Photo's for magazine

Magazine Mockup

Front Cover,Contents Page & Double Page Spread Mock Up's

Title Block Colour Scheme

Audiences & Institutions

Bauer are both a mainstream and niche publishing company. They produce very well known, mainstream  magazines targeted at women, for example Grazia, Closer and heat, but they also produce magazines that aren’t well known or popular, for example horse deals and garden answers. The company produce products of many different genre’s, sports, gardening and transport are just a few of many. They also manage radio stations, some of which are well known and some are less popular, for example kiss and magic are well known but key103 and MFR are not well known radio stations. The brands image is very widespread; they produce popular magazines, popular music channels and popular radio stations. An example of this would be Kerrang!, the magazine is very well known and the music channel is very popular.

IPC publish a wide range of magazines and also websites across many different genres. Most of the magazines are the same genres as Bauer, for example, glossy magazines, music, women’s interests and country life. They are more niche than mainstream as they produce less known magazines than Bauer for example wedding, what digital cameras and yachting world. The target audience is mainly older people and teenagers, no magazines are produced for children, they are all aimed at mature adults. IPC do not publish any other media apart from magazines, most of the magazines are niche as they have no other media to make them popular and more known.

BBC produces and publishes educational magazines based on history, wildlife and science, the BBC is well known for their interaction with children. They have many TV channels both for children and adults. They are a very mainstream company as they produce media that is used every day, for example the TV channels and websites that are used for educational reasons. BBC shows a link between TV programmes and magazines for children. The brands image is more for children than any other age group, most of their products are aimed at children more than they are aimed at adults.

Development hell publishes a very limited amount of magazines. The magazines produced are niche and aimed at adults. The company focus on magazines that aren’t popular or well known to the public. Development hell produces no other media than their magazines ‘The word’ and ‘Mixmag’.

Future media is one of the largest publishers of guitar magazines, the company aim at the same genre of music which is ‘rock’. They are an international media group who have connections with the UK, USA and Australia; they publish many different media’s for example games, film, music, technology, cycling, automotive and crafts.  Their best selling magazines include ‘Classic Rock, Guitar World, and Official Xbox Magazine’ these are three of the 3 million magazines Future publishes every month. They also have very popular websites that are visited by more than 20 million people; these websites include MusicRadar.com, PhotoRadar.com and Cyclingnews.com.  All the media that is published is mostly mainstream because they are aimed at the same genre of music and would be popular with the people who enjoy this genre because they know it well. Where Future media aim at the same genre and the same type of people advertisers will know this, this means that there other media aswell as there magazines can all be advertised in the same way and at the same people.

Title Blocks

Double Page Article Analysis - Kerrang!

The choice of band, ‘Bring Me the Horizon’. They are a young rock band; this suggests that the target audience would be teenage girls preferably 15-18 year olds, because they would find a young boy band appealing. The target audience would also be just young people who enjoy rock music, and who like new music that is up to date and more understanding to them.

The language in the article is very ill mannered because of the way it address’s its target audience; it comes across as if the magazine as no respect for its readers because of the language used. One quote has been made larger so that it is seen by the readers, it says, ‘I was pissed off, upset, angry. I couldn’t enjoy anything’. This quote is capitalized and in white writing so that it is noticeable. The fact that it is made noticeable shows that the magazine isn’t really bothered about the language it uses.  It also shows that the band talk to fans and colleagues as they would their friends and other band mates, they don’t treat their fans differently to people who are close to them.

The most dominant colours that are used on the page are white and black. The white text on the black background is very eye catching and a really good contrast of colours. In a way it represents the band, as rock artists they are very outgoing and they stand out, the same as their music, it would stand out against other music because of the instruments used. The colour also matches the colour of the makeup used on the artists, their faces are pale white and they have black eyes that really stand out. This is really effective and creates a dull and dreary mood.

