NME front cover analysis

   

Typography- the font used on the masthead of the magazine (NME) is bold and in capitals to emphasise the importance, this is conventional for a magazine to have the masthead in bold and always features at the top of the page.  There are different coloured and types of fonts used on the cover story( 100 new bands you have to hear), this is completely   in capital letters as this makes it stand out more. Also In the text accompanying some letters are in bold and some are not and some are sans serif and some are serif font which is don't for effect and made to look ‘messy’ which is part of the theme on the front cover.

Route of the eye:  the route of the eye goes across the masthead through the cover story and the main picture which are placed next to each other and across the bottom  through the text accompanying the main article heading.

Layout- the layout of the front cover is cluttered. It is also an uncommon layout for a front cover as the main picture is not the main point of the cover as the cover story text is actually the biggest point on the cover (100 new bands). The cluttered layout makes the cover look more like a scrapbook layout and the picture looks like its been cut out and stuck on the cover. There is also another small picture used in the top right corner of the cover which is another uncommon feature for a music magazine cover. The cover story has also been positioned un-straight and so the text looks wonky and un ordered. This is an uncommon feature  of a front cover where the masthead is usually placed straight at the top of the page and the cover story across the bottom, with the picture being in the middle.

Camerawork- a long shot is used on the main picture as you can see nearly all  of his body (from head to legs) . This shot type is used as he is playing his guitar and so this shot is the best to show this.  The shot itself is in black and white which is used due to the magazine covers theme which is made to look like a scrapbook and so the picture is placed on a white background( which is separate from the front cover) background and so looks like it has been cut out and stuck on.

Mode of address- the magazine is directly talking to the audience, which we can see by the text ( 100 new band you have to hear) as the word ‘you’ directly targets the reader and so the reader feels as if they are part of the magazine. The language is formal on the cover which is unusual for NME who are associated with rock star lifestyles and lots of wearing, as there is no slang or swearing used on the front cover. As the magazine is aimed at a smaller audience than Q they can directly speak to the audience as they have similar interests and are all fans of similar music and genres ( mainly rock music).

 Mise-en-scene- the only props used on the cover is a guitar which is used as the cover model is meant to be a rock star and he is also wearing skinny jeans which is another thing associated with the genre (rock) that NME predominately aimed at.  By looking like this it is more likely to appeal to the target audience as the can relate to it . 

Colour- there is a consistent colour theme used throughout the front cover . The background colour is pink, this is used as its bright and instantly attracts the eye of the reader. There are only 3 other colours used : yellow , black and white. These are all used for the text on the cover. By not overloading the cover with too much colour it helps to make the magazine look more professional and easier to read as all the colour isn't too distracting.