Draft Sketches for My Magazine

Okay so here are some rough drafts of my magazine pages - obviously I'm not the best sketch artist in the world but I just needed to do a crude sketch to give myself a starting point for when I go out to take my pictures



Front Cover

Contents Page



DP Spread 1

DP Spread 2

Analysis of My Title Blocks

Before I get into analysing the various texts I have selected I feel I should first explain why I have chosen a slightly out of focus 18 certificate as a background for my title block. The 18 certificate has links with ideas of taboo, of rebellion, of controversy; these ideas have links to a certain degree with the idea with my magazine, particularly the rebellious aspect, but the connotations are something that my target audience will find very appealing, thus making them more likely to pick up the magazine in the first place. I also like the idea of building my text within the circle of the certificate from a stylistic point of view, the music magazine "Q" have done this and I think it helps that title block stand out from other music magazines on the shelves, and Ialso  think it looks better, more original, bolder. Again this is something my target audience would find appealing because of these connotations, strengthening my reasoning for the use of an iconic, arguably infamous, circular image as a background for my title block.

  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_pS46YRMIQ  - Zef Side - 1st Viral

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIXUgtNC4Kc - Fatty Boom Boom Official Video - Most Recent Viral

JAD Feedback

Some work missing here Joe. Complete the following tasks and post on your blog immediately:

Key conventions analysis
Focus group video
Costume/props planning

Drafting

You have missed deadlines for the above work.

Also, make sure you upload images of all the pages you have analysed.

Analysis of Title Blocks: NME and Kerrang

Analysis of Title Blocks 

NME:

This title block incorporates bold colour and capital letters to draw attention from passers-by and as a way to create a distinctive identity for the magazine. The colour is bold, the letters are in capitals, these two factors are included not only to stand out on a magazine rack, but also to tell the audience about how "NME" sees itself: they are a bold, powerful music magazine, they aren’t fancy, they are elegant, they are just there, and everyone just has to deal with that since they are clearly making no concessions for anyone. This surly image is created as a way to attract their target audience of trendy readers aged roughly 17-21; this is a young audience that is about admittedly new trends, but mainly about rebellion, being gauche and outlandish and in the face of society. This title block is doing all of those things, so by extension the magazine is doing all of those things. Their target audience is, therefore, more likely to see these traits in the magazine’s identity as positive and are more likely to not only buy the magazine because of this, they will identify with it as well.  

Kerrang:

This title block is stark and monotone: white on black. The letters are bold and uncompromising, they also look like glass shattering; there’s an exclamation mark at the end of the block as well. "Kerrang" is a surly, heavy metal magazine, their audience is made of people who are part of the heavy metal niche and that niche has connotations with aggression and darkness amongst other things. The fact that the letters are shattering, the fact that the letters are in capitals, the fact that there is an exclamation mark at the end of the word, all convey this aggression and therefore make it a large part of the magazine’s identity. The title becomes a bellow instead of just a statement thanks to all of these aspects, it becomes a roar, it becomes the defining aspect of heavy metal; the bleak colour scheme conveys a darkness and gloom, again another motif of metal. The target audience will identify and appreciate this, and they will therefore align themselves with the magazine. This title block is a very good way to establish the magazine’s identity from the outset, it is also a great way to build up a very loyal fan base in a highly simplistic manner.

Reader Profile Stimulus Package

To help you further understand my target audience and my ideas about my magazine from a stylistic point of view I have compiled a mix of youtube video/channels and web pages for you to look over and browse through at your own leisure. Pretty much all of what I’m putting up will be known by my target audience ( all of them have been picked out from the comments left in my survey) and a great deal of what I’m showing you has influenced the look and style of my music magazine, particularly the photography found in Sonic Youth's live show and Kerosene by the Crystal Castles.Please disregard any adverts that appear before the designated clips begin.

