NME NME stands for New Musical Express. This title automatically informs the reader that the magazine is a music based magazine. The target market for NME is young people from their teens to early twenties, who are interested in music and want to learn more about their favourite artists, new and upcoming artists and general music news/gossip.
The two main colours are red and white. The NME logo stands out as it is in bright red on a white background, making it eye catching and attractive to the reader. It give the reader a sense of familiarity as they have associated the NME brand with the colour red and it will stand out on the shelf amongst the other magazines, and the reader will know it is an NME magazine without even having to look at it. The reader is more likely to buy something that they are familiar with, rather than something they don't recognise or have never seen before. The colour red could also connote danger, relating to the emotions felt after listening to some of the music NME focuses on, red however, can also connote love and may have been used to connote the love of music that the writers and audience of the magazine have for music. The white may connote the purity and perfection of the music.
The man on the cover is Simon Neil, the main singer of a very popular band called Biffy Clyro. The photo of Simon takes up the whole front cover. It is a close-up which focuses the attention and importance on him, also the photographer has took the photo so Simon’s eyes a third of the way down the page makes him likable to the reader, they can relate to him and feel on the same level as him. He has no top on; this has been done to show he is not self conscious, connoting his confidence and arguably the confidence of the consumer. The layout of this front cover is interesting, some of the text is set out neatly, for example the text across the top of the page is neat and quite informal and the text in the bottom right hand corner is set out neatly with each band name under the other. This makes it easy to read and quite informal however, in the centre of the page, the text about Biffy Clyro is written within his arm. This shows he is the main member of the band and without his stimulus/influence the band wouldn’t be as successful as it is today. This displays his masculinity and importance, also a combination of his long hair, long stubble and many tattoos up his arms shows that he is cool and even if the reader doesn't know who he is they will most likely guess that he is in a band as he fits the description of a stereotypical rocker.
The words, "in the studio and about to go global" are written in a font that looks like it has been hand written. It looks scruffy giving the magazine an informal look, relating it more to the younger generation of people that the magazine is targeted at. The Muse sell line is made to look like a sticker, this is to make it stand out and put it forward as an important piece of information. The contrast of colours is used to good effect here, by having the writing in white and the rest in black. This makes the writing stand out, as it is the most opposite colour to black that there is. The words, "Muse New Album" is the most important piece of information, so it is in bold and the rest of the text is just in normal font. This draws the reader’s attention to the words in bold and once the readers attention has been drawn, they will read the other information which isn’t in bold. The rest of the text on the page is in white, this information is less important and so by having it in white, the text in red stands out more and the readers eyes are attracted to the writing in red and the Muse sticker.
Kerrang
Kerrang magazine has a slogan that is written on the cover of every issue, "life is loud." Also, the main colours used on each issue are black, white and yellow. The use of these colours and the slogan on every magazine gives the reader a sense of familiarity. So if the reader saw this magazine on a shelf they would know it was a Kerrang magazine, even if they haven’t read the word 'Kerrang.' Black is a colour widely associated with heavy rocker, relating the magazine to the target audience who like quite heavy rock music. Yellow usually connotes summer and warmth, I feel that it has been used on this magazine to brighten it up a little, as if it is all black and dark colours it will be quite depressing and not fun as it is intended to be. On this issue of the magazine the colour red has been used a lot. Sometimes on different issues of Kerrang, the publishers sometimes give the magazine a different colour that it focuses on. On this magazine cover red is used to represents danger and aggression. Having the man on the cover dressed in all red shows that he is dangerous, dramatically increasing his masculinity and power. The red has been used again in the bottom right of the cover. It is the colour of the frame around the two pictures; within these pictures are stereotypical heavy metal band members. The music they play is very aggressive and loud. Also the text is surrounded with red. The text says, "We are going to crush the UK." This is a very aggressive statement and the red colour surrounding it is emphasizing the aggression. The red colour could be said to match the aggressive, hormonal teenagers that Kerrang is targeted at.
