Textual Analysis of existing media product – Vogue magazine

Denotation

The masthead goes over the top of the page starting from the left third is the biggest font on both pages of the magazine, the content it just above the masthead next to the date of the magazine which is December 2010. The Vogue content page spreads across two pages which are separated with main images, the text is in three sections; "Fashion", "special features", "Vogue stages", "beauty", "regulars" and "cover looks". On the first page there is the main image of a super model Karlie Kloss, this will appeal to an audience who likes her. On the second page there are two images advertising about what is inside the magazine, the image of Emma Watson will attract a wider audience to read the magazine, as she is a well-known and popular actress. This is a fashion magazine so the clothes on the models will also sell the magazine, as the audience will be interested in the styling. The heading for each section is in red and the information underneath is in black, there is also three different fonts in the headings.

Connotation

The masthead has the same font that is black text over a white background making it stand out it is also like this on both pages this signifies that the magazine will carry this on in every page of the magazine, this is because the

audience will then recognize it as its the brand identity. The Subheading are all in red which is a eye-catching colour so when the audience is looking through the magazine they will look there first and get a quick overview about the content in the magazine. The rest of the text is black to stand out in front of the white background. The main text is written in the same font as the masthead this makes the layout and house style look better and more professional, the numbers are also in a different font so it stands out next to the text.

Content Codes

The main image on the left page is the biggest and most eye-catching image on the page this draws the audience’s attention to look there first. The lighting on the image is on her legs, stomach and the clothes positing the audience to look there first. The magazines genre is fashion so the style on the girls in the images is very important, as the audience who buy the magazine will look at the style on the first page. Emma being on the content page brings more to the magazine as she already has many fans that like her so it will draw them into reading the magazine. The image on the second page of the girl in the middle of the sea, the location is very weird and random having the model under water in a fashion magazine making the image unconventional. On both pages the text has gutters in between them making the layout look more professional and making it easier for the audience to read. The people in the image all look young which connotes that the target audience is for young people, as they are all females and women’s fashion it represents that the magazine is for young females who are serious about fashion, the clothes are also designer labels which connote that the magazine is high class fashion.

Technical Codes

The main image on the first page is a medium shot and low camera angle shot. The female’s top half of her body in the shot is the main focus point and the lighting isn’t natural but it is high key. The image of the girl under water in the second page is a medium shot and the camera angle is a low shot, everything in the frame is in focus and there isn’t any lighting but it’s a smooth image. The last image on the right bottom third of the second page is a medium shot again and it’s a high camera angle with Emma being the main focus point, her clothes blend in with the white background and she has a direct mode of address in the image this connotes that the section in the magazine with her in is personal so maybe it’s an interview, the fact that she is wearing white also connotes how she is innocent and purity which is what she is actually seen as in the public eye.