ANALYSIS OF EXISTING PRODUCTS

KERRANG MAGAZINE

Kerrang Magazine Front CoverHere is a cover of Kerrang magazine. As we can see the first thing that appears on the magazine is the masthead aka Kerrang. This signifies to the reader what the magazine is and what they are to expect. The Masthead has a shattered style to the font which symbolises the music inside. As Kerrang magazine is based upon rock music, we expect that style of music to be heavy and harsh much like the style of font used on the masthead. The next feature that grabs the reader’s attention is the iconic red colour as red has connotations of many different things. For example it could mean dangerous or it could even symbolise lust. Either way it could of also just been use as a bright colour to grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read the magazine.

The Image is the next thing that the reader will be drawn to. As it takes up the majority of the front cover there is no missing this image. As we can see the people within the image are all wearing black which could possibly instantly tell us what genre of music the magazine is based upon. However the colour of the clothing contrasts well with the red background and also the white text. Overlaying the image is yellow and white text reading ‘Avenged! Green Day! Of Mice And Men! The Foos And More! 101 Secrets Behind the Songs!’ This is a great lure for the reader as the magazine is stating well known popular bands and telling the secrets behind the songs. For a person who listens to these bands this would be like a dream come true making them want to buy the magazine.

We see small articles at the bottom of the cover just to make the magazine look less top heavy. However, it also give people the opportunity to read about other bands if they do not want to read about those listed in the main headline. Also around the bottom of the page we see ‘6 amazing posters’. This is used as a kind of free giveaway for those who buy the magazine. Also as the target audience of Kerrang is typically late teens young adults, Kerrang have took advantage of this and gave them something that they may want or need.

In my own magazine I would like to keep the idea of having the main image overlaying the masthead. I would also like the main image to be the main focus of the front cover. To do this I will ensure that it is eye catching and appealing. I think I will avoid having a structure like this as I don't like the idea of having all of the other articles at the bottom of the page

KERRANG MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE

With this contents page of Kerrang magazine we see immediately that there is a link between it and the front cover. The font colours are similar following the yellow and white colours. This is good consistency as professional looking as each page is similar instead of being completely different. The masthead on both pages appears in the same font and in the same colour again keeping that theme of consistency. I think a problem with this page is that it is very bottom heavy as there is little information the topside of the page. A lot of information has been crammed into the bottom half of the page which makes the reader lose interest as there isn’t that consistency of grabbing your attention. However the colours used for the subheadings are a bright yellow colour on a black back-colour which attract the reader’s attention

The image used on this particular contents page is an iconic sign as Slash is one of the main iconic role models in this genre of music. Slash is looking directly at the reader otherwise known as direct mode of address. This grabs the reader’s attention as it makes them feel part of the magazine as the reader is being directly addressed. Two other images have been layered over the top of the main image of Slash showing examples of what to find on other pages of the magazine. By the way Slash is dressed portrays to the reader about the style of music which he plays. This suggests that magazine companies change their approach to specific audiences by using different camera techniques. I think with Slash wearing black clothing it is the magazine company trying to suggest to the reader that all people who play and listen to rock music are rebellious rule breakers as we associate people who wear black as thugs and rule breakers.

As talked about previously the layout of the page is fairly unstructured as the majority of the writing is situated at the bottom of the page which makes it look conjunct and unorganised. There is a large range in font sizes throughout the page which looks very inconsistent and unprofessional. That being said, this type of structure could possible appeal to people of all ages; people of a younger age are most likely to just look at the images on each page and people of an older age would possibly want to actually read the information.

With this contents page I would like to use a similar colour scheme as the yellow black and white work well in contrast together and it is different from what other magazines would use. I think I will avoid having all of the text at the bottom of the page as this makes the page look structurally untidy and bottom heavy.

KERRANG MAGAZINE DOUBLE PAGE

Looking at this double page spread from kerrang magazine we see again the eroded/shattered font style which has been used on the front cover as well as the contents page. However on this page there is no yellow font colour like the other two previous pages which could be to change things up a little. However the red was used as a dominant colour on the front cover so it is has not just been introduced to the magazine. As we can see in this page, the dominant colour of the page is black. Even the images of the band ‘My Chemical Romance’ are printed in black and white. We sometimes associate the colours red and black with gothic and emo people and for people who know, My Chemical Romance are a well known Goth/Emo band which could be why the page is printed in black white and red. Looking more closely at the page, the only parts which are in colour is the title and the start if the text which could of been used to attract the reader’s attention to the significant points of the page.

