Analysis of the double page articles:

The choice of band, ‘slayer’ in this case suggests the target audience is people who are on the rock and/or metal scene; metal heads or Goths etc. also it is aimed at the slightly older generation of rock fans as slayer have been around for a number of years and not many teenagers are interested in them as they are more preoccupied with the new age of rock or metal.
The language in this article is very informal and the use of words such as ‘scarier’, ‘derail’ and ‘murdering’ link to the magazine being a rock/alternative one which is a rebel magazine going against the conformist society we live in and promoting rebellion. There is also frequent swearing in this article which also adds to the image of rebellion.
The colour used is bright green as the page colour and the only dark colours on the page are the outfits of the band. The green is used to contrast the dark image of the band to emphasise their darkness and ominous presence. The dark outfits also have this effect.
The style of text used is very small, plain and rounded. They use an effect on the‘s’ in ‘scarier’ which is a faded effect. The plain writing shows the band is the main focus and the effect on the ‘scarier’ is used to draw people in to focus on the article.
The spread is mainly focused on text with only one image, there is an anchorage text with the image on one page and the other page is full of text. This shows that what is being said is just as important as the band themselves.
The tone used in this magazine is as though the reader is an informed fan because it does not say the band name in any noticeable writing and there are a lot of things mentioned that someone would need prior information on to understand what is being said. There is no background information so the magazine assumes the reader already knows about this band.
The band’s image presents them as dark, ominous and mysterious people as they are the only dark colours on the page and they are wearing hoods and/or sunglasses. The position in which they are standing shows them as tough men or hard men as they are standing slightly side wards with an expression of anger on their faces.
The style of text matches the front cover as they are consistent with each other. Also the boxing of words with colour is done on both pages. The front cover also uses a bright colour to emphasise the darkness of the rocker’s on the front as does this article. The effect on the‘s’ in ‘scarier’ is similar to the effect on the title of the magazine on the front cover.
I think this article does demand prior knowledge to read this article as it assumes you know what they are talking about when they mention events in the past, songs, albums, gigs etc as they do not give background information.


Mixmag:

This article is about a dance club which suggests the target audience is for people who listen to dance music and are of a younger generation aged 18 and over because you have to be 18 to get into a club and that is the general age of clubbers and ravers. Also it is about this club being environment friendly therefore it is also aimed at people who are interested in saving the environment.
The language in this article is very technical and advanced with phrases such as ‘LED lights’ and ‘millions of tonnes of c02’. This language is very scientific which shows this is aimed at those who understand the technical side to both clubbing and saving the environment. They also use a lot of slang that relates to the clubbing scene such as ‘chewing the fat’.
The colour scheme on this article is black, white, yellow, green and pink. The black brings out the brightness of the pink and yellow causing a contrast and the pink and yellow represent the bright and crazy world of clubbing. These bright colours could also connote the bright lasers and lights at the clubs.
The style of text used is quite plain but the titles and beginning of the article has very funky writing, the R at the beginning of the article is in the style of thick lines going inwards to create an r shape and when you look at it it looks hypnotising which connotes the club and club scenes.
The double page spread is mainly dominated by pictures of ravers and clubs which shows the magazine is most interested in the scene rather than what is being said and that clubbers like colourful pictures of clubs and they attract attention to the article as it reminds people of a rave or club with the flashing lights and lasers and bright colours like the ones displayed on this page. The tone this article takes is as if it is talking to someone who is very much in this sort of scene and knows what they are talking about so it is very relaxed and informal. The images in this article show the club as very bright, fun and a happy place to be as there are people smiling and dancing, there are many pictures of the LED lighting and the multi-coloured strobe lights and pictures of people having a good time which all make us feel this place is great. I think this article does need prior knowledge to fully understand what is being said, for example they talk about the environment and the waste products of clubs, to understand this you would need knowledge in environmental issues. Also they do not say were Rotterdam is or why it is significant therefore they expect you to already know this as a member of the club scene.

Double page spread draft:

My contents page draft:

My front cover draft:

my front cover:

Contents page analysis two:

The main feature is a large square surrounded by smaller squares. The top square being the largest draws the most attention to it which shows it is the main story which needs the most attention. The image is the band biffy clyro; the lead singer is in a pose that connotes flamboyance and showing off and we can gather he is saying ‘look at me’ with that pose which connotes the ego of famous people and suits being a main image in a magazine.

