Feature article analysis 1

For my second feature article analysis, I have chosen a page from the magazine "NME". NME is a indie/rock magazine that is published by the well-known, popular company "IPC". With a circulation of 33,875, NME caters for predominantly males at the mean age of 23.  

When analysing this feature article, 2009, there are many features and techniques combined together to create the most appropriate magazine for the target audience chosen. I would suggest by looking at this feature page that the publisher has attempted to aim this magazine for individuals aged between 18-30. In my own personal opinion, I would say that the magazine suits both genders for the reason of Lily Allen's appearance. In stereotypical female magazines, the most dominant female model’s appearance will be a tight fitting dress, skirts, long blonde hair and plenty of “natural” make-up. In spite of this, Lily Allen has been dressed in a baggy, men's shirt, covering up her bare skin, with short black hair and black eye make-up. In contrast, it is likely that there will be female viewers that are into the rock and roll life style and prefer to be seen in the same light as Lily Allen's appearance.

On the other hand,  the magazine suits men by virtue of the style of the writing. It is stereotypical that all men have untidy writing and that they do not take pride in their own written work. Due to this assumption, the producer has matched the uneven piece of writing that is far too big for the page to associate the magazine with a male figure. As addition to this, the font style, the context of the sentence, along with Lily Allen's body language and size of the photograph also creates a sense of rebellion. The likely viewer of NME will be an individual that will listen to rock and roll, indie music and may be classed as an insubordinate individual. Not only has the headline been highlighted with the unusual font style, but the writing, “Lily Allen” has been altered from black to red and copied the style to outline the similarity between the model and the rebellious signifier.

Linking in with the idea of colours, there are three main colours used in the magazine. These are white, red and black. Whilst the background is a simple, sophisticated shade of white, the writing overlapping is a contrasting black. White and black are two colours used to prove seriousness, elegance, and used to determine temperatures. I feel that these colours have been used to suggest the colours that would best suit an individual who will be viewing the magazine. White and Black are often used to emphasise love and hate combined together (“Yin and Yang”). 

On the other hand, red has been used to overpower the calm colours and to create an eye catching picture to state the main focal point on the feature page. Red is often used as a signifier of danger or passion. Both of these themes could be appropriate for this article as shown in Lily Allens facial expressions. Whilst the image of Lily Allen and her name are the only objects shown in red, the audience’s eyes are guided towards the main theme of the feature page and can then determine whether or not they would like to read the article.   

The text provided on the article is divided into four equal columns. The magazine has been organised for the ease of reading and to prove that the magazine is not the equivalent of a formal newsletter. This will persuade younger audiences to promote the magazine which will confidently increase the amount of people reading the magazine and then lead to he magazine gaining money. The font used is another technique used to help all ages ranging from as young as 16 to ages over 40. The font used is a typical conventional style of writing that is used within many different magazines and used throughout NME. We are introduced to the text with a drop capital.  A drop capital is used to prompt the beginning of long pieces of writing and to guide the audiences eyes to the appropriate section that is needed for their interest. Whilst creating an enticing piece of writing by the small quantity, all of the appropriate information has been squeezed into the four columns to give the audience enough knowledge on the music and featured subject to intentionally brainwash the audience to buy another. 

Feature page analysis 2

For my chosen feature article, I have taken a page out of a music magazine, "Vibe". Vibe magazine specialises in the publication of promoting the latest entertainers in the R&B and hip hop genre related lifestyle. After already analysing a front cover from Vibe's company, I feel I have a better understanding on their targets and feel that analysing one of their feature pages will give me further knowledge into the designing stage of my own magazine. 

Although many feature articles focus their main matter on detailed, conspicuous images, this magazine has specifically created a professional feeling by depicting, thorough writing as the main focus.Within the article, there are three columns of writing, placed orderly across the first page, followed by another column of writing on the second page being divided by the main image of "Solange Knowles". Between the end two sections of writing, a quote has been written stating “It’s no fun to feel like I have to audition for everyone or be put out on display for folks to say I strategically put on feather eyelashes just to be different. I just want people to fall back and enjoy the music.” By virtue of this quote, the audience are able to understand how media is affecting Solange’s life and we then begin to feel empathy for her. Whilst relating to her quote, the audience then gains a connection with the story and then the viewer will feel that she is speaking directly to them. The quote has been edited into a bold format to stand out from the rest of the writing to outline change. Due to this, the viewer will generally read this section first, which may suggest why the publisher has included such an enticing piece of writing to then get the audience to read the whole article.