The layout of the page is the next thing that comes to attention. The left hand side of the double page spread is dominated by the large image of the lead singer ‘Gerald Way’ and again on the right hand side of the page he is there again but this not as big. This shows the reader that he is the lead singer of the band and plays a fairly important role within the band. The two images on the right side of the page show the band in the studio which links to the strap line of the article ‘My Chemical Romance invite Kerrang to their recording studio...’ For those people who don’t read articles they can see the image of the members of the band at work inside the studio so they instantly know what the article could be about. In a way this is an iconic sign; when we see the recording equipment we think of the studio which is what the article is about.

I think that having one page dedicated to an image is better than scattering them around so I think when I produce my double page spread I will have one page for the image and the other for the article unless there is empty space.

When making my magazine I will try and avoid overly using a colour, in this case it being black. Even the images are printed in black and white.

TOTAL GUITAR MAGAZINE

Total Guitar Front CoverHere is a cover of Total Guitar magazine. The main thing about the magazine which stands out to the reader is the image. Everyone has to know who Slash is, and if not his name is printed in large bold white lettering across the image of him. In this image and his name he is portrayed as important. One reason for this is that he takes up the entire of the front cover. Another reason is for the text his name is written in; the text is the same size as the masthead of the magazine showing that Slash is the main focus of this magazine and it revolves around him. The guitar is a symbolic sign to the reader as we associate guitars with rock music and this is what the magazine is about. Slash is also an iconic figure within the genre, so having him on the front of the magazine will be an attraction to a large audience. With the image of Slash, as he is wearing sun glasses it gives him that ominous and sinister look which in reality is what rock music is about.

Next thing about the magazine that comes to our attention is the structure of the layout. As we can see it follows a pretty conventional layout so the Magazine is pretty easy to navigate around. As said before the main article image takes up the entirety of the front cover and is located directly in the centre of the page. The Masthead is traditionally situated at the top of the page so people will know which magazine it is and what they are to expect. There are secondary leads along the bottom left hand side of the page, increasing popularity for the magazine. Secondary are used as a sort of lure to get people to purchase the magazine. The headline is also an important thing for this magazine. For example if you didn’t know who Slash was, the headline is there stating his name and also briefly explaining what the article is about. We see a tag title ‘Hottest Guitar Bands of 2012’. This tag is used to make the reader want to read the article inside so they can find out who these bands are.

The Colours on the magazine contrast well with Slash’s clothing. Slash is predominantly wearing all black clothing; this is how we would typically associate people who play rock music. The Green and Pink back-colours for the text I think are used to attract people to the other sections of the magazine. If I were to look at this magazine on the shelf the first thing I would notice would be the main article image. Next I would probably notice the bright colours on the magazine. As we would normally associate this genre of music with males, the pink colours could be used to target at a female audience to make as many sales at possible.

Similar tot he kerrang magazine I would like to use the image overlaying the masthead. What I like about this front cover is the use of the empty space being filled by other articles.

What I would avoid is including to much text on the front page. If people were to see this in the shop they probably not have time to read all of the text which is there.

Total Guitar Contents PageHere is the contents page for the total guitar magazine front cover as shown above. As we can see similar to the front cover the main article in the magazine is about Slash. We can see this because he has the most space on the page of the magazine. With him having the larger photo it draws more attention to that specific article trying to attract the specific audience. However the magazine includes other articles and other features which people may want to read about. Similar to the front cover we see Slash in wearing the iconic clothing to symbolize the music which he plays. Looking at the image of him, it looks as if he is at work in the studio, matching the title of the article ‘Slash: Studio Report’. This is instantly telling the reader that the article is based on the production work of Slash’s new album.

There is a clean layout to this page from the magazine being heavily image based on the top and text based along the bottom of the page. I think the sizing of the images balance out the heavily text based bottom. We can clearly see that this is the contents page of the magazine and the name of the magazine along with the issue number and date of the magazine. I think with the masthead being placed at the top of the page is a good way for people to remember the name of the magazine, as the images draw the attention of the reader. Next we see the subheadings along the bottom of the page allowing the reader to quickly scan these bodies of text knowing page numbers of specific articles.

Colour wise on this particular contents page is fairly plain. The dominant colour of the page is white which in a way could be a symbol for the reader. After seeing the harsh colours of Black and Green on the front cover, this white could be to show that the magazine is not all based around heavy and harsh music. With the exception of the images there is not really a lot of colours on this page, however this could be used to attract the reader to these images as it makes them stand out a little extra. Also along the bottom of the page the page numbers are listed in a bold and red font again being used to attract the reader’s attention to the most important parts of the page

What I like about this page is the way the page is structured. I like how the numbers for the pages are printed in a different colour than the title of the article.

