THE BIG ISSUE REVISION

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This Big Issue magazine cover uses intertextuality to link the release of the new Paddington Bear movie with the recent migrant crisis in relation to the EU referendum. 

The location used for this Big Issue cover features a CGI scene of London, this is made clear though the inclusion of famous landmarks like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The specific position which the magazine has chosen to place the character  Paddington Bear, on the walk way alongside the River Thames. This usage of a location which is well-known, especially to tourists, helps to link to the idea of rough sleepers as this is a typical area which is heavily used by rough sleepers. It is likely that this location has been used as the trusted magazine acts as a social business providing employment opportunities for those in poverty. This came about in 1991 due to the increase in the numbers of rough sleepers in the London area. Hence, the use of a 'migrant' character like Paddington helps to emphasise the idea of how the increased migrant levels may lead to an increase in rough sleepers.

The use of costume within this Big Issue magazine cover matches the aesthetic of Paddington Bear's traditional outfit. Though as well as this, the colour choices also link to the idea of being British, with the white colour of the snow linking the red, white and blue theme of the entire front cover. Similarly, the style of the blue coat used is known as a 'duffle' coat, again, being an iconic symbol of a traditionally British object. All these aspects have been highlighted further by the centre placement of the character Paddington Bear, with him being the main focus of this Big Issue magazine cover. 

The Big Issue magazine has used such costume to continue on the underlying reference to Britishness; showing a character, representing all migrants, in British attire, clearly pointing to the magazines disapproval towards the way in which migrants seem to be treated, especially in Britain after the countries vote to leave the European Union. 

Within this magazine cover, the lighting which has been used helps to represent the time of year which this Big Issue magazine was published. The main image used on the cover has been created using CGI and so the use of lighting is artificial, however the image created uses natural lighting, shown in a night time setting. This lighting created is shown to be coming from the streetlamp behind the character, as a shadow is clear in front of the image. The use of low level lighting helps to link the theme of possible homelessness in the Big Issue magazine cover, referencing how this societal issue doesn't disappear in winter when the weather conditions make rough sleeping even harder for many individuals within the capital. 

One main image has been used for this magazine cover, showing a setting along the Thames embankment in London, with a full body shot of the character Paddington Bear. This shot is slightly low angle, as the snow at the bottom of the shot is more prominent, as well as the characters eye-line being slightly higher. This shot may also be referred to as a long shot, as some aspects can also be seen within the background, like street lamps, benches and London's Big Ben clock - all creating the desired mise-en-scene of wintery London setting. 

The typography which has been edited onto the image of Paddington Bear is a very significant aspect of the cover in relation to the message of the migrant crisis. Firstly, the title text is all printed in a sparkling gold colour; here giving the reader connotations of wealth. The Big Issue may have chosen to do this to 

ironically references the issues surrounding the increase the migrants to Britain as well as the increase in numbers of rough sleepers, especially in the London area. This choice of coloured text is also effective as it contrasts the cooler tones which have been used in the background of the magazine cover. 

Also, the smaller text also shown in gold, reading 'MIGRANT BRITISH ICON' helps to bring the separate aspects of the cover page together. The use of paw prints to dot the lettering links the text to the character shown on the magazine, as well as making the typography look playful almost. 

The layout of this specific magazine cover is quite simplistic, though this is often a theme for Big Issue magazines as they are sold on the street, passers-by need to be able to grasp the theme of  the magazines content quickly - however this doesn't mean that the layout is ineffective. 

Firstly, the Big Issue logo, along with the edition number and price etc has been positioned in the usual top left corner, this works well on this cove page as the white text stands out against the darker background colour. Across from this, in the top right-handside of the page a travel information label has been edited on top of the background image, again helping to reference the travelling of migrants to Britain. Furthermore, the main image used is centred to the page, ensuring that the readers main focus is on the Paddington Bear character. The text has then been placed in a staggered format, meaning that the main part of the title is centred with the background image, as well as being enlarged. 

Furthermore, 'ONE OF US' is  an effective title for this Big Issue magazine cover as it simply makes a clear statement to the reader the magazines view on the resent migrant debate. With the use of the pronoun 'us' this helps to empathise the meaning behind their message, implying that those who weren't necessarily born in Britain are no different to those who were born in the country. This then links in with the use of the character Paddington Bear, as in the fictional story he 'illegally' travels to Britain though is excepted into society just like any other. By referencing a more lighthearted children's character, the Big Issue is able to tackle the seriousness of the migrate crisis in Britain in a way in which many other newspapers and magazines are not able to due to their societal stance. 

Topics which I will cover within an analysis, making sure not to repeat points on homelessness for instance...

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