Although the written text is from a personal view, the quote is written by the subject, Solange Knowles, which persuades the audience that the article is reliable enough for somebody so famous and such an icon to many women to be associated with the magazine.

 There are four main colours used in the feature article. These are black, white, blue and red. Black, white and blue are colours that are usually associated with cold, bland and original subjects. To create a more eye catching image, the producer of the magazine has used an illuminated red on Solange Knowles’ dress onto the bland background to be attractive towards both females and males, as found that red is the colour that is visually first seen. Automatically, this colour will usually be a companion with romance, passion and socialism.  The colours used on the feature page are very much similar to the appearance of the contents page. I feel that this has been added to create a sense of unity within the whole magazine and show sophistication, reliability and identity.

What I find most powerful, is the black and white images showing Solange Knowles as an outgoing, mischievous woman, whereas the larger, coloured image is portraying her as an innocent, quiet woman. This technique introduces the magazine to be presented as fun and leaves option to opinions for the viewer to decide their views on Solange Knowles herself. These seven images, aligned at the top of the article are long shots of  Solange Knowles posing in many different positions, showing her full outfit. I feel that doing this is presenting Solange as a beautiful, envied woman who is being exposed to such an extent that women begin to examine how perfect she is and read about her as a person.The eighth photograph of her is in contrast, much larger, further down the page and in colour. All of the images shown are for the viewer’s identification of the artist and for easy access of clearly stating what kind of mood the article is speculating without having to analyse the text. Another way that the audience will be able to state what they’re about to read beforehand is the use of “Solange Knowles” being highlighted by a sudden change of font colour from black to blue. 

Unusually, in this feature article, there has been no drop cap added. This feature is usually added to guide users through the text and mark important articles for the audience to easily read. By virtue of not including a drop cap, I would suggest that "Quincy Jones", the producer of the magazine has done this because the article has been split into equal sections and is a piece of text that would likely be an easy magazine to read.

The font used in the magazine is kept to the same, Sans Serif, all the way through the feature page. This particular style has been chosen due to the established usage by many viewers said to have found this font most manifest. Whilst the writing and images are clearly organised in sections, at the top of the page there are five black lines that have been used to separate the text from the black and white images. Quincy Jones has thoroughly thought this method through and been confident to create cohesion within the magazine.

The target audience for the magazine will generally be from ages 18-35 year old males and females.
Whilst the sophistication proves that the age range will most likely be mature adults, a quote from the text reads “..apparently with a middle finger..” which will predominantly be of interest to middle aged individuals or students rather than younger or elder generations. 

Preliminary task: Contents page

Preliminary task: Front cover

College magazine questionnaire analysis

After creating a suitable questionnaire that would give me an advantage to designing an ideal college magazine cover for students, I analysed 20 questionnaire’s that were filled in by students from East Norfolk College and came to a conclusion. 

The first question asked was designed to help me understand what gender the college magazine will predominantly be directed at. 55% of the students who filled in my questionnaire were female, and 45% were male. Considering the percentage is almost 50/50, I will design my front cover to suit both genders.

For the second question, I asked the students whether they would accept paying for a college magazine. 70% of the people asked rejected the offer and said they didn’t think it was worth it. I feel that because of this, it would be more suitable to hand out the college magazine for free. I think this idea would be ideal so that more people will have access to the magazine and the information within the magazine will be read.

Due to more people confirming that they definitely would not want to purchase a college magazine, I asked the students what would encourage them into buying one. From this question, I collected a range of ideas such as free stuff, music and college information.

For the next question, I was interested to see how many students read their college emails. Fortunately, 80% of the students asked said that they do. This means that the college magazine can be promoted via students emails, making it likely that they will read the information provided and acknowledge the magazine.

50% of students said they would prefer the magazine to be published each month. This makes publishing the magazine a lot simpler and gives the college time to produce the magazines.

The seventh question was asking whether students would be interested in contributing towards the magazine. Despite the small amount of students, 25%, accepting to provide help for the publisher, it is still promising that the college magazine will gain ideas from different people.

The kind of information that people suggested would be ideal for the college magazine included music, trips, sports, events and gossip. All of this information was mentioned by more than one student, making it promising that it will be attractive to many students.

