LIIAR: The Libertines NME Cover

 Language: The whole of this magazine cover is plastered with different types of media language and terminology, meaning every weekly cover of this magazine has been planned thoroughly, which is why is is one of the most popular magazines around. For example, the skyline is filled with cover line which are placed there in order for the consumer to see them and to realise what is in it, then hopefully buy the magazine. These coverlines also contain tellers, which all state who is in the issue and who is included in this image. These help to sell the issue because if someone recognises a musician they may buy it for those artists. Teller's are used here so that people read how indepth the interview is, and how interesting these interviews will be. The masthead is especially bold because this is the main selling point of this magazine, as a widely reputed magazine like this everyone knows it by name, and generally people will buy it weekly rather than every so often when someone they like is in the magazine. Flashes are being used for the Reading & Leeds logo's, this has to be like this because then you know it is the definitive Reading & Leeds issue rather than a cheap sell from a somewhat 'dodgy' magazine. The main image overlaps onto the skline, this makes the image sit a lot better, and makes the magzine more naturally created. This graphology means that it keeps the cover very centerally focused on the band, making it a bolder cover, which in turn does represent The Libertines. They have been used because they are a well reputed band, especially with NME readers and the 'indie' scene. Most of the font is in Sans Serif, this is to make it a lot bolder, also this relates to the masthead, which in turn is bold and big, meaning that font is consistenty used. "The first interview in five years" has Serifs, which I think make it much more personal to the reader, especially if it is a band that they cherish. The have been dressed like this in order to create a very sheepish, yet rebellious look which represents their style in music and also their fashion senses. Pete and Carl (center) have been placed there because they are the core of the band and also the ones which are (especially Pete) in the press regularly. The bottom of tthe page is full of more cover lines to try and snare readers more because of extra content and more bands they like. The barcode is with the date and price so they are all easily located and so that the consumer can find them easily if they need to see them.

Institution- This piece of Media is created by New Musical Express, which in turn was a company created by the Ignite network. This institution also creates Uncut & Nuts which are all also more aimed at men than at women. NME has been a long standing magzine, so therefore wants to represent the repute it has acheived over the year by making a smart, professional magazine which isn't plastered with coverlines and tellers as much as, for example a gossip magazine may be because it relies upon and also values its readers more and relise they arer likely to buy it regardless, more like a newspaper than a more conventional  magazine.

Idealogy- This cover and the magazines in general always appeal to the reader by being on the readers level or side. For example in a gossip magazine the reader is the inferior because they are only reading the magazine to find out about other people, who are most probably better than them in the view of the magazine, so therefore the reader is reading simply for the stories of the superiorm, however they are not on the magazines level because they do not know the subject of the article. Also in another example: GQ may be percieved to look down upon its readers as its a very formal magazine which again like NME relies more on monthly devotees as it is a magazine you have to grasp rather than one to flick through. However by being so formal you could argue that they may be deemed that they are too uptight and may look down on readers as inferiors. NME however is written in a style such as that it becomes a very personal read which results in more dedicated followers, also through it keeps its ability to be picked up and read too by being so short, so therefore will cater for both consumer types as a choice between a light read and a very indepth musical look into it.. This is shown on this cover by the mixture of both Sans Serif and Serif fonts meaning that it has the boldness that appeals to one time readers combined because of the bright colour scheme and large lettering which attracts attention, however the Serif texts adds a personality and individuality to the cover, meaning it is still highly regarded by its readers.

Audience- NME is generally aimed at the most new and pop sort of social grouping, which means it has a large fanbase, it may however carry them through into older age but it is more likely to fall out of favour as it flits between liking and not liking certain bands/artists. This cover inparticular however is aimed at indie Britain, which is generally linked to The Libertines who were first regarded as some of the first starteds of the rock subgenre of this genre. therefore meaning that anyone who regards rock/indie/punk as average or better is already interested in this cover because of them being on it. Also the multitude of other bands mentioned around the coverlines of the magazine also help to tell the reader to buy it because of who it contains. Also the flash containg the Reading & Leeds logos attracts anyone who may have tickets for the festival because they will surely want to know who will be playing and aqlso anyone who is interested in this festival will also buy it to have all the latest 'gossip'. then of courzse there will be the usual readers who will be it every week or every other week, most probably predominantly male because the indie/rock scene is mainly male bands.