The colours are black, white and yellow. The font is the same as the front cover which relates the two as does the colour scheme. The black and white connotes the rock and roll world in being gothic and dark yet the yellow brings vibrance to the page which connotes that rock and roll is not dull and depressing.

This contents page is very neat and organised; there is nothing to confuse you and every picture has an anchorage text. This connotes neatness and organisation in the magazine.

There is a promotion on the page about getting the magazine delivered to your door, it denotes the company has the customer’s convenience in mind and the promotion being red is eye catching and attracting most attention because it differs from the colour scheme which connotes that this promotion needs attention and it is so good that it has to be a different colour.

There is no logo present on the page which connotes that they want your attention to focus on the stories and promotion as a logo steals attention away which also connotes that they value their stories over their logo and think they are the best thing to focus your attention on. Also because the colour scheme and font ties in with the front cover there is no need to link the two using a logo.

The page does not promote any other products which connotes that they want you to focus completely on the magazine.

Kerrang keeps their pages cohesive by the colour scheme and font and also the square images; this shows that they are organised and united.

Contents page analysis:

The main feature is a bigger square and other stories are smaller squares. The other less significant stories are listed beside them. This focuses attention on the story they want to promote the most and connotes this biggest square is the most important.

The colours are yellow white and black. The font is quite plain and rounded. The yellow is bright which attracts attention. The black and white relate to the front cover as does the font. The colours are quite plain which relates to the genre of rock music yet there is an upbeat splash of yellow which connotes that rock music isn’t all dull and depressing; it’s fun and interesting.


The separate squares make reading the information easy and there is no confusion as to what text goes with what image as it is all anchored clearly. This connotes that the magazine is very neat and organized. The different sections are the main story, other stories and news, feedback, live reviews, k! Icons etc. this tells me that the magazine is very organized and structured.

There is a ‘get kerrang delivered to your door’ promotion at the bottom corner of the page. This catches your eye as it is red which contrasts the colour scheme which connotes that they want us to focus on this promotion and it needs a lot of attention, it promotes the delivery service which denotes the diversity of the kerrang industry and how they have the customer in their thoughts.

There are pictures for the main stories. The larger image is the focus which draws the most attention. The main story’s image is a man acting tough and swearing at the camera which connotes the rock world in being full of anarchy; which kerrang is too. Each picture has an anchorage text and it stops confusion or messiness on the page.

The logo is not on the contents page, this connotes that they want all your attention on the stories it has to offer rather than a logo which distracts attention away from the main images. Also the colour scheme relates to the contents page so there is no need to put the logo on.

It does not have any other franchise which connotes the main focus is on the magazine and its contents and they want the reader to feel this also. The font and colours are the same as the front cover. The square pictures are on both pages also. This keeps the magazine pages cohesive with one and other and avoids too much going on in the magazine.

Planning my music magazine:

Planning a music magazine:


1) My target audience is teenagers into rock/alternative music aged 13-30.

2) My magazine will be based on rock, heavy metal and general alternative music from the 80’s to present day.

3) My magazine will be weekly.

4) My magazine will cost £2.00. This is a good price for teenagers and students with limited money.

5) My magazine is going to be glossy but not with too many bright colours as it’s aimed at the alternative. I want a good hard cover that isn’t too flimsy like a newspaper.

6) The colours I will use will be between black red purple and white as these colours appeal most to the alternate reader.

7) I will have a table on my contents page as I find its easier to navigate when information is put in a table.

8) I will make use of puffs and sell lines to make my front cover more attractive to the audience

9) I will coordinate each of my pages together so they match

Questionnaire analysis:

I sent around ten questionnaires to complete about music magazines. I asked questions about type of magazines and things they would like to see in them to get an idea of what my magazine should be like to best suit an audience.

