing a picture of an artist being talked about it could also appeal to someone who did not initially know who the artist was.
Features
The contents advertises features on bands like The Smiths; Wild Beasts; Eagulls and a feature on Carl Barat from the Libertines – these are all indie/rock bands. It also contains features on how to book gig tickets, reviews of albums, essential tracks and gossip in the music world.
Genre
Front Cover
Contents Page
Double Page Spread
Colour
Black is bold and suggests seriousness – shows the reader that the article is concerning a serious matter, this is intriguing.
White suggests something is new and fresh – this shows the reader that the article is up to date. White also suggests innocence and purity – this could be to brush off Lily Allen’s bad press and show the readers what she is really like. The heading of the article reads in white font ‘People think I’m an attention seeker, but I’m just honest’ – this could be Lily’s trying to justify her innocence and show that she is vulnerable just like everyone else.
The tartan print on her shirt isn’t particularly girly – this shows she is alternative and funky. This could appeal to certain readers.
The colours of the writing match with the colours she is wearing – linking her to the title. This clearly shows the reader that the article is about her.
The white writing stands out against the black background – this is eye catching. Black and white are opposite colours – this could suggest an inner conflict. This gives the reader an idea of what the article may be about.
Font
The bold font and use of capital letters on the title emphasises what it says like it is being shouted at you. The font used is like something you would see on a newspaper but it has been cut out and stuck back together in another order; this could suggest that Lily has no order and likes to change things to make them her way and to suit her views/opinions. The re arranging of the newspaper style writing could also have been done to suit a younger audience and make it seem more interesting. The newspaper like font could also have been used to show that the article is about something serious or could be because Lily Allen wants to be taken seriously.
Title
The writing of the title isn’t in any order, it seems messy and jumbled; this could be a connotation of the artist’s lifestyle and also seems to match her jumbled and alternative appearance. The use of black and white on the title suggest that everything isn’t black and white or always what it seems, this could be a referral to how her honesty is seen as attention seeking or how she is misunderstood as a person. The black also shows that she is serious about what she is saying.
Mise-en-scene
Lily Allen is bending forward towards the reader as if she is trying to literally grab your attention. Her posture seems relaxed, like she is comfortable and careless. Her face is turned slightly away from you but she is making eye contact; this intrigues the reader as they cannot see everything – maybe she is hiding something? The clothes she is wearing show her to be individual and not fazed by others opinions on her; she dares to be different. The picture takes up one whole page and slightly more; this shows her importance and is the most dominant part of the article. Main image is placed on the left side of the page (you view images from left to right) meaning the reader will notice the picture first – this shows that the image is an important part of the article. Four columns have been used to split up the text and make it easier and clearer to read. The artist is bending forward away from the article which could mean she has moved on/doesn’t care about being an attention seeker.