Analysis Kerrang Magazine - Joey Jordison

There is just one person on the front of this front cover. This means that Joey Jordison of heavy metal band ‘Slipknot’ is the main attraction for this music magazine. His image goes slightly over the title of the magazine which portrays confidence from the makers of Kerrang magazine. The make-up that Jordison is wearing is very pale and gothic. This gives an instant impression to what genre this magazine belongs to. Joey’s clothes are also black giving more evidence to this statement. Joey’s facial expression is very sad and angry suggesting he belongs to a heavy metal band. There are lots of smaller images dotted around the front cover which gives the reader a quick glimpse as to what is inside the magazine but also makes the cover more decorative and pleasing on the eye. The gothic impression is highlighted due to the fact that Joey’s image is almost in black and white.

The colour of the text telling the viewers what is inside this magazine are red and yellow which suggest danger and also allow the magazine to stand out slightly more off the shelves. The title of the magazine is also black and white which clearly adds to the heavy metal genre. This font also looks as though someone has smashed it up as it looks cracked. This clearly adds to the heavy metal impression as though the guitars belonging to the bands have been smashed up. Slapped on top of the image is a quote from Joey Jordison followed by a bold red font which makes his name stand out. This is then followed by what the article featuring Joey Jordison contains. The font used on this magazine front cover is serif which portrays a masculine image.

In this magazine there is a banner at the bottom displaying four images, underneath this it says that there are free posters in this magazine. This can be used to persuade people to buy this magazine as a free gift is inside the product.

This contents page has an unusual layout the top half of the page is dominated by a images. These images are linked to main articles in this magazine. The image has a tag with the details of what the image is about. Whereas the bottom half of the page is where the articles and page numbers are listed. Looking at the layout of the contents page you couldn’t really tell that it was meant for a heavy metal magazine. The stories that feature on the front cover have a little symbol next to the indicating that this is a lead article in this magazine.

This contents page like the last shadow puppets NME contains an editors log which contains similar aspects to the NME one. It contains what the editor has done this week and what she thinks of this issue of Kerrang. This contents page is split into separate categories which are titled feedback, news, live reviews, features, albums, gig guide and the K! Quiz. I think this doesn’t look as good as a normal contents layout as it is too formal. Similar to the NME contents page this one has an offer of having every issue of Kerrang delivered to your door. Having this will increase the chances of having magazines sold where as only established magazines would be able to do this as the audience would be reluctant to commit to buying an un-established magazine.

This double page spread issued by Kerrang is very dark and gothic. This will bode well with their target audience as it is based around the image of heavy metal which they are interested in. Half of Joey Jordison’s face is lit this could show his dark side in this interview. It could also mean that he is trying to hide from the rest of the world. The lightened half of his face is covered in makeup which suggests he still is a Goth. The colours are very boring and uninteresting which will fit in with the genre of this magazine. A quote taken from the interview with Joey Jordison is taken and placed in large grey and white font which can be read on the dark clothing worn by Joey Jordison.

The facial expression of Jordison is tired and upset. This is backed by the first sentence of this article which is “Joey Jordison looks tired”. There is a glow around Joey Jordison but it fades where the article is written. This means that the article isn’t easily readable and will not appeal to people who do not like this style of music. In this interview the questions are in bold and the answers are in regular font, this makes it easy to distinguish between the questions and answers. Joey Jordison’s hand is grasped onto his arm where his scared look is given further evidence.

Analysis NME Magazine - The Strokes

The image that is used is of the American indie band the strokes. The image has a natural lighting to it which clearly shows it is not a heavy metal magazine. The band is the main focus of the magazine which is shown by the large dominant image containing only them. The band members are not looking directly at the viewer which portrays a more relaxed atmosphere for this magazine. Three of the band members are wearing sunglasses which makes them look like a stylish and appealing to the target audience. The image slightly goes over the title for the NME magazine which shows that they have confidence that their target audience will still be able to recognise the magazine issue. The black clothing worn my members of the strokes is in keeping with this issues colour scheme which is pink, grey/black and white.

The text that displays the band’s name is a pink/purple colour which allows it to stand out on the grey background and black clothing. The headline on the magazine says “The Strokes Return” which gives the viewer a short message but clearly displaying what is the main article in this issue. The text for the article headlines is also stated in pink to display it clearly whilst the description or quotes of the articles are displayed in small white font.

