Blog 3: Analysis of Existing Magazines

Smash Hits Magazine

Front Cover
- Uses bright and bold font and colourings for their titles, the effect this has is that is attracts the reader towards the magazine and distract them from others (e.g if magazine was placed on a magazine rack)


The magazine uses images of a famous singer/group which relates to the target audience (e.g Kylie, Backstreet Boys etc.) they use a image of a individual/grpoup who are in the spotlight at the current time of the issue to attract more readers and fans of that perticular artist.


They use a sub title and a caption with the image (e.g HELLRAISERS: FIVE go wild with Westlife) the use of the caption obbviously imforms the reader or potiential reader of the group/artist featuring on that issues front coverm whereas the sub-heading will make the reader intrested and antisipated to read on.


The magazine also includes mini images and sub-headings on the front cover, this is used to also attract interest to it's audience giving them a idea of the storys and gossip and artists included in the issue at a gland, this will get the reader wanting to read on and purchase the magazine.


Slogan - the magazine also features a slogan on it's front cover "Non-Stop Pop" the use of the slogan will give the reader an idea of what the magazine is about, and also inform new readers or portential buyers that it is a pop culture music magazine.

Below: Smash Hits Front Cover

Double Page Spread: Charlotte Church Spread

Images - The page consist of a veriety of images of the spreads featured celebrity, in the same outfit just different poses, smiles, positions and sizes. this has the effect of making the spread look more attractive and spaces out the text and fonts uncluttering the spread. The Large image of the second page of the spread opposite the title on the first page is the part of the article that a reader would notice first, they use a happy and possitive image to welcome and lear the reader into the article.

Title - The title for this spread is a quote from the featured artist "I'm Going To Suprise Everyone" using a quote from the artist makes the reader want to read on and want to why she said this. Underneath the Title their is also a sub-title, in this magazine the sub-title is more of a personal opinion from the magazine or the spread writer, this will also add effect and anticipation for the reader to want to carry on reading and find out everything that they now want to know.

Tiny Images Wrapped In Text - This unclutters the text and usually the images have a relevence to the text.

Drop Caps - The article uses a drop cap at the beginning of the spread, this makes the text look more attractive and formally presented.

Sub-Headings - The spread is basically as interview so the magazine have highlighted the questions using two different colours that also match up with the colours of the images. this insures the magazine is layed out clearly and easy for all levels of interlect to understand.

Pull Quotes - The magazine use 'pull quotes' from the articles and enlarge them! "Ushers Cute But I'm A Faithful Girl!" the effect of this is to attract readers towards the specfic section of the article so they want to know more.

4 Grid Layout - The pages use a 4 grid layout, the benifit of this is it spaces out the spread and doesn't make the pages too clutterd and hard to read.

Top of The Tops Magazine

Front Cover - The magazine front cover uses very bright flamboiant colours (pinks, blues and whites) the colouring for this magazine is more likely to attract mostly females more than males. the magazine uses a similar colour scheme throughout the entire cover (other story advitisements etc) this makes the cover 'flow' and make it readable and gives it the ability to attrtact audience from all age groups. The magazine uses lots of images on the front cover, i'd say this makes the magazine cover look very crammed together and crouded and looses focus of one particular story. The images of the celebrities used in the front cover really shows off the age boundaries of the magazines target audience and readers. Using a main focused image of "Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens" displays that the magazine is aimed towards young ages from 12 - possibly 18 years old. the sub-titles in the front cover such as "Zac's Love Life.." and "Vanessa's Nude Pics... THE TRUTH" are displayed using block capitals with a coloured background text box to emphisize and attract readers to the headline story of the magazine issue. The magazine also included a bar code and issue number in the bottom right hand corner.

Top of the tops magazine front cover

Double Page Spread

Images - the magazine use a variety is images that are perfectly matched to the subject of the articles. they use one big main image of main characters from the movie in which the article is based upon, this attracts the readers attention and makes them want to read the article. They then use a series of smaller images for short articles about the selected topic. the spread also contains individual photographs of 4 stars/characters from the movie with some text with coloured text background.

Title - The spreads title is printed in a colourd background text box to make the title stand out more and be more visable, they also use different colours for each letter in a section of the title this puts emphasis on the main topic of the spread. The spread also contains 'Sub-Titles and Headings which are used to give a wider in depth title or breif structure as to the topic of the article/spread and it has the effect to make the reader more interested in reading it.

Image Text Wrapping - in the spread they have an article where the text is wrapped around a circular image, this un-clutters the text and makes the text come across as more attractive to the eye which will influence readers first opinions and judgements when they turn over to the spread.

3 Grid Layout - The magazine spread has been designed and printed using a 3 grid layout per page, using a 3 grid page makes the pages look a little bit clutterd and may be off putting to some readers.

Camp Rock Spread In Top of The Pops Magazine

Mizz Contents Page

The contents page is very well spread out, they have used the images well and not clutterd too much onto one page. They use images that are relevent to both their target audience and the stories included in the issue of the magazine. They have spread out their contents page by sorting the stories into catagories, this makes the magazine more understandable and easier to read. They have also included a "welcome" text to the contents page this allerts the reader as the magazine are speaking to the reader directly and not as part of a group. The magazine also includes an advertisement in the bottom right hand corner, in this case for a chairty, this will give the readers knowledge of maybe something they didn't know or take interest in before, they've used this as a way to send out a possitive message to it's readers.