Front Cover Draft

Metal Hammer Double Page Spread Analysis

The overall tone and connotations that the Metal Hammer magazine has is quite dark and serious is continued from the front cover to this particular double page spread. The use of the dark background and dark colour scheme of black, gold and white suggests this dark rock vibe, giving it a more serious tone. This double page spread contains 3 images although it is still clear which one is the feature photograph as the photograph shows all four members of the band Volbeat and is the largest photo on the page as it takes up over half of the whole double page. The photograph fits in well with the overall denotation as it the colours appear to have been edited to suit the colour scheme of the text and overall layout. The colours of the image are fairly dull and grey so all the colours on the page are rather similar so work well together. On the first double page of the article, besides the feature photograph, two other images have been used to add a little more interest to the page and also could be to show the band in action when they are performing, not just a photo shoot they have done for the purposes of this magazine. Both types of photographs, the ones taken for the magazine and the ones where they are on stage playing, have been used continuously throughout the article so there is an even amount of each type again to show both sides to the band and perhaps to get a look at what the band is really like when they are not on stage.

The main text is in white which stands out well on the dark background, but includes a gold drop cap on each new section of text. The use of the drop cap highlights the start of each new part so gives a slightly neater layout to the page, it also breaks up the text a bit so it is not all one big chunk of text that some readers may find uninteresting to look at and therefore may not show as much of an interest.  The use of a pull quote on each page such as “We turn up to towns where there’s nothing, and then a few thousand people show up” has a similar purpose as the drop cap as it attracts attention and encourages the reader to show an interest in the article as usually the pull quote would be an interesting or comical quote that might persuade the reader to look at the article. In the same way as the contents page and front cover have, in each section designed to stand out to the reader the magazine has used a bold font in white, gold or black with a gold background to for fill the purpose of gaining attention. Throughout the magazine, a  different font has been used for each of the articles this suggests that the magazine is trying to show the individuality of the articles and the artists, this could also indicate that the magazine is implying as each of the articles are different, they are all worth reading and taking an interest in. The overall house style for this article is quite straight forward and not quite how you might expect Metal Hammer to be, compared to the front cover of the magazine, although it does have aspects of eye-catching features, it is not as bright and bold as the front cover as that is persuading the reader to buy the magazine and they do not have the exact same purpose.

The mode of address for the main text of the double page spread appears to be more informative rather than trying to convey a chatty, informal tone with the reader. It does not particularly engage with the reader or treat the reader as a friend this is shown by the overall tone of formal, non-colloquial language throughout the text. The use of language suggests that the magazine, in particular this article, is aimed at an older audience due to the formal tone but also due to some of the blasphemous language used. This article appears to be more aimed at actual fans of the band rather than just the general audience as in the interview with the band it includes stories about them and what they do which some readers, who may not be interested in the band, may find boring or uninteresting.

NME Double Page Spread Analysis

The NME double page spread for Franz Ferdinand does not particularly express the same overall tone and connotations as the front cover does as the feature article photograph for the front cover suggests a serious tone whereas the feature photograph for the article suggests a slightly more relaxed tone due to their change in positions. Throughout most of the photographs they have similar facial expressions until the last page which includes a photograph of the band all smiling showing a happier tone and this could suggest it is showing how at the beginning of the magazine it is serious and more formal but then ends up happy like the relationship of the band as told through the article. The layout for the first page is fairly neat as it does not include much text this could be to attract attention to the feature photograph which has been used for the whole background of the first page. The text that is included on the page is all either flush right or flush left, this gives it a neater appearance and also has black text on a white background, making it stand out more. The overall layout of the text is quite straight forward as it is all aligned into columns, with each new section starting with a drop cap.  The article does not have a headline at the top of the page; this is unusual as most magazines would include a main title for the features. The drop caps highlight the start of each new section making it easier for the reader to read, each drop cap is eye-catching and attention-grabbing as they are bigger and bolder than the rest of the text and have white text on a black background.