Additionally, for the front cover, suggestions such as bright colours and images of students holding college related objects taken by media students were said to be most effective.

Lastly, when asked, 100% of students noted that they do not read the current college magazine. This tells me that the magazine is not reaching the correct target audience and the product is not working. To create the ideal college magazine, I will take all of the above information into account.

College Magazine Questionnaire

1)      Are you male or female?

2)      Are you happy to pay for a student magazine?

3)      What would encourage you to buy a student magazine?

4)      Do you regularly check your college emails?

5)      How often would you like a college magazine published? (circle one)

Fortnight             Month                  Half Term            Term

6)      Would you be interested in contributing to the magazine?

7)      List 3 things you would like to see in the college magazine: 

1)

2)

3)

8)      What would appeal to you as a front cover?

9)      Do you read the college magazine?

College magazine cover analysis

mFor my preliminary task, I have chosen a college magazine front cover to analyse to then get a better understanding on the typical conventions that are used to design a detailed, immaculate magazine that will help to promote college lifestyles.
 
The main image, positioned central to the magazine has been chosen to suggest the target audience of college students that the magazine is designed for. By using a male student as oppose to the stereotypical female, I feel that this may promote hard working individuals and how hardworking, male students can still look "cool" when holding books.  The clothing that he is wearing is both professional and appropriate for the main subject. By wearing black and white clothes, I feel that this also suggests that he is stereotypically intelligent. Another way that he is shown to be a college student is by holding the many books that he is reading, outlining the subjects he has chosen. As well as proving to be a college magazine, this technique is also promoting the subjects that he has chosen to study.

As oppose to the professional main use of black and white, yellow and pink have both been included to show the audience that the magazine is suited for both gender groups. For the background, it has been completely layered with black. I feel that due to this, the publisher has been able to use striking fonts such as white and yellow that also enabled the writing to overlap the images. There are many different types of fonts used. By doing this, I feel that the magazine shows creativity and clearly outlines the separate pieces of writing for easy reading. All of the writing included is to do with the college “lifestyle”, meaning that it is appropriate and insightful. This magazine has been designed in order to provide nervous, new-comers with the essential information they need about college. Another way that the magazine provides this subtle help is by the model on the front cover and the positive facial expression that he is proving, expressing happiness. This gives the audience a cheerful and positive attitude towards the magazine and will associate happiness with college life.

Other features such as the date, bar-code  price and website are written in more subtle, small writing that shows the lack of relevance but is still there to provide as much information and help towards the student as possible. 

Contents page analysis 1

When analysing the cover page of “Q” magazine, the first feature that I notice is the main image. The viewer is instantly drawn to the scenery surrounding the band “Courteeners” proving to be set in a deserted island in the countryside. The image has been captured as a low angled shot, emphasising the look of superiority within the band in comparison to the rest of the world.  It is clear to see that the depth of field has been kept to a low number to enable a sharp image of the band members whilst the background is made to look foggy, grainy and dull. The band members are wearing casual outfits, showing the level of relaxation and up to date music to the viewers. Focusing on the orientation, facial expressions and general mise-en-scene of the image, the band has portrayed themselves as magnificent, powerful and appealing.

The colour scheme of the magazine has been kept to three main colours, red, black and white. The images shown have been made to stand out with a tiny use of blue, purple, green and grey to grab the reader’s attention.  For this section, the review has been written about a different artist, showing differentiation between the two bands whilst including a more visually appealing contents page. Black and white are two colours used to keep a clear, easily read, bold piece of writing. These colours keep the contents page clear and easily read whilst using colours that resemble the main bands genre. Furthermore, a professional look is given to the contents page by not over powering the page with too many bright colours that may suggest a lower level of maturity.  The use of red has been used to highlight key words and bullet numbering to clearly underline the page numbers so that the audience can find what they’re interested in reading. I feel that the producer of the magazine has specifically chosen red because it’s an outgoing, bright colour that alerts people to then have an interest in the contents. The colour scheme for the contents page is the same colours used for the front cover of Q magazine. I feel that this is to show a sense of unity within the whole magazine. Lastly, the “Oasis Special!” has been written in gold to emphasise the difference between this and the rest of the magazine, showing superiority.

