Textual Analysis 3

L-The masthead 'NME' stands for The New Musical Express. I think this abbreviated idea works successfully as it makes it easy to look at and is short and snappy. As well as this; teenagers and young adults use mobile communications a lot and choose to abbreviate words often, therefore the name of this magazine is relatable to the target audience. NME is placed in the top left hand side of the cover to ensure that this is the first thing that the target audience will look at. As I have already mentioned in previous posts; we are taught to read from the top left at a young age, and magazines are placed on shelves so only the masthead shows. This is a convention of magazines and I will definitely use this feature.
The appearance of the masthead is in red block letters. The colour red connotates energy, danger, strength, power and determination. This colour has high visibility, therefore the target audience will be attracted to this colour. As if the colour wasn't vibrant enough and didn't attract enough attention it is outlined in white. I think this was done as it's unusual a white background will be used on NME magazine. Especially with the dark background on this cover the white causes the masthead to really stand out from the main image.
The red and white used on this masthead reflects the white and red used on the anchorage on the cover. This establishes an energetic, vibrant house style for the target audience.

The image has been superimposed over the masthead; meaning it's partly covered. This means that the magazine and masthead must be recognisable to the target audience as they are able to understand what publication this cover is from; without being able to see the masthead properly.
There is a deep-red banner super imposed over the top left corner of the cover and masthead. The banner says ‘667 UK gigs listed’ I think that this was put over the masthead so it will instantly be seen by the target audience and I think that it was put there in the first place because many of the readers will enjoy live music and concerts; therefore this magazine claims to tell the reader 667 gigs they’ll love in the UK which could persuade them to purchase the magazine. It’s quite a small banner which could convey that the publication doesn’t want to take any focus away from the image, headlines etc. The colour of the banner also helps establish the house style.

The image used is a medium-close up. A medium close up is a convention of rock music magazines I think because it allows the audience to fully see the artists and feel almost close to them on a personal level. The image shows Florence getting out of a taxi. I think that this was done purposefully as we often see photographs of celebrities getting out of taxis at parties etc. I think that another connotation of the image is that it is implying that Florence has just arrived; as if she is the new voice in town. Florence is looking at the camera which allows the artist to connect to the target audience on a more personal level. Florence is wearing dark clothes which give her connotations of mysteriousness.

Like other music magazines I have analysed NME magazine uses a simple straight cut font which gives a professional sense to the magazine and makes the font look bold and striking. I think that I will definitely use this kind of font. The titles of articles are on the right hand side and I think this was done because it’s not the main focus of the magazine cover- The image and headline is. The font colour for this anchorage is white and red which again helps establish the house style for this publication.

Barcodes are a convention of every single type of magazine and are usually in one of the bottom corners of the cover. In this case however it is a third of the way up from the bottom and has been rotated 90 degrees. I will gladly move the barcode as I think it works successfully in this edition of NME magazine.

Like other magazines; NME magazine uses journalistic lexis such as; ‘featuring’ and ‘plus’ this makes the magazine seem like it has a lot of information in the text that the target audience will want to know about and gives it exclusive or secretive connotations.

The magazine mainly used white and red, this therefore creates a highly aesthetically pleasing, exciting and exuberant house style. These colours contrast with the dark colours in the image and demand attention from the reader. I think these colours and the image combined create cool, fresh connotations to the magazine which will target a younger, more fashionable target audience. The layout is quite interesting and detailed which means there is a lot to look at. However the layout also seems quite organised unlike Kerrang magazine for example. I think that this shows that magazine is targeting a younger audience however still maintains a professional, organised look. The layout could also be seen to reflect the type of music being promoted.

I-NME magazine is published by IPC media. IPC media produces over 85 media brands and has created  some of the most iconice maazines such as; Look, Nuts, Marie Claire and What's on TV.

I-I think this magazine communicates a freshness and coolness. The image is quite striking yet is funkier and aesthetically pleasing than other magazines I have analysed. This text obviously promotes rock magazine however as oppose to Kerrang or Q; NME magazine has a wider range of rock; from Indie to Pop rock.

A-The target audience for NME magazine are 16-24 year olds, most of which being students. NME only costs £2.30 which is rather cheap for a glossy magazine; causing a lot more youth able to purchase the text. I think that early followers of fashion would too appreciate this magazine as unlike the artists on Q magazine the image of Florence on this cover shows her wearing a high-fashion outfit which a niche audience would appreciate. As well as this enthusiasts of live music and concerts would want to purchase this magazine; we know this because of the small banner on the top right of the magazine saying ‘667 UK gigs listed’. The bright colours and interesting layout means that a younger audience would want to read this text.

R-I think that the image almost is making fun at the infamous photographs of celebrities getting out of taxis however is done in an implicit, clever and not necessarily negative way. The cover shows a positive representation of the artist as the words ‘take America’ suggest that she is ambitious or hardworking. There aren’t any long words or complicated words that the target audience will not understand and as well as this; simple words aren’t overly used either which shows the institution has really thought about the target audience.