The colour scheme is simple and not too bright and full-on; it is mainly black and white with a little bit of red. These colours contrast with each other well and make the text more noticeable, especially on the first page with the photograph for the background. A pull quote has been used on each page to attract attention; one has been used at the top of the first page in bold, black letters with a white background to gain interest from the reader. It also stands out well against the background linking with the purpose to make it more eye-catching.

The lack of colloquial language and the use of coarse language suggest that it is aimed at an older audience as they do not appear to be trying to communicate with the reader in a friend-like manner and are not trying to seem young and cool as they might do if it was aimed at a younger audience. The spelling and use of grammar seem to be relatively formal suggesting the article has a main purpose to inform the reader and tell the story of the bands history. They have used a red box around two of the sections that are not quite as important as the main text to separate them from the main part, although they do still feature information about the main article. The use of these separate sections help to break up the text a bit and give a bit more interest to the page, they also contrast with the plain white background that has been used on the majority of the pages.

Kerrang Double Page Spread Analysis

The connotations from the front cover of Kerrang are continued from the front cover to this particular double page spread as it is the main feature of the magazine. These connotations include how the circles projecting from the middle of the page and the use of the megaphone suggest the loud, noisy tone, just as they did on the front cover. Throughout the feature article the circles and megaphone are continuously used to carry on this connotation, therefore appealing to the target audience who would be interested in this type of music. Furthermore the style and colour scheme from the front cover too these pages is fairly similar as they have still used bright, bold vibrant colours that stand out although they have used slightly different background colours. A plain block coloured background has not been used, drawing attention to the page and making it look more fun and interesting. The use of the bright bold yellow text contrasts with the purple and pink background and highlights the key points that are most likely to draw attention and interest the reader, for example the band name and the band members name. The colours that have been used contrast well with the black clothing and hair of the artist featured on the first page as they are opposites. The bold white text has also been used with a similar purpose of contrasting with the background. There has been no black text used, so all the colours used are bright and colourful, again contrasting with the colours of the photograph and making both the text and the photograph look more vibrant and more appealing. 

The use of the drop caps makes the beginning of the text more eye catching, especially that the same yellow bold font that has been used for the band name and band member name has been used for each one. Smaller drop caps have been used throughout the rest of the article for the same purposes but are not used very often so don’t necessarily break up the text very much, however the text has been aligned into columns which does in fact help to break up the text so the reader is more likely to continue to read on. Much like the connotations that are similar to the front cover, the first page of the article only features the main band member suggesting importance; this could also suggest that the reader is most likely to know this band member more than they would the others so could have been done to attract attention. The use of the pull quotes on both page 2 and 3 have been used to gain interest from the reader and persuading the reader to read the full article, the typography used is a bold, thick font that has been used in white and yellow as these colours stand out well.

On the second pages of the feature, the text has been wrapped around the photograph of the main band member Kellin but has been placed on top of the photograph of the rest of the band; this could also suggest his importance. Whereas, on the third page the main photograph is of the whole band together and the text has been wrapped around all of them suggesting that this particular page is not all just about him, that it focuses on the whole band. The mode of address has a more friend-like tone with the reader; this is shown by the frequent use of course language. This suggests that Kerrang is trying to appeal to younger audience. The content of the text isn’t very serious and conveys more of a chatty, informal conversational tone towards the reader.

Metal Hammer Contents Page Analysis

The Metal Hammer contents page has quite a neat house style as it is set into separate sections throughout each of the 3 pages. The spelling and use of grammar is formal suggesting it is aimed at an older, more mature target audience. It also has a formal, serious mode of address as the text doesn’t seem to be aimed to be friendly towards the reader and does not convey a chatty, informal tone. For metal hammer there are 3 whole pages that have been used for the contents showing that the magazine clearly has a lot of information inside if it needs 3 pages just for the contents. The space that is used provides the magazine to include more, bigger and better quality photographs, more text and therefore more information.