Websites:

Pitchfork Media - http://pitchfork.com/ 

the AV Club - http://www.avclub.com/

4AD - http://www.4ad.com/

Captured Tracks  - http://capturedtracks.com/

Beyond Retro - http://www.beyondretro.com/

Dalston Superstore - http://dalstonsuperstore.com/

Catch 22 bar  - http://www.thecatchbar.com/

XOYO: http://xoyo.co.uk/

Scala: http://www.scala-london.co.uk/scala/

Creation Records - http://www.creation-records.com/

 

Last Fm – pages to see:

 

Noise Rock - http://www.last.fm/tag/noise+rock?ac=noise rock

Chillwave - http://www.last.fm/tag/chillwave

 Underground Hip Hop - http://www.last.fm/tag/underground+hip-hop?ac=underground h 

Shoegaze - http://www.last.fm/tag/shoegaze?ac=shoegaz

 Low-Fi - http://www.last.fm/tag/lo-fi

No Wave - http://www.last.fm/tag/no%20wave

Artists (Last Fm):

Grimes - http://www.last.fm/music/Grimes

Chromatics- http://www.last.fm/music/Chromatics?ac=chroma

Zola Jesus - http://www.last.fm/music/Zola+Jesus?ac=zola

Neon Indian - http://www.last.fm/music/Neon+Indian?ac=neon in

GusGus  - http://www.last.fm/music/Gus+Gus?ac=gusgus

Sonic Youth - http://www.last.fm/music/Sonic+Youth?ac=sonic

The Knife - http://www.last.fm/music/The+Knife?ac=the knife

How To Dress Well - http://www.last.fm/music/How+to+Dress+Well?ac=how to dre

Planningtorock -  http://www.last.fm/music/Planningtorock?ac=planningtorock

Colourbox  - http://www.last.fm/music/Colourbox?ac=colourbo

Toro Y Moi - http://www.last.fm/music/Toro+y+Moi?ac=toro y moi

Wild Nothing - http://www.last.fm/music/Wild+Nothing?ac=wild Nothing

Tame Impala - http://www.last.fm/music/Tame+Impala?ac=tame im

Mac Demarco - http://www.last.fm/music/Mac+DeMarco?ac=mac de

Cocteau Twins - http://www.last.fm/music/Cocteau+Twins?ac=cocteau

Shabazz Palaces - http://www.last.fm/music/Shabazz+Palaces?ac=shabazz

 

Youtube channels:

Vice - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn8zNIfYAQNdrFRrr8oibKw

Amoeba - http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9DkCKm4_VDztRRyge4mCJQ

Majestic Casual - http://www.youtube.com/user/majesticcasual

Etonmessy - http://www.youtube.com/user/Etonmessy

Aliasizm - http://www.youtube.com/user/AliasbassUK
 

Videos:

Grimes – Oblivion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtH68PJIQLE

Die Antwoord – Zef Side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_pS46YRMIQ

Die Antwoord - Fatty Boom Boom: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIXUgtNC4Kc

Sonic Youth - Kill Yr Idols Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYSnZRDe7h4 

Pharcyde  - Drop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co3qMdkucM0

Chromatics - In the CIty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFOxribt3kA

Fever Ray – When I grow Up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-CpE73o2M

Deerhunter - VHS Dream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxRrIGRUazE

Crystal Castles  - Kerosene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNTanG00Cuw

 

Music Magazine: the Uncharted Reader

Travis is 20 and goes to a trendy arts college where he studies Film and American Literature. His ambition is to be a big persona in the creative industries, maybe music, but a career as a writer or film maker would suit him just as well. Travis lives in a studio flat in Shoreditch because he considers it to be a trendy and fashionable part of London. A connoisseur of the avant garde, Travis listens to what he would consider alternate music, so indie four pieces, experimental music , electro, dance, techno , punk and old school rap as he feels that this music sets him apart from "the masses". Travis is all about his own identity and being an individual: he hates glossy magazines that are filled with what he considers to be pretentious and out of touch journalists, he wants a magazine made by people like him for people like him. Travis's favourite record labels are Creation and 4AD because he considers them to be both indie and innovative. He likes his magazines and everything he owns to look as raw and amateur as possible, and strives to create this 'realistic' rustic feel in his choice of clothes and in his creations. Travis is a vegan, he is middle class, he wears skinny jeans, statement t-shirts, leather or military style jackets, he has an undercut and he reads magazines like "Vice"; he watches cult films and reads cult literature, they are usually controversial pieces. Everything Travis does is about being cult and being controversial. He reads magazines (by extension my magazine) to tell him what is fashionable, to confirm his beliefs that what he does is 'cool'. Travis, for all intents and purposes, wants to rebel against mainstream culture. He rejects it point blank, his reading material, his idols, his bands, even his clothes, should carry with them similar concepts, either expressing them outright or suggesting them subtly.

