Photo Ideas

0Main article -

Jenny singing into microphone - close-up

Jenny playing with props - hat, shoes, coat, handbag

Cover -

Jenny with props (+ pull quote)

Bronwen posing with clothes in wardrobe

Someone spray-painting a wall

Competition for live show tickets

Penny close-up, smiling

Contents -

Tickets

Graffiti
Feet with ballet shoes on pointe

Bronwen in wardrobe

Close-up of Chris - editor's picture 

• Ellen's wardrobe - Bronwen dressing up in clothes, playing around with accessories and clothes.
• TV show - Unidentifiable person spray painting graffiti against bank wall – baggy hoodie and jeans, next to graffiti, facing camera but face is mostly hidden. Dark and dingy.
• Show ticket.
• Other artist – Penny with hair curly, close-up of head and shoulders, bright colour, smiling.

Penny

Bronwen

Jenny



Chris

Ballet



Graffiti

Ticket

Music Magazine Title Connotations

• OK - affirmation, worldwide, recognisable
• Hello - greeting, welcome into celebrity lives
• Grazia - international, elegance, high fashion
• Red - sophisticated, fashion
• Now - immediacy, gossip
• Chat - friendly, gossip
• Heat - hot gossip, exciting
• Mizz - grown up, rebellious adolescence, edgy
• Marie Clare - French, chic, high fashion
• Cosmopolitan - elegance, internationality - shortened to Cosmo when smaller size brought out - moving with the times.
• Vogue - high fashion, sophistication
• NME (New Musical Express) - contemporary, recognisable
• Kerrang - musical term, onomatopoeic, suggestive of loud rock music (genre)
• Top of the Pops - crème de la crème of pop music, current, easy to recall
• FHM (For Him Magazine) - contemporary, hidden meaning, sounds like radio (FM)

SHORT/ONE WORD NAMES - EASY TO REMEMBER

Magazine Contents Page Analysis - Connotative and Denotative - 2

The front cover of this magazine doubles as a contents page, so it is very easy for passers-by to see what is inside.

Denotative

There is a large picture of Cheryl Cole as the main image, and she is smiling widely, looking happy and relaxed.  Her head slightly obscures the title, but some of the other articles cover her chest or arms.  The are several boxes which contain pictures, pull-quotes, introductory questions and page numbers for the articles, and most of the pictures are people, all of whom are celebrities.  There is no editor's letter, as there is no room, but the issue date, barcode and price are all visible at the bottom of the page.

Connotative

The picture of Cheryl Cole looks happy, relaxed and friendly, and the caption to her picture would entice younger girls.  The title is easy to work out, even though it is partly obscured, and it is well-known anyway and the font is recognisable.  The colours used on the page are bright and eye-catching, and would appeal to younger girls, and the pull-quotes or introductions to articles interest any potential readers.  The page numbers are easy to read and obvious, so anyone who was interested by a story on the cover would automatically know exactly where to look for it.  The issue date, price and barcode all indicate that this is a readily-available product, and they are easy to find at the checkout.

Magazine Contents Page Analysis - Connotative and Denotative - 1

Denotative
There is a letter from a member of the editorial team down the left-hand side - around 200 words.  Use of a photo and handwriting font for greeting and signature.  The magazine logo, date and issue number are small, in the top left-hand corner of the page.  There is a large photo of Joe McElderry with caption, and some smaller pictures with captions.  The inset picture of Rihanna has no caption, but corresponds with the article that is listed next to her head.  The list of magazine content is split into sections, and each section's heading is in a different-coloured box.  The colours of each section are used for the page numbers of each article inside the respective sections.  There is a false perforation line between the editor's letter and the contents themselves.


Connotative

Chatty, friendly tone to letter makes reader feel included and welcome.  Handwriting font and picture emphasise connection between magazine and reader.  Logo, date and issue number are unobtrusive in the top corner, not impinging on the content of the page.  The captions or corresponding articles to photos reinforce the idea of a friendly connection between the reader and magazine.  The colour scheme on the page creates a sense of cohesion and holds the page together, as well as making it easy for the reader to find what they are looking for.