I think that the contents pages of music magazines are very similar to each other. With the ones I have analysed they all have a white background, mainly use white, red and black house styles and feature one main image. They also seem to have some sort of promotional offer on the contents page.

L-Like in Kerrang and Q magazine the masthead on the front cover is used again on the contents page. This is to make it more recognisable and further establish the magazine the audience are reading. It also helps create a house style to the contents page- so the readers know what to expect of the magazine.  

The contents page has been split and titled which means the target audience don’t have to search around for the articles they wish to read, the titles are in black boxes which make them contrast with the white background and attract attention.

The main image is of a large white building. The camera is looking up at it which causes the building to look grand or superior. The image obviously visually displays what the article underneath the image is saying. ‘Our photo tribute to three decades of gigs at one of the world’s greatest music venues’. Because this is the only image on the page and the title of this article ‘The End Of  The Astoria’  is the largest thing on the contents page; this shows that this must be the main article in the magazine this issue.

There is a black banner that runs along the top of the contents page. The banner has the NME logo/masthead that makes the magazine more recognisable to the target audience and maintains a consistent house style. The font is still very straight-cut, not curved which maintains the house style created on the cover. It also emphasises the idea of a simple layout and not taking any unnecessary focus from the image or article titles. On the right hand side of the banner underneath the text, the date and issue number is positioned. This font is too in white alike much of the font on this page and cover page. The issue number, I think is for readers who like to collect the magazine and the date is to ensure the target audience has the right issue of NME magazine with updated and fresh information of the rock music industry.

There is a promotional offer at the bottom of the page which is good for both the target audience as it will save them money and good for the institution as it will higher their profits. The offer is in a black box which will contrast with the background and therefore attract attention.

I-See cover analysis

I-See cover analysis

A-See cover analysis

R-See cover analysis

L- Unlike the double page spread I analysed for kerrang and Q magazine; the article is printed on the right page for this spread. The background colour is quite neutral and just like the cover contrasts with the dark clothes the artist is wearing. The large letters of ‘USA’ in the background reflects what the article is about and this combines with the phrase ‘got the love’ creates a pun of the artist’s number one song. The letters ‘USA’ is in a darker shade of grey than the background however isn’t dark enough to clash with the image of Florence. The font is very large and isn’t as straight cut as other fonts on the cover for example. I think this shows a less serious side to the magazine and the curly font of ‘got the love’ connotates femininity. 

The artist is sitting on an American flag which as well as emphasising the theme of the article it also creates a house style or theme to the spread. When I create my double page spread I think I will possibly place the image on one page and the article on the other as I think they fit quite nicely together. I think that as well as this it shows that the magazine has a lot of information on it and doesn’t have pages to waste on a two page image. A two page image would be quite expensive as it would mean more pages in a magazine. This image makes the artist appear powerful and striking as she’s looking front on to the camera. Her eyes appear to connect with the audience and the fact she’s not smiling shows the image is high fashion and edgy. Something that this artist definitely is.

The layout of the left page is conventionally newspaper-like, as it’s printed in columns. I will consider using this technique as it’s expected for a magazine article to be printed in this way. A tagline is used underneath the headline, it summarises what the artist and the article is about.  The layout of the spread is altogether quite simple but in my opinion is extremely effective. It isn’t busy and there isn’t any unnecessary focus created by needless images etc.

I- See cover analysis

I- See cover analysis

A-  See cover analysis.As well as this; the artist is very popular and famous. This means that having Florence and the machine on the cover and featured in a double page spread could potentially bring in a wider demographic of people who may not necessarily purchase the magazine but appreciate this artist.

R-See cover analysis

Textual Analysis 2

In my analysis of Q magazine, the contents page is not from the same magazine as the double page spread and cover is from. I don't really think this matters however as the contents page of music magazines are rather conventional and usually use the same layout, house style and fonts etc and only have a change of image and articles.

L-  The masthead 'Q' is also used as the magazine's logo. The letter Q has ben abbreviated and was originally called 'Cue' magazine to appear as if about to cue a record. However the publication decided to change this so the text was not confused with a snooker or pool magazine. I think this is a good idea as it makes it easy to look at and is short and snappy. As well as this; teenagers and young adults use mobile communications a lot and choose to abbreviate words often, therefore the name of this magazine is relateable to the target audience.
The masthead is in a large red square which takes up the top left hand side of the magazine. This will be the first thing that the target audience will look at because we were taught to read this way from a young age. The letter ‘Q’ is in a white font which is simple, cool and clean. The red and white combined gives an alarming house style with connotations of energy or vibrancy. The masthead is partly covered which shows that the magazine must be recognisable to the audience if they are still able to realise what the magazine actually is. Because this will be the first issue of my magazine I may try and not superimpose my DTP over the masthead.

