Front cover

NME

The front cover is one of the main things that tries to attract the target audience as this is the first thing you see and so it will need to attract their attention in a shop so they buy it instead of the competitions magazines.

In this magazine, NME, the thing that will attract the audience’s attention is the main image. This will show what type of magazine NME is. It grabs the audiences attention by using this main image as if you recognise him then you will want to see what else is in the magazine. They used a mid shot at a low angle so the audience is look up at him. This shows that he is successful. He is also wearing fashionable clothes to attract the target audience.

The font style is to also attract the target audience as on this magazine the font style is quite big, bold and colourful to attract the audience’s eyes when it’s on the shelf in the shop. It is important to stand out otherwise no-one will bother reading it. The font style in this case in serif to make is look big and bold to stand out.

The layout of the page is to also attract the audience’s attention with the title of the magazine in the top left of the page so you instantly know what magazine it is. Then in the top right hand corner there is pictures of other bands that are in the magazine. Then as you go across the page from corner to corner you go over the main image so you can see what the main article in the magazine will be about. You also go over the cover lines so you can see what else will be in the magazine. Then in the bottom left hand corner you see another cover line, then you go across the bottom of the front cover seeing what else is in the magazine and the barcode and price of the magazine.

The colours the magazine uses are very bright and bold colours to make it stand out more. For example, the main title is in red with a white outline and a black background, these are all very contrasting colours to make it stand out from the page and also makes it stand out from the shelf. The other colours it uses is in the main image it has fairly dull colours such as black and brown, this is to make the text stand out more as the text colours are very bright with yellow and white cover lines.

The conventions that NME uses is having the main image covering the whole front page, this can attract the target audiences attention as if they recognise him then they will want to have a look. Another convention that NME follows is having a big masthead at the top of the page. The cover lines are also a convention, the cover lines are to say what’s in the magazine without giving away the whole story.

The mode of address for this magazine is informal as is uses bright colours and informal language such as when is says “when in Rome get drunk with…”

Kerrang

The layout of Kerrang is symmetrical. It still uses the route of the eye and hotspots. The four hotspots it uses are the top left hotspot is one of the band members of Biffy Clyro so you know what sort of music will be in the magazine. In the top right hotspot is the other band member of Biffy Clyro. Then in the bottom left hotspot it says “FREE poster special” this is to also attract the target audience into buying the magazine and getting the free poster. In the last hotspot, the bottom right, is a picture of Hayley Williams from Paramore so if you’re a fan of Paramore then you will want to know what the story is about. This magazine also uses the route of the eye. It starts off in the top left hand corner and goes across the masthead and the lead singer of Biffy Clyro’s face. It then goes across the page going over the main image of Biffy Clyro and down to the bottom left hand corner which is another picture of a band with some cover lines to say what the story is about that band. The route of the eye then goes across the bottom of the pictures of the bands and more cover lines ending at the barcode in the bottom right hand corner.

The font style on this front cover is very straight and san serif. The horizontal san serif font makes it a fairly formal front page; this could make the target audience older. The masthead is in black with a white background to make it stand out from the rest of the page. This is also the case in the cover lines as the main image is quite dark with the cover lines in white with a black outline to make it stand out, this is also to make the front cover stand out as a whole. The writing lower down the page is white with a red background to contrast with the writing on the other side of the page as that is red writing with a white background.

There are only 3 main colours on the front page of the magazine, white, black and red. The main image is dark apart from the lead singer who is wearing white; this is to make him stand out as he is the most iconic person in the band. The writing is mostly either in white with a black background or black with a white background. Then nearer the bottom of the page the writing is in red this is to give the front page some colour and to stand out from the white and black at the top.

There are a few images of bands on the front page of this magazine; they are all to appeal to the target audience and to grab their attention. They get the attention of the target audience as when they are looking around and see a band they recognise they will want to have a look at that magazine. In this case, the main image on the front of the page is Biffy Clyro, this is because there will be an article about them in the magazine, but also because they are a very recognisable band and so when someone recognises them they will want to read the magazine and that article. The picture of Biffy Clyro is an eye level mid shot of the three of them, this is so you can quickly notice them and recognise them.

The conventions this magazine uses are having a big bold masthead at the top of the page. This is so you can easily see what magazine it is. Another convention that Kerrang uses is cover lines. This is to say what will be in the magazine without giving away the whole article. The mode of address for this magazine is informal as the type of music that is in this magazine is also informal.