The text that is used is very simple and plain, but it is really effective and it fits with the mood set by the expression on the artists faces. The font is very simple and this could be a way of making the personalities of the artists stand out because they are so outgoing and bold. There is a big letter at the beginning of each section of the article; this really stands out because it grabs your attention when reading the article. It is also a way of keeping you entertained by what you are reading so you’re not reading the same size text and font the whole time.

The double page spread has text down both the right and left side with images in the middle; this draws your attention directly to the middle when reading the article. It lets you know what the article is about before reading it and it is an interesting way of laying out the page. It is also an effective way of getting the attention of someone who is just looking through the magazine; they would see the images and want to know what the story was about. There are small captions next to the images which would let the audience know what the images are about and who the band are without reading the article.
Most of the pages are taken up by images, this is because the text that is used is small but there is a lot of writing. This could be because the target audience would rather look at images than read, the images take up most of the pages so that it gets the viewers attention, they will then want to read the article because of the captions and the images. This could also be a way of putting across the bands personalities because it is the main thing on the double page spread, the bands personalities are put across and shown to us as an audience in these images.

The magazine address’s the reader as a close friend but also as fan, the language isn’t to open but the tone of the language used is very ill mannered. It shows that the magazine and the band aren’t bothered about how the audience feels, if they feel intimidated or if they aren’t happy with how the magazine address’s them. The audience is also addressed as 3^rd person in the conversation because it is as if we are listening to the conversation as the 3^rd person.
The band is presented as depressed and withdrawn. Their pale faces and darkness round the eyes gives off a mood of uncertainty and anxiousness. The darkness of the image reminds me, as the viewer of death and violence. It makes the audience think that the band is going through a hard time because they look so death like, but it is really because they have been ‘To hell and back’ and the look that they have is a way of representing this.

The article gives off the same depressed and anxious mood as the front cover by the images and the colours that are used. It is the same story and the same band that is on the front cover which means the same setting and style is used.

The magazine does not demand any prior knowledge when reading the article because everything we need to know is explained. Knowing myself that Kerrang was a rock music magazine advertisement I expected the bands featured would be rock bands. Everything I needed to know about the band was explained and I didn’t need to know anything before reading the article.

Title Block Analysis

From the title you cannot really tell what genre of music the magazine is focusing on. Knowing that NME is about rock and indie style music the bright, bold colours are used to represent this genre. The style of writing also represents rock artists and bands and the fans of these bands and artists, they are normally unique and they stand out. The title makes the magazine stand out and is unique from other magazines.

The colours used on the title are black and red. They are very strong, bold colours and the black really makes the red stand out. Black is normally thought of as a dark, intimidating colour, this is also like rock artists and the fans of rock music. Red can be thought of as both a happy colour and a violent, scary colour, here it has been used as a violent, scary colour, this is again representing artists in rock bands or their fans as they come across as violent and they can also look quite scary.

The font used is big and bold; it is very eye catching and really stands out. This makes the audience want to buy the magazine because it is different. This also represents the people that will be in the magazine, they are rock artists and the audience are made to think, when looking at the magazine’s front cover that they will be big and that they will stand out.

The title tells us that the magazine is bold and very outgoing, it’s not bothered with what it writes and the stories it publishes. The boldness of the title really stands out which reflects the personality of NME’s readers. The title shows the magazine’s audience that they have new music and new information inside the magazine.

The title does tell us a bit about the target audience, they have bold personality’s that stand out, this is shown by the style of writing and the colours, the red with the black outline.

From the title we can tell that the magazine is about rock music because ‘kerrang’ is the sound that a guitar makes when it’s being played, rock music’s main instrument is a guitar. The white lines that are going through the word also represent a guitar because they look like guitar strings.

The main colours used are black and white. The black text really stands out on the white background, this is a way of representing the target audience because they stand out and are very bold in personality. These colours have been used to represent that genre of music, but also to represent its target audience.

