Media Magazine Analysis

Music Magazine Analysis

My analysis of 3 different magazine front covers’, contents pages and double-page

spreads.

Q – Front CoverThis magazine front cover is only exclusive to subscribers. This implies that this is based towards an older audience, as the younger generation are less willing to subscribe to a music magazine because they simply don’t have the money.

The fact that the magazine masthead has been hidden by the whipping effect of Cheryl's hair shows that the intention of the front cover is to lure people, and by using sexual reference the audience will first see the picture and then want to know what the magazine is about therefore capturing the audiences attention.The dark colours and night

theme, plus the spikes and ripped effect to Cheryl Coles outfit, connotes the kind of theme this magazine is trying to portray. It shows a wild, punk-like impression. The only vibrant colour featured on the magazine is the logo, so although the colours of the image are dark and simplistic the fiery red of the logo just promoted that dangerous out going impression they are trying to create.

The magazine also doesn’t include any cover lines, but only a central image of Cheryl Cole and a headline located at the bottom right hand corner which connotes a very brave out going approach to a music magazine, which is what this magazine is trying to promote individuality and to be iconic.

Q - Contents

The contents page really tries to promote the colour red, red is associated with danger, passion, anger, love all of these can be portrayed through red.

The contents page in contrast to the front cover is very busy image and cover-line wise. It has used pictures featured within the magazine, and snagged them with page numbers so its easier to refer to the main features within the magazine.

The contents page is laid out in very inaccurate manner. The pictures are slightly angles which connotes that the magazine isn't just straight forward, but interesting.

The main colours of the contents page are red and black; very gothic colours, which also tries to connote the themes of the magazine, and relates to their target audience.

Q - Double page spread

This double page spread features one page devoted to Cheryl Cole, in a very stylised pose. And one on a small bio of Cheryl Cole as she is now. They have used quite a sexual and suggestive pose to follow the theme on the front cover.

One again the suggestiveness of the colour red has been used not only in the font but also to accentuate her sex appeal.The writing used is sans serif and this is to connote a more

sophisticated yet gothic style to the magazine. They’ve also used a large red C to mimic the drop-cap used background the article side obviously to symbolise Cheryl Cole but using Sans Serif font to do this connotes she is sophisticated.

Kerrang– Front Cover

The use of colours are very much aggressive all the colour connotes colours of fire. Doing this enables the audience to perceive the attitudes of the magazine in a specific manner, and may also determine what gender base this is mainly aimed at.

This magazine is very much a typical layout for its target audience. Aiming at a young generation its key to keep the reader interested. By making the front cover as busy as possible will make it eye catching and interesting for the audience.This magazine has decided to overlap its central image with many images and pull quotes incentives and the logo. Which may indicate the magazine is a more Tabloid style magazine rather then and iconic magazine like Q.

Also the font used is a very simplistic bold statement upon the magazine. Being a very straightforward Serif font reflects that the magazine though busy in layout may be very down to the point in what information it gives to its audience.

Kerrang- ContentsThis particular layout connotes that the magazine is very much party generalised. The page-split featuring a crowd-surfer represents the feel towards the magazine and what kind of stories and features is will have within the magazine.One again using yellow as a font theme, yellow usually represents hazards and danger again this represents the kind of magazine they’re trying to portray.Using pictures and pull quotes are an easier way to grab the audiences attention. If it seems appealing bye eye the reader is more likely to want to buy the magazine. By doing this they are following typical conventions for quite a contrasting magazine

Kerrang– Double-page Spread

This double-page spread again follows quite typical conventions. A interesting pull-quote from the text to lure the reader in and a page dedicated to a photo of the interviewee.The constant eye contact of the celebrity is gives quite and intense feel to the magazine, this is an intentional representation of the kind of magazine Kerrang is.

The colours portrayed on this double-page spread are quite different to the red’s and yellows of the front cover and contents page. The colours used are quite simple and dark this could connote the kind of music this artist plays.

Q – Front CoverThe front cover again is exclusive to subscribers which could be used as an audience incentive. And suggests the what kind of audience this has been based around. Again the magazine has

used red and black for theme colours, The singer from Muse has been purposely dressed in a red and black jacket to coincide with the theme.

The magazine has created a smashing effect on the masthead as though the muse singer had smashed it, this connotes an aggressive rock feel to the magazine.

Again the magazine has no cover lines and has mainly featured the Muse singer as their point of focus for their audience.

To promote this music-icon the magazine has stuck to its typical ‘Q theme’ which is usually a music icon central to the front cover. To show off how iconically orientated this magazine is.

This image really connotes male representation within the magazine. The smashing effect of the quitar suggests anger and punk attitude. The aggressive nature with the smashing effect added to the Q logo is very much represented as masculine.

Q - Contents

The contents is very picture orientated using pictures to coincide with the articles. This is effective as people are more likely to be drawn to pictures than to writing. If the picture is interesting it will encourage the audience into believing the article will be interesting.

Once again the pictures are quite simplistic which relates to the layout of the contents page including font and colours.

Q – Double page spread

Typically this double page spread has featured one side solely to a picture of muse and the other on an article. They’ve used an image and pull-quote to draw the audience into reading the article.

The colours of the double page spread are again quite simple. This could connote the kind of band they are or the image they want to portray to their audience. Using the colour blue suggests a calm and cold atmosphere which could represent their music. The red; not only eye catching; can also present passion, which again can reflect on the band.By including their instruments in their picture it suggests that the band is more passionate about their music than their image. This could connote that this is what the magazine is about aswell more about the artists themselves than their image which is quite and iconic approach.

The drop caps are eye catching and interesting again another convention that will encourage the audience to read the article

EvaluationSomething I found interesting between these two Magazine front covers is that Q is all about being individual. Using one cover line; and one artist for each front cover is a very original approach to a magazine image. Doing this enables the magazine to become very iconic and unique from others by not using typical conventions it also makes them very recognisable and known for doing this which will increase the reputation of the magazine.