Q

The layout of Q magazine is good as they put there main images and text in the 4 hotspots on the page. In the first hotspot, the top left hotspot is the masthead. The masthead is in the first hotspot so you can instantly tell what magazine it is. In the second hotspot, the top right is the face of the person in the main image, Brandon flowers (lead singer of the killers). They put this in the second hotspot so you can tell what type of music will be in the magazine. It is also so if someone recognises him from the killers, they will want to know what the article is on him. In the second hotspot is a picture of U2. This is because of the same reason of why Brandon Flowers is in the second hotspot, so if someone recognises him they will want to know what the article is about them. They also used the route of the eye. It starts in the top left corner with the masthead. It then goes onto the first cover line, this is the one that will attract the audience easier as it appeals to a wide audience as everyone want to get music for free. It then goes over the main image, the Brandon flowers picture. It then goes down to the u2 picture. Then it goes across the bottom of the front page across the other cover lines saying what else is in the magazine. Then it goes across the name of Brandon flowers’ band so even if someone doesn’t recognise his face they might still recognise the name of his band. It then ends at the barcode and the price.

The font style they used on the magazine is mostly san serif with bright colours such as white and red as this is the main colour scheme. The masthead is serif as the Q has a flick at the end to make it stand out from the rest of the san serif font. The font (excluding the masthead) is all the same, bold. This is to make it stand out from the rest of the page.

The colour scheme that they use on the front page is mostly red to match the masthead/logo. The rest of the colours on the page are from the images. The colours in the images are mostly dark to contrast with the red; this is to make the red stand out more. Most of the text is in white so it stands out from the image.

The main image is only on one half of the page, this is to emphasis his finger pointing at the audience. This is to grab the audience’s attention as in the shop this image will stand out as the main image is pointing at the audience. The other image on the front page is of the band U2, they put this band’s image fairly large on the front page as they are very well known and so if someone recognises them they will want to have a closer look at the magazine. This also shows what type of magazine it is and what type of music it will be about. The main image on the front page is a low angle mid – long shot so the audience is looking up at Brandon Flowers. The other image on the page, the U2 image, is a high angle mid shot of them all.

The mode of address for the front page of Q is informal as it is aimed at mostly teenagers to lower 20’s. The conventions that Q magazine follows are a big masthead at the top of the page. Another convention that this magazine follows is cover lines on the side of the page with an image that relates to the story.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

NME

NME used the route of the eye and hotpots in there double page spread so the audience reads the articles. The route of the eye takes you from the top left hand corner to the top right hand corner going over the top of the main image and the title. The route of the eye then goes over the main text and across the page diagonally down to the ‘need to know’ box in the bottom left hand corner. It then goes across the bottom over the rest of the text and then over the section t the bottom about ‘the rascals’. NME also use hotspots in there double page spread. The first hotspot, the top left hand corner is the main image, then in the bottom left hand corner is the need to know box. Then in the top right hand corner hotspot is the title of the page and the start of the text. In the last hotspot in the bottom right hand corner is the rest of the text and the cover stories. They put these things in the hotspots as these are the main things on this double page spread as if someone recognises the band then they will want to read the article about them. They also put a cover story in the hotspot so it almost leads the reader onto another story.  

The font style they used in the double page spread is for the title they used a serif font to make it bold and to stand out more. For the text they used a very basic and easy to read font otherwise some people won’t bother trying to read it as because it needs to be small as well to fit it all in it will look too messy. The font they used for the ‘need to know’ box is bold so it stands out from the image.

The colour scheme on this double page spread is blue and black mostly to contrast so it is easier to make things stand out, such as the text is in black so its easy to read but it also has a white background to make it stand out and easy to read. The ‘need to know’ box is in blue to match the colour scheme with black title to contrast and to match the colour scheme. They then put the rest of the text in white to make it stand out from the title. They also put the cover stories in black so it looks separate to the main text on the page but with blue background to the titles so it follows the colour scheme.

There are many images on this page of bands to match the cover lines and text. The main image on the left hand side page is of a band that is lying down on a bed. It’s a high angle long shot so you can clearly see who it is. There is also an image for each of the cover stories relating to it so you can see who the story is about. They also put an image with the main text which is different to the main image.

