Analysis of contents page, layout and images.

 

The main image has taken up most of the page, it's eye-grabbing and the text is off to the left hand side and is smaller as the publishers want the readers to look at the picture first, this is maybe so that  the readers will know what the main article is about. There is a box that says 'Every Month' and this tells the reader what to expect every month, I like this idea because it will keep the readers interested. I also like the simplicity of the layout as it is straight forward. The font is also in the 'Q' colours of red and black which are appealing colours.

 

 

This magazines content page has the colours of red, black and white as they are appealing colours and fits in with the rest of the magazine. There is also a puff because it engages the audience and boosts the status of the magazine by telling the readers to subscribe, this is a production technique and helps to boost sales. On the left hand side there is an endless list of the contents however on the right hand side there is headings and then page numbers either for the news, reviews and features. I like the right hand side column better as it looks more presentable but the left hand side is easier to follow.

 

This NME magazine contents page also uses the colours of red, black and white. The magazine keeps to the same colour scheme with every issue.

Target Audience Expectations.

My target audience is young and mature adults. My magazine looks at the current music scene whilst still remembering the music from past years.

 

The target audience will expect the basic colours that you see on 'Q' and 'NME', such as red, black and white. They like to see eye-catching headings, something that they will want to read about. They would also like to see an artist on the front cover that they recognise as they will want to read about them. A bold Mast Head will catch the readers attention and make them want to see what else the magazine has to offer.

 

The price is small so the reader won't pay attention to it until they know that they want to buy the magazine. If I use similar colours to 'Q' then the audience will become familiar with the genre of the magazine.

 

The colours I will use will be red, black and white, because of the neutrality of the colours so the magazine will cover articles that will appeal to both male and female audiences.

My Proposal

My proposal is to create a music magazine, promoting a new artist.

I will include an interview along with a contents page and a front cover, with a picture of the artist so the audience will know what she looks like. The interviews purpose is to include information about the artist’s album and also information about the singer.  

 

The contents page is to let the audience know what they will find on each page and also creats a shortcut if they find an article they really want to read.

 

The front cover is what draws the audiences attention and shows them what is on offer in the magazine, and also holds an image someone who is included in the main article.

The colours I will use will be red, black and white, because I want my magazine to be gender neutral and they also seem to be the colour schemes from magazines such as 'Q' and 'NME'.  

 

 

Analysis of Language and Layout.

The article has a main image at the top of the page so the reader understands what the article is about.

It shows the band against a black background which could reference the genre of music they prefer and there is a little box of information on a red background so it stands out, the writing also stands out from the red because it is in a white font, this keeps to the colour scheme and neutrality of the magazine.  

Underneath this picture is another picture of the lead singer standing alone because as well as being the main topic of discussion in the article he is also the 'face' the band so therefore is more recognisable.

On the left-hand side of the article is another short article called 'Space Odyssey', the background is in red which keeps with the theme of the magazine. It is a production technique.

The article has a black heading as it says "Alex Turner? The dullest man in the world" so they might be using humer in their article by making the font a dull colour.

The main image is central to the article to draw the attention of the reader. Because this is an interview, the interviewer's words are in red and the answers are in black so the reader can diferentiate between the two.

There is also a red box with information in it which is bigger than the interview text because it gives a preview of what is being said in the interview.

There is also a puff which advertises a competition and what the reader can win. The colours in the article are red, white and black which are the most common colours used, as they are the most appealing colours to the human eye.

I like the way the interviewer's text is in bold and the answers are in black, I also like the way the main image has been placed, straight in the middle with the text around it. I like the basic colours of the article and the way it hasn't got too much going on so that it is easier to concentrate on the article itself.

Analysis of a music magazine front cover.

This magazine has a busy front cover.

The Mast-Head is eye-catching because the letter is white on a red background, red is a masculine colour. However, the use of red, white and black allows the magazine to become neutral so therefore both men and women can read it, as it doesn't have a specific gender audience.  

There are two plugs to catch the audiences attention by telling them what they are to expect when they buy the magazine. The magazine tells the reader that there are specials which will interest them because they will be able to find out more information about upcoming events.  

The Main Image is of a famous artist, Madonna. She is dressed in black which allows her name to be printed in a bold red font so it stands out, the names of the artists are in a list and the font is in white, which contrasts to the black. The list is a Main Cover Line and gives information about the main article.

There are Main Cover Lines such as; 'Rolling Stones At The Movies', which tells the reader about other articles in the magazine, and shows that the magazine has a variety of articles inclued. 'Rolling Stones' is in a red font, which seems to be the main convention of the magazine, and keeps to the colour scheme.

The magazine has a bar code but it is small, this is a production technique so that no attention is drawn to it before the reader has had a look at the cover and decided whether they want it or not. The price is also small so that the readers aren't put off if the magazine costs more than they expected it to.

'Free Inside 70 Page Special' tells the reader what they will be reading about inside the magazine. It is a Unique Selling Point to the magazine and is a guide to the inside.

Magazine Production Companies.

The magazine production company such as 'Bauer' produces magazines such as 'Q' and 'Kerrang' and these magazines are the biggest selling for that company, as they have a very specific target audience, however they include different genre's of music. 'Kerrang' includes heavy rock in their magazine and 'Q' write about soft rock and indie.

The target audience and genre of my magazine.

The genre of my magazine is indie rock, such as from 'Q' magazine. It looks at new artists and artists from the past. 'Q' magazine also looks at music reviews, film reviews, live concerts and the dates, as well as radio and television reviews.

The target audience for magazines such as this will be adults, young and old. They would appreciate the reviews so they will know whether to buy the cd or not. They can find out when there are concerts and where they are. They will be able to read film and television reviews.

For my magazine the target audience will be mature adults as they listen to the type of music I will be writing about in my magazine.