Magazine analysis

Magazine analysis

The masthead is hidden behind the heads of the main stars on the cover, because it is such a popular magazine people don’t necessarily need to see the whole title because they will know it’s the ‘Kerrang’ magazine by looking at the image , the font and the sub titles. Kerrang is associated with the rock/pop punk bands appearing on the covers.

Barcode, relevant, it’s visible yet doesn’t stand out. Hidden in the corner so attention is drawn to the menu strip and the coverlines rather than the barcode itself. To put the barcode in this place is a common convention.

The House Style of this magazine is yellow, blue, white and black, these are the colours that are the most dominant on the cover and that work well in this composition. The font is bold and simple and the layout is heavily dominated in writing alongside images at the top and on the sides with the main image of the focus band during that particular week which in this case is 30 Seconds To Mars which is emphasized by the coverline below it, this will attract the target audience because this magazine is aimed at people who like music of this particular genre.

Contrasting colours against each other to draw attention to the cover lines. These colours are a part of the overall colour scheme on the cover.

‘Featuring’ in red on the menu strip, this isn’t one of the dominant colours therefore stands out against the others suggesting that this is important so it lures the audience in introducing the extra bands the magazine focuses on. The main image on this magazine is a medium close up of the band which draws attention to them, it is situated in the middle which makes them the centre of the attention for the target audience.

The magazine would be targeted at a specific audience who listen to rock/pop punk music because these are the people who would be interested in bands that appear on the covers in each issue and interested in reading the articles based around these bands. The headline introduces the band in each issue of the magazine, the headline is larger than the coverlines and stands out, the colour is a part of the house style and the font is fancy, attracting the eye.

The selling line is made up of black and yellow which are part of the colour scheme on the cover, it includes words such as ‘awesome’ which are informal which suggests that the target audience for this magazine is young and relaxed and that this magazine is entertaining.

Kerrang

The colour scheme in this contents page of ‘Kerrang’ is yellow, black and white which echoes the cover page which also follows this colour scheme, they link which will make it more recognisable to the target audience. The masthead of the contents page is yellow and stands out against the dark background which emphasises it. The connotation of these colours is danger because they relate to the colour of bees suggesting that this magazine is intense and sets a heavy atmosphere. The masthead of the contents page is positioned at the top because it’s the title of the page so needs to be visible to the audience.

The main image of the contents page is right at the top and takes up half of the whole page, it has writing on top of it and shows people at a concert which is appealing to the target audience because they are likely to enjoy that atmosphere and usually concerts are associated with rock music. The layout of the page is heavy and packed, the images and text overlap which shows the target audience that the magazine is packed with information which would appeal to them. The main man on the main image is smiling and the connotation of this is happiness and satisfaction which engages the audience and suggests that the magazine is filled with positive articles. This contents page also has a five column layout with an image on top to navigate the magazine.The sub-image in this

contents page is likely to be another band member, this is a close up suggesting that the text below is could be something about his personal life, a reflection of the close up. This will appeal to the audience because people often want to know and are curious about private lives of celebrities. It has a large chunk of text below it which balances out the variety of images on the contents page because as well as attracting the audience with colourful images it is important that the magazine has depth too.

The headline fits in with the house style of the magazine, it is white and yellow with a black background which stands out, this contents page relies heavily on the colour white because of the black writing therefore making a word yellow makes it more significant.

The page has a list of contents which give an insight into the magazine and indicate the page number, this is important because it keeps the magazine and layout organised and ordered for the audience. Each section has a different subheading to show where specific articles are for example the ‘News’ or the ‘life reviews’ this means that the audience can skip to the page they want and find it easily rather than having to look through them all, they are informed about the different topics of the magazine.

The Freebie of the contents page is persuading the audience to purchase a monthly delivery of the magazine which is appealing because it’s an offer, it is written on a red background therefore stands out more than the other text because red isn’t dominant on this page, it’s used to outline two images and the plug suggesting that these add an extra value to the magazine for the audience and that the target audience could be interested in them.

The language on the contents page is quite informal, it uses exclamation marks and looks inviting rather than over powering which will trigger a positive view towards the magazine and make it for appealing to the audience, this could also be because the target audience for this magazine are teenagers therefore the language needs to be sociable and express emotions reflecting the music itself.

The main image on this double spread is a medium shot of Davey Havok where he’s looking directly at the camera which suggests he is interacting with the audience, this makes it more appealing because they will feel included and possibly more fascinated by the article about him as they will form a connection with the image.

The colour scheme of this double spread is dominated by white, pink and grey. The main information such as the stars name, or the band name is highlighted in pink which draws extra attention to it because most of the other writing is either in black or white.

The ‘news’ stands out against all the other colours because it isn’t common on this page as the colour scheme more on black and white which suggests that this significant and beneficial for the audience.