The magazine name is in a large font and is black on a white background, which makes it stand out. The font also has been given an urban look, with the cracks, jagged edges and bits missing that make it look worn. This relates to the style to the target audience of this magazine. This has been repeated again in the large sell line across the middle of the cover. The writing is a lot bigger than it would be for a normal sell line, displaying the significance and importance of what it says. The sell line says, "100 greatest gigs ever!" The use of such a strong adjective such as "greatest" makes it sound interesting, along with the use of the explanation mark to add the importance of it making the reader want to read on. Below this are the words, "your votes are in! And the winners are...." By having the reader vote for the 100 greatest gigs rather than the editors of the magazine pick themselves makes the reader feel part of what is going on and also the use of an ellipsis shows that the answer lays within the magazine. This is a great way of selling the magazine, as it makes the reader want to buy the magazine so they can find out what the winner is. This magazine is also targeted at teenagers to people in their early twenties.
The use of aperture (sharp focus on object in the foreground and unfocused on background) on the front cover image of the man playing guitar, makes him stand out and it portrays him as the most important part of the cover, especially as he is in front of everything. His head is even in front of the name of the magazine showing his high status. The use of a low angle shot tilted up at him makes us feel as thought we are looking up to him showing he is more important than the average man, it also dramatically increases his masculinity. The shot is a medium-long shot which allows us to see his stance aswell as his facial expression are both very aggressive and powerful; to match the red he is wearing and the whole mood of the cover. His guitar is black, which is a main colour in representing heavy music, the use of this colour informs the reader that he is most likely playing rock music. This feeling of aggression is supported with the sell lines down the side of the page with pictures of lots of different rock singers, each of them have either a black background behind them or are wearing black and have aggressive facial expressions on their faces.
The layout of the page is very simple and easy to follow. There is a strip across the top of the page with band names, this reveals tot the reader is they didn’t already know the type of bands and music the band focuses on, aswell as informing the reader of what bands are in this issue. If the reader likes one of these bands, they are more likely to purchase the magazine. There is a sell line down the left hand side of the page, with a higher picture to text ratio. It has pictures of front men from different bands with action shots making it eye catching and drawing in the reader’s attention. The main masthead is positioned at the front of everything in the middle of the page making it stand out and showing its importance. The fact it is right in front of the man in the photo encouraging us the reader assume that he is in the shortlist for the ‘100 greatest gigs ever.’
Rock Sound
On the covers of Rock Sound the colour of the mast head is usually the same colour as one of the people on the front covers clothing. On this cover the colour is green to match the shirt of Muse's drummer Dominic Howard. The green shirt he is wearing wouldn't really stand out but, by having the title in green we notice him more and what he is wearing, making him stand out and look important while also emphasizing his masculinity. Finally, it could possibly have been done to show his uniqueness from the rest of the band, as the other band members are in normal dark colours, where as he stands out in green. The colours of this particular magazine do not stand out greatly, as even the green and yellow that is on the cover are quite dull and do not stand out. This is mostly due to the older more mature reader that this magazine is targeted at. The intended market are not persuaded to buy a magazine by how ‘cool’ it is or by looks alone unlike some younger people may be. The fonts for this magazine are also not very exciting, nor do they grab the reader’s attention, however, this is what the intended audience prefers.
The lighting is very bright and it makes the band member's skin tones very pale, almost white. Also the background is white. White represents purity, so the editor may have wanted to represent the band as pure and original, possible with regards to the type of music they play.
Contents Pages
NME
On this contents page, the three main colours from the front cover are kept the same, as it is through the whole magazine to give the reader a sense of familiarity and consistency. The main article has an extract from it on the contents which shows the importance of the article and gives the reader a taste of what it is about. It ends on a cliff hanger indicated by the ellipsis, persuading the reader to turn to this page and read the rest of the article. This taster of the article is supported with two pictures, each of one of the front men of the band (Noel and Liam Gallagher). These pictures and article taster is right in the middle of the page, this shows it’s importance and slightly shows everything else in the magazine to just support the main article and fill space.