The font used is wearing away and looks messy, this is a way of representing the target audience, and they look rather messy and edgy. The font is very bold and this is a way of reflecting rock fans personalities. The exclamation mark makes the word look loud and as if it is shouting at us, this is another way of representing the genre of music and the audience of this magazine, they are very loud and they stand out.

The title ‘kerrang’ as I have stated before is the sound that a guitar makes when it is played. This is a way of representing the genre of music. It is as if the whole title is a guitar, with the strings across the lettering and the noise of a guitar.

The title is very edgy and messy; this tells us that people who read the magazine find this look appealing. This also tells us that this is what the audience of this magazine look like, it is a way of representing and reflecting them.

From the title we can tell that the magazine is going to be about rock and roll because of the word ‘rolling’. Also Rolling Stones were a famous rock band and this could have some link to the magazine. The way the text is layed out is flowing which could link to the word rolling.

The colours are bold and bright and this is a way of representing the genre and the audience of the magazine. The genre is being represented with red which could be seen as an outgoing colour, the ‘rock and roll’ audience could also be outgoing and the people who read the magazine could have outgoing personalities.

The font is very flowing and this is a way of representing the word ‘rolling’ it all rolls in together and is linked. The font could also be a way of representing a higher market because of the colours and the font, it’s very different to fonts used on other music magazines that are targeted at a lower market.

The title ‘Rolling Stones’ is a way of showing that the magazine is about rock and roll music, it also represents the famous rock band Rolling Stones.

The title shows us that the target audience is upper class people; the colours and the font are very sophisticated and elegant. It is different to other rock magazines that look messy and like they have worn away. This magazine is fresh and aimed at upper class people.

The target audience for this magazine seem to be people who are of a upper class, or who are more sophisticated to people who read other music magazines. The colours support this as they remind the audience of royalty. The dark red is used as  a way of representing the upper class audience and it is a very dramatic colour. With the dark red being dramatic this is a way of representing the audience, they are very outgoing people and they stand out, they normally wear clothes that are dramatic and that stand out.

Contents Page Analysis - Kerrang!

On the contents page of ‘Kerrang!’ there is a main image at the top of the page. This image is of Ozzy Osbourne who is featured in one of the main stories in this edition of the magazine. The images that are on the contents page are linked to the text that is next to it.

The images have been organized so that the stories are more noticeable and easier to understand. For example there are small images of the page’s that contain the stories, Mike Shinoda from the band Linkin Park, it has a small image of the whole interview and his name underneath so that the readers know what to expect.

All of the images on the contents page are of rock artists and rock bands, this shows the types of artists and bands that the audience and readers of this magazine like. It also shows us the style of the audience, they would be influenced by people who they are fans of and this is a way of showing us what they look like and how they dress.

The most dominant colours that are used are black and yellow, these colours clash and this is a way of representing the target audience. Black and white is also used on the contents page and this links with the style of the front cover. The writing on the contents page is like the writing used on the front cover, with the rugged, messy look to it, this is a way of representing the target audience because they have a style that is rugged and messy.

The information is organized in a way that is easy for the audience to read and point out certain pages that they want to read. The black text on the white background is very effective because it is another way of representing the target audience. The stories are all set out in different sections which also make it easier for the audience to find the story they want.
There are 8 different sections in this magazine, they are… Feedback, News, Win!, Live Reviews, Features, Albums, Gig Guide and K! Quiz. This tells us that the magazine is very specific in what it gives its reader’s; it shows that the magazine knows what its readers want and like to read. It also shows that the magazine wants Kerrang readers to feel connected to the artists and bands that are featured in the magazine because of the Feedback section and the Gig Guide. The Feedback section makes it obvious that the stories in the magazine are ongoing and that the readers frequently buy the magazine.

The only promotional features that are on the contents page are to promote the magazine and to promote a DVD. You can get Kerrang! delivered to your door for £6 a month if you call the number given.