Each page shows typical connotations of a rock magazine as it has used the classic colour scheme of black, white and red emphasising the dark rock vibe. The use of mainly just black on the white background makes you focus on the actual contents of the page not just the appearance of the background, so the plain background doesn’t draw focus from what is actually important. There are some uses of white text for example on the title and on various page numbers which have a red background so that they are eye-catching and stand out from the rest of the ordinary text.

The main typography is simple but still effective as it attracts attention to the right areas, showing which areas could be most important. There are mainly three fonts which have been used, one large bold font for the title, headlines and sub headlines, one that is slightly more plain which has been used for the rest of the text and one that has only been used for the title. This suggests that the bolder font has been used to make the headlines and sub headlines stand out more and to suggest that they are of more importance. The headlines and sub headlines are also a bigger size font relating to the idea of making them more eye-catching than the rest of the text. The different font that has been used for the title conveys more of a dark gothic vibe and also has a red background that looks as if it is blood dripping down the page also suggesting a darker tone to the magazine. The page numbers in the column of page references are in a plain red font colour which is slightly bigger than the main text, making sure that they are noticed by the reader.

All three contents pages include lots of images, making the page more interesting and persuading the reader show an interest in what’s actually there. They also draw attention to the page as an image might be the first thing that a reader would notice and look for. The contents of the image also suggest a dark rock vibe from the appearance and facial expressions of the people featured in the photographs. The use of the drop cap on page two makes the first real section of writing stand out more than the rest as it is bigger and bolder. The use of language is both a mixture of formal and informal in different areas and aspects of the pages, on the first two pages a more informal, welcoming tone has been created to approach the reader in a friendly manner, whereas on the third page which includes the main list of contents, they still have this friendly manner but it is slightly more serious as it includes the real information that the reader needs to know.

NME Contents Page Analysis

The NME contents page’s house style has a good, neat layout as it is set out in set columns and clearly shows which photographs link with which pages. It has good use of grammar and spelling which sets a more formal tone to it. Each main feature is clearly shown with an image, small description and page number. The page number is the only text in a bold red colour drawing the reader to the individual sections therefore standing out from the plain black coloured text. The use of an image for each feature attracts attention to each section and persuades the reader to take an interest in each of the articles. Mostly the font is in capital letters so stand out and the page only seems to have had 2 fonts used so that it is not too in your face but still draws the right amount of attention to it, it is simple but effective. A plain white background has been used so that the main focus is on the individual features and does not overcrowd the clear, simple layout of the page. Also, by using a plain background, the reader will not be distracted by the background and can focus on what’s important about the page.

The title of the contents page is the largest boldest font used on the page showing its importance, it also draws attention so that it will be the first thing the reader looks at. A lot of the text is also in bold suggesting that these certain features have a higher status, whereas there is some text that is not in bold suggesting it is not quite as important to the other features that are in bold. Most of the sections include a pull quote from the artist featured in the article, this may have been done to give a taster of the article to the reader whilst persuading them to take an interest and continue to read on with the magazine. Most of the pull quotes are the text in bold, this links in with the suggestion that the text in bold is of more importance.

A filler has been used in the right had corner to advertise the reader to subscribe to NME magazine. The advertisement is in a bold red box attracting attention, it most likely has been advertised actually inside the cover of an NME magazine as if they have already bought one of their magazines, they are most likely to buy more so the advertisement is used to attract their target audience into buying more of their magazines.  The bright red colour also contrasts well with the plain white background of the page.

Kerrang Contents Page Analysis

The Kerrang contents page has a casual, laid-back house style as it creates a friendly approach to the reader as in the text it says ‘pretty cool gift, huh?’ this suggests that the magazine is trying to treat the reader as a friend. The use of colloquial language throughout the page, for example the caption for one of the images is ‘Nice hair, bro’ also suggests a friendly, jokey approach and suggests that the magazine is trying to target and appeal to a younger audience of young adults and teenagers. This mode of address also suggests that they are trying to get the reader to relate to the magazine and appeal to the readers interests. The contents page carries on with the tone from the front page as the page is very busy and crowded with lots of use of text, images and colours. The colour scheme is mainly black, yellow and red which give the page a clear easy layout. Each colour clearly shows a set function, the colour red has been used for all the page numbers, the yellow has been used with a black background for the sub headlines and the black has been used for the rest of the text. The names of the band featured in the article are in bold whereas the normal text underneath is not, separating the two and highlighting which articles are about which bands. This layout of the colour scheme helps the reader clearly distinguish what’s what.

