Magazine Analysis: NME Cover

NME Cover Analysis

Image: Facial Expression/ Body Language

The facial expression and personal gaze of eye contact makes the artist ‘Grimes’ look as if she is looking directly at the audience. The facial expression of ‘Grimes’ looks thoughtful and creates the impression that possibly her music is more meaningful and presents the indie/alternative genre of the music magazine. In my own magazine I will employ this by instructing my model to make a thoughtful facial expression in order to portray the idea that the magazine represents thoughtful and deep musicians and music therefore implying of the more meaningful alternative music culture.

Image: Positioning

The positioning of the artist in the thirds  places her in the centre through the middle thirds and so creates the concept that she is the focus and most important therefore presenting the idea that the artists are at the focus of NME magazine this creates the implications that the magazine is aimed at strong music fans who are very passionate for music. The positioning of ‘Grimes’ creates the impression of dominance, as if she is sitting on a throne, this theme of dominance not only reflects her as a strong female musician but also NME as a dominant music magazine and household name. I will also portray a theme of dominance in my magazine through the positioning of my model's close -up within the middle thirds of the cover.

Image: Lighting

The lighting is very bright and creates a youthful tone and again  juxtaposes the alternative impressions of the magazine created with it’s other conventions again presenting a rebellious tone. The bright lighting  also forms a unique and stylistic image as it reflects off the sequins on the costume  and other areas of the costume to stand out again reflecting the idea that NME stands out as a popular music magazine in comparison to its competitors. In my own magazine I will manipulate the lighting of the main shot on my cover in order to promote a trendy youthfulness whilst still appearing edgy through the use of a 'star light' which will project stars across the close-up of my models' face.

Image: Colour

The surreal psychedelic colour scheme of a tie-die blue and cream house style creates a rebellious and unique tone reflecting the alternative genre of the magazine. The pink used seem to create an over-feminine tone in almost an ironic way, this exaggerated ‘girly pop’  feel contrasts and juxtaposes not only with the branding of the magazine but also the artist and so the irony presents connotations of rebellion therefore representing the alternative genre of the magazine. Within my own magazine the use of similar vibrant, bright pink colours will also be used in order to instil this tone of irony to create a rebellious feel to the magazine throughout. I am planning on making my colour scheme a pink and black scheme to instil a deliberate punk-rock rebellious tone.

Image: Props/Costume

The surrealist shell throne and crown holds implications of mythology and so creates a surreal theme again holding the implications that NME is a rebellious alternative music magazine meanwhile the silver crown and sequin boots connotes idea of prestige and as if the artist ‘grimes’ is a royal, this follows with the implications that NME itself is the king/queen of the music magazine genre. I will also create a surreal tone to the images used in my magazine which I am planning to do through a pink, punk-rock colour scheme to evoke ideas of irony, through the manipulation of lighting, which I will exhibit using a star-light projector, and through the use of make-up through which I am planning to apply glitter to my model's face and eyes to create a 1970's Ziggy Stardust surreal look. 

Layout: Text/Font

The use of the laid-back, less formal rounded fonts alongside the 3D NME logo stylistically appears trendy and ‘cool’ this seems to reflect the idea of the magazine being a trendy and alternative magazine rather than a formal, conventional magazine which would most likely use serif fonts. In my own magazine I will also create a rebellious and trendy look through the use of varied informal fonts, I am hoping to find fonts that look scribbled and messy while still appearing clear in order to instil a sense of rebellion.