The magazine logo is placed underneath the main image on the contents page, the logo is black and white which is very eye catching and made to stand out because it is white on a black, and all the other pieces of writing are yellow on black. With the logo being placed right in the middle of the page is very dominant; it automatically grabs your attention when looking at the page.

Kerrang has other franchises, these are not promoted on the contents page but they are very popular and known by many people. These franchises are a radio station and a music channel, they obviously play hardcore rock music and the magazine promotes the artists and bands that are shown on the radio station and music channel.

Analysis of Magazine Front Cover - Kerrang!

The magazine ‘Kerrang’, is a hardcore rock musical advertisement, it is very popular with its target audience. From looking at the front cover we can tell that there are going to be different interviews with different artists, there is going to be posters of different artists and bands and exclusive interviews with some of the most famous rock artists, for example, Ozzy Osbourne. One of the main stories is ‘My chemical romance – back in business’, we can tell that this is one of the main stories because it is above the title block, being here makes it seen by the audience and grabs their attention.  

The target audience for the magazine is people who like rock music and people who like to read about rock artists and bands. I think the main audience would be teenagers aged 15 and older both boys and girls but mainly boys. I think this because of the colours that are used, the band that are on the front and the stories that are in the magazine. The colours are suitable for both boys and girls but the style of the front cover is more masculine, the band on the front are young, fresh and in style now which would get the attention of teenage girls and boys who like the band. The other stories, for example the Ozzy Osbourne interview couldn’t be used on a magazine aimed at younger people because they probably wouldn’t know who he is or understand why his so important.

The central image is of the band, ‘Bring Me The Horizon, they are all wearing clothes that are covered in blood and they have very pale makeup on with dark eyes. This gives off a deadly, vampire mood and they look almost like zombies. This fits in with the popularity of the film twilight. The way that the band is standing is very masculine and they look like they are in a gang or a ‘pack’. The boy that is standing in the front look like he is the leader of the pack, he is the leader of the band and the main singer. The magazine is trying to connect to the audience and in a way, making them feel like one of the ‘pack’. The way the boy is holding his finger to his lip also is a way in making the audience feel like they are part of the pack because they are in on the secret or they know a secret that nobody else does.

This tells us that the magazine wants the reader to feel connected to the band. They also want the audience to know that the band has ‘risen’ and have maybe come back better than they have before. Above the anchorage text it says ‘Exclusive!’ which makes the audience want to know what is so exclusive about this bands interview and what is so exclusive about the band themselves.

The band ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ is on the front cover. This is because they have brought out a new album that is bigger and better than any album that they have done before. The anchorage text says ‘Reign In Blood - Bring Me The Horizon – Rise Again’ I think this means that they have given themselves time to better as a band and to become better artists. This is why they are on the front cover, because they have ‘rose again’. The blood and ‘deadly’ look that they have is also a way of implying that they have ‘rose again’ from the dead, really they rose back to fame with their new album.

The overall message that the band are giving is that they are back and that their new album is bigger and better than the last one. It is mainly for the fans of ‘Bring Me The Horizon’ to let them know what the band have to say about their new album and for the fans to be happy with what the band has done.

Rock bands and artists are being represented here; it’s not an obvious representation but on magazine like this that focuses on one genre, all artists related to this genre are categorized. Rock artists are being represented here as gruesome and gory because of the blood that the band are covered in and the colour ‘red’ that is one of the main colours on the front cover. The artists on the front look mean, this is another way that rock bands and artists are being represented.

The only buzz word that stands out is ‘Exclusive!’ this stands out because of the white text on the red background. It also makes the audience feel special because it is exclusive news that they are going to read. The exclamation mark makes the story seem really important and like the word is shouting at the audience so that they know the interview and story inside is important.

The title block tells us that the magazine is ‘loud’ because of the exclamation mark, it makes the word ‘Kerrang’ stand out, this is a way of representing the artists and bands that are featured in the magazine, rock artists are always loud and they really stand out. The word ‘Kerrang’ is a way of representing the instruments used by rock artists and bands, it is the noise that is made by a guitar. The title is white and has black lines going through it; I think these represent guitar strings. The whole title block represents the whole ‘rock’ theme, the artists and bands and the instruments used.

