Magazine Cover Terminology

Technical terms for magazine cover components

1. Magazine Covers

2. Magazine Option cover page - terminology Buzz Word Puff Coverline Masthead Barcode Anchorage Text Superimposition Slogan/strap line Unique Selling Point Main image Pug Sky line/top line Strip House style e.g. superimposition  is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video, usually to add to the overall image effect, but also sometimes to conceal something. Justify your decisions

3. Research : Magazine option Generic variation, particularly in house style, is considerable across magazines. As with newspapers, there are certain consistent elements which recur. A strong analysis can take place when you understand what these features are before you begin to account for their specific meanings.

4. Research : Magazine option Your task: Exploring the technical codes and features used within a magazine. Use a range of magazine front covers and the list of the technical terms for the features included on magazine covers. Match the terms to the section of the cover it relates to, not all magazines will have all of these elements. Discuss the terms, compare covers, justify your decisions .

5. Your task research a genre of magazines such as: Home Music Car Teen Gossip Gaming Fitness Fashion Travel etc. W ho is this magazine’s primary audience? if they have a magazine website check it out. What techniques have been used to appeal to the target audience? I n what way is the design of each page the same/similar? This is called ‘house style’ and will need to be replicated in magazine productions How have images been used to ensure they appeal to the target audience? W hat are the connotations of the images used? W hat different types of articles are included in the magazines? H ow does the layout of the different entries vary? ( Draw up pages that include boxes located where the text falls is a useful activity) Where and how often online and social media links are situated. You must clearly show which genre you researched and what your findings were.

6. Planning : Magazine option You know the pages you must create, draw blank versions labelled with your intentions . You should include: recce reports for locations for photo shoots contact prints of original images risk assessments I t is important to use correct and specific terminology, for example: close up shot of a teenage girl wearing sunglasses medium shot of someone on a stage playing guitar other appropriate mise en scene in shot such as a drum kit, keyboards and mixed lighting etc . Before you create your mock-up , you should decide on: an appropriate house style for your chosen genre of magazine the content of any articles a range of images

7. Planning : Magazine option Create a mood board that explores the options for: the house style use of colours formatting of page numbers fonts images This can be a useful stepping stone to making some of your decisions . When this planning stage is complete, you can start to construct your productions .

8. Review & refine : Magazine option You can browse the magazine productions: for critical reflection peer assessment Prior to the final edits on the coursework productions. Use a feedback pro-forma like the one on the next slide to ensure that your feedback is suitably critical whilst also being constructive.

9. Review & refine : Magazine option Observations : Likes/Dislikes Recommendations What symbolic codes can be identified as supporting the genre of the production? Does the end product have a clear house style? (magazines) What might stop this product being viewed as a professional product ready for publication/distribution? What aspect of this production do you feel works particularly well? If you were to re-edit this product yourself what would your top three priorities be? 1) 2) 3) 1) 2) 3) Other recommendations for re-editing: (camera angles, transitions, spellings, grammar, layout, links to producers/social media/other media forms, use of colours/lighting)

10. Magazine Option match the terms to the section of the cover they relate to Buzz Word Puff Cover line Masthead Barcode Anchorage Text Superimposition Slogan/strap line Unique Selling Point Main image Pug Sky line/top line Strip House style

11. Terminology 1 of 5 Masthead/Flag: The title used by known typography to make the readers familiar with what magazine they are reading, usually fixed and consistent. The name of the magazine may be associated with a strapline. Slogan/Strapline : A short, striking or memorable phrase. strapline = UK, tagline = US. S ometimes accompanies the masthead – promotional slogan. Straplines sometimes make claims about the merits of the magazine or give information about its contents. Puff (Flashes/Slashes): An incentive which is placed on the magazine cover to make something stand out. Usually by putting text into a shape. Often a sticker, used for promoting something inside the magazine . A feature which may be a promotion or other item that adds perceived value to the purchase. Cover lines Examples by Students

