Textual analysis By Jake Dierickx

Front cover This front cover has a very limited amount of colours on it. The entire background is of a person so clearly colour use will be limited. The main colour scheme appears to be black and white, this gives the feel of an artistic underground magazine. The main women is wearing black lipstick and mascara which is the same as her hair. It is very colour coordinated. The design is quite standard, there is very limited words on the front, mainly just saying which artists are featured in the magazine. In my opinion i think it is designed well and the writing styles fits well with the huge image. Having jessie j in big letters shows that she is the main article in the magazine. The main image takes up the entire page top to bottom and side to side. The main image is of Jessie J who is quite an inspirational new singer in the charts, by having her as the main article will attract fans of her and males who think she is attractive.

Front cover cont.. Jessie J is a hip hop/pop artist but her image would suggest that she may be quite a rock/indie singer. Fans of her would know but it may e a it confusing for less up to date readers. The composition of the image is a closeup, the image has most likely been manipulated to smoothen her skin and make her head directly in the middle of the shot. My eye moves up and down the page as the image is going down and so is the small amount of writing on the page. The title of the page is RWD which is a shortened name for rewind. The only other words on the page are on her cheek were it says the other artists featured in the magazine. the may need to be a it bigger or darker font so they re easier to see. The magazine is grabbing the attention by having the huge image. by writing artists included on the front will attracts fans of those particular artists. i believe it may need a few more words on to really grab the attention of readers. My overall impression of this magazine is fairly average as there is no indication of what the magazine is about it is all mainly focused on just Jessie J. It features other artists inside but dosent explain what its saying about them.

Contents page The colour scheme used in the contents page is just black and white, i feel this contents page is very plain and basic. It gives quite a dull feeling as nothing really jumps out at you or catches your eye. The background should be a bit more alive and exiting. I also find the layout and design of the page very boring as its all very neatly placed and in order, for a grime/hip hop magazine it should be messed up with no white space and and plenty of images. From looking at this without knowing what the magazine was about i would have no clue about what this magazine is about. The images are mainly just close head-shots of a few famous singers including katy B and Jessie J. There are a few advertisements located on the right of the page. They are all female pictures which doesn't really mix it up. The four women shown on the contents page are all fairly young and posing. Images are usually a large cause of magazine purchases. By having young women in the mag it attracts both men and women. Men because they like looking at women and women because they aspire to look like girls in magazines. Each women has a different pose.

Contents page cont.. The composition of the shots are all closeups, this is to expose there faces, makes it easier for readers to identify them. The background of the magazine is just plain white which makes it look very bland and dull. Nothing about the page jumps out at you or makes you think “wow”. the first thing i notice is the big picture on the left hand side. This image is very dull and boring. My eyes move across the page from right to left. My overall impression of the contents page is not very positive at all. There is a small indication of whats inside but not alot. The magazine is supposed to be aimed at young adults but from this it looks like its for an older generation, just from the way the page is layed out and the lack of color and imagination.

Double page spread The colours on this double page spread are quite different, there is a much bigger variety of colour than on the contents page. The main colour scheme is black, white and brown. I believe that the colour, images and layout of the page fit in together quite well. All the words are similarly written in the same style and layout. The fonts are all just bold lettering, there are about four different fonts featured on the page. There are many images featured on the page, on the left hand side it features set of six images each showing something different. On the right they are showing off some items of clothing that they are perhaps selling. The people are nobody famous, they are just models. Every person on the page is very well cut and smart looking. The impression there giving is that they are all up to date on there fashion sense and that thats what all readers need to look like.

Double page spread cont.. The language used is fairly standard, its not appealing to just one type of person, all kinds of people will be able to read and understand it. There aren't really any language features used on there as its really just describing the images and whats happening on the page. My overall impression of the double page is quite good as the page is filled with information and images. There is a certain dull quality about the page in the fact that the color scheme is quite bland. Overall though i believe it is a fairly good double page.

Front cover 2 The colors of this magazine are very simple but i feel work very well. Its mainly black, white and a hint of yellow for some of the text. The yellow text is used to highlight out important pieces of text, this works well as its the first thing that you notice when looking at it. i feel the words and images work very well together, as there is a limited use of bright colors, the main image of chipmunk stands out very well. Just two fonts have been used on the magazine, one being where it says whats featured and another when it says under chipmunk, what the interview will be about and why he's the main feature. The main image is of a grime star, in the image it clearly displays his arms and his tattoos showing. He has quite muscly arms which would appeal to men who want the same figure and women who find him attractive. This way the magazine will get buyers both male and female. The composition of the shot is mid shot, the image is enlarged quite alot as it takes up the majority of the page. The image had been cropped as the background has been used on other front covers aswell. It makes my eye move up and down the page. the background is very blurrey so i cant make out what it is.

Front cover 2 cont.. The words on the cover are separated with colour, the coverlines have four different stories. Two are written in white then two are written in yellow. It separates them so it makes them stand out better. My overall impression of the magazine front cover is very good. I feel its all placed together well, nothing is misplaced and the reading of it flows well. It gives a big indication of whats inside. It is designed to appeal to both men and women of around the ages of 15 to 25. Of course people outside that age group will read it but thats who i think its mainly aimed at and who will buy the most copies.

Contents page 2 The colours used on the contents page are fairly basic, the main colors used are black, white, red and blue. The right hand side is advertising a union jack watch which is why the red blue and white have been used to advertise it better. on the actual contents, there are four pictures at the top with the contents placed at the bottom. The actual contents looks a bit squashed but its still readable. The images and words aren't mixed together so they don't really fit together. The fonts are just plain as they cant really be fancy. The images are just normal photos of other artists included in the magazine. All the photos appear to be of young males and females. The magazine is targeted at young adults. Each person in the photo has a pose going on, it gives quite a stylish impression for the reader.

Contents page 2 cont.. Three of the images are midshots and one is a closeup, the images are all in front of a placed background, perhaps all taken at a photo shoot. The first thing i notice is the bottom left image, as it is a closeup and she is wearing darker colors. my eye moves up and down the page. My overall impression is not that good as i feel its a bit of a bland contents. The front cover was a triumph for attracting readers but the contents makes it feel like its a different magazine. It makes it feel like its trying to appeal an older audience.

Double page spread 2 The colours used are the same as the front cover, black white and yellow. The colours don’t really give off any mood. The words and image fits together well. The font is the same for the text, except where the drop cap is placed. The style of lettering is the same through out the text. There is some italic writing placed over the image which makes it important to read. The main image takes up the whole left page, it is of chipmunk getting a tattoo. Its obviously something he is interested in and wanted people to see he has a passion in getting. Having a rapper as the main picture indicates that the main article is about rap. The image is very well posed but it looks as if it has been digitally manipulated. His skin has been made to look perfect. He is very styled so it makes readers want to be like him.

Double page spread 2 cont.. My overall impression of this page is very good as it is very well styled, with a great picture. It attracts all kinds of readers, male female, tattoo enthusiasts and big chipmunk fans. It does not attract people of a certain ages for example over 60’s would have no interest in buying it.