The plain white background doesn’t draw attention from the main features of the page and also makes the title of the page stand out. The title is bold and written in white with a big black background, the use of the black on white colours contrast with each other separating the title from the normal text on the rest of the page. There is a lot of use of capital letters mainly for the headlines and sub headlines whereas the rest of the text is in lower case letters, this makes the headlines and sub headlines stand out so that they can clearly be recognised as the most important part of each section.

The photographs and big numbers on the 3 main features draw attention to the main focus of the magazine. The largest photograph is for the band Sleeping with Sirens, this band is the feature article photograph on the front cover suggesting that they are the main feature of this issue of the magazine therefore showing their importance by continuing to make them the main feature on the contents page; this also appeals to the target audience as they may have bought the magazine because they were a fan of that particular band. A kicker has also been used for ‘Hello readers’ for the purposes of attracting interest to the reader. The typography is black, bold and is in capital letters, these features link in well with the purpose of the kicker.

Metal Hammer Front Cover Analysis

The feature article photograph is placed in front of the masthead giving the impression that the photograph is the main focus of the magazine and that the magazine may be well known. There is not much use of text on the front cover linking in with the idea to draw most of the attention onto the man in the photograph. The three main colours used in the feature article photograph are black, blue and white. The colour scheme that has been used for the text is red and white which are both bold eye-catching colours that contrast with the dark background of the stage in the photograph. The typography that has been used is a thick bold font which combined with the bright colours, attracts the attention of the reader drawing in people to buy the magazine. A bold red font has been used for the masthead that is not one solid block colour as it has slightly darker patches of colour in it which gives a slightly rough edge to the text. The word ‘metal’ appears to be cut out of the letter H in hammer so is shown in black from the dark background, this also gives a rough edge to the masthead. The plug at the top of the cover is bright white instead of red like all the other text therefore draws attention to itself and therefore the magazine as a whole.

There is only one member of the band ‘Metallica’ out of 4, suggesting that he is the most important member as he is the only one featured on the cover. The overall appearance of the main member in the feature article photograph gives off a rock vibe to the magazine as he appears to be playing guitar on stage in front of a crowd. His facial expression suggests he is singing/shouting out the words giving the impression that the music he is playing must be loud and noisy. Also, he is wearing all black which adds to the dark rock vibe of the cover, this colour also makes the text colour they have used stand out. The band members’ left hand is very slightly blurred compared to the rest of the image as he is playing the guitar suggesting the fast pace at which he is playing the song, also suggesting the song is upbeat and loud. The position of the man also suggests that he is moving at a fast pace and that he is moving quickly because of the loud upbeat music therefore is not just standing still in the same place.

The use of the glowing bright white on the guitar and the cross contrasts with the dark setting of the photograph and the cross links in with the ‘The heavy metal bible’ suggesting that the magazine to rock music fans is what the bible is to religious people. This idea also emphasises the importance and how sacred the magazine is to rock fans, suggesting that they must buy it if it’s as important as the bible. Although dark colours have been used, the glowing light furthermore brightens the photograph as a whole, making it stand out more and giving it a glow that may be more noticeable against other magazines.

