CONTENTS PAGES ANALYSIS

MastheadAt the top of the contents page is the masthead, instead of using the classic word ‘contents’ they have used ‘nme this week’ then put the date underneath so it fits in. The writing fits the house style as it the same as the cover and the colours are very widely used colours, the NME is red so it stands out and is recognisable as the logo. The masthead sets the colour theme for the rest of the contents page as it is the first thing the reader will see due to it being the largest thing on the page and at the top.

ColumnsThe articles and their page numbers have been organised into a list and it has been organised into sections.It has the main article name in bold then a brief description of the article in smaller text so people know if they want to read it, it also has arrows pointing to what was on the cover so the audience can easily locate the articles they may be most interested in. The page numbers are in red so they stand out and also brighten up the page.

Side barNME put a band index in a side bar, this is a list of the bands included in this weeks issue and the page number they are on. The bands are red and the page number is black which is the opposite to the contents column parallel to this, by doing this is keeps in with the house style but varies the colour so it looks attractive to the reader and not to boring and repetitive.

PictureIn the middle of the NME contents page is a large picture with a small article relating to it beneath this. The main tones of the picture are black and red which fit in with the house style of this contents page .

OfferPositioned in the centre of the page but at the bottom of is a promotional offer to subscribe to the magazine. This positioning makes sure the reader see’s it but it also does not get in the way of the contents page, the yellow writing and dark background don’t fit in with the house style, this makes it stands out more as it is not relevant to the contents page

Masthead The masthead of the contents page is bright red which relates to the Q logo, also on the contents page. The writing on the contents page is a basic computer type font making it look neat and organised which appeals to it’s target audience, this contrasts with the bright red background which looks more interesting and eye-catching. The bright red can reflect the type of music genre this magazine is based on as it is rock music whilst it is softened by the white in the Q so it doesn’t look too heavy because the rock is also combined with mainstream chart music, symbolised by the red and white.

ColumnsThe contents page is organised into sections carrying on with the theme of organisation and appealing to a more mature audience than magazines such as kerrang. The text alternated from red to black keeping a variation throughout the contents page so it does not look repetitive and boring to the reader. There is a picture at the top of the column relating to the named article below it which is larger than the other focusing the readers attention on what the magazine believes is the most important part of this column, it also stands out and draws in attention by having the body text as red whilst the others have black body text, this makes it brighter and more eyecatching.

Large ImagePlaced close to the centre is a large image taking up most of the page, this image shows a band in what looks like China or Japan suggesting that they are on a world tour giving the reader an idea of what the article might be about. The image has a lot of red, black and white in it so it fits in with the house style of the contents page, the people in the photo are dressed in a lot of black suggesting they are a rock band fitting in with the genre of the magazine. In the left hand corner of the magazine is a large number in white telling the reader what page this bands article will be on, it is very large so it is easy to see.

PictureCovering over half the contents page is a large image of the lead singer from a well known band, this will appeal to the target audience as they will be a fan of this band . On top of the photo is smaller photos of the double page spreads that are inside the magazine, the way they have overlapped the lager image make it look similar to a scrap book which will appeal to the younger audience they are trying t target. A puff is also placed on the picture with distressed writing inside it and pictures of paper clips on it which suggest the genre of the magazine is rock/metal. The page numbers that are connected with the photos have a red background with a black star behind them which shows us the the genre of the magazine clearly and also appeals to the target audience by clashing with the pink and yellow of the puff, this makes the contents look messy and appeal stereotypical young teenage rock/metal music fans.

MastheadThe contents page masthead is writing in distressed writing giving it a dirty and grunge-type look portraying the heavy genre of music this magazine talks about, despite this writing the colours re quite bright and child like making it appeal to younger rock fans than the older ones. The issue number and date are clearly stated and fit in with the style of the masthead through colour and font although it's smaller than the title as it is not fully relevant to the contents page

Editors note The editors note gives a more personal connection to the readers from the magazine making them enjoy reading it more. It is positioned in the bottom left corner so it is out of the way but it is still fairly large and accompanied with a decent sized picture so it cannot be easily missed. It summarises this weeks issue of the magazine in a less formal way than the columns and categories which can appeal more to the younger generation.

Columns The columns like most contents pages is organised into sections with the page number in a different colour so it's easy to read. The headers are yellow which matches the masthead font, the yellow contrasts the black background that they are on, the black may be representing the genre of the magazine whilst the yellow is making it appeal to the target audience of 14 – 19.The page numbers are red making them stand out as there is little red on the page it also widens the colour schemes so it looks less neat keeping with the 'messy' theme. Red is seen as an aggressive colour similar to heavy music which can also be aggressive.

OfferThis offer is at the bottom corner of the page as it is not relevant to the contents page but by making the background black it contrasts the mainly white background so it catches the readers attention