The black box at the top of the magazine cover says ‘The Uk’s biggest music magazine’ I think that the institution has put this on the magazine for first time buyers of the magazine. People who never read Q before are more likely to purchase it if they read this piece of anchorage as they know it must be popular for a reason. The black background of this box contrasts with the green cover and allows it to stand out and draw attention from the target audience. The white font matches with the white colour used for the letter ‘Q’ and other font on the page. This creates a cool, simple professional looking house style to the magazine. As well as this the font is a simple straight font. This means the font doesn’t take any unnecessary focus away from the image or the connotations of the words on the page.

A medium close up was used of the band ‘Green Day’. A medium close up is a convention of rock music magazines I think because it allows the audience to fully see the artists and feel almost close to them on a personal level. Also, if there is more than one person on the cover it allows the audience to get a full view of everyone in the band and not one person. The band is doing a classic yet simple pose which could have been used to reflect the type of music they perform. Another reason I think that they are doing this pose is because everything on this cover is simple yet effective; the white, straight font, the simple layout and the simple pose of the band emphasise this. I think that this shows the magazine isn’t promoting heavy, loud rock like Kerrang magazine as everything is a lot more organised than that text. This could effect the demographic interested in Q magazine.
The background of the cover is green which obviously is used to reflect the name of the band ‘Green Day’. This shade of green also gives connotations of money, ambition, greed and jealousy.

The article titles are listed on the left hand side of the page which seems to be a convention not just with music magazines but all magazines in general. This seems to be because of the way magazines are placed overlapping each other on a shelf. Therefore the target audience would not be able to see the article titles or the masthead if they were placed anywhere else; which could result in a loss in readership and profits. The names of the band are in a larger bolder text. For example ‘Nirvana’ or ‘Pete Doherty’ I think this is because these bands or artists have a large demographic and are hugely successful. This would make people who do not regularly buy Q magazine want to buy it, purely because these celebrities are featured in it. This is known as synergy as these famous artists are helping promote Q magazine and no doubt Q magazine will be promoting the artists’ new album or tour. The font is white again however red is also used on the conventional journalistic lexis such as; special or exclusive. The red creates an impact, draws attention and is often used for warning. As well as this studies have shown that red is a colour that people are more likely to read than any other. The words used make the audience feel like they are missing out on something, or that the information inside the magazine is exclusive and a secret; causing more people to want to purchase the text.

There is a grey box on the right hand side of the cover which has the names of two bands and five stars underneath their names. This is also synergy as the magazine is promoting ‘Yeah yeah yeahs’ and ‘Radiohead’. The publication gives them five stars so presumably the target audience reading the text will want to purchase work by these artists. These bands also have interviews within the magazine which, because they too are famous bands will help promote and sell this text

Barcodes are a convention of every single type of magazine and are usually in one of the bottom corners of the cover. In this case however it is a third of the way up from the bottom and has been rotated 90 degrees. I think this is because there is a banner headline going across the bottom of the page and there is simply no room for it. A banner headline has more relevance to the magazine cover than the position of the barcode, therefore if I have this problem when I am creating my magazine I will gladly move the barcode as I think it works successfully in this edition of Q magazine.

The magazine mainly used white and red, this therefore creates a highly aesthetically pleasing, exciting and exuberant house style. The layout and pose of the band create a rather simple tone to the cover which could either reflect calmer rock music or an older more professional target audience.
I- Alike Kerrang magazine, Q is also produced by Bauer Media. This company is one of the largest media institutions in Europe and has a turnover of 2.08 billion euros. This means that Q may be publicised by other popular magazines Bauer media creates which could give the magazine a larger profit. Q also has a music channel on Sky TV and website which could also bring them a bigger profit and a larger demographic. For example; the target audience may decide to purchase the text after listening to the music channel.
The magazine is distributed monthly, which could be a negative because it won't have exclusive, fresh information of the industry a magazine like kerrang would have for example. However a monthly magazine has the opportunity to look more legitimate or professional. Q magazine has a glossy cover oppose to a paper one. As well as this Q magazine has a lot more pages than other magazines as they have a whole month of information to write about.
The price of Q magazine is £3.99 which seems expensive for a magazine, but the target audience will probably be saving money spending this price than spending £2 a week for other publications. The price of the magazine will heavily influence the target audience as young teenagers may not be able to afford it but young professionals will.

I- I personally feel that this magazine targets a slightly older generation than Kerrang magazine for example. Q magazine displays older rock music as well as newer tracks which could generate a wide demographic. I feel like Q targets more professional lovers of music who possibly play instruments or are in a band themselves. The spine of Q magazine has a different message based on the content of the magazine per issue which is an interesting idea I may try however not on the spine of the text.
There is a quote made by the band on the front cover which says ‘We are fire, chaos and revolution…’ This is an inspiring quote which would have been used on the cover to give a sense of the lifestyle or state of mind of Green Day- the band on the cover page has. The quote could also represent the mood the magazine too wished to reflect, or  a lifestyle the target audience wishes they too could have.