The band index shows the reader the bands in the magazine, followed by the page which they are on. This gives the reader a chance to look for their favourite bands and turn to that page straight away so they can avoid pages that do not interest them. There is a red background to keep the page attractive, interesting and bright. It is also red so that the main colour scheme of the magazine is used throughout the magazine. The black writing is highlighted in white, so that it easier to read, as if it was writing on the red background it would be difficult to read.
NME is a weekly issue magazine, so at the top of the page there is a heading saying "NME this week." This shows the reader the information is up to date and fresh. It is accompanied by the date, which is usually on the front of most magazines, but by having it underneath “this week” it shows the reader that it is the latest issue and it was indeed intended for the current week. The headings on the right of the page have white writing on a black background, making it stand out and attract the reader’s attention. It also sets out the information clearly and makes it easier for the reader to understand, aswell as being eye catching. The only break in the three main colours is on the advertisement at the bottom. The words "subscribe today save 33%" are in yellow. This break in colour trend makes it stand out so it immediately grabs the reader’s attention, this is vital for the magazine so they can persuade the reader to become a weekly subscriber ensuring they are getting the magazine every week. These words make the reader want to subscribe as soon as possible so they can get the 33% off and save some money.
There is a lot more text than images on this contents page. This makes it seem that there are a lot of pages and information in the magazine. It may also be because the readers of NME are well educated and so prefer magazines with a higher text to picture ratio so they can spend more time reading the magazine.
Kerrang
This contents page is very busy possibly supporting the hectic and busy lives of the intended reader. The picture to writing ratio is very high, which is very appealing to the target market as they prefer to see lots of pictures than be bored by reading a lot of text. The picture in the upper left of the page is bigger than all the others, indicating that it is the main article in the magazine. The shot is a medium shot of the man during a performance. We can see that he is in the foreground of the picture and that the audience is in the background, the audience is also lower in the shot than him. This shows his masculinity and power, his clothing also suits the traditional heavy rocker, especially the black T-shirt, as black is heavily associated with this type of music.
The pictures on this page are accompanied by the page number and a short sentence summarising the content of the page(s). Using a picture to display what is on the pages is a simple and effective method. The picture can tell us more than a short phrase can plus it is a lot better for the reader to look at. The pictures have been set out in a neat orderly fashion so all thought the page is full and hectic, the reader can still easily find the information he is looking for.
Most of the text has been pushed to the right and has been made compact to make it seem that there is less text than what there is. Each of the headings has been highlighted with yellow, keeping the main colours of the magazine running throughout the magazine and it also makes it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for, aswell as being eye catching.
The main heading has been put in the top right corner. The text is in yellow on a black background. This looks appealing aswell as following the colour scheme of the magazine to keep the consistency. The advertisement in the top left corner has been positioned there, as it is usually the first part of the page a reader will look at. This means they are more likely to read it and take in what it says.
Q Magazine
The main heading on this page is accompanied by the magazine logo. This is an effective symbol, as it is recognisable to the reader and they will associate it with Q magazine. This is done again further down the page, where it says "Q review." The difference between the two headings though, is that the heading further down the page is smaller, this shows it is less significant and important than the masthead at the top. The second heading and the information is separated from the rest of the text on the page by a simple line keeping the main bulk of text in a single column. This separate piece of text has a pale blue background behind the text, to emphasize the separation and like the main bulk of writing it is accompanied by an image also emphasizing the separation as that image is the main article in the review section.
There is more room for text on this contents page, as 'Q' is a monthly magazine, so there are more pages and as a result more information needs to be given in the contents page. The page numbers are in red font, this is so that they stand out and are easily readable for the reader. The layout is simple, meaning it is less confusing and easier to read. There is also an Oasis special section, which has been surrounded with a box; this groups all the information within the box together and hints to the reader that all this information is linked.