The colour scheme of this issue of NME is different to their usual red, black and white colour scheme. In this issue they used a pink, grey and white colour scheme. This might have been made harder to recognise by the target audience.

This goes back to the classic template for a NME contents page. It has a blocky layout which diverts attention into 7 different articles. The main article from the front cover involving The Strokes takes a smaller section of the page meaning that an article involving Alex Kane takes centre stage on this page. I like this layout as I think it looks very tidy and well structured. All of the leading articles have an image to go with it and a quote or description to go with it.

The text used in the contents page is brief so the reader can grasp a quick understanding of what the article is all about. The image is there not only to make the page more colourful and interesting but to give the audience a brief insight of what the article is likely to be about. All of the smaller articles are listed in the text box titled ‘Plus’ where no quotes, description or image are listed to go with the article title. There is also some offer when you subscribe to NME which is you get 35% off every magazine and it is delivered to your door. This could be a way of persuading people to buy my magazine, but I don’t think people would like to subscribe to a magazine when it is not established.

This double page spread has a more familiar tone to it as one half of the double page spread is dominated by an image where as the other half is dominated by text. The image side has a very natural and relaxed atmosphere. There is regular lighting which shows that the band are quite upbeat rather than dark and loud. The costume of the band members is quite fashionable and you can tell what genre of music they belong to by their clothes. They quite clearly belong to the indie genre as if they were a R&B group they may wear baggy clothes and caps etc.

The article itself is dominated by a large pink title that states “We’re stronger than ever” this is a direct quote taken from the article. The colour of the font is in keeping with the colour scheme of this issue of NME. The title is followed by a brief description about The Strokes and their new album. This too is a pink colour allowing it to stand out from the page. As you begin to read the articles you see these two large capital letters that begin each paragraph which provides a break in the text to allow the reader to have a break and not be suffocated by the text.

Analysis NME Magazine - Last Shadow Puppes

Alex Turner & Miles Kane who make up the band The Last Shadow Puppets are the main focus of the magazine. This is shown as the magazine contains an image with only them in it. Their eyes focus on the reader which draws attention from the viewer towards this magazine. The black coats allow the text to have a different colour and be readable, making the magazine more decorative. The image of Alex Turner goes slightly over the NME logo which suggests confidence that their audience will still be able to recognise their magazine. The costume of Last Shadow Puppets is in keeping with the NME colour scheme as it is generally red, black and white. The lighting of the image is light which suggests that the genre of the magazine is not heavy metal or rock as the lighting would be dark.

The colour of the text is red, black and white which is in keeping with the NME colour scheme. The texts font is sans-serif which suggests that NME is a masculine magazine. The text for the inside stories is placed down the left of the cover as it is based on a light coloured background and is easy to read. There is a red banner with information of a big story inside. This does not appear on the other NME magazines I have analysed. The quote underneath the name of the band is in italics which suggests it is a personal comment, made by Alex Turner.

There is a black circle with text which could be used as a persuasion to make someone buy the magazine as they may be interested by the text in the black circle. The price and barcode are displayed in the bottom right hand corner out of the way of the main attraction of the magazine.

This is an unusual layout for NME as it has  big red strip near the middle of the page with the main articles highlighted by a darker red. Towards the right hand side of the page there is a blocky layout which is seen in all NME magazines. This is a conventional feature of  all NME magazines but usually take up the full page. The front cover headline is only displayed in the list of articles in the red banner which is unusual that they don’t highlight it again in one of the 5 sections of the right hand side of the page. They also mention the Last Shadow Puppets article is displayed in a small circle informing readers they can find the article on.

The main article on the contents page is titled ‘Mystery Jets’ which is the band’s name. Underneath the band’s name there is a small description of what the bands music is like. All of this text is displayed underneath a large image of the band in a 80’s themed background.

Another aspect of this contents page that is not displayed on the other ones I have analysed is the editors quote. This contains details about what is inside this magazine and what has happened to the NME company this week. Only established magazines would be able to do that as I think as it would have to be someone well known my the readers and well known in the music media industry.