The writing on the contents sheet has been kept to a minimum to keep the reader interested. The use of bullet points and separated sections makes it easier for the viewer to see what they want to and have the choice of reading different sections after seeing the subheading. The writing has been written in capital letters to create the feel of urgency and excitement whilst the font has been chosen so it is easily read so it is less likely that elder audiences will not get the chance to read it. This is also encouraged by increasing the font size to 12/14, however, the writing that has been sectioned off under their appropriate subheadings has been changed to a size that is difficult to read. This has been done to give the audience enough persuasion to open the correct page number and find out more information with added promotional adverts on that specific page. 

Q magazine’s masthead stay’s fixed within every issue. The Masthead has been included at the top left and centered bottom of the contents page to create the feel of unity once again. At the bottom left of the page is a section that is designed to show all of the features that are included in a Q Magazine each month. This is to show the regulars of the magazine to persuade audiences to subscribe into purchasing the magazine each month without fail.
For further information on Q magazine, two email addresses have been included at the top of the page whilst the “G Mail” has been noted further down the magazine with the page number listed. Lastly, there are different shades of grey used as shading for the background colour. The colour descends lighter as the text comes to an end.

Contents page analysis 2

Within "Kerrang!" magazine, I found a contents page that I found most inspired me with ideas and techniques that I can include in my own contents page later on. There are six photographs used within the page, filling almost ¾ of the space given. The main image has been clearly outlined by the producer of the magazine to assemble which order the viewer will analyse the photographs. This image has been enlarged; four times the size of the other 5 images to create a sense of importance. Having an array of different camera angles such as close ups, medium close ups, low angled shots and establishing shots, portrays each emotional value attached to each photograph which gives the viewer an insight into the kind of music that the artist plays. Additionally, the appearance of the 6 band images always relate to the genre of music that Kerrang is based around. The images show the “rock and roll” side of the band members, emphasising enjoyment and entertainment. 

The colour scheme of the article has stuck to three dominant colours, yellow, grey and black. These colours have been used so that they can be attracted by both males and females which will promise more magazines to be sold in the long run. The use of bright yellow has been placed overlaying the black background of the masthead to prove contrast. These colours are often associated with caution signs, which may suggest that the producer has created this effect to show excitement, shock and a bombshell ready to be exploded within the article. After research, I have found that the “Contents page” appearance always stays in the same position with the same font, however changes size, depending on the amount of text and images on the specific article.

At the top left of the article, shows a paragraph written by the chief editor.  Although this section has been organised into a small formation, it is the largest part of writing produced on the contents page. Having read the editors comment, the viewer will automatically feel a connection between themselves and the editor whilst getting the vibe that they are being directly spoken to. The signature at the end of the paragraph gives the article a professional look whilst the extra image of a previous Kerrang! Magazine gives further promotional advantages.  On the other hand, the previous magazine has been introduced to link ideas between the two magazines.  This connects the youth of the target audience to the band members mentioned, introducing involvement.

The layout of the contents page has been designed to create an organised, tidy look. The different sections have been set out as if to look like a professional newspaper or on the other hand, a typographic grid. This makes the magazine easy to understand and read whilst the page numbers and subheadings have been neatly arranged to make it elementary for the audience to find the section that they’re most interested in. The subheadings arranged to the right of the page, clearly state “this week”. This promotional technique shows the audience that the magazine is available each week for purchasing. The producer hopes that achieving this advertisement will increase the amount of viewers each week, as they can subscribe to the magazine with ease.

At the top right of the magazine, is a quote written by Kirk Hammett from Metallica. This is a selling point for the audience by proving that the magazine is well known by famous artists. The comical side to the quote makes the article high spirited whilst keeping the reader interested by having a well-known music artist comment on the article.

Lastly, the magazine does not include the “Kerrang!” masthead. Usually, a magazine will use the same masthead that is used on the front cover, on their contents page. This would be to introduce a sense of unity within the magazine. Unfortunately, Kerrang! has not done this. I feel this may be to include more important details such as date lines, selling lines, barcodes and main cover lines. 

Magazine cover analysis 1

"Q" magazine, 1986, is a privately owned brand, published by "Bauer". Specialising around rock and roll, Q features the biggest artists at the time, mentioning intriguing gossip including album reviews, new artists and yearly biggest moments in music. Having a circulation of 64,596, male readers dominate the females by having a whopping 67.2% of the readers, male. 