A- The audience for Q magazine will obviously enjoy rock/ indie music. I think that the publication targets 16-24 year olds as younger teenagers will not be able to afford the magazine and may possibly not be interested in the magazine as it's more technical or intense than other music magazines. The layout of the magazine isn't the most exciting therefore younger people may find it boring or not very aesthetically pleasing.
Q magazine includes a combination of rock from all eras.
The magazine is gender neautral. I think that the socio economic group for this magazine would possibly be C1-E, both inner and outer directed because I think a demographic with professional jobs would want to read this magazine. People who play instruments, are already in a band or are truly passionate about music will benefit from reading this magazine.

R-I think Q magazine generates a positive representation of towards rock music and the band on the cover. Green Day are dressed in suit jackets which could show they take their job seriously, their simple pose and facial expression emphasises this. Q has a much larger demographic than other rock magazines as it features a wider variety of the rock genre; from emo to indie. This proves that you don't only have to enjoy one music genre and in Q magazine many genres of music are considered.

L- Like in Kerrang magazine the masthead on the front cover is used again on the contents page. This is to make it more recognisable and further establish the magazine the audience are reading. It also helps create a house style to the contents page- so the readers know what to expect of the magazine.
 The titles of the articles are down the left hand side of the page which I think works well because of the idea I have mentioned earlier about they way we were taught to read.
The articles are split into different sections; every month, features etc. This is a good idea as it means the targer audience don't have to search for the article they wish to read. I am definately considering using this idea as it doesn't seem to have any negative connotations and can only save the audience time. The headers of these sections have been placed in red boxes. Red gives connotations of excitement and are a colour of excitement. As well as this the red box contrasts with the white background and white fornt used allowing them to stand out further and draw attention from the reader.

The main image is a DTP of the band 'The Courteeners'. Because the image takes up almost the whole right hand side of the page it's obvious that the main article in this issue of Q magazine is involving this band. This band is also really famous, meaning that they are the artists helping advertise this issue of the magazine.
The artists are in the countryside by the look of it and the dark colours of the clothing they're wearing contrasts with the view of the location.

The black box at the top of the page stands contrasts the white background.
The banner has the Q logo/masthead that makes the magazine more recognisable to the target audience and maintains a consistent house style. The word contents is in the biggest font to obviously show the audience what page they’re looking at. The font is still very straight-cut, not curved which maintains the house style created on the cover. It also emphasises the idea of a simple layout and not taking any unnecessary focus from the image or article titles. On the right hand side of the banner, the date and issue number is positioned. This font it two in white alike much of the font on this page and cover page. The issue number, I think is for readers who like to collect the magazine and the date is to ensure the target audience has the right issue of Q magazine with updated and fresh information of the rock music industry.

The house style of this contents page is much like the cover page. The simple layout creates professional and effortless connotations and looks very clean and organised. I like this idea of a simple layout however I may choose to combine the simplicity of this house style and the loud messy layout of Kerrang as it reflects a certain style of rock music. I will play around a lot with the layout of my magazine and decide what works best for my publication and what my target audience will want to see.

I- See cover analysis
I-See cover analysis
R- See cover analysis

L-
Unlike the double page spread I analysed for Kerrang magazine; this one has the article printed on the left page. The top of the left page has a box with the phrase ‘New albums’ in a box coloured in different shades of pink/red and is used throughout the spread therefore instantly creating a house style. I think that ‘new albums’ is printed because some of the target audience may enjoy discovering new music they’ve not heard before, or they may like the band and wish to hear about their new work.
The band name ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ is written in the top centre of the left page and acts as the headline for this article. It instantly tells the target audience what the article is about. The font used; just like all other fonts used in this magazine is straight-cut therefore professional and quite matter-of-fact. The colour of the font contrasts with the white background and therefore makes it stand out and will draw the reader’s attention.

The layout of the left page is conventionally newspaper-like, as it’s printed in columns. I will consider using this technique as it’s expected for a magazine article to be printed in this way. A tagline is used underneath the headline, it summarises what the band and the article is about.  Down the left hand side of the double page spread there are small images of albums and artists which the target audience may enjoy if they like the main featured band in this article.

I think the title of the band ‘Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ in my opinion reflects the laid-back ‘whatever’ attitude that seems to be demonstrated in the main image on the right page. The band are stood in a neutral stance and don’t necessarily look as if they’re posing for the camera. The pink background maintains the red/pink house style that’s created in this double page spread. It’s also a bright, vibrant colour which reflects the energetic, exuberant style of music this band creates. The band have quite a quirky, kitsch fashion style which again reflects their tracks. As well as this they actually look like rock-stars; which could inspire the every-day, ordinary target audience to develop an outlandish fashion sense also. A quote is super-imposed on top of the image and is a positive review of the band made by the magazine. This means that the band is more likely to work with this magazine again because it’s giving them a positive review.