NME Front Cover Analysis

The feature article photograph for this issue of NME includes all four members of the main band the magazine is focusing on. Each member is tilting their head towards the camera apart the man at the back, who appears to be facing away from the camera. This could suggest that he is the least important member of the band as he is the only one looking away. However, it could also suggest that he doesn’t seem to care that much, creating a laid back attitude to the magazine and therefore the band. Although as the other band members are looking towards the camera it suggests that they have a more serious attitude towards the band and are serious about being ‘back with a bang’. Each member in the feature article photograph is wearing a pair of sunglasses suggesting importance and implying they have a high status. To further add to the implication of importance, the photograph has been shot with a slightly low angle shot creating the impression that you are slightly looking up at them, as if they are more important than everyone else as they are looking down at you. In the photograph they are not particularly wearing bold bright colours so does not give out a loud noisy impression of hard-core rock music. They are wearing subtle darker toned clothing that contrasts with the off-white background that has been used; this therefore makes these colours stand out much more without needing to be too colourful. Although the colours used are not particularly bright, the contrast of the image is high and a good quality photograph has been used so makes the cover stand out, attracting attention to the magazine.

The white background and darker colours of the clothes also make the plugs and puffs stand out as each piece of text has either white writing, bright yellow or bright red. This makes them more noticeable and eye catching. The use of these colours doesn’t overcrowd the cover or make it too complicated to read. It makes the text a lot easier to focus on as it is not right in your face so is purely drawing in attention to which parts are most important. The fonts used on all the features on the cover are a similar font but not the same size, implying that the most important things are in a bigger font to attract attention.

The layout of the magazine is fairly straight forward as although the masthead is the biggest font on the cover, it has pretty much the same font used as the all other text and is not necessarily the thing that stands out most suggesting that it is a well-known popular magazine so doesn’t really need to be. The alliteration used in the cover line ‘Back with a bang’ emphasises the ‘bang’ suggesting that them coming back is going to big like an explosion and stands out as a bomb would. The ‘back’ and ‘bang’ are the same font as the rest of the cover line but these two words are made to stand out as a slightly bigger font has been used. To attract further attention to this, the bold white colour has been used to be noticeable against the rest of the text. The bold white text also emphasises the importance of the main cover lines. The same bold white text has been used on ‘Look! Free Franz Ferdinand CD’ to also express importance. The exclamation mark used on the ‘Look!’ is the only exclamation mark used throughout the whole cover showing its importance and drawing in attention to the free CD. The puff ‘free’ and ‘CD’ however are not in white; they are in a bold red drawing the reader in to make you buy the magazine and focusing in on the free CD. The puff ‘Plus’ is also in red attracting the reader to the magazine and trying to persuade you to buy it suggesting that it is filled with information that you could be the first one to know if you buy it.

The use of the lights around the arrows and in the reflection of the mans glasses suggest importance and high status as they symbolise the lights that a big Hollywood movie star might have around their dressing room mirrors. The overall tone of the magazine suggests a serious tone towards being ‘back with a bang’ as if their comeback will be taken seriously and will be big and important as if they are not just messing around

Kerrang Front Cover Analysis

The feature article photograph is positioned in front of the masthead at the top of the front cover suggesting that the magazine is well known so doesn’t need to show the name of the magazine as much as other magazines would that aren’t very well known. The position of the man in the middle of the photograph has connotations that he is the main person in the band and is of most importance. Likewise, the use of the megaphone suggests the idea of sirens and loud noises, this idea is also suggested by the circles that are projected from the middle of the page echoing the volume of noise coming out of the megaphone. The facial expression shown also shown by the main person links in with the idea that they are trying to create the impression of a loud noisy environment as it looks like he is shouting. This appeals to the target audience as it is aimed at individuals who are into listening to loud rock music. This target audience would also be drawn to the bold vibrant colours used throughout the front cover. The tone of the magazine gives the overall impression that the magazine is packed with information about all the bands that are featured on the front cover due to the lack of use of negative space as the page is very overcrowded and filled up with photographs, text and colour.

