INDEPENDENT AND MAINSTREAM MAGAZINE ANALYSIS

The strapline of this magazine is conventionally placed above the masthead. It states that it is their “MOST ACTION-PACKED ISSUE EVER!” which could convince people to read or buy the magazine if they are enthusiasts of the action genre.

The masthead is positioned just below the strapline and behind the main image of the protagonist. It is in a bold red colour to stand out and draw the eye of the reader toward it. As the magazine is a well-known and established brand, they can afford to overlap the image above the masthead with no problem.

The sell-lines attract the target audience of the magazine by including information that may be relevant to what’s inside the magazine.

The main character centralised on the front cover appears to be looking toward the reader in a direct mode of address to catch the attention of the reader and makes them believe that the character is trying to communicate with them. The fact that the character is also played by Jeremy Renner, who is a known actor that could have a fanbase that would want to buy the magazine just because he is featured on the front cover; this may be to perhaps find out more about the film and his role in the film, and how he became the leading star of the franchise.

The colour scheme is quite plain and dulled down to allow the bold red text to stand out. Otherwise, the colours remain relatively the same.

The mast head is positioned at the centre of the top half of the magazine. It is slightly enlarged and in bold to stand out. The typography is presented in a serif-style font, perhaps to hint that the magazine is more old-fashioned and classical. The name “Little White Lies” may have nothing to do about movies; this may be a feature of independent magazines which have peculiar names to standout from the mainstream magazines.

The date, issue number and price is placed below the barcode for clarity.

The strap line is positioned below the masthead, it contrasts well with the masthead as the title of the magazine is “Little White Lies” whilst the strap line states the magazine is all about “Truth & Movies.” The strap line helps to entice the reader to read the magazine; in this case, it could mean that this magazine will detail the behind-the-scenes material of the movie, any information that may have not been released to the public as of yet.

The illustration featured on the front cover showcases the character of the film. Independent magazines tend to display their characters as illustrations rather than actual pictures, as a design will stand out and make it more aesthetic.