The mode of address for NME is quite informal as it is mostly aimed at teenagers. It should be informal if it is aimed at teenagers as if it is too formal teenagers wont read it. The convention’s it follows is a main picture on one of the pages and then some text on the other. It also has cover stories on the side of the page with an image.

Kerrang

The layout of this double page spread uses hotspots and the route of the eye. The route of the eye starts on the news box in the top right hand corner with the website address. This is in the top right hand corner because they want the reader to go on the website as well. The route of the eye then goes across the main title so the audience knows easily what this page will be on. It then goes over to the top right hand corner where the cover lines are, and then it goes diagonally across the pages down to the bottom left hand corner and across the bottom of the pages over the other pictures. They also used hotspots in this double page spread. In the first hotspot in the top left one, is the main image so if you don’t recognise the bands name then you might recognise the image. Then in the top right hotspot is the main text and the title so the reader knows what it’s about. Then in the bottom left hotspot is the main image and another image so you can see the other musicians. Then lastly in the bottom right hand hotspot is the other images.

The font style on this double page spread is mostly san serif font so it is easy to read as if the main text is in serif font then it would be hard to read. The main title is in a san serif font so it can be very bold and can stand out from the rest of the text. The font style in the top left hand corner, the news box, is san serif font again so is can be easily read.

The colour scheme for this double page spread is black and red so they can easily make certain things stand out, such as the main title is in red and white so it can easily be seen and read. The cover lines are in white so the reader notices them as well as the rest of the page so you read about other bands as well. They put the main text in white with a black background so it is easily noticed and so it’s clear and easy to read.

There are 4 images on the double page spread including the main image on the left hand side page with another smaller image in the bottom right hand side corner on the left hand side page. There is also an extra 2 more images on the right hand side page of the band so it is easier to recognise them and more people will notice the images and will then want to read the article.

The mode of address for this double page spread is informal as the band that the article is on is aimed at teenagers and so if the language was formal then it wouldn’t target the same audience. The conventions that this double page spread follow is that the left hand side page is the main image and then the main text is on the right hand side page underneath the main title.

Q

The layout of Q magazine uses hotspots and the route of the eye affectively in its double page spread. In the first hotspot they put the introduction to the main article on the page, this is affective as the reader may just read the start of it and then they will want to read on. In the second hotspot in the top right hand corner they put the main image, specifically the main person who is reading the newspaper so that is the first thing the reader notices. Then in the bottom left hand hotspot they put the main text, they put this in the third hotspot is so by this time you know a little about the band from the introduction and what they look like so the reader might want to read more. Lastly they put another picture underneath the main image of one of them on stage so you can see them performing. They also used the route of the eye of this double page spread. The route of the eye starts at the start of the article, it then goes along the top of the pages and over the main image to the little bit of text in the top right hand corner. The route of the eye then goes diagonally across both pages down to the bottom left hand corner to the bottom of the main article. It then goes across the bottom of the pages and over the images.

The font style on this double page spread is san serif. They put all the text in san serif font so it makes the pages very professional and easy to read. They wanted it to be easy to read as if it was too messy then the reader may not be able to read it and so it was a wasted page. They put the introduction as a bigger font so it is clearer and so it catches the reader’s eye. By having a bigger font for the introduction it makes it so the reader clearly knows that that is the introduction and so they may just want to read that instead of the whole thing.

The colour scheme on this double page spread is very plain and simple to make it look stylish and professional. They did this by making the images in black and white to make it look professional. They also put the text in black and the background to it in white so it is even clearer and to make it look more professional. They put the little bit of text that it on the image in the top right hand corner in white so the reader can notice it and easily read it. They also put the first letter of the main text in red so it matches the logo on the front cover.

The images they used on this double page spread are all in black and white. The main image on the right page is very plain when the other two are of them performing or on stage; this is to show them in two different situations. This would attract the attention of the reader if they knew the band as if they normally see them on the stage they wont of seen them in this situation. They also put the other two images of them performing as the reader will most likely recognise them whilst they are performing as this is the time they see them. Q wants the reader to recognise the band as they are more likely to read the article if they know the band.

The mode of address for this double page is informal at the target audience is mostly teenagers as these are the biggest age range that listens to this type of music. The conventions that this double page spread follows is having the main image on one page and then the main text and article on the opposite page, this is so the image and the text are clearly linked.