The right side of this double page spread is a three column layout, accompanied by a large main image on the left side drawing attention to the focus of the article being Davey Havok. This informs the audience of the subject of the magazine therefore if they are engaged by it they can continue to read on whereas if it doesn’t appeal to them they can skip a page, it is useful to reflect the article with the image because that way the magazine makes sense and lets the audience decide whether they want to spend their time reading it.

The writing on the right side is written in a small font, however it fills up the whole page suggesting that it’s composed of a lot of information. The colour of the writing supports the colour scheme, black seems to be appearing a lot on this page, the connotation of black is danger and violence which suggests to the audience that the topic of the article could be intense and emotion packed, it also suggests that it is professional and serious. The language on this double page spread is informal, the target audience would be most likely teenagers therefore it wouldn’t make sense to use fully academic words if they should be entertained, but set a relaxed and friendly tone to invite and lure the audience in. Also the words that are most informal like ‘Absolutely!’ are bigger and that word in particular is white which is a flashy colour and makes it stand out against the overall, dark orientated colour scheme.

The masthead in this magazine is done is a simple font and it leads the colour scheme because it is orange and this colour often appears on the cover. The masthead says “Rock Sound” because the magazine is aimed at a specific target audience who are interested in the rock genre therefore it’s straight forward and clear so it defines the genre.

The headline is large, it isn’t directly in the middle however takes up most of the space on the cover, this is because it is a common convention to make the headline stand out as it gives an insight to what the magazine is based on in the particular feature, it usually reflects the feature photo on the cover of the magazine, in this case the band ‘Of Mice And Men’. The sub-images also show various bands featuring in this magazine which are likely to attract a wider audience because it shows a variety of different bands to read about.

The menu strip fits the colour scheme of the cover which is dominated by white, yellow and orange, the white writing stands out against the black background drawing attention to the writing which introduces even a larger variety of bands featuring in the magazine attracting a wider audience. The menu strip is also accompanied by a barcode which like in the previous cover is hidden in the corner because it is a useful convention, this is because the barcode has no meaning to the audience therefore doesn’t need to be visible or stand out. The connotation of the colour scheme is positive and happy because of the orange and yellow which are bright, but because of the black and white there is a sophisticated edge to it, this is because the aim is to attract the target audience with vibrant colours and show them that the quality of the magazine is high.

This sub-image shows yet another band member, the kicker below it explains this to the target audience meaning it is easy to understand, the fonts are simple and clean cut rather than fancy and the overall layout is simple rather than packed like the previous cover, this means that it is easy to navigate different images and coverlines on the cover rather than them being packed together.

Hegemonic masculinity is shown on this cover because the main image shows men who are posing, exposing their arms which are tattooed and strong which represents them as powerful. They look confident and happy suggesting they are successful.

The Freebie attracts the audience because it gives them free posters which would make the magazine valuable and worth the price, because the target audience of this magazine is likely to be working class people they are more likely to buy it if they get further benefit from it and think it’s worth the price. It will make them feel like they are gaining something out of purchasing the magazine,

Rock Sound

The main image of the contents page shows a medium close up of a man who is looking directly at the audience. His expression is confident and he looks rough and manly which suggests that he is a successful musician that has a strong fan base therefore he’s confident. Hegemonic masculinity is represented in this image, he has tattoos and piercings making him look masculine and tough, it also makes him look rebellious which could be stereotypically associated with the target audience for this magazine.

The headline of the contents page defines the genre and echoes the title of the magazine, the font is large and bright which stands out against the dark background, under this there is a small issue number and the date suggesting that even though this might be relevant it’s not what the magazine specifically focuses on and it’s not as important to the audience as the text above it.

The layout of this contents page is a two column layout, it is clear and simple rather than packed, the left side is filled with text which navigates the audience. The colour scheme of this contents page is blue, white and black, these colours contrast which each other when put together which makes the white text stand out and flash up at the audience. White seems to be a frequently used in this magazine to highlight words and make them look more powerful, the connotation of white is innocence, this is ironic because stereotypically people would associate ‘rock sound’ with rebelliousness.

This has a white background which supports the colour scheme, like I mentioned white is an ironic colour to use because of the connotation of it being innocent and this magazine focusing on something which is associated with the exact opposite of innocent, this links with the text referring to Justin Bieber because his music contrasts the rock genre.

The size of the subheadings is bigger than the text below is but smaller than the main heading which suggests that it is relevant to navigate the audience however it isn’t the most important focus on the page.

The main image takes up the whole of the two pages rather than just one page of the double spread, in the rock sound it takes up both and has writing on top of it which makes the layout look less packed because the writing is spread out over two pages rather than one this makes the page appear organised. The connotation of the main image is seriousness because the band members look quite pensive and thoughtful, something you’d stereotypically image an artist to be.

The title of the article is bold and large, this is because it stands out and sets a focus for the page and makes it obvious to the audience, it is also positioned on the left side because our eyes are more attracted to this side as logically, we’ve been taught to read from left to right. The article itself is written in small font and because the main image is quite dark and monotone the writing is white and vibrant which creates a slight contrast. There is also a small image at the side which looks like a CD cover so I can assume it is the bands CD, this advertises and encourages the target audience to go and purchase the CD and because it stands out from the colour scheme as it includes colours such as blue the audience will instantly look at it which is useful for advertisement.