Magazine Cover Analysis - Connotative and Denotative - 2

Denotative Analysis

The larger pictures of single artists are accompanied by names and short, interesting headlines.  The pictures overlap things around them, and are overlapped by text.  The head and face are always left open, however.  The "X" of The X Factor's logo is present at the top of the cover, as the magazine is called X Magazine.  The pictures and headlines are all encased in bright pink or purple boxes or outlines, and the same colour scheme is used throughout the cover.  The font is large and easy to read, even from far away, and the lines are short and simple.  The price is near the barcode, along with the date and issue number, and they are all quite small in comparison to the rest of the magazine.  There is a small bubble containing information about a competition.


Connotative Analysis

The pictures are all inviting, and the headlines correspond to the pictures, with actual quotes from the article/interviews inside.  The "X" is instantly recognisable as being from The X Factor, so fans of the show will be attracted to it, and the magazine has instant status, as it is produced by the makers of a well-loved musical programme.  The bright colours attract the attention of passers-by, and make the magazine look interesting and fresh.  The font is easy to read from far away, making the magazine more attractive as it looks more accessible.  The headlines are simple and to the point, and help a great deal to persuade someone to buy the magazine.  The small price seems unobtrusive in the lower corner of the magazine, and the barcode is easy to find at the checkout, but takes upb little space on the cover, leaving the articles and content to be the main focus.  The bubble containing the competition is quite small, but noticeable as there is not much negative space on the cover of this magazine.  The pink stands out and calls attention, and contrasts well with its white background.

Double Page Spread Analysis - Connotative and Denotative - 2

Denotative Analysis

The title of the article goes across the top of both pages, and the character file at the bottom does too.  They both use the same colour scheme, yellow, pink and red, and these colours are used less obviously in the rest of the article.  The box down the left-hand side of the page uses the same colour red, with the yellow writing for certain words, which makes them stand out.  The interview in the middle of the left-hand page has a pink box at the top, containing the introduction, and the pink is used to indicate the questions.  Yellow is used for the pull-quote in-between the two sides of the interview.  The Jonas Brothers are the main picture in the article, and the background is simple but eye-catching, because of the different shades of blue.  The word “rock” is in larger letters than the rest, with black outlines for each letter.  The picture of the DVD cover of the film also uses the same colour scheme, meaning that the colours are from the original film.

Connotative Analysis

The repeated colours create a sense of cohesion in the article, and the bands covering both pages make sure that both pages of the spread connect with each other.  The fact that a small part of the picture of the Jonas Brothers also crosses the gutter continues this effect.  The article is split into three different parts; information about the film, the characters, and an interview with some of the actors themselves (the Jonas Brothers).  The brothers look relaxed and dressed-down, like they are casually hanging out, as opposed to being busy, or obsessed with their celebrity status – their clothes and manner make them seem down-to-earth and approachable. The colours will be noticed by any fans of the film, which will entice them to read the article further, because they will recognise them from the film.  The simple background to the picture also helps to make the boys seem more casual and approachable, because they do not have anything intimidating or outrageous behind them, just a calm, blurry picture of a lake.

Double Page Spread Analysis - Connotative and Denotative - 1

Denotative Analysis

There are lots of pictures from behind the scenes of The X Factor, which all have a thin white border, and are arranged like a collage.  The pictures all have captions, and they take up most of the double-page spread, overlapping the gutter.  The title of the article is in bold, and on a slant, and so is the introduction underneath.  The text at the bottom is aligned to the left, unjustified, and arranged in two straight, even columns.  The first few words are in bold, and there is a black X logo at the end of the second column, to indicate the end of the article.  At the bottom of each page, there is a page number, the magazine logo and the date of issue.

Connotative Analysis

The word “exclusive” coupled with the behind-the-scenes pictures, make the article seem like it is the only place to go for information about what is going on off-camera on the show.  The collage of pictures attracts the eye, and the pictures look natural and realistic, though they may have been posed.  The “110%” is in a bright, shiny blue box at the top of the page, and the word “exclusive” is encased in acid-yellow.  The text in the article is small, as the pictures make up most of the content, but the difference in the style and direction of writing between the title, introduction and main body of text grabs the eye and makes the text more noticeable, so it will be read.  The magazine logo at the bottom of the page holds the entire magazine together, by subconsciously reminding the reader what magazine they are reading.