This is the double page spread from the NME magazine with The Last Shadow Puppets in. When you look at the page the first thing that draws your attention is the red leather sofa which is eye catching for the reader. The pair are sat back to back whilst looking at each other. Their body language towards each other gives you an instant feel that they are good friends and are comfortable with each other’s company.

Your eyes are then caught by the large red title in a similar colour than the sofas. The title says “Can’t take my eyes off you” which describes the image but also their relationship as they had an affair from their other bands ‘Arctic Monkeys’ and ‘The Rascals’. The red armchairs allow a quote from Alex Turner to be read clearly stating “This is a combination of all our experiences and fantasies” which adds to the romantic effect that is being portrayed on this double page spread. An unusual feature of this double page spread is that the image spreads over two pages where it normally fills one and text is placed on the other. I like this as it allows the page to be more decorative and appealing to the eye.

The costume of Alex and Miles is smart/casual which portrays them as fashionable characters that may be seen as style role models by readers. The wall is a very good backdrop for this image as it has character but can also have text read from it quite easily.

Analysis NME Magazine - Carl Barat (1)

The image that dominates the front cover is of ex The Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things front man Carl Barat. The image of him is out focus around the body which allows the viewer to focus on his face. This allows the viewer to see Carl’s focused facial expression as he looks clearly at the audience to try and entice them and persuade them to buy the magazine. Bleak colours are used for the image which allows the text to stand out more on the magazine. Carls black clothing allows the text to be highlighted clearly on the image. There is only one image on this front cover which suggests that all of the focus in this magazine is on Carl Barat

The colour of the text is red, white and blue which suggests it is a British themed magazine, the text also stands out from the background colours so it can be read very easily. The large bold red font which displays the name of Carl Barat is in a sans-serif font which is often portrayed as a masculine font. The text above Carl’s name says “I’ve got a right to tell my story” as if he has been deprived of this previously. It is also in a joined up font which could be interpreted as being a personal message or a quote he has said. The smaller text on the front cover is placed around the side of the image as it does not take away the focus point which is Carl Barat. The article titles are displayed in bold fonts to attract attention where as the description of the article is in a smaller black font. This allows more detail to be written whilst not attracting attention away from the image. The size of the font can indicate which stories are the main ones and which aren’t.

The barcode and price are where you would expect them to be keeping to the conventions of a regular music magazine.

This contents page uses a blocky layout which means that every article featured in this contents page can be seen clearly and has its own space to be identified in. The article that dominates the front cover is not the main article on the contents page. It is situated in the top left hand corner allowing the attention to be passed to another article in the centre of the page. The main articles have their own little sections of the page along with images and quotes relating to the article.

There are many small images displayed on the contents page. This diverts the attention to different areas of the page rather than having the attention focused on one image. There are only images on the main articles as they are the articles that people are likely to attract the audience’s attention the most and they are the ones that are likely to be read by the audience. The images will in some way connect to what the article is about and give extra detail to the reader.

The text that is used is either short statements describing what is in the article briefly or a quote from the article which entices the reader to what to know why the artist/band said that particular quote. This will then make the reader read the full article to understand why they said it.

This contents page uses a blocky layout which means that every article featured in this contents page can be seen clearly and has its own space to be identified in. The article that dominates the front cover is not the main article on the contents page. It is situated in the top left hand corner allowing the attention to be passed to another article in the centre of the page. The main articles have their own little sections of the page along with images and quotes relating to the article.

There are many small images displayed on the contents page. This diverts the attention to different areas of the page rather than having the attention focused on one image. There are only images on the main articles as they are the articles that people are likely to attract the audience’s attention the most and they are the ones that are likely to be read by the audience. The images will in some way connect to what the article is about and give extra detail to the reader.

The text that is used is either short statements describing what is in the article briefly or a quote from the article which entices the reader to what to know why the artist/band said that particular quote. This will then make the reader read the full article to understand why they said it.

This is the double page spread from the NME magazine featuring new solo artist Carl Barat. Half of this double page spread is filled by an image of Carl Barat with a quote from him featured in the picture. The title of the double page spread is ‘Carl Takes Aim’, this is because in the image he has a gun and is pointing it towards the camera. The image draws the reader’s attention towards it before scanning for the article. The quote included with the image states “IT WOULDN’T WORK IF THERE WEREN’T FRICTIONS – IT’S THE FUCKING LIBERTINES” this gives the reader and instant taste of what is likely to be featured in the article. The quote contains swearing which makes it clear that the magazine is unsuitable for a younger audience.