CONTENTS PAGE

Q

The contents page, like the double page spread and front cover, uses hotspots and the route of the eye. The route of the eye starts at the heading ‘CONTENTS’ and the logo, this is to tell the reader what page it is and that if they were flicking through to find the contents page they will easily see this. The route of the eye then goes across the top of the page over to the date so they know if the magazine is the most recent or is the newest edition. The route of the eye then takes the reader over the main image and the text about the image down to the bottom left hand corner where the box called ‘every month’ as this will be the most recognisable thing in the magazine to someone who has brought this magazine before as they will know what is in every month. Then the route of the eye takes you across the bottom of the page over the review section, this is to tell the reader what is being reviewed this month. They also used hotspots on the contents page. In the top left hotspot they put the features list and part of the main image. Then in the top right hotspot they put the main part of the main image so the band is one of the first things you notice when you are looking at the contents page.

The font style on the contents page is a san serif font. It is all in san serif font so it is very clear and easy to read; as if it was a serif font then it would be more difficult to read and so it would be much harder to find the page you want. The titles are in a bold san serif font so it is easily noticeable and so when you’re flicking through the magazine to find to page you want you will easily notice the contents page heading.

The colour scheme on this page is mostly white and black so it is easy to make certain things to stand out and contrast. They also used some red background behind some of the headings to make them stand out and to match the front cover logo.

There are only two images on the contents page; this is to make it look more conventional. The main image on the right hand side is of a well known band, this is so the audience can recognise the band and then they can link the image to the article. The other image is much smaller and is in the review box, this is so there is an image to link with the text. Both of these images are long shots, this is so you can clearly see who is in the picture.

The mode of address is informal for this contents page as it is aimed at teenagers and so if it was too formal it wouldn’t be attracting the right target audience. The conventions this contents page follows is one main image to the side of the page with cover lines and a page number. Another convention that this contents page follows is the date in the top corner so you know that is the latest magazine.

Kerrang

The layout of this contents page uses hotspots and the route of the eye. This contents page uses the route of the eye and hotspots so they can make certain things and images stand out. Such as in the top left hand hotspot they put the main image on the page, this is because they want certain people to look at this page and so they know who listens to this band and so therefore it is more likely for them people to look at this page. Then in the top right hand hotspot they put a picture of another well known band, this is again to draw the attention of the people who tend to listen to there music. Then in the bottom left hand hotspot they put a few images around it so it attracts you to more than one image. This is the same with the last hotspot, the bottom right hand hotspot as it is between two images. They also used the route of the eye very effectively on this contents page. The route of the eye starts off in the top right hand corner and goes across the top of the page to the title; this is so you can easily find the contents page when you’re flicking through the magazine. Then the route of the eye then goes diagonally across the page down to the bottom left hand corner, this is so you can see all of the images as you go across. Then the route of the eye goes across the bottom of the page to the bottom right hand corner going over the bottom three images and to the advert.

The font style on this contents page is san serif font so it is easy to read. It needs to be easy to read to the reader can easily find the page they want and can clearly see the other articles in the magazine. They also used a san serif font so they could make certain things bold and to stand out; such as for the cover lines, the heading is in bold so it is easy to see what the article is about.

The colour scheme for this page is white, yellow and black. They used these three colours so they can easily make certain things stand out but still make other things clear to read. They put the cover lines heading in yellow with a black background to contrast and so it stands out. This is the same with the main title; this is to match the cover lines. They put the ‘This week’ title in the opposite colours to make it contrast and to stand out from the other cover lines.

There are many images on this contents page relating to an article. This is so you can tell what will be in the article and what sort of bands it will be about, this is a magazine convention. The main image is linked to the main article in the magazine so you know what the main article is. The pictures are mostly in a mid-long shot so you can clearly see who it is and what band they are in which would give you a clue to what’s in the article. Most of the pictures are in a dark room or they are wearing dark clothes to match the colour scheme.

The mode of address is very informal as the bands are also very informal and so it wouldn’t go together. This is also to attract the target audience, the target audience for this magazine is teenagers and so if it’s formal then it wouldn’t be attracting these kinds of people. The convention’s it follows is linking an image to an article. Another convention is having an advert in the bottom corner.