Textual Analysis - Front Cover

For the first stage's of my project I was told to do the following; Annotate various magazine covers which involved writing about; The layout; Technical Aspects and finally Magazine conventions, this inturn helped me learn and familiarzize myself with magazines as it helped me for my project and give me a greater understanding. I had selected one Front cover, double page spread and finally one contents page, I used a wide range of music genre's when selecting these three as it would give me a much wide range of idea's when constructing my own magazine.


The first thing I selected was a magazine cover to analyse as in my opinion it's the vocal point to an entire magazine and attracts consumers.

The magazine I selected was "Vibe" Magazine which is a music and entertainment magazine founded by producer Quincy Jones.The publication predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. Issued quarterly, the magazine's target demographic is predominantly young, urban followers of hip-hop culture. A Target demeographic I inteneded to also have.

The first thing I will analyse in the front cover is camera work as a "close-up"shot has been used which really focuses on "Kayne Wests" face and facial expression which gives consumers the idea this issue of "Vibe" will be focused on him, this in itself is a "selling point" of the magazine also this image would appeal to many fans of "Kayne" and many fans of his music.

The mise-en-scene in the picture relates back to the house-style as "Kayne's" collar colour matchs that of the title of the magazine thus creating a consistents housetyle throughout the magazine.

Furthermore the "straplines" in the magazine cover also draw consumers as a memerable quote from "Kayne West" is used "I am Rap" and furthermore straplines such as "Britney Spears" will also attract her fans and many others who' name is also a strapline i.e. Smokey Robinson.