Q June 2014 Review

In this magazine, the thing that stands out the most to me is the image which is central to the magazine, this makes it dominant and the fact that it is surrounded by text draws your attention to the center. The image also relates to the main headline, this is as it is “Lily Allen Kicks Off” and in the image, effects have been used to make it appear as if Lily Allen is kicking out of the front of the magazine as her shoe is placed over the “Kicks Off” by using effects. The model is also not looking into the camera which is intriguing as it means you don’t get the emotional depth from the model which you see on magazines such as fashion magazines. The pose itself also links to the fact that Lily Allen is Kicking off as the use of her foot posed upwards and forwards suggests that Lily Allen is kicking out, she is also pulling quite a crazy and wild facial expression which adds to the argumentative nature suggested by the headline. The photograph has also been taken in a studio as the background is plain and simple, so it doesn't’t detract from the model. There are also highlights on her shoe and jacket to make them appear more prominent and edgy. The image is also a long shot, this is probably so that you can see the whole of the artist and the outfit she is wearing and the props she is using, this could be to state her music career so that it is known to the audience. The image is also sharp and clear so the background isn’t in focus, this once again makes Lily Allen seem bolder and draws your attention in on the model. The model is also wearing black leather- this links to rock and roll and makes the model seem quite feisty and edgy, which once again links to the “kicks off” headline. I think this costume appeals to the TA as the costume is recreatable, which makes it more interesting as the target audience feels that they can be more like Lily Allen. The Hair and makeup also links to the punkish feel as she is wearing black with a choppy feel , this makes Lily seem more modern and powerful as a woman- and aggressive not weak. This also links to McDougall’s theory on the modernization of magazines as women are being seen as independent- not week. The props included are a microphone and a microphone stand which links to the music feel of the magazine and the fact that it is Lily Allen.

The masthead of the magazine is a white Q on a red background, this is quite unconventional as normally, the masthead of a magazine is a short and snappy word, this could suggest that Q is trying to be unique and different. The red and white could also be the house style of the magazine as the masthead is the same all of the time. The masthead is also in the top left of the magazine, which is once again unconventional as most mastheads are spread out across the top of a magazine, this once again suggests that Q are trying to be unique and different. The masthead occupies approximately a sixth of the magazine, this makes the title quite bold and provides impact on the magazine, The masthead is also San Serif. I would probably use this style of masthead if I was aiming for this type of magazine, this is because it has been successful for the Q magazine and its target audience which suggests It could be successful for my magazine.

In this magazine, there are four cover stories, however not all of them are the same font type, this could be so that certain stories stand out more than others, such as Lily Allen’s quote which intrigues and invites the reader. The font is also in different sizes to make different headlines stand out, such as “Kick Off” is in a massive font size and is central to the magazine, making it appear more pronounced and making it one of the first things that you see in the magazine. The font is also quite sharp and in block print- which makes it feel slightly aggressive which links to the music genre of rock and roll or punk music. The font also appeals due to its size, this is as the size of the magazine font makes it easy to read- this would therefore appeal to a wide audience as nearly everyone could read it. Some of the text is also in a banner, but it is not semi transparent- the PUG Is also in the banner of Oasis, which makes the text, although it is small, stand out more, there is also no puff, no magazine slogan and no sell line. The front cover magazine connotes quality as the sharp texts and gutters make the text more prominent and make it stand out more.

I believe that the target audience for this magazine is both male and female, this is because Lily Allen’s dress sense makes it appear quite sexual whereas the fact she is powerful makes her appeal more dominant and independent – which is interesting to women. I believe this magazine is aimed at people aged 18 – 25 due to the youthful image but the types of artists and fonts used. The magazine makes you want to buy it due to the dramatic quotes of the celebrity and the cover line due to the fact that she is kicking off which makes you want to find out why Lily Allen is “kicking off”. There are also no freebies with this magazine which helps to lower the price of the magazine so that more people are able to buy it. This magazines follows convention due to its layout of cover lines and the fact that the image is central, however the Q masthead does not as it isn’t a full word for the title and it is not central like it is in most music magazines. I particularly like the fact that Lily Allen is coming out of the magazine as it makes it more striking and pronounced and creates a 3D effect and I don’t like the fact that there is a picture in the top corner as I don’t like the fact that it is exactly touching the top corner of the magazine.