Question 1:

Question 2:


Question 3:




Question 4:



Question 5:



Question 6:



Question 7:



Question 8:


Question 9:



From question 1 I have gathered that the most popular music is rock/alternative and the least popular is hip hop and r n b therefore I am going to base my magazine on rock music as there is a bigger audience for it.
From question 2 I have gathered that most people would be willing to pay around £2 and no more therefore I am pricing my magazine at £2.10.
From question 3 I have gathered that people do not mind if there is an unsigned section or not although equal votes show it is popular therefore I am going to include one in my magazine.
From question 4 I have gathered that people would like to see reviews inside the magazine rather than not therefore I am incorporating them into my magazine.
From question 5 I have gathered that people are very keen on seeing posters included in the magazine than not and taking that into consideration I am putting posters inside my magazine.
From question 6 I have gathered that people want give-aways at least every two weeks or once a month and I will consider this when thinking about give-aways.
From question 7 I have gathered that people would like updates on gigs, reviews etc in the magazine rather than not so I am incorporating them into my magazine.
From question 8 I have gathered that mainly females are interested in this magazine therefore I will cater for them as well as putting something in to attract more male readers to make it unisex to create a wider audience.
From question 9 I have gathered that people are most attracted to the main image when buying a magazine therefore I will focus on the main image as the main selling point.

The evolution of britney spears:

The frame shows all of the attractive parts of her body and cuts off the lower leg which connotes the top half of her body is the bit to look at. It is a high angle shot that has been used to emphasize the attractive parts of her body. This is mostly used in men’s magazines as it mostly appeals to men.
Britney’s costume is very skimpy and revealing which connotes she is sexual and losing her innocence and see’s herself as a woman.
The props are a child’s toy and a phone. The child’s toy suggests she is still a young girl and the phone that she still has a connection with her childhood that she is still holding on to but the outfit she is wearing connotes she is becoming a woman.
The setting is a pink satin blanket which connotes sexuality, girliness and sexiness.
There are intertextual references to the programme teletubbies. This connotes she is still a young innocent girl at heart and holding on to her youth and innocence.
The colours used are pink, purple and black. The pink and purple connote her girliness and youth and innocence and the black connotes her sexuality. These contrasting idea’s connote she is changing from a girl to a woman.



The frame has been used so that Britney is surrounded by white silky material and cut off at the thigh to emphasize her body this connotes that again the top half is the place to look. The mid shot makes her look at us from an angle and down on us slightly to show she is higher than us. Britney is hardly wearing anything only a pair of briefs which shows sexuality and her pose is to emphasize her intimate body parts to show she is sexy and teasing the reader and inviting them at the same time. This connotes she wants an intimate relationship with the reader. The setting is white silky material which connotes Britney’s innocence as white suggests innocence. She is holding the white shirt that she should be wearing which connotes that this innocence has gone. The lighting is very bright and reflects off Britney’s tanned skin and blonde hair to create the effect of Britney being angelic.
The colours used are blue, black and white. The white connotes innocence and the black connotes sexuality and these conflicting idea’s show Britney is losing her innocence fast yet Britney is in all white which connotes she is holding on to her innocence yet the outfit she is in suggests otherwise.




The story is about something bad to do with Britney spears so the close up of her face connotes the sadness in her eyes and the forced crack of a smile on her lips emphasizes the tragedy she is going through. The black and white emphasizes the sadness; there is no colour to brighten the mood.
The close up shot connotes the serious tone of the story, it is not her showing off her body which connotes we should take her seriously and sympathise.
Britney wants sympathy from the readers; the anchorage text supports this by saying ‘tragedy’. The look on her face is very sad and evokes emotion from the reader to be sympathetic towards her.
The magazine is quite plain with nothing going on which connotes the seriousness of the magazine and that we should focus on Britney as a tragedy is being spoken about.

Preliminary task:

To improve this front cover I would put more images and sell lines to attract more people. I would also improve the writing style and title to make it more attractive and noticeable. I would also make the main image bigger to make it the main focus. The magazine needs more information about what is inside.
Contents page:

The contents page is very plain and boring. The text is confusing and needs to be organised properly. There needs to be some images to go along with the text to bring it together more. This page does not match the front cover which it needs to do so the layout and design needs to be changed to match the front cover. The contacts need to be put on another page perhaps the back page.
Making this preliminary task has helped me to pick out text and colours for my magazine and also bad things to avoid in making my magazine.