This contents page has one large picture to the right of the page. This is clearly represents the most important article in the magazine, also the page number is displayed, so the reader can find the page about the band in the photo. The band name is in larger font that the brief summary of the article that follows this is so the reader only has top read the brief if they are actually interested with the band. In the picture the band members are high up in the frame, showing they are important and representing they are above the everyday man. The lead singer is in the foreground of the picture and his fellow members are behind. This could possibly represent his power or importance to the band, he is also made to stand out by wearing white, where as the rest of the band is wearing darker colours. The band is stood on the top of a hill, this could symbolise that they are reaching the peak of their career and have worked their way to the top.
Double Page Spreads
NME
The main heading is a pull quote from the text, this shows it’s relation to the text and the importance of it. Lily Allen’s name is also written in this style, making it stand out from the surrounding text and to show reader who the article is about. The background is plain white to ensure that the reader’s attention is just on the text and picture. The picture of Lily Allen covers the whole of the right hand side of the page, leaving the left page for all of the text, giving a 50-50 ratio between image and text. Also the fact that she is the only thing on the double page spread in colour, with her red shirt, this makes her stand out from the page.
The article is started off with a drop capital; this makes it interesting and better to look at. The opening sentence of the article is in bigger writing than the rest of the article; this opens up the article and lets the reader decide if he wants to read the whole article before he gets to the small in-depth writing. The writing is very small so more writing can be fitted in and it is also organised into 4 neat columns so that is clear and organised. Having shorter lines also ensures the reader doesn’t lose his place when he moves onto the next line.
The lighting is made to make her hair look darker than it probably is in real life and her skin looks quite pale, a combination of this and the colour of her clothing matches the colour scheme of NME. The shirt she is wearing, along with the tattoos on her wrist shows that she is quite masculine and also rebellious. The photo of Lily is a medium shot from a high angle, showing her from her waist upwards. She is leaning towards the camera and looking straight down the lens, with her hands on her hips. This could connote the attitude of the article. She has some buttons on her top undone aswell, this could connote that she is confident with herself and doesn't care about what people think of her. She is also wearing a chain; this is very stereotypical of the working class, so the article may be showing her poorer working class background, showing she wasn’t always rich and famous.
The quote heading's letters and font vary in sizes and the letters vary randomly between upper case and lower case. This creates variety and makes it a lot more interesting and different, possibly connoting Lily's personality. This attracts the audience and makes them want to read on and find out about her ideas and opinions about the subject being discussed in the interview.
Kerrang
The majority of the two pages are full with pictures and there is only a small amount of text on the second page. This probably suits the target audience, as they would rather see lots of pictures and not have to read a lot. Each of these pictures has been edited, to create a black and white effect, this matches the dark gothic rock style of the band (My Chemical Romance). The only colour is the bright red colour of some of the words, which can also represent bands, with connotations of anger, blood and danger. The font used for the title has a cracked worn look to it representing the punk style of the band. This title is at a slight angle and the words “best MCR” are bigger and in white rather than red to make them stand out. This makes it informal to the double page spread, this makes it more entertaining, suiting what the target audience likes.
The heading is a pull quote from the text, just like the one from the NME double page spread. This shows its relation to the text and also makes it more informal, suiting the target audience, who don't really like formal reading. The language used, for example "MCR" has been said to target the target audience, as anyone who doesn’t like that type of music will probably not know what MCR stands for, meaning that only a specific audience will be able to understand it and enjoy the article. The title says, "We are going to be the best MCR we can be." The use of the adjective "best" hints that they are the best band within their genre of music, which is why they are the main focus of attention within this edition of the magazine.
The lead singer on the large photo of this magazine has long hair and is dressed in tight jeans with a denim jacket, his outfit as a whole looks quite scruffy. This represents how the target audience for this magazine dress and what they try to look like. The effect of this is that the readers will that feel they can relate to the band. He has his head down and looks serious and emotional, this shows his new masculinity. Also the way he is holding the microphone, is shows that he is very passionate and emotional about his music and hints that he tries to show and display these emotions through his music. The words, "world exclusive" make the magazine sound large and popular. He is also placed to the left of the screen and in the foreground of the picture. This gives him a sense of masculinity and power over the other band members, especially the drummer who is in the background of the picture, he is very small and looks insignificant. On the smaller pictures at the bottom right hand side, one of the pictures is a close-up on one of the band members, this has been used to show the emotion on his face, representing their emotional style of music.
