Denotation and Connotation
Looking at the front cover we see quite a feminine young girl with her results. It is clear that she has done well as her reaction is positive, and she looks happy. The connotations of this would be that those who go to Carmel College are often successful and this image may symbolise achievement. It also suggests that the students of Carmel College aspire to be successful in their exams and that education is important to them. By focusing on only one girl from the college, it is clear that she has been deliberately chosen to represent all students.
Mise-en-scene
This is communicated further through each element in the image. From her costume, we get quite a feminine feel and we can see that the dress code at Carmel is casual which could connotate to us a relaxed and comfortable environment. The only props in the picture is her results as well as another student's. This shows that the pupils at the college are content - if not, very happy - with their results as they are not afraid to show them to each other. This shows that students are confident and prepared to embrace their success at Carmel College. The setting in the image is obscure, as we are not shown a significant amount of background. There is no scene of the college building or a classroom in the background, only students and teachers. This could connote that the college are more satisfied with flaunting their students rather than showing off their campus. This could be a good thing as it lets the students and readers know that the students at the college matter more to the school than their facilities and that they are not afraid to let their students represent the school. In addition to that, the lighting in the image is high key emphasising the positive atmosphere. Lastly, the reader is immediately drawn to the non-verbal communication shown by the girl in the main image. There is an element of surprise as well as happiness. She looks as if she is gasping and smiling and the way her results are held up reinforces the idea of her being proud of her results. Her surprised facial expression also communicates a sense of disbelief which shows that she did not expect to get the results that she got, suggesting that she is genuine and not over-confident. Perhaps this is why the magazine has carefully chosen her to represent all students.
Anchorage
The magazine uses sans serif fonts, showing that the college is quite modern and new, and focuses on how education is now. By making the font look modern rather than old-fashioned or posh, the magazine successfully looks more friendly to young adults - such as those who attend the college - and communicates to the reader that the school is not bound by any traditions but are open to new things and are very aware of how things are in modern times. There is a theme in the font of the colour pink, showing that the magazine is feminine and more for girls than it is for boys. This suggests that perhaps the college is for girls only, or this particular college magazine is directed to the female members of the student body. This is shown again in the image, when all we see are young female students - the only males in the image appear to be teachers.
Magazine Conventions
Although not all magazine conventions are included in this magazine - as it is a college magazine and not one that is sold - the features that are included are clearly shown. For example, we see the logo for the college at the bottom left of the magazine and at the top left we see the Masthead - 'Carmel Up Close' - which is bright and in large font so that it is recognisable and different from all the other fonts on the page. There is also a clear dateline next to the masthead that tells us this edition of the magazine is from Autumn 2009. Again, the main image is that of the student holding her results. A successful coverline is used below the word 'results', stating that "Carmel is one of the top ten colleges in the country".
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