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TV Easy

20-26 August 2011

The layout of the magazine is very cluttered and disorderly. This is because the audience it is aimed at are usually busy people so something so bright, bold and busy may standout to them, compared to something more simple and plain. It involves lots of small images and coverlines which advertise various articles and TV shows, these act as a border a larger main image and main coverline.

The route of the eye starts on the masthead. This is the first thing people see so it needs to be of a recognisable brand straight away to highlight which magazine it is. It is arguably the most important thing on the page. The 'TV easy' logo is something that is the same every issue, and never changes. It is a simple and plain design. To the top of the masthead is the date, which is in a smaller, less noticeable font and colour. This is because it is an important element, but not of such importance that is needs to be large or that noticeable as an immediate element that people see. Elements such as the date, issue number and bar code are stereotypical conventions on a magazine cover as they are important to the reader and media outlet. These elements are usually placed in the terminal optical area or at the end of the route of the eye.
Next the route of the eye goes through the main large image and the main coverline. It is the biggest thing on the page as it is the most important article included and the biggest 'spoiler' or preview article in the magazine that issue.
The route of the eye then continues through the smaller images and coverlines on the page. These are all of other soaps and television programmes. The magazines mostly highlight the single biggest story from one soap each. Next comes the bar code and further issue details- which are once again important for the magazine but minor details that the reader needs to see.
In the terminal optical area on the page is another story featured in the issue. It is used in this area as is the last thing people see before they turn the page. The Prince Harry story is quite a big one for the magazine so putting it in this position makes the reader take note of it before they turn the page.
The principle of thirds can be clearly seen on this cover. The first third having the masthead and teasers of articles and stories. The middle third is where the main story, image and coverline are. The final third is home to the other teaser images and coverlines, as well as the bar code. The top and bottom thirds help to frame the main coverline in the centre of the page. Although the page is framed, it still keeps the busy and disorderly look- which creates the already mentioned appeal to the target audience of the magazine.

The cover uses the same font throughout. This helps to create a house style and something that is instantly recognisable to the reader. Having a plain Sans Serif font keeps it simple for the reader and easily readable. This aids the reader as if they glanced at it in a shop they could catch the coverlines and stories as the looked at it- which would therefore then make them want to pick up the magazine to read what is inside following the coverlines.

The coverlines on the page are very short and snappy. This is another stereotypical convention of a magazine as these short sentences and single words have a large impact. 'Murder!', 'Shock episodes!' and 'Sneak peek!' are all very short combinations of words that are used to entice the reader and make them want to pick up the magazine to find out more about the story lines that are featured. Questions like 'Can Ryan save Whitney from Rob?' on the cover hint at possible spoilers in the magazine which attracts the audience to the magazine as they have been lured in to read to the article.

The main picture is a close up of two of the EastEnders characters. The close up shows them looking both happy and smiling in each others company. This shows the reader that they have close happy relationship but may not be aware of what will happen- which the coverline 'Murder' underneath. The other images on the cover are all similar- such as the group shot from 'Downtown Abbey'. All of the features on the magazine cover feature recognisable characters from the particular soap or television programme. By using these recognisable characters (ie. Ryan and Whitney from 'EastEnders' and Dr Who and Amy from 'Dr Who') the reader can immediately identify the programme being highlighted. If the reader is a fan of a particular soap they then know it will be covered and show the story lines coming up and being previewed.

The cover uses bright primary colours. The yellows, reds and blues make it warm, cheerful and welcoming to the reader. The different blocks of colour visibly divide up the page and separate the coverlines from each other. A lot of the text has a background block of colours, this helps it to stand out against the image it is in front of. It also helps to draw attention to the coverlines. The costumes of 'Ryan' and 'Whitney' on the main image are also warm cheerful colours, this also helps the cover feel welcoming and doesn't really highlight the danger they may face- as hinted by the coverline. The colours of their costumes show that they are represented as nice, pleasant people on 'EastEnders' and how the article covers them in the magazine.