Q Magazine
The focus of this double page spread is on the band U2. One of the two pages is completely covered with pictures, which go onto the first page. This gives the double page spread a focus on the pictures as there is a higher picture ratio to text. Like the Kerrang double page spread, the pictures on this spread are in black and white. The members of this band are quite a lot older than in most modern bands. So the black and white of the pictures may represent their age. It could also represent their sophistication; this is supported with the lead singer of the band reading the "Independent" newspaper. This paper is known to be for quite intellectual people who are interested in what is going on in the world. It looks as if the band members are on an aeroplane aswell, highlighting this interest in the world and showing that they are well travelled and famous all over the world as they are most likely heading towards a gig in another country.
The text in this magazine is quite small and the only part of the text that stands out on the page is the big red "A" in the top left corner. This is the only bit of colour on the page, and the red colour represents the main colour scheme of the magazine. The text is set out in columns like that of which you would find in a newspaper. The first paragraph of the text is in a slightly bigger font to the rest of the text; this is so the reader can read this bit of the text and if it interests them, they can then go on to read the smaller text. This magazine is targeted at a slightly older and more educated audience than most other magazines, so the use of these techniques within the text makes it more suited to the target market intended.
One of the pictures on the bottom shows a long shot of one of the band members on stage within a large sports arena. This shows his power, as he will be playing to thousands of people that are his fans. Yet it could also show his insignificance as it is a long shot of him and he is surrounded by such a huge arena. The picture next to this shows one of the band members on his knees with his hands in the air, as if he was praying or worshipping. This shows his vulnerability and femininity/ new masculinity.
How I will incorporate what I have analysed into my magazine
In these magazines that I have analysed and most magazines, there is always a colour scheme in which the magazine sticks to throughout. It usually consists of no more than 2 or 3 colours. I will use this in my magazine, so that the reader gets a sense of consistency and also so my magazine is recognisable. On then front covers of these magazines there have been a range of methods aiming to make the person or people on the cover look powerful. Such as camera angles, poses/ stance and close ups etc. I will incorporate some of these methods into my photoshoot. Also the eyeline of my model on my frontcover will have their eyeline a third of the way down from the top of the page. This makes it easier for the reader to realate to the model and so they are more likely to like them as a result, this has been used to great effect on the NME front cover. These front covers have also used a heading to show the main article/ story in the magazine. This draws the readers attension and makes them want to buy the magazine as they have seen what is inside and they will want to read about it. This is also acomplished by having a banner accross the top of the page with a list of bands that are in the magazine, like the one on the Kerrang front cover. A reader will see a list of bands that they may like and if they like the bands they will be drawn in and tempted to buy the magazine so they can see what has been written about them.
Just like on all the contents pages I have analysed, I will have my headings in a different colour or with a different colour srrounding the text, so that the information is easier to read and so that it is eye catching. In these contents pages, some of the pages do not have text informing the reader of what is on that particular page, but instead a picture. This is a lot more appealing and informal than just lots of text, and also a picture can give a lot more information than a short line of text. Also it can fill dead space and give the page some interest. I will use this in my contents page for these reasons. These contents pages are simple and it is easy for the reader to find what they are looking for.
On my double page spread, I will have one large photo with the text on top, just like in all of the double page spreads i have analysed. This shows the importance of the article and is very appealing for the reader to look at. I will organise my text into columns as this is what has been done in the magazines i have studied. Having columns makes it a lot easier for the reader to read and understand. Also it looks neater and more eye catching. I will try and incorporate a pull quote in my magazine, as in the NME and Kerrang double page spreads they have been used to great effect, by giving the reader a breif over view of what the text is about, helping them decide whether they want to read on. Also I will have the opening paragraph/ sentences in bigger writng like in Q's double page spread gives the reader a quick introduction and if they are interested they can then decide to read onto the smaller print.
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