I- See cover analysis

I- See cover analysis.
The image and name of the band creates a laid-back, couldn’t care sort of attitude. Not necessarily in a bad way, however it could cause the audience to adopt this style of attitude.

R-See cover analysis.
I think this article represents the artists in a positive light as it makes them seem like the artists are generally rock stars through the way they dress and their laid back attitude, however it makes them look like they care about their profession.  

Textual Analysis

I am going to analyse a Kerrang magazine cover because it is very similar to the genre of music I will be using for my publication. After I have analysed three magazine covers of a similar genre to mine, I will be able to recognise the conventions of a cover; what works succesfully and what I think I could improve on.

L- The masthead 'Kerrang' instantly tells you the magazine is of the Rock genre as the word is onomatopoeic; it refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar. Kerrang is quite a striking, powerful word therefore the target audience will be drawn to the masthead.The font of the masthead is in block lettering which gives connotations of anger or violence which perhaps reflects rock music. The masthead is in the colour black. Black usually has negative connotations however in this case I think that the colour symbolises strength and power. Something Rock music definately is. Black also stands out among the white background and is a rather aggressive colour. The masthead has also thin white lines through the font, and makes it appear as if it's cracking or breaking. I think this works to the magazine's advantage as it emphasises the meaning of the word 'Kerrang' and looks as if the power chord being played by the guitar was so loud or strenuous that it cracked the masthead. The masthead is placed at the top of the page which is the first place we look as we have been taught to read that way. The makers orf this publication will have done this also so the target audience will see the name of the text when placed on a shelf among other publications.

The main image on the cover has been superimposed ontop of the masthead, this means 'Kerrang' magazine is so prestigious and recognisable that even if part of the masthead has been covered, the target audience will identify with it.

The main headline is white, and superimposed onto the main image. The white colour stands out from the black suit the lead singer of the band is wearing therefore your eyes are drawn to it instantly. White usually suggests purity and innocence and isn't usually expected on a Rock magazine. The font used is similar to the Masthead therefore helping establish a house style. This publication uses conventional journalistic lexis to entice the target audience to pick up the magazine and read it. 'Horror' ,'Uproar', 'Special', 'Plus', 'And more!' This makes Kerrang magazine seem like it has more to offer than any other magazine therefore the reader will choose to perchase this publication in order to get more for there money. This is a convention I may intend on using, however it does make the text seem quite tacky and cheesey.

The house style of the magazine uses mainly black, white and a few shades of red colours. This creates quite an angry, aggressive house style which obviously reflects the music genre but also are aesthetically pleasing and exciting so will attract attention. The camera angle used for the main image is a medium close up. This allows the audience to see the band in a clear way and recognise who they are. As well as this the band seem quite close to the reader; perhaps making them feel personally involved in the magazine, without being uncomfortably close like an extreme close up would produce for example. The band are stood with the lead singer at the front, with the other members of the band behind him, are smaller and are less likely to be seen. This is because the lead singer is usually the front man of a band. As well as this the lead singer are usually the person the target audience like most and identify with. 'Bring Me The Horizon' in this image are wearing formal suits, shirts and ties which is unconventional for a rock band to do. They could be making a statement by being ironic or they could be showing that they do take their job as artists seriously.

The other images on the magazine are taken from live gigs which could help persuade the target audience to want to see these artists at a concert. As well as this, it shows what kind of performers the artists are and helps summarise the cover of the magazine.

I- The institution for this magazine is Bauer media which is one of the largest institutions in the world. Not only does it produce magazines but T.V and radio shows and websites too. This means that Kerrang magazine would perhaps get some advertising from other popular magazines, and in turn advertise them- which is known as synergy. Kerrang also has a music station and website which will all bring in a wider demogrpahic for the magazine, allowing them to make a lot more money. Kerrang is a weekly magazine which means that the magazine is a lot more valid and up to date than other magazines who are published fornightly or monthly. This means that more people would perhaps purcahse this publication as it will probably have the most exclusive information. However this could also be a negative as some demographic may not like to purchase magazines weekly; wasting time and money. The price of kerrang is £2.20 which in my opinion isn't that expensive for a magazine. The price heavily influences the target audience as young teenagers will not be able to afford this amount for a weekly magazine. Students on the other hand will be able to afford it. I think this price is more reasonable for a fornightly magazine.

I- The ideology of this magazine shows a care-free, fun and wild way of life and rock music. I think that because Kerrang has quite a niche audience it shows that it's okay to be original and different than mainstream pop magazines. 

A-  I think that the audience for Kerrang magazine will obviously be for rock enthusiasts. I think the age will be 16-24 year olds, any younger won't be able to afford the weekly price of £2.20 with the exception of a few individuals. The magazine would be aimed at both male and females. I think that the target audience for this publication would possbily be in the C2- E socio economic group, both inner and outer directed as they are the most likely to read it. For e.g I don't think that somebody in socio economic group A; such as a Lord would be interested in reading a rock magazine.