The style of the magazine is made to be very eye catching due to the use of colour and layout. The colour scheme of this issue of Kerrang! is mainly red, yellow white and black. The use of the colours red and yellow make the cover stand out as they are both bold vibrant colours so draws in attention to the magazine. The use of the plug ‘Revealed! Fall out boy’s secret album!’ is used to draw in the reader to make it sound as if no one else knows and to try to convince people to buy the magazine to find out more about their secret album. The font that has been used is mainly the same, which is bold capital letters which also creates the impression of loud noises and shouting. This is also shown by the continuous use of exclamation marks on a lot of the text on the front cover. The masthead also has an exclamation mark and has a jagged, ripped look to it adding to the loud noisy tone of the magazine.

 

Besides the feature article photograph there are three other smaller images featured on the cover, this gives you more information on the bands and information inside the magazine but does not draw focus from the main band as it stands out a lot more. The majority of people on the cover of the magazine are wearing black, linking in with the colour scheme so it mixes in well with the rest of the cover. The alignment of the text has not all been set flush left or flush right it has a mixture of both with some text going across the middle of the page therefore is a lot more eye catching. The text also is not set on a straight line and is slightly wonky expressing a care free, informal attitude suggesting that the reader will not care how the magazine looks as if they are only interested in the thing that is most important, the music. Overall this magazine gives off an impression that it is for readers who are interested in loud up-beat music and bands.

School Magazine Contents Page

School Magazine Front Cover

School Magazine Evaluation

Throughout the process of creating my magazine, there are a number of areas which I think I could have improved, made adjustments to and made look more realistic to what most professional magazines look like.

Some of the areas I could improve on are features such as the masthead. I chose to use a fairly simple thin text that does not particularly attract the most attention whereas a lot of professional magazines use a thick bold font to make the title stand out to the reader encouraging them to buy the magazine. I have used the puff ‘exclusive interviews with the students’ on the cover of my magazine to boost its status and attract the audience.

The quality of my feature article photograph could definitely be improved as the quality of the photo is not very good and is slightly blurred in some areas. The photographs used in professional magazines are usually a lot better quality, appeal to the target audience and usually give an overall impression to the reader of what type of article is going to be in that issue of the magazine, for example its genre could be rock, pop or classic. I could also have edited the photograph to make the colours bolder and more contrasting as it has a dull tone to it and doesn’t stand out as much as it should if it were a professional magazine.

Most music magazines tend to stick to the colour scheme of red, black and white in terms of the text, whereas I have mainly stuck with various shades of blue, black and white. The shades of blue I choose mix well with the background image I have used as they are similar colours as the top worn by the student in the photo but do not contrast with it therefore the plugs do not stand out very well. The darker colours that have darker outlines to do not attract attention as well as a plain black or white bold font would do on a coloured background.

In my magazine the demographics represent a smart happy student that is aimed at any aged student who is interested in learning more about the school. It is aimed at both genders and gives the impression that as the student in the photograph shows a smart appearance and happy facial expression it’s suggesting that this could be you if you show take an interest in the magazine and school. I have used a plain brick wall for the background whereas a lot of magazines would use a certain background to provide a meaning or give an impression to the reader about the article. It does not particularly have a certain social group but focuses more on appealing to students instead of a certain class.

I have also used various different features to attract the audience to the magazine such as the feature article photograph. The photograph I have used may appeal to the target audience as it is aimed at students who are looking for information in the school therefore appeals to these students due to the student on the front creating a good impression.  I have also used bold outlines around the text to make the plugs stand out, although as an improvement I could have stuck to a stricter colour scheme as I think this would have created more of an impression and could have looked a lot more professional. I also think that I could improve on my photoshop skills as there were a few areas that could have been better. For example on my contents page I could have taken more time to carefully cut around the image more accurately as it has not been done very well and you can still see parts of the image that should have been cut out. Another improvement I could have made would be to use a more interesting font as the font I used throughout the cover and contents page was very plain and didn’t stand out very much.

Through the process of constructing my magazine I have learnt using technologies how to use certain aspects of photoshop for example how to put filters on text and how to import images from files into photoshop. Also I learnt how to put a box around the text and change its opacity to create a background for the text without the image being completed covered up.