As with the front cover image, the image shown on this page is rather dull which makes it easy for the reader to pull their eyes away from the image and begin reading the text. The blackness of Carl’s hair and jacket indicates that he is showing his dark side.

The layout of the second page is very plain, apart from the huge title the only bit that stands out is the two large capital letters. These are used to break up the text so the reader does not become too bored in reading the article. I think this works well and may consider using them in my own magazine.

Evaluation

Evaluation

My school magazine has many similarities to others. It contains things such as a title for both of my pages. It also contains an issue number, a list of articles that are featured inside and a colour scheme that is continued in my contents page. Many magazines use two or three colours throughout my magazine which I decided to do in my own. My front cover also has one main image which is shared by many other magazines it including those of the music genre. For my research I looked at the ‘Fusion’ school magazine, I felt had an unusual look to it for a school magazine. It was bold and simple which I felt was effective and I wanted to take some of that into my own school magazine.

I had to use different forms of technology for this task. I used a camera to take my own photos and had to adjust the settings of the camera to get the result which I wanted. I had to adjust things like the zoom and focus of the lense to get the best photographs possible. I used natural light in all of my photographs as I felt it was more effective for my magazine. I used Photoshop to edit my magazine. This allowed me to use more tools than I would have on other software. I used certain tools more than others such as the ‘move tool’ which allowed me to move about my layers to my liking. I used the text tool which allowed me to create my title and other texts on my front cover and contents page. I also drew rectangles which acted as a border to both of my pages and separate the images on my front cover.

School Magazine Front Cover and Contents Page

Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions

Front Cover

The colour of the background is a very bold red which draws attention towards the other aspects of the magazine, it also allows the other colours to stand out from the background.

The image used is very large and contrasts against the colour of the background due to the black and white effect used. This attracts attention towards the image meaning other magazines look dull because of it.

There is a pencil drawing effect used in the magazine which makes the image bolder and eye catching and attractive. It also makes the front cover more authentic like a real magazine rather than a school magazine.

The colours that are used are very simple but allow the magazine to stand out. The black and white image used would not be eye catching without the bright red which catches the eye instantly.

Compared to the other school magazines this has a more original look, it shares properties with magazines that are actually in shops. There are no images of the school contained in the front cover which separates it from other schools magazines.

There is a lot of text on the front cover which is easy to read as it contrast against the background colour of which is placed on. The title of the magazine has a diagonal across to create a visual effect for the viewer and draw their attention towards the magazine. The titles of the articles are in bold so they are clear to view, and there is a brief description underneath the article title.

The ‘words of wisdom’ that is placed multiple times all over the persons face on the cover could be what is in the magazine, as wise words may be featured in the articles. It look as though the woman on the cover is shouting this and it is an important message to get across. The articles that feature in the magazine are what the students in the school may find appealing and interesting so it will make the pupils read. The tagline of the magazine is “every generation needs a new revolution” is appealing to the audience and may entice them to read inside.

Contents

There are a lot of colours used in this page to make it more eye pleasing to the reader. The image of the cassette with the colourful lines coming out of it is very appealing to the reader as it has a musical theme which will be seen as interesting by the reader.

The header and footer include many colours containing the title of the magazine and page on the right hand side. There is an image where the rainbow turns into raindrops which are very artistic and creative and appealing to the reader.

The recycling image tells the reader to recycle that when they have finished, which is environmentally friendly. The colours used are more feminine than masculine as they are light. The images include flowers ad rainbow which proves it is more feminine.

The articles inside are displayed in different colours which make this page environmentally friendly. The box displaying the message of the 2^nd issue uses very contrasting colours which makes the box easy to read whilst being appealing at the same time.

It also includes the magazines logo on the front cover which makes it more memorable and recognisable. The text which is used for the page title and article titles are bolder than the description of the articles.

The text underneath each heading is small and black which suggests they are less important than the pages and titles themselves. The text style of the page is sans serif which means the font is curved and again suggests it is more feminine. All of the text on the bottom of the third of the page is placed in text boxes with coloured backgrounds making it more attractive.