Within this specific issue that I chose to review, there are a number of different aspects included that mean the target audience of people aged between 15-24 are allured to purchase the magazine. 
The masthead of Q magazine always stays the same, being presented as a red square with a white "Q" positioned central to it. As addition to this, the positioning and size of the masthead will always be the same in each issue, meaning that it will always be placed top left. In some issues, the masthead is covered up by the main image, leaving only half of the Q showing. As this brand of magazine is instantly recognisable in society, the publishers feel that it is acceptable to do this, meaning that other more important features can be larger. In this case, the main image of "Cheryl Cole" has been positioned behind the masthead, meaning that the brand is the main focal point. I feel that in this situation, Cheryl Cole has been placed behind the masthead to show the audience the connection between such a pop/mainstream singer and the rock magazine. 


In the main image, Cheryl Cole has been made to look seductive towards its audience. I feel that this is more of a persuasion for males to approach this magazine and purchase it. Being photographed in such a way that shows her standing in the rain with heavy make -up on shows lack of realism and how unlikely it would be to look so perfect in such bad weather. From this knowledge, I feel that the audience have time to shed light on how perfect she is and due to this, both males and females will be persuaded to view the magazine. Cheryl Cole is a pop artist that is usually associated with dresses, beautiful hair, perfect make up and colourful clothing. Whilst viewing this image, this information isn't shown through her visual appearance. I feel that due to this, the audience can associate with changing their appearance and being whatever they choose to be. 

Not only is this image the only one on the cover, but it has been placed central to the magazine and is almost filling the entire page. The selling lines, cover lines and date line’s have all been dotted around the image to fill in any extra space, keeping it busy and visually interesting.

The main cover line on this particular magazine is “3 words, CHERYL COLE ROCKS”.  The writing has been emphasised with larger writing than the other writing surrounding it as addition to the straight forward, san serif font that is easy to read. This has been done to attract the viewers eye contact into looking at the main objective of the magazine. This is the first section of writing that the audience will usually look at, which means it needs to be likable and interesting for the age/gender group aimed for. Another way that this selling line has been promoted is by the bold colours that create unity throughout the cover. 

There are four predominant colours used throughout the front cover including red, black, grey and white. I feel that these four colours are extremely dominant to the human eye, meaning that they are easily appealing to many people in society. It is said that red is the first colour that babies are able to see, which may suggest that we are reluctant to be interested in objects that have red included. Black and white are both sophisticated, artistic colours that are used to emphasise contrasts of toning. This has been used mainly on the main image to create a “rocker” feel to the magazine. However, the use of red has been used once on Cheryl Cole’s lips to show the beauty within the music.

The layout of the text has been organised in a way that means it can be easily identified whilst complimenting the rest of the magazine. Each separate piece of information has it's own corner and is highlighted with rectangular boxes around them. On the right side of the magazine, all of the information has been colour coded to outline certain words, phrases and names, making it easier to pick out the key words and identify the main subject matter within the magazine. 

Magazine cover analysis 2

"Vibe" music magazine is a privately owned brand, published by "Inter-media partners". Focusing mostly around hip hop and R&B, Vibe magazine specialises around making the known and the unknown celebrities of today acknowledged by keeping the audience up to date with trendsetting, upcoming festivals, fashion shows, film premieres and celebrity gossip in general. Other subjects such as lifestyle and new media are also included to suit the specific genre and target audience for the magazine. Predominantly, this specific magazine targets males 10% more than females and is bought by individuals aged 21+. Being priced at $4.99 per copy, Vibe has a circulation of 300,000.

When studying a particular issue of Vibe magazine, there are many visual techniques that they use to enable their genre to be identified whilst targeting their chosen audience by using eye-catching, imaginative colours, fonts, sizes, language used, general mise-en-scene of the main image and positioning. In this issue, the designer has decided to focus on life style rather than a predominant gender. If I hadn't have researched into the magazine brand beforehand, I would have suggested by the front cover that it was targeted for both males and females at the age of  18+. 

On the front cover of this magazine, there are three main colours used; orange, white and black. The most visually clear colour code for this issue is orange. The masthead has been made to match the colour of the artist "Nicki Minaj's" hair whilst using other additional sections of the cover such as her name and the page number to also show as being the most valid information. As oppose to this, The outfit that the star is wearing matches the background colour, white, a colour usually associated with purity, freshness, innocence and cleanliness.
Due to the little colour used in the magazine, I feel that it portrays a sign of professionalism whilst making the main image stand out and be the focal point on the cover. The sophistication that is shown on the cover may also suggest the typical reader of the magazine's social class. Having noticed this, I would further access that the magazine has targeted working class/middle class. Another way that this could be shown is by the lack of information that is given away. By doing this, it shows that the person to purchase this magazine will be more interested in the information within the magazine rather than the decorative side to media. 