12. Terminology 2 of 5 Main/Primary Image: Typically showing a person(s ) or object associated with the main feature/article. Usually a single image bleeds to all 4 corners of the page although some magazines have a border around the cover. Often a full face or a body shot. With well established magazines it’s popular to often a portion of the main image overlap the masthead. The image(s) used on the cover may consist of one large primary image or a number of images with a sense of hierarchy in size and positioning, or one primary image with a number of secondary images . The area in the middle and to the left of the cover, where the eye tends to rest, is known as the sweet spot , but commonly the whole of the left side third is considered prime space when attracting the consumer’s attention. The left side third area of a magazine cover is where key content is usually positioned. Examples by Students Anchorage text/Main coverline: Text relating to the main image

13. Terminology 3 of 5 Coverline/sell line: Usually on the right or left hand side, arranged around the cover image. They usually have a Kicker in a large font and an explanatory line in a smaller font. Coverline colours are often taken from the cover image. Feature and secondary articles promoted . The most appealing content will be picked out for coverlines, to entice the audience by letting them see the scope of articles included – particularly the lead article . They often use a personal mode of address to help signify the genre. The middle to left area, where the eye tends to rest, is often used to engage the audience by positioning either a prominent coverline such as a feature article , an important element of an image, or a puff. The lead article is usually clear and selected for promotion over others. Buzz word Top Strip / Skyline Examples by Students Mode of Address  simply means how the text speaks to the audience, and involves them. They use slang, colloquial vocabulary and the  personal   pronoun to engage their target audience. A  personal pronoun  is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper name of a person. ... I, you, he, she, it, we they, me, him, her, us, and them.

14. Digital manipulation Feature articles are sometimes referred to as entry points in the magazine – articles which, as you flip through the magazine, are most likely to draw your eye. Unlike the capturing of real events we see in newspapers, these are often highly stylised studio shoots. Digital manipulation of these images is common, with lots of retouching and post-production work to get exactly the right look for the magazine brand and article. In interviews, it’s common to see the subject gazing into the lens, creating a direct mode of address .

15. Terminology 4 of 5 Strip: These are the strips on the magazine that give further information to what may be included. They were originally found at the bottom of the page, although variations in house style and edition may see them moved to the top (sometimes referred to as the skyline or running header ) or even as a side bar in unusual cases. Menu strips may have different functions, but their most common use is to promote familiarity by displaying regular content. Examples by Students Buzz word Top Strip / Skyline

16. Terminology 5 of 5 Pug: ‘The ears of the magazine’, can either be at the top left or/and right-hand corners of the front cover. The prices of the paper, the logo or issue number is placed there to catch the reader’s eye. House Style: ‘trademarks’ of the magazine e.g colour scheme, layout, typography. Buzzword : a word or phrase, that becomes very popular for a period of time. ... a fashionable piece of jargon: a chic, fashionable, voguish, trendy word. There are LOTS of word lists available Typography : font, serif fonts with tails, sans serif fonts without tails Barcode/Issue number/Dateline & Price Top and Bottom Examples by Students  Puff usually in main article or Anchorage text

17. Magazine Option house styles (1 of 2)

18. Magazine Option house styles (2 of 2)

19. Straplines Magazine Strap Line Q “The UK’s Biggest Music Magazine ” Eldr “Celebrate Aging!” Get Born “The Uncensored Voice of Motherhood” Live Design “Envision. Build. Go. Live for Broadcast.” Coastal Living "The Magazine for People Who Love the Coast" Wondertime "Celebrate Your Child’s Love of Learning" Colorlines "The National Newsmagazine on Race and Politics" Everywhere "Travel is All Around You" Fretboard Journal "Not just another guitar magazine." The Word "Intelligent Life on Planet Rock." The Source "The Bible of Hip Hop" Budget Travel "Vacations for Real People" Soundings "Real Boats, Real Boaters" Radar " Pop Politics Scandal Style "

