Research into similar products -'Inside Soap' Cover

The layout of this front cover allows the audience to have an understanding of what is going to be inside. Having the title being the first thing seen allows the audience to know what the magazine is. Having this placed in the primary opiate area allows the audience to clearly know what they are looking at and being the first thing that they see makes the most of the area. Also across the top there is a teaser bar, putting this along the top allows the audience to see what will be in the magazine. Next to this there is a page corner in which the by line ‘First for big soap news!’ will draw the audience in and placing it in the top corner makes the most of the spaces, appealing to audience. This also stands out against the other things shown on the cover. Following the rote of the eye across the middle brings the audience attentions to the main characters and what the main story is going to be. Placing this in the middle makes the characters stand out from the other stories; this is also the conventional place to put the characters. Across the bottom they use teaser of other stories. These two stories are unconventional in their size, most conventional teasers are small were as these two are larger it allows the audience to clearly see the teaser. This is something that could work when creating my magazine cover. The principal of thirds is clearly seen in this poster, with it spilt into three sections. With the title and teaser along the top then the main photo and then teasers along the bottom. Having this layout makes it clear to the audience the main story and frames the photo which makes it stand out from the other stories. The way in which the hot spots are placed at the top and bottom draw the audience attention to the other sections. The way in which the front cover is laid out makes the most of the principal of thirds more than the rote of the eye. Doing this makes the most of the dead areas and allows the audience to have a clear idea of what is going to be in the magazine to make in appeal to them. Through the layout of the photos is organised, where they have placed the titles makes the cover appear to be disorder. This I felt is off putting and feel that if it had been more organised it would appeal to the audience more.

The front used is done in the same style using throughout the cover. Using this house style makes the titles stand out from the photos. However with this the titles used at the bottom teasers used as different technique, this can be seen with the left one.

 In which they use all capitals this makes particular story stand out this can also be seen with the words ‘NEW AGONY!’ and ‘PREGNANT!’. Putting these in capitals makes them stand out to the audience and reflects the way in which these are the important elements of the text. Also using the short snappy words in this way, makes the story stand and to the audience, using this also makes the phrases stay in the mains of the audience. Using this Impact font makes the writing standout to the audience.  The way in which the front used stands out from the photos this can be seen by the use of different sizes. Having the word ‘Heartbreak!’ as big as the title makes it standout this is a typical storyline in a soap and the way in which the title is used also fits in with the conventions of a magazine cover. The way in which front and the writing is used in this cover fits in with the conventions being that they use different sizes for different stories, which they feel will appeal to the audience more.

The colours used in this cover are conventional to soap magazines this can be seen with the title, using the red makes it stand out against the other magazines, when being distrusted, making it appeal to the audience.

Using this colour stands out against the background colour this is the same with the colours used for the main photo. Using drake colours for their costumes, signifiers the way in which they are dangerous characters and makes them dominates the front cover being that they stand out from the white colour. Using the black and white colours connotes the way in which they are the ‘evil’ character, being that this is the typical colour used to represent this characterization. Using this colour of the characters represents them to be the ones at flout. Also the way in which the character are places having the females at the front and the males at the back, signifiers the way in which the female characters are in control and more important that the male characters. Using the orange for the main story is a natural colour and will appeal to both females and males. Having the orange makes it stand out against the drake colours of the characters. Having the bright colour makes it stand out and get the audience attention to the title. The use of bright colours is also seen

throughout the front cover, using these makes the makes it stand out against the photos. Also to make set words stand out from what is being said they use different colour, using the yellow with the white writing, doing this makes the set word standout and bring the audience attention to what is being said. Using this method is effects and I feel draws the audience in, this is something that I feel would work well when creating my own cover. The way in which the colours are used is done in a conventional way being that this brings attention to the cover and the storylines and represents the characters in a typical soap opera way, having them in dramatic positions reflecting what is happening in the soap and what will be shown in the magazine.        

The image shots used fit in with convention for a magazine, having the characters shown in mid shots allows the audience to get a clear view of the characters.

This chooses can be seen in the teaser where the image of the characters are shown in a mid shot, using this allows the audience to see the costume and the position of the character. Using this makes it clear to the audience who they are. The teaser in the bottom hand corner uses the same shot but the way in which the characters are placed signifiers the storyline and the characters relationship. Using this photo with the title allows the audience to have an understanding of who the characters are. The image as so makes the teaser stands out from the background.  Where as the other teaser on the bottom is taken from the soap this can be seen because of the background, using this image allows the audience to see what soap it’s from and to gain an idea of what is going to happen. The location which is seen in the photo is of someone’s house, the wall paper used reflects the house to be of an older person. This can be seen because of the use of the dolour colours used.

The teaser used along the top have also been taken out of their soap, the images they use here are close ups doing this allows the viewers to see the facial expression of the characters and gain an idea of what is going to happen in that soap. Using different images from different soap allows the front cover to appeal to a wider audience being that different people watch different soap, so doing this allows the magazines to appeal to them all. This is something that is convention to soap front cover and I feel would be good to use when creating my own cover.                 

     

The language used in the front cover is very convention using shot snappy phases, which will get the audience attentions. Such as “Heartbreak!” using this will get the audience intents and this also a conventional storyline in soaps. Using this informal language appeal to the audience and fits in with the purpose of the text, being that if they had used formal langue it would not appeal to the audience. This is as the magazine is aimed at an audience that wants to gossip and of a lower demographic. This can be seen by the way in which the phrases are formed. The way in which langue is used I feel is effect in appeal to their audience and feel that this would be effect in my magazine, being that it will be aimed at the same audience.   

The representation of the characters is done in a stereotypical way and reflected that if the soap character. Having them represented like this fits in with the conversions. The way in which the cover is layout is conventional. Using these conventions and the representation appeal to the audience in a way that they can connect with the characters and have an clear understanding of what it happening in the soaps and what it going to be inside. The way in which this cover has put over the characters, I feel is done in a way that allows the audience to have a clear understanding of who they are, this is something that I will need to include in my cover to appeal to the audience. This is the same with the conventions, laying out the cover in a conational way will audience my target audience to have a clear understanding as to what the cover is for.