R-I think that Kerrang magazine portrays a positive image towards rock music and the artists featured on the cover. Bring Me The Horizon are dressed in suits which could suggest thay do take their job as a band seriously- representing them as hard working people. The magazine uses synergy in order to advertise the bands on this cover which will sell their magazine if the artist is well known or popular; in turn the magazine will advertise the band's new single, album or tour to help the artist make money. Kerrang magazine; although it's popular it's not necessarily a mainstream magazine. This idea shows that it's okay to like things other than what the majority like, and it's okay to be a little different which is an important statement to make. 

L- The layout of this contents page has been split into two main sections. The top half is a photograph and the bottom is the actual contents box; showing what and where the articles are. The image is a mid-shot of the band featured on the front cover- Bring Me The Horizon. I think that Kerrang did this because the band are so well known and they are the ones selling the magazine this week that's why the photograph is so big.

The house style is slightly different on this contents page compared to the cover as a new colour of font is introduced-yellow. Yellow gives connotations of energy and supposedly arouses mental stimulation. When overused yellow creates a distrubing effect which would have been the idea for this page. When yellow is used with the colour of black like in this case; it's often used to issue a warning. The masthead used on the cover is used again on the contents page however is smaller and in the centre of the page. I think that this was done to emphasise the magazine and to also make it even more recognisable than it already is. The font used on the contents page is looks like it's quite worn, old or dirty. The yellow colour has specks on it in order to make it appear quite faded. I think this reflects the messy, imperfect nature of rock music. The black backround around the outside of the words make them stand out against the white page and the target audience's eyes will be instantly drawn to it. As well as this it saves the audience searching around for the article they wish to read because of the headings.

Unlike some music magazine's kerrang has a letter from the editor. I think that this directly addresses the audience and makes them feel personally involved in the publication. The photograph and the way the editor tells anicdotes about unknown things of the magazine as wel helps the audience feel more involved with the making of the magazine.
On the right hand bottom side of the contents page there is a special offer to get Kerrang magazine's delivered to your door for six pound. This os on the contents page because other than the cover it's the most viewed page of the whole magazine therfore everyone will see it and possibly take up the publication on the offer.

I- See cover analysis for institution.
I- See cover analysis for ideology.
A-See cover analysis for audience.
R- The main image of Bring me the horizon shows a positive image of the band. The band are signing autographs for fans which represents them as down-to-earth, nice, decent people. I think the photograph of the editor shows a positive representation for the magazine as she doesn't appear to be a stereotypical rock enthusiast. She is wearing a plain black top and looks like a normal professional woman which shows the audience that you don't need a lot of tattoos or piercings to appreciate this genre of music. As well as this she is relatable to the audience as she's just like everyone else.

L- This double page spread doesn't actually have an article on these pages- just two large images of Oli Sykes the lead singer of Bring me the horizon (the band on the cover) and the article is on the page to follow. A medium close-up shot has been used in order to make the reader seem close to the artist without being uncomfortably close an extreme close up shot would produce.On the first image, the artist is looking straight into camera which connects with the target audience, as it causes the reader to feel he is staring into their eyes. Oli Syke's head is looking down on the second image which caused the audience to turn their focus to where he is looking.

 The font is in white which connotates purity, success and is usually a positive colour. White also connotates perfection which could make the artist seem quite vain. I don't think that white was a good colour to use as it doesn't really stand out against the image or the grey coloured background. If I were to create this double page spread I would have used a darker bolder colour like black as it would have definately contrasted against everything else on the page. However this could have been done because the publication doesn't want the target audience to focus on the text, they want the audience to focus on the appearance of the artist.The font used is straight-cut and professional looking. It isn't curly or curved which shows that the institution doesn't want any focus to be taken away from the images.

The grey colour of the background is simple, neutral and can sometimes evoke cloudy or moody emotions which perhaps makes the artist appear brooding. Just like everything else on the page the background doesn't take any focus away from the two images.

I- See cover analysis for institution.

I- See cover analysis for ideology.

A-  See cover analysis for audience.
I think that with this double page spread the magazine is trying to target a larger female demographic. This artist is quite good looking and has his shirt off making girls want to read about this specific articles. As well as just attrcting females; I think that males who enjoy this genre of music would appreciate the artist's tattoos, lifestyle or music so they would too want to read this article.

R- I think that the way Oli Sykes is being represented in this article is both positive and negative. The way the aritst is posing, the colour of the text and background makes him appear quite vain and that he only cares about his image. However he also seems quite brooding, which is an attractive trait in this generation.

Final Choice.

I have chosen to use ROCK MUSIC as the genre for my magazine.
This is because it covers a lot of different tracks, artists and bands to create a large target audience. I am the most familiar with this genre, this means I could know information other people may not which could be included in my magazine; giving it a more secretive, exclusive feel. Although there a lot of existing publications or this specific genre, this means that it's sucessful and already has a loyal target audience. This could be a risk as people may not want to read my text as they already read others such as Kerrang every week.