The title of the magazine stands out, it is big and bold and looks like it has been torn, it looks rough and strong. This tells us that the readers of the magazine would be strong and rough and messy.

The magazine doesn’t have many puffs; the only puffs that are on the front cover are with images. This helps you to know what to expect from the story and to understand what the story is about without reading it. The puffs that are shown show us that the audience for the magazine are people who like to know what the bands are doing and the dates and times of gigs and concerts. It also shows us that they like rock legends being featured in the magazine because Ozzy Osbournes story is made very eye catching on the front cover.

The main colours that are used are black, white and red. These colours are very dark and dull like the people the magazine is representing. The fonts used are very big and bold, they really stand out, like the bands and artists that the magazine is representing. All of the writing, colours and image are linked together with the colours and the body language. The image is very deadly and mean and the colours used are dark and in a way ‘mean’, the font stands out and is very ‘in your face’. All of this is a way of representing the target audience and the bands and artists that are in the magazine. This is used to attract the target audience because they can relate to the mood that it creates and they find this mood appealing.

Double Page Article Analysis - NME

The choice of band in the magazine is MGMT, they are an experimental and alternative rock band, they also look kind of indie and they have a very unique style. By using MGMT it suggests that the audience for this article and this magazine are people who listen to experimental rock and people who enjoy this type of music.

The language that is used in the article is very specific and formal. It is made obvious that NME expect MGMT fans and NME readers to understand and talk the same as they do, for example, ‘belligerent case of buyer’s remorse’ and ‘It was mediocre’. These quotes would never be in magazines that were not promoting music; in glossy celebrity magazines they address the reader in a very different way. NME address there reader as if it’s only them, as if there’s nobody else reading it. ‘Allow us to reassure you’ this quote shows that NME specifically address the reader, the us and you is so forced on the reader it makes you feel individual and like the article was published just for you. The quotes that I have shown above show that NME like to have a connection with the reader and that they like them to feel like part of the magazine.

The double page spread is very dull, the main colours used are black and white, and this makes the page look really plain. Although the black and white makes the page look dull it has been used in the photos of the band too, this makes the page’s match. The black and white could have also been used as a way to dull down the artist’s personality and the way they come across in the article. Throughout the article they say things that make them sound very outgoing and fun and these things are normally represented with bright colours, this is how the black and white has been used to dull down there bright personalities.

The title of the article is very big and bold, it is very eye catching and makes you want to read it when you see it. The words that are made obvious are ‘revenge’ and ‘merry’ these two words are bigger than the others on the page and the mood of the words are slightly confusing. Revenge is a serious and horrible word and Merry is a happy and jolly word, these words support that MGMT fans and NME publishers are confused about the personality of MGMT, whether they are sarcastic and messing round or if they are serious. The text used is very small and bold; it is also really straight and in blocks. This makes it look serious and very organized. The text is black and has a white background; this gives the article an eye catching effect. Although the whole magazine is organized in the same way it contrasts with the photos on the page and catches the reader’s attention.

The double page spread has an introduction page to MGMT, on the right there is a full page picture of the artists, on the opposite page there is the title ‘Revenge of the Merry Pranksters’. At the bottom of the page is where the article starts. On the next two pages there is a big photo in the left hand corner, again its of the artists themselves. On the opposite page there are two photo’s at the top in both corners, one in colour and one in black and white, the rest of the page has the writing on it. The page’s have been set out in a very organized way, they are plain and dull but still look sophisticated and in a way, elegant.

The pages are mostly taken up by text although the photos used are very big, the writing is very small and there is a lot of it.

The magazine is addressing the reader as both a close friend and an intelligent fan. Its like they expect the reader to be intelligent and to know what they are talking about because they are a fan. They also address the reader in a way to make them feel connected to the magazine or to the artists, things that are said make you feel connected to them.