Representation- NME readers generally like The Libertines, as most rock magazine readers like bands with 'sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll' because they are deemed to have swagger and an element of respect is born out of that. NME present The Liberitnes as a very good band on the cover, rather than the shambles of druggies that newspapers usually present them as (especially Pete) because if they weren't to present in a good light then NME would loose a lot of readers as then the institution would be deemed as 'goody two shoes' and not on the same level as the reader or on the side of the reader so to speak.

LIIAR

Language - What does each of your products need to contain:
- Masthead
- The main image
-Bright colour scheme with clear house-style of two or three main colours.
- Thumbnail images that illustrate other articles
- Anchorage
- Price & barcode
- Teasing contents along the bottom
- Competitions and free gifts
- Main article / feature advertised must relate to the the main image.
I -  magazine for an existing publisher, whose other publications have something in common with yours / are totally different to yours (gap in the market)
I - What message / moral / values do you intend your magazine to convey about your chosen College and your target audience?
A - Briefly outline the target audience (you can develop it later when you've made more decisions)
R - How do you intend your target audience / College / and the students of that College to be represented? i.e. positively / negatively / accurately / stereotypically / unconventionally

Conventions Of A Magazine

The first thing which the customer notices is of course the masthead; located on the top left of the page. This tells us what magazine it is, and perhaps due to the font and style what the magazine is about. Most magazines however we would know anyway. Mastheads generally tend to be bold,  big letters which stand out on the magazine rack.

Next, you look down across the left third which contains the contents of the magazine, trying to sell it to the consumer. Conventionally this will have an transparent background so you can see the rest of the main image behind it. This is located here because when on the magazine rack the left third will generally be left showing, meaning some people may see an article they like so therefore buy the magazine.

Cover Lines also attract the reader, they can be located mostly anywhere on the front cover, however they will most probably link with the main image and be under, or around it. Cover lines may just be a quote from an interview but they make you want to read that feature in full because of the quote.

Sell lines are something which magazines will always use, as their slogans will be put on every magazine, located below the masthead for example NME's would be 'New Music Express' this tells the reader what the magazine is about and what it should be bought for.

The splash is the full image in full, with everything included in the image. Barcodes are read electronically  and must be on the cover because they contain the price for when you are buying it, also on magazines; unlike papers they are located on the front because the back page is ussually a full page advert. Dateline's must be included to show what day it went out, an d so that consumers make sure they haven't bought the same one twice. Also this means the shop will know when it should no longer be stocked.

The credit shows who wrote the included article so that they have been credited for the work that they have produced. Skyline's are located above the masthead and will tell you the features of the magazine, they are located there so that if the magazine is sticking out you can see this series of words so therefore want to read it.

Graphology is the way that the page is laid out and structured and how it comes together, for emample if the writings centeral, tilted, sidelined or any other structural choices. Colour schemes set the mood for the magazine, and also define its audience, for example if you have brighter colours it may be associated with a younger audience or perhaps gossip magazines, whereas more subdued darked colours mean that its more adult and mature. Also the vocabulary of the magazine will tell you the audience it is aimed at, for example a gossip magazine will have simpler language included than National Geographic etc.

The main image is what will become the background, and may have other images spread around it. These images are meant to show what is in the magazine and make people want to buy it because of this main image. These will generally show the main feature of the magazine.

Screamers are writing which comes out at you and attracts your attention straight away, meaning you see it and want to know more. Flash is effects that are used on the cover, of if adverts are in the cover in a star or another shape.The teller tells us, as the aduience what is in it and may give is a quote or a feature in the magazine. A kicker may be anywhere on the page and will tell you a page number, in order to 'kick' you on. This is in a smaller font and will be a short anecdote on the magazine. Anchorage is how the images is attached to the wording around it and how they are placed together.

The Brief

Main Task: Using DTP and an image manipulation produce the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you – minimum of four images.