Research of music genres.

It is often really difficult to pin an artist or band to one specific music genre because many of them are so versatile. For instance, an artist's material may have an R n B feel to one track and Pop to another. So identifying a specific genre may be difficult, as well as this; many genres intertwine with eachother depending on your own interpretation of the music. Some people may see Rock as Metal, or think that Indie is the same as alternative. I have tried to use examples to represent genres of music.

Indie Music

-The Foals

Indie artists have proved extremely popular in the industry and have a wide demographic. Indie bands have a more laid back appraoch to their music and concerts compared to Pop artists for example; which could be communicated in my magazine. This genre is influenced by many styles of music and are subtly included in many indie tracks which could be a reason why it is highly rated by a wide audience. Many magazines already exist for Indie music including NME magazine. It is difficult to target a certain audience however I would choose to appeal to the younger generation such as; students, early adopters of trend, who appreciate live music at festivals or concerts. Indie magazines usually use innovative, cool photogrpahs of the artists which is a convention I would like to try and replicate. I would use bold, exciting colours for Mastheads, logos and any anchorage. In order to make my magazine differ from others, I would need to find a gap in the market. This could be exclusives from up and coming indie artists, I would also work closely with indie bands in order for them to represent a postive image for the magazine.

 R n B Music

-Rihanna

 

R n B music has a very specific style to it. The artists are usually very strong singers, glamorous however are sometimes seen as high maintenance. The main themes of R n B songs are love or heartbreak and the staging of concerts are conventionally elaborate and are more of a show or performance than indie music. Costumes are usually quite unique and quirky which could be expensive to create for my magazine. R n B typically targets a teenage demographic of both male and females. R n B magazines already published include 'Vibe' magazine which predominantly promotes hip hop as well as R n B. If I were to choose this genre I would have to do much more research into this target audience and must find a gap in the market in order to compete with other publications. I could give demo's of artists in the magazine, or give readers priority tickets to popular concerts. I would use vibrant colours such as purples or gold to connotate glamour and wealth, they would also attract the reader's attention.

Pop Music

-Girls Aloud

Pop music is probobly the most listened to genre of all. Popular music artists usually get their tracks high in the charts and aren't necessarily the strongest singers of the industry. Pop music attracts audiences of all ages although like R n B targets young teenagers. Another similarity to R n B is the themes of the songs, which are too love or heartbreak, however many pop songs have a more fun, funky, upbeat feel to it. Pop artists and bands are known for being very attractive and many people may not enjoy their music but the way they look. Pop concerts put on a high class performance and feature complicated dance routines and impressive staging. Many fashion icons are pop artists such as Lady gaga, therefore if I chose to use this genre my models would have to wear provocative,outrageous,or kooky clothing. Existing publications include 'Smash Hits' which is extremely popular. My gap in the market for this genre could be to include many posters or merchandise as people of a young age like to hang posters of their icons in their room. I would use fun, bright colours like blues and pinks which would attract young readers. I would have the layout easy to read and easy to understand as it would be targeting a mainly young demographic. I wouldn't take the images too seriously and would simplay display the artists having fun and smiling.

Folk/Alternative Music

-Johnny Flynn

This genre of music is proving more and more popular in the last few years. With artists like Johnny Flynn, Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons Alternative/Folk is appealing to a similar demographic as indiebands (young students, early followers of fashion, and people who enjoy live music). There are not many magazines who focus on this genre of music soley; (NME magazine sometimes features alternative/folk) this could be my gap in the market. If I did this however, it may not be as popular as a pop magazine may be for example. This genre of music gives a cool laid back feel which could be communicated through the layout and images of my magazine. My photographs would look effortless and aloof, and I would possibly show pictures of instruments such as ukulele or a banjo to show to the audience this is not an ordinary magazine they usually read. I will consider using this genre as there is a large demand for one I feel, however it is a lot more of a risk.

Classical Music

-Katherine Jenkins

Classical music has a much older demographic than other music genres I have discussed. Because I am not of this generation, it may be difficult to pin the beliefs or morals the target audience would expect in this type of magazine. I would use a simple layout to make it simple, classic and easy to read. As well as this I would use simple, crisp colours like whites and creams to communicate an angelic sense. I don't think there will be a large demand for this magazine as older people don't tend to purchase or read magazines therefore the text will not make as much money as another genre could. If I did choose to use classical music however, I would have to do much research on this specific target audience, as well as this I would have to research the genre further as I do not know classical music all that well; this could waste well needed time.