Total Guitar Double PageIn this double page spread from the magazine we see that the focus of this article is based upon Black Sabbath’s Children of the Grave. Instantly the image attracts the reader’s attention, which is an iconic sign as most people will know who Black Sabbath is or if not could possibly guess from the image. Looking more closely at the image we can see the guitar being used again as an iconic symbol referring that rock music is about guitars and expression. The way Tommy Iommi is dressed is a way f him expressing himself through rock and roll music. We can see that he is not following rules or being told what to do giving people the idea that rock music is about rebellious acts.

Also focusing on the first page we see a sticker like puff titled ‘Full Tab’ which leads the reader on to the top of the page where it says ‘Learn to play Black Sabbath Children of the Grave’. For people who are fans of Black Sabbath this will be a main reason why they would want to buy this particular magazine. It sort of gives the reader an idea that they are getting something extra with their purchase of the magazine. As Black Sabbath is a band that will most likely attract those of an older age as well as those of a younger age, the way the text is presented on the next page is almost newspaper like which will appeal to those of the older age because we usually associate people who read newspapers are those who are older.

Comparing both pages together there is a large diversion between the colours; having one page black and the other page white is a way possibly to compare the two targeted audiences who will be reading this article. I think by using the two colours is a good way of contrasting the pages so things on each page look stand out and that each different page is not similar.

ROCK SOUND MAGAZINE

Rock Sound Front CoverHere is an issue of Rock Sound magazine. As we can see with this magazine compared to the others, you get a free CD with the purchase of this magazine. When readers see the magazine, one of the first things they will notice is this ‘free’ CD making them want to buy the magazine because they think they are getting something special out of buying it.

The Next thing that stands out on the magazine is the image. Although it is partially covered by the CD, the band can still be seen. Avenged Sevenfold is the band being featured in the main article image. They are looking directly into the camera; this is known as direct mode of address. It makes it look like the reader is being directly addressed by the band. The band is all wearing black which signifies that the main focus of the magazine is rock/metal music. As the reader knows Avenged Sevenfold is a band which actually plays metal music so the appearance of the band links in with the genre of music. M Shadows, the lead singer of Avenged Sevenfold is situated in front of the rest of the band, signifying that he is the front man of the band.

The headline of the article stands out as the next feature. With it having a bright back-colour it attracts the reader’s attention almost instantly. This tells the reader straight away who the main article of the magazine is about. Another thing about the headline is that the font style looks eroded, which is another symbol. The reader would associate erosion with gritty and dirty. The masthead for the magazine is not as noticeable as it is on other magazines, however this may not be a bad thing; As the masthead is typically the most iconic piece of a magazine, it can also be distracting from the rest of the page so the wrong information could be sent out.

The layout of the magazine is different from many others on the market. Although we have the main image in the middle like typical magazines do, there is many kinds of tags and pugs to the left hand side of the magazine. There is a border blocking these tags from the main image. The border could of been created intentionally as it has a harsh edge to it, possibly signifying the contents inside of the magazine.

Rock Sound Contents Page

This contents page for Rock Sound magazine features two members from the band Fall out Boy. Peter Wentz is situated in the foreground of the image while the lead singer Patrick Stump is just behind him. Both of them are looking directly at the reader, this is known as direct mode of address where the reader is being directly addressed. It makes it look as the artists in the image are actually looking at you and directing at you. This makes the reader feel as if they are part of the article. Both artists have a serious looking face and are wearing boxing gloves. Linking in with the caption for the image ‘I have no tolerance for anything right now.”Patrick Stump” meaning that they are not going to stand for anything and are up for confrontation if a situation arises. The quote is also another good way of directly addressing the reader, as it makes them feel that Patrick Stump is directly talking to them.

The contents page almost looks front page like with the large image taking up the entirety of the page. This is a good attention grabbing page; with the large image and pull in strap line. The contents for the magazine however are fairly small on the page for it being a contents page but they do stand out on the black back colour which they are printed on. The page numbers are printed in a bold red font which stand put on the black colour instantly notifying the reader what each page the different articles are on.

The colours on the page stand out and appeal to the reader. Titles and bodies of text are printed in a white font which stands out in the page. The titles are also capitalised which stands out from the smaller fonts and also these bit are the most important on the page.