My Questionaire and It's Results

Here's the survey I'm currently giving out to people who should fit my target audience. I did attempt to do a focus group, but since my target audience is quite niche I felt the results from the group were inadequate: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YTDC8DB

Unfortunately I'd have to upgrade to a professional version to share my results without giving access to my account (which I'd have to pay for) so to view my results you'll have to enter my email and password. I am very sorry for this inconvenience:

the email you need to use is: j-clifft@hotmail.com
and the Password is: 1234

http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurvey_Responses.aspx?sm=uWbsObdSAntFlcv6NCWh3js0oEzWKNU%2ftjMKU%2biMeMegyO1bqVTKkFWJjYqAwSI6

The questions were created to identify what my audience are looking for and to see how they'd feel about the directions I want to go in with my magazine (which I am calling Uncharted after such positive feedback)

New Order Double Page Spread Analysis from "Mojo" September 2001 issue 94

Double page spreads are a standard component in all magazines, they can be very stylised, say if we were to look at a slightly more modern, ‘cutting edge’ magazine such as "NME". Double page spreads can also be simple, subtle in their approach. The section of the article I have chosen as an initial starting point comes from an edition of "Mojo" September 2001 issue 94 is an example of the latter, and I intend to use New Order's image as inspiration to some extent when designing my band's image.

The first point to make about the section of the article I have chosen, pages 80 and 81, is the colour photograph of the band on page 81. The picture incorporates the whole of the band in question, possibly at a house party, maybe just hanging around. They are dressed in clothes popular in the 80’s, but at the same time their style isn’t ostentatious, the look is simple, cheap, ‘real’, reflecting the northern working class voice image from their Joy Division days. The idea that they are in a fairly standard house with bland curtains and furniture add to this image, the tea identifies the band immediately as British, bands from the UK at this time were very into national pride, representing their roots, keeping to them, not changing into posers as they gained money and fame.

Also, when looking at the picture it’s important to notice that the front man (Bernard Sumner), has had his face blurred. This is done partly to set him apart from the other members of the band, identifying him as the lead, but also to get across another part of New Orders’ identity: the abstract. This has been a part of the band since Joy Division when they were just starting up, and they kept trying to tackle the avant garde scene all through their career as musicians.

In terms of costume, it’s vital to point out that two of the band members are wearing leather jackets, a fashion of the day, but also a signifier of a rebel, or a dark horse. New Order were certainly outlandish in their approach to music, rebelling against the mainstream while at the same time gaining mainstream success. Sumner's trench coat is a nod to New Order's (but mainly Joy Division's) obsession with the army, particularly Nazis, and army memorabilia.

Moving away from the picture and onto layout and colour scheme of the article, we can see that on this double page spread the layout is simple, two items break up the text, one is the picture I discussed earlier, the other is the black box, entitled Heart and Soul (a reference to the Joy Division song), which contains a condensed interview on Ian Curtis. The contrast between the rest of the text (which is black on a white background) to draw attention to the extract is a clever and subtle way to catch the audiences’ eye.

Of course the other, more subtle reason for this, is to suggest to the audience something about the identity of Joy Division, or to enforce it depending on whether the reader is a fan or not; the band were always about being simple, about an absence of colour (an idea popular in the post-punk genre), the colour scheme that "Mojo" elected to use is all we need as an audience to know that Joy Division were a band about being not only simple, but quite melancholic in their approach to music, black being a colour that goes hand in hand with the ideas of darkness and misery.   

If we were to look at all of these elements combined we can see that the double page spread works because the layout isn’t complex, it is about the band, but it doesn’t overload our senses by hurling images at us. I will keep in mind the merits of this concept when designing my double page spread and may incorporate elements of it into my work.

Analysis of Contents Page: Mojo Issue 84

Analysis of Contents Page: Mojo Issue 84

 

Contents Pages are a crucial part of magazines as they give the reader a guide to the articles they may be interested in viewing, saving them a lot of time and generally shaving what could  be a tiresome edge off of the media format of the magazine. Music magazines are no exception to this rule, and the contents page I will be analysing is pretty comprehensive in terms of the motifs that often accompany what a contents page in a music magazine should look like.

The contents page is minimalistic to say the least,  a single white strip with the magazine’s title block (their logo for all intents and purposes), the issue and the month and date it was released. Below this we have the actual listing of the articles included and then obviously their page numbers. The reason for the simplicity is simple, the contents page is designed for practicality, not to look particularly impressive. The magazine editors don’t want you to admire the contents page, they want you to use the contents page pretty much purely as a way to navigate through the articles they have put a lot of work and money into creating most likely; as long as the page looks neat, there’s no real issue. This approach seems conclusive with the one that most music magazines adopt.