The band seem to be presented in a way that confuses the audience, one of the artists are facing the reader and the other is looking away, they are both giving off different messages. Andrew VanWyngarden is always the one that is looking at the camera, he is like the main singer in the band so he has more connection with the audience and the fans, Ben Goldwasser is always looking away from the camera, he obviously doesn’t have much connection with the audience and the fans.

The style of the article has the same colours as the front cover; it uses the same font and the same organization as the front cover. It helps set the same mood and the same theme as the front cover.

From reading the article I found out things that I didn’t already know about the band MGMT. I have never looked through or bought this magazine before so I didn’t know what to expect from the magazine. I knew stuff about this band before I read the article and I think you would need prior knowledge when reading it. I think this because they talk about previous songs by MGMT and you wouldn’t understand the article if you don’t know the songs.

Questionnaire Results

I asked 20 teenage girls who were aged 16-18 these questions.


From doing the questionnaire I have found out that my target audience would prefer an artist like Florence & the Machine on the front cover. I have also found out that they find purple, orange and green the most appealing colours when looking at magazines, they would like the magazine to include interviews with the artists and new and upcoming events and they  are willing to pay £3.00. The magazine will have a fashion element to it as this will be more appealing to my target audience.My magazine will be called Glitter & Grease because this is the name that my target audience prefered.  

Contents Page Analysis - NME

The magazine uses image on its contents page, they have used 7 pictures of bands and artists that are featured in the magazine. There is a main image in the top middle section; this is of the band MGMT. The rest of the page has smaller images around the edge showing that the middle and bigger image is the, most important story on the page.

The images have been spread out over the page. There is text under each image with a quote from the story or the artist’s interview; this makes the article more understandable and noticeable.

 The images support what I expected from the magazine, they are unique and different from other magazines. The people in the images are represented as music artists, not celebrities; this makes the style of the magazine more unique from others. The style also represents its intended audience because they are usually unique and different from other people.

The main colours used are black and white; this supports the style of the front cover because everything on the front cover is black and white apart from the main image which is made to stand out. The fonts used are all different depending on the mood of the story that it’s linked to. If the story is serious then the writing is straight and bold, for example ‘I can understand why pop has a bad reputation’, another example would be a calm story or a less serious story ‘Just me and an acoustic guitar...that scares me’.

All the information is underneath the image that it is linked to, this is easier for the audience to know what stories are about what artists. This is accessible for the audience because it is understandable and clear.

There are many different sections in this magazine. There are different stories on different artists and bands, there is a page on upcoming gigs, there is a fan mail page, there is also a page called radar which focuses on upcoming artists. All of these pages show that the magazine connects with its audience and understands the things they want and like.

There is one promotional feature, it is about getting NME for a better price, and there are no promotions on the contents page for other companies or other magazines.

The magazine brand does not have any other franchises that it promotes on the contents page although they have adverts for JD sports and they have sponsors but there are no obvious franchises on the contents page.

Questionnaire

1)    If there was an artist on the front cover of a magazine you wanted to buy, who would it be?

·         Florence & the machine

·         Example

·         La Roux

·         Robyn

2)    What contents would you like to see in the magazine?

·         Interviews with the artists

·         Photos taken at interviews with the artists

·         New and upcoming artists

·         Chart list of artists

·         Behind the scenes at music video shoots

·         Horoscopes

·         Puzzles

3)    Tick the three most appealing colours to be on a magazine front cover?

·         Pink

·         Orange

·         Green

·         Purple

·         Yellow

·         Other-..........

4)    Would you like there to be a fashion element included in the magazine?

·         Yes

·         No

5)    How much are you willing to pay for a monthly magazine?

·         Less than £1

·         £1.10-£2.00

·         £2.10-£3.00

·         More than above

6)    What magazine titles would appeal more to you?

·         Indie Pop

·         Starstuck

·         Glitter & Grease