Star Image Analysis

As part of the research for my magazine, I had to do some research into the representation of celebrities on magazine covers. By doing this research I've learned how the views of a person, even a well known one, can be completely changed through the use of misc en scene - particularly anchorage text, facial expressions, body language and colours used. This will help me to create my cover image when I make the cover page for my magazine, as I will know what features will best appeal to my target audience.

Star Image Analysis (Jennifer Lopez)

InStyle

Denotation	Connotation
A mid shot is used.	The mid shot puts more emphasis on Jennifer's dress and facial expression, allowing the audience to feel closer to her.
Jennifer is put in the centre of the cover, with no other objects or people on it.	She is framed in such a way that makes her the centre of attention, and there are no distractions other than the text and stars used as decoration. This makes the audience know that they should be focused on her.
She is smiling and using a direct mode of address.	The smile and eye contact shows that she is a confident woman and also a friendly one.
She has a hand on her hips and is turned towards the audience side-on.	Her pose shows that she is confident in herself and her body.
She is wearing a fancy, fashionable dress.	The dress shows off her figure, again showing her confidence. The confidence also shows that she is a person that the audience is supposed to know – a celebrity.
“Jennifer Lopez On Fame, Family & Turning Forty”	She is still happy with her life even after hitting that age. The alliteration also draws attention to her being able to juggle her personal life, celebrity status and family.

Cosmopolitan

Denotation	Connotation
A mid shot is used.	The shot puts more emphasis on Jennifer's pose and facial expression, letting us see more of her confidence.
Red, orange and yellow are the main colours used.	All three are bright and vibrant and are energetic colours, implying that she is just that – vibrant and energetic.
Jennifer is put in the centre of the cover, with no other objects or people on it.	Just like the last cover, this makes it so she is put at the centre of attention with no distractions. This also shows that she is of importance, since there is nothing to take attention from her.
Her hands are pulling up her dress, exposing her thighs.	Her pose shows that she is confident in her look and figure.
She is wearing a revealing, bright-coloured dress.	Again, this shows her confidence in her body, and also that she isn't afraid to show it off.
“Jennifer Lopez Answers Your Burning Questions”	She isn't afraid to talk about personal matters.

FHM

Denotation	Connotation
The long shot used manages to fit all of her body.	The shot used puts the focus on her clothing (or lack of it) rather than her face.
The main colour used is blue.	Blue is a confident colour, showing that she is a confident woman. It's also a masculine colour. Considering that the magazine aims to draw in men, the heavy use of the colour is another way it draws in readers.
The image barely contains all of her body.	This puts her at the centre of attention, but more so on her body than her face.
She is looking straight at the audience with a straight face.	Her stare shows that she is confident and brave.
She is on her knees, with one hand on her underwear.	She is in a seductive pose, suggesting that she is not only confident with her body. The pose also adds sex appeal, as it is a submissive pose that suggests she wants a man beside her.
She is dressed in her underwear and nothing else.	This also adds to the sex appeal, making her look more attractive.
“GODDESS! Back off Affleck, J.Lo's still our girl!”	She is still attractive, even now. Despite her age and years in the public eye, she's still good enough for men to think think of her as a sex icon.

People

Denotation	Connotation
A medium close up shot is used.	The shot puts the focus on Jennifer, but also on her two children, again making them the main attraction. The focus on the three of them makes it clearer how much she cares for her two children.
Light colours are used such as baby blue and cream.	The colours give a gentle and soothing portrayal of the trio.
The image is framed around Jennifer and her twins.	This also makes them appear to be the centre of attention, which makes the image give off more of a warmer and intimate feel.
She has a large smile on her face and is looking at the audience.	This shows that she is happy with her children and wants to share that happiness with the audience.
She is holding her children close with her head tilted towards them.	The pose shows that she is close to her twins and cares for them a lot.
We can't see much of Jennifer's cream dress, but we can see her children's blue and white outfits.	There is much less emphasis put on the clothes compared to the other covers, showing that they don't matter as much. The babies have on modest clothing with light colours, showing their innocence.
“TWIN BLISS!”	She is happy with her children.