Rock Sound Double PageHere is a double page spread from the magazine Rock Sound. This double page spread contains an article about American Punk Rock band A Day to Remember. The band’s name is printed in their own font and style. This is an iconic sign as when the reader see’s this title they know that the article is about the band A Day to Remember. The band is taking up the whole of the right side page and a partial amount of the left side page which is a good way for magazine companies to fill up empty dead space.

The text o this page is similar to the contents page with capitalised titles and important parts of text. The quote from Jeremy Mckinnon is also capitalised which means he wants people to see his opinion on the band. Apart from the name of the band the rest of the text is printed in white on the dark background of the image. The strap line underneath the name of the band is written in capitalised black bold font written on a white back colour.

The way the band is presented is a way they can interact and elate with the reader. As they are in their own clothes in a grassy field it relates more to the reader than if they were dressed up in costumes in the studio. The main reason for the article was to tell other artists and bands that they should focus on song writing by A Day to Remember telling their story.

Q MAGAZINE

Q Front CoverHere is a front cover of Q magazine. One of the most noticeable things on the front cover is the large iconic Q in the top left corner of the page. This is an iconic sign for fans and readers of the Q magazine as they will know that this is Q magazine. Not only is it being an iconic sign it in the uppermost left side of the page so it is the very first thing which the reader will see when they pick up the magazine. However by having the masthead and or logo in the top half of the page is how it stands out on the shelf in the store which it is being sold. The overall layout for this magazine front cover is tidy and well structured.

The image stands out as it is consuming almost the entire page background. The image is another iconic sign as people will recognize who the band is when they see the image and will also know the genre of music which they play. Mathew Bellamy the lead singer of Muse is situated in front of the other two members and also in the centre of the page. This could portray that he is an important member of the band in some way for those who don’t know who he is. The next thing about the image is that behind the artists is a space backdrop which links in with the bands theme. As they are an alter native rock band, they produce various amounts of different genres of music. With the use of synthesisers and electronics they have a sort of sci-fi theme with some of their songs. This front cover was issued for the release of Muse’s 6th studio album ‘The 2nd Law’ which contained many electric and synthesised songs.

The text on this front cover is printed in different ways either using different colours or different styles of fonts. Some parts of the magazine including the title are capitalised and emboldened to show emphasis and this also attracts the reader’s attention as it stands out on the page to the other parts 0of the text. The overall title in itself is a lure to the reader. ‘Boldly going where no other band has gone before’; This strap line is possibly the biggest lure on the page. It makes the reader want to open the magazine and read the article. The way it is saying boldly going where no band has gone before is signalling to the reader that no other band has done this and that Muse want to be recognised for the first band in history to do this. It is like they are setting a trend for future bands. The text at the bottom of the page is also printed in capitalised lettering but this time it is written in both red and white fonts. I think this was to add some extra colour to the page, however it may also be used as it matches the colour of the Q logo.

 

Q Contents PageThis contents page for Q magazine has a clean structural layout with the image on the right hand side of the page and the text on the opposite side. On this page there are two images both labelled with numbers. These numbers link to what page the article is on. As we can see the Muse article is on page 48 and the image of Mathew Bellamy is labelled 48 also. This allows readers to easily navigate to the page without even having to read the contents of the magazine. The page is clearly titled Contents so people who are reading know that this is the contents page of the magazine. The title of the page is located at the top of the page so it is usually the first thing that the reader will see. Alongside the title of the page we see the Q logo again being situated in the top left hand side of the page similar to the front cover. This shows that Q magazine is trying to get the readers to remember the name if the magazine. This is also a good way to fill up blank space if there is any on the page.

The colours for the contents page are similar to the front cover of the magazine following the same red, black and white colour scheme. I think that red is the mainly used colour on these pages at it is a symbol for Q magazine. The red colours symbolises their logo alongside the capital Q. This makes it easy for the reader as they are not being subdued to any changes which will affect their reading of the magazine. The colours used for the writing is predominantly black which is keeping things easy to read. By printing it onto a white background it makes it easily read.

Q Double Page

Here is a double page spread from Q magazine. This double page spread contains an article about British rock band Muse which the reader knows from the image on the right hand side of the double page and also the title at the top of the first page. Similar to the contents page the majority of the text is printed in a classic old school black font on the white background keeping things basic. This makes the page simple and easy to read for older people as well as younger people. The bodies of text almost have a newspaper style layout by having columns of text which is a possible way for the magazine to attract an older generation of people.

With the image having a page of its own allows the reader to focus more on either just the text or just the image and to just read small portions of the text. Personally I think having this much text makes thee page look untidy as it is extremely heavy sided on one side of the page than the other. It makes it look as though the magazine designer has just put everything onto this one page and left the other one almost blank