20. Useful articles https://www.canva.com/learn/graphic-design-terms/ https ://learn.canva.com/learn/5-principles-effective-visual-hierarchy /

21. What am I? Fruit machine classtools.net

22. Genre development – film magazines (history) HISTORY : Film magazines have a long history in the UK. The first recorded example was only 16 pages long. WHEN : Published in 1911, The Pictures proved very popular with fans of cinema – for written material about their favourite stars and films. CONTENTS : They were the first celebrity magazines , often filled with gossip, Hollywood fashion and forthcoming releases. FREQUENCY : Another famous historical title was Picturegoer , which was published first monthly and then weekly from 1921 for almost 40 years. OTHERS : Since then, a number of magazines, such as Film Review for mainstream audiences and Sight and Sound for people with a specialist interest in film. TARGET AUDIENCE : Although film magazines were initially popular with both men and women, TV impacted on sales of film magazines, with film entertainment no longer at the heart of women’s lives in particular . MODERN VERSIONS : The brand leaders today, Empire and Total Film , launched in 1989 and 1997 respectively with a male target audience in mind. Both maintain good circulation figures despite online competition, with glossy exclusives on upcoming releases, big director and star interviews, and privileged access to sets . Your task: Research the history of a magazine genre of your choice. Write a post about its origins, any set-backs, successes, modern versions

23. Codes & conventions – true crime magazines GENRE : Crime magazines are a niche genre. TARGET AUDIENCE : Its difficult to define the readership , but readers are obviously interested in crime, and particularly a fascination with violent crimes and murders, the police and investigation procedures . Its not so strange when you consider that TV crime drama series are very popular. APPEAL : This might seem macabre, but these magazines fulfil the same audience pleasures as might be experienced by a horror film viewer – they are reminded by their experience of the text how comparatively safe and happy their own life is. It’s highly unlikely that someone whose real world in any way came into collision with any of the kind of experiences recorded in these stories would want to read them. COVERLINES : Most of the crimes selected in the coverlines are extreme examples, not common crimes such as the regular murders that happen every week in the UK as a result of domestic violence. OFFER : They offer a safe way of closing down fears about violence in society – they are all about how perpetrators of crimes, no matter how cunning, were ultimately caught , exposed and punished . 1 of 3

24. Codes & conventions – true crime magazines COMPERITORS : There are 5 main titles on the market in the UK: True Crime Real Crime True Detective Master Detective Murder Most Foul. Some also produce special editions . COMMON FEATURES : From looking at the images , its clear that each individual title shares some features in common with others. Historical crime cases from around the world form most of the coverline content. All of the editions have a feature crime focus , which in 4 of the 5 cases is positioned on the left-hand side around the sweet spot . Other secondary images are used in conjunction with coverlines to emphasise the human nature of the subject matter and to hook the readership in . The lexical coding (words selected to generate specific effect) uses frightening words with strongly negative connotations – monster, lethal, hell, slaughter, rape, slayer. These emphasise that the magazine covers the extremes of human experience of crime in a sensationalised way. 2 of 3

25. Codes & conventions – true crime magazines ICONOGRAPHY : The majority of the magazines use similar iconography – many black and white images indicating the starkness of the subject matter and the historical nature of some of the crimes. COLOURS : Red and black, which can have a connotation of danger , and yellow – which combined with these can seem to be a sickly or disturbing colour – form the majority of the palette. BACKGROUND : The background selected in each case is dark and cold, blues or blacks. HOUSE STYLE : The house style is not dissimilar in its cluttered look to many women’s weekly titles which feature a mixture of true stories , puzzles , some celebrity news and lifestyle elements or even soap weeklies. This is similar for an audience age range of predominantly middle-aged and older women in lower socio-economic categories. Your task: Collect a range of examples from your chosen magazine genre , such as sport and fitness or hobbies and crafts etc. Write a post – a case study exploring the genre conventions and similarities as in this example. 3 of 3