The title block is included at the top of the page really as a way to brand another page of the magazine with the magazine’s logo. This is done because they want to keep the reader making links between the music they like reading about and the magazine in which they are reading it. Mojo wouldn’t make as much money if they didn’t use this tactic to suggest the links to their audience between the music they brought the magazine for and the magazine’s identity.

The contents page spans across two pages in Mojo, one half is just text, but the rest are a selection of pictures carefully arranged across the page. The pictures are of the bands that are in the issue, with an appropriate caption informing the reader of who they are and the page number they are mentioned on underneath each shot. This is done as a way to break up the mundane process of solely relying on the big block of text in the far left as your only way to navigate through the magazine; this method suggests a more dynamic and a slicker approach, and by extension that makes Mojo seem both slick and dynamic. Once again they are using this to promote a positive image of themselves within their audience.

The colour scheme is mainly black and white, with the colour pictures of the bands and the red boxes the captions are sealed in being used to break up the monotony of the monotone base. Red is a bold colour, it suggests many things to many different people, but the one I think Mojo were going for here is passion. They are passionate about music, they want the reader to know they are passionate about music, so using this colour as a way to break up the colour scheme is very good because on top of helping to create a contents page that looks aesthetically pleasing, they also use the connotations of red to push their identity onto the reader even more.

The main purpose of the contents page, as I’ve stated already, is as a tool to use in order to navigate through the magazine, what we see here is that Mojo have also seen it as a tool to subtly push their identity to the reader via the subtle connotations of their use of colour and even something as simple as including their title block at the top of the page.

Mojo Magazine Front Cover analysis

Essay on Mojo Magazine Cover

There are several items of interest to study when looking at this cover, and when looking at them I feel it’s important to compare it to Mojo’s usual cover layouts as well as the layouts of its contemporary magazine covers. I chose this cover because of its focus subject, Radiohead, who are easily the most innovative bands of the past decade or so. I plan to use the image of the band and the cover as influence when creating my music magazine cover.

The first and most obvious point to make is that the lighting has been done in such a way, quite deliberately, to completely cast a shadow over the Radiohead front man Thom Yorke's face.I feel that this has been done for two reasons. The first is to simply highlight the quote and main article of the issue (which has been done in white to create a strong contrast not only with the shadow over Yorke, but also to contrast with the maroon background).

The second is for effect. The darkness over Yorke's face, and what it suggests, is in keeping with Yorke's image as an artist and the image that Radiohead (the band of focus) project and uphold. Darkness carries with it connotations of misery, menace and melancholy. It also references the idea of "the dark horse", meaning the mysterious, edgy outsider; Radiohead have always been the edgy outsiders of the mainstream music scene. Their music has always been filled with melancholy and misery (an image that they pander to frequently), and their songs, particularly in their later works, have often been mysterious, menacing soundscapes as opposed to songs. This aspect of mis-en-scene alone then, carries with it a barrage of references to Radiohead's identity.

The final point to make on this I feel is the reference to Laurie Anderson's surrealist video for her 1981 hit O Superman. Yorke and the photographer have actually worked together to replicate an exact shot of Anderson from the video, right down to the finest detail in terms of framing and lighting. This obscure reference once again highlights the obscurity of the band, but is also a hint at their influences; O Superman was one of the first completely synth and effect driven songs to make it into the Top 3 on the UK singles chart; as Radiohead have gone on it could be said that their music has all but done away with guitars and rockier sounds, and that the band have embraced synths and electronica in their place.

Looking at the masthead, we see that the use of black is an extension of the lighting of the picture, done quite simply to carry on a colour scheme that supports the bands identity in the same vein that the lighting does. The fact that the colour black, and all of its connotations that I mentioned earlier, has been applied to the name of the magazine, by extension, suggest that Mojo as a magazine are the dark horses of the industry, or they have the potential to be the dark horses anyway.

The masthead has been place slightly in front of the image, something rarely done on music magazine covers, partly to illustrate that despite the subject, the name of the magazine and so by extension the magazine, is still the most important component. It is not overshadowing the artist, it is almost on a level, slightly above, so even though the suggestion is there, the magazine is in no way belittling the importance of the band and article of focus. I feel the real reason though, is Mojo’s way of saying that it is different from other magazines in the industry, that it will not be a magazine that will take a back seat to the artist, that it has its own identity that will not be overshadowed by the band of focus.