Rock Music

-Slipknot

There are many types of rock music which appeal to various target audiences. Such as; indie rock (which I have already discussed) targets young, fashionable students specifically, whereas classic rock would appeal to older people who were around at the time to enjoy classic rock from the 70'or 80's. I would use dark colours and possibly reds which connotate danger or excitment, as well as this I would have a very busy layout with anchorage superimposed onto images etc to reflect the loud style of this music genre. Although there are many popular rock magazines such as; Kerrang, I do still think this magazine could be improved on, meaning there could possibly be a gap in the market for another rock magazine. If I were to use this genre, I would possibly create more of a glossy, proffessional looking cover as apose to Kerrang which looks quite cheap. Kerrang could be seen as a model of success and rock is an easy option to use, however if I work hard to find a gap in the market and use something that other magazines don't it could pay off. As well as this I could contact advertisers who would be happy to work alongside my magazine. Rock covers a lot of various tracks, artists and bands which could mean my target audience would be largely span which could either make the magazine more money or not specific enough therefore cause the text to lose profits.



LIAR of the brief.

L - Front Page.

My music magazine must include a masthead.

Conventionally a masthead is on the left hand side of the page as it's the first place the audience will look as we have been trained from a small age to read from the top left of the text. Another reason for the position of the masthead is to do with how magazines are stacked on shelves. Magazines overlap eachother in most stores so only the masthead (in this case the title of the magazine) show. Therefore this is the only recognisable anchorage on my page to signify what my magazine actually is. The masthead reflect the genre of music the magazine is promoting. E.g large, bold colours and block font for a rock magazine as it signifies loud, busy music. Wheras I would use bright colours and a curved font for a pop magazine to give connotations of fun, upbeat music.

For my text, I will consider using a range of camera angles depedning on what is appropiate. If I choose to use a band on stage at a gig for my main image, then I would probably decide on using a long shot in order to get the bands whole bodies and instruments in the photograph. However I will consider using a medium-close-up like I used for my college magazine as it is a more intimate shot and the audience will really feel like they're close and personal with the star on my cover.

I intend to play around and experiment a lot with my cover image in order to get the perfect one- I will use a variety of camera angles and shots to decide which is the most appropiate for my genre and ideas.

Synergy
It is conventional for music magazine to include some sort of synergy in the magazine.
Music magazine's usuallly feature a well known celebrity on the cover in order to attract it's demographic, however the magazine will also promote the celebrity's new album, song, tour or latest work. The magazine and celebrity work together to promote eachother.

House style

Like I have discussed for the masthead, the house style for the cover of my magazine purely depends on what genre of music I intend to use.
E.g If I chose to create a classical magazine it would use a lot of white as it connotates simpleness, purity and is quite an angelic colour. It would be a very simple layout and easy to look at. Everything would be organised on the page and would look very clean, crisp and tidy.
If I chose to create a rock magazine I would choose to use reds or blacks as they connotate danger, excitement and mystery. The cover would be fairly busy as rock music is loud and has a lot going on it. The images and text would be striking and draw attention. I would make the cover quite dramatic.

Banner Headline
A convention of a music magazine cover is a banner headline. This is a headline that goes from one side of the page to the other. It is usually the name of the famous band or celebrity on the cover to draw attention and convince people to purchase the magazine. It could also advertise an exclusive inside the magazine which again will persuade the target audience to buy the text.

I - If I were to create a magazine for an existing publisher then I would choose 'Bauer Media'. Bauer Media is Europe's biggest privately owned publishing group and distributes over 300 magazines in over 15 countries as well as radiostations, T.V and online. Bauer publishers own a lot of the main magazines such as; Heat, Grazia, Closer, FHM, Kerrang and Q. These are very mainstream magazines and I would therefore have to create a very high standard magazine in order to compete with them. My text would have to be created with a professional finish. My magazine will be quite similar to magazines such as Kerrang and Q as they are all of music interest, and possibly the same sub-genre; Rock. However I will try and specify my target audience and attempt to appeal to them as much as possible. As well as this my text will offer exclusives from up and coming bands that most mainstrean magazines will not have heard of, this will offer me a gap in the market.

I - The messages, morals and values my magazine will convey will differ depending on the genre of my text, therefore I will research this in more detail at a later point. Messages and morals will also depend on the target audience of my text. This is because, in order for my magazine to be a success I must communicate ideas my audience will agree with otherwise they will not purchase my text.

A - I will develop my target audience more thoroughly when I have chosen my music genre for definate as it will influence this heavily. e.g. a pop magazine may have a much younger target audience and possibly lean toward a femal demographic than a classical magazine.

R - I intend to give a positive representation of all artisits used in my magazine; whether on my cover, contents page or double page spread. This would increase the chance of the artists to work with the magazine again and in turn create a positive representation of my text. Although I want my magazine to prove popular, I don't necessarily want it to be mainstream. This choice will allow me to give both positive and negative representations of various genres of music. I will obviously try and represent my target audience in a positive manner as they will be the ones purcahsing my text. I will not convey them in a stereotypical way as people may feel misunderstood and may not appreciate my product.

The Brief

Main Task
To produce the cover, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine. All images and text used must be original, produced by you- minimum of four images.