The second part of the particle is positioned on the second page, this is because the band who is the main focus are placed on the whole two sides therefore the middle had to be free from text so the target audience can see the band. The quote gives the audience a sneak peak of the main article and it usually includes something memorable to draw the audience in and encourage them to read on.

The positioning of the band creates a V shape, the man on the right is the closest to the camera suggesting that he leads the band so shows the audience that he is the singer and the main leader of the band as the attention is drawn to him. The lighting creates shadows which give the image a dark tone which could appeal to the target audience as the rock genre is usually associated with darkness and mystery.

The masthead is hidden behind the main image on the cover which is similar to the cover of ‘Kerrang’ , this is because the target audience for this magazine are likely to recognise the magazine by the fonts and colours rather than the actual name of it therefore it is acceptable to block the masthead with the feature article photo. The colour of the masthead is red, the connotation of red is power and intensity, which could link to the specific genre of the magazine. This colour is part of the colour scheme which in this case is mainly red and white which are too heavily contrasting colours which is useful because it will attract the audience and draw attention to the coverlines. This magazine also has the issue number at the side in small font, it could be there to show the significance of how popular the magazine is and how many issues have been out however it is conventional to make the less relevant information small because then it’s there for anyone who’s interested however isn’t the main focus to the audience.

The selling line of this magazine which is called ‘Alternative Press’ fits in with the colour scheme of red and white with the occasional blue and yellow writing which draws attention to the specific detail because they don’t fit in with the dominant colours. This is placed at the top of the page because it gives an insight into the magazine and could possible be the first thing the audience reads therefore needs to stand out.

The coverlines follow the general colour scheme of red to represent the intensity of the genre, they are also near the bottom of the page to emphasise the main image, the main image is a band member ‘Kellin Quinn’ who is popular in this specific genre therefore draws attention to the target audience.

The headline doesn’t challenge the colour scheme because it is red like the majority of the text on the cover, it incorporates both of the leading colours together. Because this is the headline it is large and the font is simple to read to make it easy for the audience to make out what is featured in the magazine. The general layout of the magazine is clean, most of the text is focused around the edges whereas the middle is left for the main image which draws attention to it and attracts possible audience.

The size of the text various depending on the position and importance of it, The headline is large because it is what the audience is most interested in, the cover lines are slightly smaller because they give extra insight but not the main focus and the masthead which is large but hidden behind the main image suggesting that there’s freedom of placement because the audience is familiar with the magazine.

Alternative Press

The layout of this page is not organised. The columns are not in a particular order, they are mixed up on the page which could reflect the rock genre being stereotypically associated with a hectic lifestyle which would appeal to the target audience, it creates a feeling of excitement and confusion associated with the ecstasy of this genre. The colour scheme of this page focuses on pink, yellow, white and the main image is tinted in a gradient manner which sets a monotone tone, this contrasts with the vibrant writing that jumps out at the audience.

The main image is positioned at the top of the page which draws attention to it, it shows the band members who are the focus of the article, their body language is relaxed and the connotation of this is that they are friendly and inviting and that their music jovial and relaxing which would trigger a positive response from the target audience.

The title is the name of the band and it reflects the colour that the band is shown in on the main image whereas all the other main writing is done in bright, stimulating colours which in a composition, compliment the main image, this would appeal to the target audience as we are more likely to read something we see as appealing. The page number is not positioned

at the bottom which is conventional but is placed in the middle which could be rebellious reflecting the rock genre and the target audience.

The page doesn’t contain many subheadings, only a few which makes it appear less packed, this has an advantage because it means that the target audience can easily navigate the page they want to get to.

The font used on this contents page is informal, it’s bold and stands out, this will appeal to the target audience because they want to be entertained therefore simple fonts are used to create a feeling of friendship.

The colour scheme of this double page spread is red, white and black, the heading is all of these coloured included which highlights it to the audience. The colours contrast, for example the black writing has a red outline which makes it look more vibrant which makes it more likely to stick in people’s heads.

The layout of this page is a two column layout with the left side being taken up with the central image of the band ‘Green Day’ you can tell this because the name of the band is shown in bright red colour with a thick font in the middle of the left page.

The black writing highlights all of the bands achievements, it’s in larger font than the main article because it makes the band look more appealing to the audience if their achievements are higlighted as this is what they will read first.

The main image is of the band itself, the lead singer is stood in the middle and at the front, they’re all making direct address to the camera which makes them appear more friendly and inviting, they are wearing mostly black which is stereotypical of this genre, the connotation of this could be seriousness suggesting that their music is not shallow, luring the target audience in.

The image is bright, the connotation of this is positivity. There’s a lot of light in the background which contrasts with the dark clothing of the band mambers making them appear masculine and stand out.