The Cover: Final Draft

Altercations made:

* more coverlines as suggested; a list of popular artists along the right and a feature for Mumford & Sons at the bottom.

* smoothened Leanna's skin a little more, as before it appeared smudged and had evidently been airbrushed - although not very well!

* some coverlines were adjusted and resized, as I believed they took up too much space or looked awkward where they were, therefore looking overcrowded ("The Evolution of Leanna Rees" headline was shortened, "Best of British" badge was shifted further to the top right corner etc).

The Cover: First Draft

Audience Feedback:

"I really like how her shirt compliments the union jack in this. Also, the red coverline looks really good at that angle and frames her face really well." - Charlotte Bailey

"Very nice! I love the fonts you used for "The Evolution..." and "Now I can...". Not really sure about the need for the "I am not a robot" on the bottom right, but then again I'm not really up with the standards of the cool kids today.
The use of the Union Jack for the badge thing was a really inspired idea, and as Charlotte said the colours compliment each other nicely.
Well done." - Chris Coales

"This is actually a really good picture and a great angle. I think is was a great idea taking the picture of her against a wall. Your title is very nicely done and the point of the first letter of the word being a small letter is extremely effective. agree with chris about the fonts and colours used, however more text or small pictures could be added, perhaps a small advertisement of the release of her new album/single. The sticker on the outside is good, but very bright. I think you should reduce the opacity of the union jack in the background. :D" - Nathan Sundin

"Really good, i like the way her shirt compliments the union jack sticker, and how her head overlaps the masthead :)
Only thing is that you could maybe fit in a couple more cover lines." - Alysha Bennett

"I like the use of colour scheme in your front cover. The blues of the shirt compliment the clear logo of the union jack in the corner as well as the red and white text. The layout of the magazine is also very good, with a lot of white space taken up. Also, the colours in your models hair add variety on the page. I would only suggest adding a few more cover lines, such as band names or other competetions. :)" - Ben Allen

I intend to take all the advice given on board, and improve the things mentioned with my second draft.

NME Cover Analysis

* The NME masthead, abbreviated from New Musical Express, is used in the top left corner which is instantly recognisable to readers, making a clear statement. The bold colour of red, which is used nowhere else among the cover, and use of capitals helps it to leap out from the page, making it easy for the audience to identify the name of the magazine. The orange and white text used for the headlines also contrats with the black shadows in the background, and these loud colours appeal to the readers attention.

* The font size of the main headline, "Arctic Monkeys" is a lot larger than any other text presented on the cover. This emphasies the bands importance, as they are very popular within the indie genre and many of their target audience would purchase the magazine simply to read more on this particular feature. A quote is also used, "We can't worry about what other people think", creating a sense of realism. It also quite a controversial quote, that would encourage the reader into reading more, convincing them to purchase a copy.

* The cover image is a fairly simple, medium shot of the band Arctic Monkeys standing within the shadows. I have noticed that backgrounds of only one colour are commonly used in magazines, as busy patterns or such would appear cluttered and detract from the featured artist itself. All members are staring directly at the camera, and this eye contact acts as a hook to draw in the reader and entice them. Their facial expressions also appear quite glum and moody, although confident. This correlates well with their posture, the lead singer raising his head slightly as though he feels imperiror to others or assured of himself. Their clothes are also of a stereotypical indie band, sporting a casual, cool and contempary look that is commonly shown among the alternative scene - wearing jeans and loose fitted shirts.

* There is a use of a song lyric along the right hand side, next to the barcode - "There's nothing you can't do/Now you're in New York". The extract, taken from a song of Jay Z's, is printed in so small that is is barely noticeable, although loyal NME readers would know to expect this as a new lyric is regularly used every week.

* Other coverlines include "15 New Bands To get Excited About" and "Amporphous Androgynous: The band that changed Noel Gallaghers life!" The language used in both these is very suggestive, and attracts the reader, suggesting that both articles included important and will interest the reader - hence the used of the word "excited". The colloquial language also makes the magazine more approachable, and easily understood.

Title & Font

For the name of my magazine, I wanted something short and sharp which would sound catchy - and hopefully interest or attract the reader. It must also suit it's overall house theme and main genre of music that will be running through the magazine. I decided that a one-word title would be best, and is it is often effective as it is more hard-hitting. So I noted down any words that came to mind and may be suitable.

* Impact
* Alive
* Click
* Gravity
* Dare
* Infinity
* Jigsaw
* [The] Edge
* Scratch
* Antidote
* Union
* Rebellion
* Listen
* Overpowered/Overload

I then tested out a selection of various fonts with a few of my preferred titles.



At first, I found it difficult deciding on one final title, as I felt I had at least a couple which I could possibly use. After confronting other people, I had eventually chosen Dare. I liked Dare because of the power it has to it. The harsh sounding consonant in its prefix is a sign to the reader of whats to come, as it suggests, along with the title, that the magazine goes where others don't - and dares to be different, unique or simply outrageous. This will have a heavy impact on the audience, as it is also instantly recognisable and unlike a title of any other magazine currently within the industry.

Once Dare had been confirmed, I thought I would alter the colour of the logo that I had originally used. I wanted a colour that was bold and represented the title. I figured red would be a good choice, as it portrays the danger that the the title suggests. I also added other effects, such as shadow and the bevel and emboss tool, in order to prevent it from looking too flat.