Little White Lies: front cover analysis (T.i.E)

• The photograph chosen for the front cover of this Little White Lies issue is a portrait of Shaun who is one of the main protagonists of This is England. This portrait however, has taken the form of an illustration and this was accomplished through an added photoshop technique. The rough style of this illustration fits nicely with the themes of the film, especially as it keeps This is England's edgy and raw themes and style. In addition, the aggressive facial expression of the main character further links and highlights the themes of anger within the film and the word "hate" in the background which takes the form of graffiti further supports Shaun's crude hand gesture which further adds an element of drama to the film.  

• The retro and edgy "The This is England Issue" print is presented in a subtle and effective way, further complimenting the simplistic yet artistic cover. This is because it keeps with the '80s theme that is portrayed throughout the film. 

• The cover lines are replaced with the names of the main actors in This is England and the films director. This text is placed right underneath the heading "UK Talent Special", this links nicely as the magazine and film are both British Independent ones and this is especially an opportunity to give recognition and credit to the actors who may not be massively known. 

• The strapline "Truth & Movies" connotes to the reader that Little White Lies looks at films from an unbiased view as it most likely doesn't have any influence, especially a financial one from conglomerates because it is an Indie English film magazine that targets a niche audience, giving them a more honest and realistic perspective. 

• The masthead is placed in a white circle in the centre. This shows the audience the name of the magazine, it is written in a serifed font which is placed in black in order to stand out against the white. The masthead covers a little bit of the main photograph used for the front cover of this issue.  This layouts tends to remain the same even with the release of their other issues as this has now taken on the role of their brands identity. As mentioned before, the name of the magazine (Little White Lies) isn't in a large set of text they do this because they usually like prioritising the film which is being featured on the cover as the magazine itself already has a well established audience because of the content and style. 

• The barcode on the magazine is quiet unique as it is tied in with the masthead and further adds to the individual style of the magazine as it tends to abandon traditional layouts of the other magazines. For example, when compared to Empire it has a completely different style and attracts a more artistic and intelligent audience.  

• Both the price and date reflect on the frequency of the magazines publication as well as the magazines content. The date tells us that it is released monthly and the price (£3.75) suggests that a high quality of articles, interviews and visual aids such as a graphic piece or even a photographic portrait. 

• The style of this magazine extremely unique and stands out from traditional front covers as it goes against a lot of conventions including the layout etc. I really like this style as I think it is great for Independent films so I would like to consider Little White Lies as the magazine front cover for my film.