Turning to general layout, we can see that this magazine cover is sparse to say the least. The only other cover line is a relatively small banner at the bottom promoting a feature on Bob Dylan's birthday which is notable because of the stature of Dylan as an arist. This is done to give the impression that Mojo and Radiohead are of prime importance and are about simplicity, the stripped back, by extension, the pure. This is relevant given the subject matter of the issue: Radiohead are an underground band, the topics in this issue deal with the underground predominantly. The underground scene usually focuses on its purity, so the sparse layout makes the audience associate Mojo and Radiohead with this concept, and that they are both genuine proponents of the underground.

In terms of costume we can see that Thom Yorke is wearing a ratty seemingly no brand jumper, giving the impression that he has not abandoned the grunge roots from which Radiohead first emerged on the indie scene. The contrast between his costume compared to, for example, that of an artist on the cover of a hip-hop magazine who would usually be covered in ‘bling’ and designer goods, adds to the idea that Radiohead are different, real, pure, and alternative in their tastes, shying away from the mainstream approach to music.

The last thing to comment on is colour scheme. I touched on this briefly before in reference to "the dark horse" motif present in the masthead and the image of Yorke, but the red background combined with the red of the front man's lips also have significance. The colour red, on top of complimenting the black very well if we were studying this cover from an ascetics point of view, brings with it connotations of danger, of aggression, of rebellion and anarchy. Radiohead, in their own unique way, exhibit all of these aspects; they have always been a band for the frustrated teenager, and their music undoubtedly brings with it an element of protest in its unwillingness to bend to mainstream fashion. The danger element comes in when looking at their complete and very vocal rejection of anything they denounce as wrong, aspects of modern day living such as consumerism and global warming are frequently attacked by the band both in and out of their music.

All these elements combine to paint a picture of the band as dark horses of the music industry, not afraid to speak out against what is wrong, not bending to the conventions that popular culture focuses on most, and most importantly a band that is still every bit as pure as it was when they were unknowns. Even more interesting though, is the fact that by Mojo representing the band in this way, they are not only condoning this image, they are to an extent lumping themselves in with Radiohead in terms of their beliefs, creating an image of the magazine similar to that of the band.

Conventions of a Music Magazine (Mojo)

The title block for "Mojo" is probably the clearest component of the magazine to identify: it’s in large capital letters and stretches across the length of the front cover at the top of the magazine, the colour fluctuates depending on the image and genre the magazine’s covering that issue, and usually there’s a sell line in small italics however, on occasion, the sell line is left out (this happens in the case of a special issue). The readership by and large tend to know what the title block looks like and where it will be so, as in the case of  other musicmagazines like "NME", occasionally the image on the front cover overlaps or merges with the title block for either aesthetic purposes or to bring extra focus to the image on their cover.  

 The image of an artist or a band exists, obviously, to inform the readership of what they can expect to find in that issue, but also to further help translate the magazine’s identity to the reader (arguably the masthead also does this). The image varies from issue to issue since Mojo cover both contemporary and retro music, from the Beatles to the Smiths to Radiohead and beyond. The image is almost always of an established artist and is usually male, but there are plenty of exceptions to this.

 In order to build up a following, the components of the magazine are constant from issue to issue and this enables the creators of the magazine to develop and establish the magazine’s identity as well. Mojo offer reviews, interviews, articles, free material about a variety of artists usually found under the general bracket of alternative pop and rock both past and present, but they also cover established rock and pop acts. In the magazine you can also find gig dates. In terms of a target audience I’d say Mojo is aimed at men aged from about 28-55 who tend to be quite cultured and usually middle class. Being a reader of "Mojo", studying the bands covered, the type of music covered, the style of photography and the feel of the magazine on the whole, has led me to this conclusion.

 
The images on the front cover are usually pretty much typical of music magazines: crisp and clear medium close ups with the artist/artists facing the camera, but from time to time the magazine veers away from this format, opting for a cover with a change of shot size and style. These can be concept driven (the cover at this link is a good example of this: http://cover.mojo4music.com/Item.aspx?pageNo=1661&year=2001 ) and are usually ’artsy’; the reason for this change up is to bring more attention to the subject on the cover and to make the magazine stand out from competition on the shelves; the image is also usually an extension of the band’s image. I intend to discuss this particular example of cover work in more detail in due course.