The most vital information on the magazine has been outlined clearly by the colour scheme as addition to the size of the font, opposing to the small, less significant writing. These parts aim to give the reader a clearer understanding on what is within the magazine without giving too much away/ too less. By doing this, the reader will be able to understand whether they're interested in purchasing the magazine without having to look inside. Due to this method of working, designing the magazine and being involved in the product creation means that they have control over how effective the selling lines are and whether their target audience will be persuaded enough to purchase it.

Another feature on the cover that the designer will have to focus on are the different fonts used. In this issue, there are three different fonts that have been deliberately used in different places. The masthead's font is unique to all of the other fonts, making it clear as to what the significant information is. This has also been maximized to an extent that it is stretched from one side of the magazine to the other, making it clearly visible for people to see from afar and close up. The other bits of smaller information, including "Why is Drake so angry?" and "SHAQ UNCENSORED" have been written using an ordinary, san serif font that is clear and easy for all age groups to understand. The last font used in "Notorious K.I.N.G"  is a funky, interesting style that shows the reader that the magazine isn't always serious and can be fun. 

The main image has been captured as a medium long shot, photographing all of the important aspects that are needed for the front cover. Nicki Minaj has been asked to pull a serious face whilst striking a modest, confident pose that suggests that she is intelligent, satisfied and somewhat superior than her audience. Despite this suggestion, I feel that her pose may provoke female audiences to follow her lead and idealise her image. By Nicki Minaj having her hands on her hips, this pose further shows her sophistication which could suggest the contents within the magazine following the same rule and being written cleverly with useful information that will be helpful and favoured. 

The general clothing of the model has been made to prove the same appearance, sophistication. The jewellery, tiara, expensive dress, perfectly curled hair and beautiful complexes, suggest her upper class social background  whilst subtly showing off her large amount of money. Any audience that is familiar with her work and favour her as artist will see the large image of her on the cover and automatically be drawn towards purchasing the magazine. Using such a well-known, interesting and unique celebrity such as Nicki minaj means that the majority of audiences will know who she is and have an opinion on the cover. One way or another, audiences will pick up the magazine to view the contents. 
After being well-known as a slightly peculiar music artist, Nicki Minaj has clearly been made to look like a flawless model, using up to date make-up, complimenting clothes and rich, curled hair. As oppose to her normal appearance, I feel that she looks dramatically different which is interesting to visually see as a musical interested audience. The make-up used on her face has been drawn to by using another slightly less obvious colour, pink. This has been used to outline her lips, cheek bones and eyes which then contrast with the rest of the magazine, showing prominence. 

All of the selling lines and cover lines have been made incredibly vague by not giving away the main gossip that people are waiting to hear. I feel that this has been done because the publisher wants to keep the audience in suspense and be intrigued enough to buy the magazine.  When buying magazines, a lot of people feel that reading this information means that they know a lot more about celebrity lifestyles than others, feeling proud and as if they are connecting with the chosen celebrity. 

The small details such as the bar-code and email addresses have been placed discreetly in the left hand corner. This has been done to show the irrelevance of the little details that are made to be there in comparison to the contents of the magazine that the producers have chosen to include.

Lastly, the eye contact that Nicki Minaj is giving creates the feeling that we are being called out personally to buy the magazine as she looks straight at us.

