Front cover analysis summary

• A large masthead that is recognisable and understandable following colourways to match the rest of the page
• A strong primary image to attract an audience, usually powerful and bold to stand out off the shelf, mostly overlaps the title giving it a less blocky feel
• Features listed over the image in strong fonts yet the colours arent too overpowering, small features usually in smaller writing and main image getting a seperate font to be recognised
• Shapes are often used on front covers to seperate the neatness and give it a quirky feel by adding something new to the layout

3) Q Magazine

Q Magazine is a publicly well known magazine. It follows the idea that less is more and uses simplistic colourways. By using white for a background it creates a modern look towards the magazine. The main picture is of "Metallica" a famous rock band formulaed in America, widening the audience globally. The main picture overlaps the magazines title, telling us that it's a widely recognisable production. The bands are dressed in dark colours to make them stand out from the white background. The lead singer is in a powerful stance in the middle of the group showing his highly recognisable status, with his arms folded it gives him a sense of authority. All of the band members are focussing on the camera, therefore interacting with the readers. The use of red in music magazines is widely used, giving it a bold attractiveness. "The loud issue" subtitle overlaps the "Q" magazine title giving it house style. The use of yellow to embedden it contrasts the red giving it a striking appearence that would attract an audience, giving it importance. The barcode is placed under the title which differs from the other magazines with it usually being in the bottom right hand corner. This therefore makes it neatly tucked away and out of the way, yet Q have opted for it under the title. The reoccuring red is used throughout in the subtitles which makes it stand out against the background. "Metallica" can be seen bang in the middle with a grey coloured font making it similiar with the plain black photo shoot. "175 albums reviewed" resembles the layout of the title, with a white lining and a red square text box to make it stand out. The red used in many of the subtitles are all depicted in red due to it being a band (Foo Fighters) and a figure (Harry Potter). This magazine cover works well as its simplistic and with the use of a white, modern background the reader is attracted to the stand out subtitles boldenned in red. The photo works well as its bang in the middle and the figures are used in an authorative stance, by looking at the camera the band members interact with the audience therefore relating them to the magazine.