The contents pages in "Mojo" go across two pages and are quite simply made. The masthead is present but smaller. White space is used effectively and photography dominates the section with a small column of text to aid the reader’s navigation, but by and large the captions with page numbers under each picture do the same job but in a more dynamic way.

There are a few very generic facts that can be said about the majority of "Mojo’s" double page spreads (the exceptions to these rules usually correlate with the issues where the front cover veers away from convention). The title is usually a good deal larger than the rest of the text, presumably to draw emphasis to it. There tends to be one large photo and then several smaller ones, but of course this changes frequently and a variety of arrangements can be seen in every issue. The central binding feature seems to be the use of white space, the fact that the font is small and black and clear, and that the set up neatly coincides with the rule of thirds.

I now have to decide, studying these conventions, what I want my magazine to be like. I currently have no idea as to an audience or a genre/subculture I want to focus on, but I want to create something that I’d want to read, something that rocks the boat these conventions are resting in, just a little.

school magazine contents page

school magazine front page

draft sketch of school magazine cover

Medium Close Up

This is a medium close up I took of a student for the front cover of my school magazine. I plan to up the contrast and attempt to make it a bit brighter because brightness and sunny days does seem to be a constant motif in school magazine covers because of the obvious connotations of happiness, easy times, youth, freedom

Analysis of Dominican University Magazine Cover

Analysis of Dominican University Magazine cover

There are numerous aspects to consider when looking at this cover, in fact compared to the other covers for school magazines this one adopts a fairly novel and intriguing approach to advertising and selling the magazine. I will try to analyse this now.

There are five images used in this cover, as opposed to the one central picture that seems to be in every other cover for not just school magazines, but for magazines as a whole. I feel this is done to give the impression that the school is focused on a variety of aspects and that all are equally important to the system, it also adds to this idea of the school as a melting pot of ideas and futures, where it is possible to go on and do anything if you go to the school.

Looking at the images in detail, the first to point out is a shot of a church, obviously this tells the audience that the university is religious, but the fact that the sun is up in the background could also give the impression that the feel of the school is warm and tender on top of having a religious aspect (it also challenges the idea that religious schools are quite firm and cruel by presenting this image, putting the readers at ease). Also, the idea of mentioning religion could also give students and parents the idea that the school is moral and that morality is a big part of the school’s ethos.

The next shot of the three students (a white boy, a black boy and a girl) is put there to tell the readers: one, that the school is multicultural and accepts people of all creeds and ethnicities where all live in tranquillity and are happy (hence the smiles and the fact that they are hugging); and two, that sending students to this school ensures success as the students are all dressed in graduation garments and are all happy, suggesting that they did well in their exams and that they have bright futures ahead of them, the use of sunlight again could further this concept. The fact that they’re successful also implies that they are intelligent, suggesting that if you send your child there or if you are going there that you too are intelligent and thus are likely to succeed in life.

 The shot of the building sight is somewhat simpler to analyse, it simply suggests to the reader that the school is about moving forward and is about change for the better (sunlight is used here to further this concept), which is possibly another way of challenging the stereotypes readers may have about religious schools being stuck in their ways as it were.

The piece of artwork in the bottom right hand corner of the magazine implies that the school encourages creativity, and furthers the idea that intelligent and enlightened people attend the university as creativity is often linked with these concepts.

The picture to the left of that of the group of people, like the one of the students, implies that the school is diverse in it’s mix of students as people of all colours are present in the shot, but focuses more on the idea of family than anything else. The subjects are all cooped up together as if posing for a family portrait, implying that attending the university is like having a second family, which of course carries the concepts of stability, happiness and comfort, an image that may comfort parents worrying about their children becoming home sick. The idea of the school being a family also carries the idea that the school has family values, implying that the students will be guided in the right direction and taken care of in what most would call a wholesome environment, furthering the idea brought up in numerous other pictures on the cover that morals are a big part of the school’s foundations.

The last picture of the woman that seems to be in the spotlight (on the red carpet perhaps) furthers the idea that the students that attend the school become successful, and can lead a glamorous lifestyle (the fact that she’s wearing gold combined with the connotations that the red carpet provides- power, success, talent ect.- get this point across effectively.)

Looking more at the colour scheme incorporated throughout the piece, we can see that it uses simple blacks and whites, with a flash of purple to emphasise the school’s religious inclinations; blacks and whites are used to make the pictures and all that they say about the school stand out more to the reader, making them automatically see the potential that the school has before they see or think about anything else. This then, means that they already have good thoughts about the school before even looking beyond the front cover