Magazine cover analysis 3

“Kerrang!” is a mass market magazine that is specifically aimed towards younger audiences. Being published by the acclaimed company,"Bauer", the magazine is a successful brand that has a circulation of around 40,000. Predominantly,  Kerrang magazine targets males at around the age of 20. If I were to suggest the reason behind this theory, I feel that it is due to the general genre that the magazine focuses on and how students have a larger interest in the latest rock music, concerts and top fashion tips as oppose to elder, upper class individuals. Within the magazine, the typical artists age group that have been specifically publicised are around the age of 20-30 and predominantly male. This creates a connection between the students and artists and suggests that it is appropriate for the students to purchase.
Students of around 20 are people who are likely to be in university or continuing into further education. These students will usually have their own flats that are based central to a city that are near the likely shops that sell Kerrang Magazine, making it easily accessible for the target audience. 
When I first look at the magazine, I am instantly drawn to the main image. Having placed the photograph central to the frame, the other less important sub headings and advertisement labels have been scattered around the outskirts to fill in any unnecessary gaps whilst using persuasive, enticing quotes that suit the target audiences humour and interests. The lead singer of “Biffy Clyro” has been photographed closer to the camera than his other band members. I feel this has been done to give the viewer an insight into the superiority within the band and outlining who the central band member is, showing importance. Although they’re all in the same band, the lead singer (Simon Neil) will always be centre to the image. Another way of reading this image is to understand that Simon Neil is wearing a white hoody as oppose to the other men wearing black shirts. Simon Neil is clearly distinguished by his long brown hair, followed by his bushy brown beard whilst in contrast, both James Johnston (bass, vocals) and Ben Johnston (drums, vocals) are fair skinned, ginger haired men. This whole image is emphasising leadership within a band and simply showing the audience who is in control. 

The main cover line on the magazine is “Unfold the puzzle of life.” Whilst studying the band member’s facial expressions, it is clear that they’re linking their suggestive faces in with the thought of solving a problem. Simon Neil is showing his body language as thoughtful and intriguing whilst giving direct eye contact to the viewer. This gives the reader the feeling of involvement whilst reading the sub headings that suggest participation. On the other hand, the cover line has been used a pun on their already well-known album “Puzzle”. 

The masthead on Kerrang Magazine is always either black or white and shown to have been smashed to pieces. This effect has been produced to emphasise the theme of rock. In a rock concert, actions implying band members smashing up their instrument whilst performing is often created to introduce riots. On the other hand, when music has been raised to an extreme volume, it is possible for objects made from glass to crack and smash. Having the masthead shown as cracked will create the feeling of loud music and heavy emotions, showing the young youth of the magazine and their unrestrained mannerisms. Due to the publicity of the Magazine, Kerrang has been produced for 21 years. After proving to be known by the world, the masthead is often partly covered up by the main image, as shown. By doing this, other more important features on the magazine can overlap the regulars, proving the publishers effort to design and create a unique issue each month.

There are three colours used on the front cover of the magazine; these are black, white and red. Black and white are two colours put together to help define what an image is saying. These colours are used in art forms for a simpler way of reading an image which I would say, provides a sharper and prominent photograph. Black and white is a cheaper way of producing magazines and due to this; I feel that the typical kind of person that would purchase this magazine would be from a working class background. It is more likely that a male that is from an upper class background would rather read about golf than cheap rock/metal band tickets. Red has been used in four different places on the cover. These places are otherwise known as the selling lines and cover lines. These bits of information include “FREE! POSTER SPECIAL!” and the “MASSIVE DOWNLOAD TICKET GIVE AWAY!”  Red is a colour that is used to grab somebody’s attention. As it is the first colour humans see, we’re instantly drawn to objects that are red and are more likely to then purchase the magazine. The selling lines are filled with red backgrounds to stand out from the use of black and white that has been used otherwise. This could be signaled as an alert to the viewers as it is more commonly used as a sign of danger. 

The most favoured camera angle is the medium shot. Kerrang often uses this shot to make the audience feel comfortable. The band members from Biffy Clyro are captured with a wide angled, straight on, medium shot. With this shot, we’re able to understand their sense of style whilst linking it in with their music. The typical readers of this magazine will also have the chance to examine their clothes and be inspired themselves.

When focusing on the selling lines, Kerrang use persuasive, intelligent methods that shows their generosity towards their fans. By offering free posters within the magazines, the audience will feel as if they'e gaining one item for free, despite paying for the magazine in general which is likely to have gone up in price, purely due to the poster. If an individual purchases the magazine within the month that the free magazine is given, this will then persuade them to purchase another magazine the next month. This method carries on until the audience has purchased enough to make it a constant buy. 

Lastly, each section of the magazine is neatly organised in separate boxes, lines and borders to discretely set apart all of the information from each other, making it an easily read magazine that can be  discovered from a distance. By doing this, means that people from all ages will be able to read the organised magazine cover and be persuaded to purchase it. Another way that the publishers have designed the magazine for this purpose is the easily read font. Within the whole magazine, the same, large, bold, San serif font has been used to create unity through the pages and be easily read from afar and close up.