Contents Page Analysis

Like the KERRANG! contents page, the colour scheme is constant; this time red,black and white. The letter from the editor has been placed in the same place, again to garner attention. However, where the KERRANG! contents page's letter from the editor was breif, this one is more in depth and detailed, taking up roughly 1/3 of the page. Also, there is only one picture on the page, and it has no indication of what article it is for nor a page number. Again the full contents list is placed on the right side of the page, in chronological order page numbers. Within the list, no particular article stands out, or is there any pictures to accompany the articles. another point regarding the contents list is the lack of any information about the article, leaving the focus of the article anonymous.

Analysis of KERRANG! Contents Page

The first technical aspect of this front cover is the colour scheme. The colour scheme for this issue is constant; black, white and yellow. In the top lefthand corner of the page, is the letter from the editor. Although there are no colours there to help it stand out, it still draws our attention because we instinctively look from left to right, top to bottom, so placing something in the top left-hand corner will automatically grab our attention. I think that this is placed here because most people ignore the letter from the editor, so is placed somewhere we, as readers, are bound to look. There are a range of pictures on this page. All but one are the same size, and are placed in a uniform pattern, in chronological order of where they are in the magazine. Each picture has a small section below it to inform the reader about the article the picture represents and the page number on which that article is. On the right-hand side, there is a full copy of the contents of the magazine, listing every single different article or feature of this issue.

Article Analysis #2

Like the other article, the main focus of the double page spread is the photo. There is only one photo to accompany the article, unlike the other which has a range of pictures of a similar nature. Again, the photo in this article has a caption, printed in a little black box in white writing. The colour scheme here is made obvious by the photo being made black and white as well as the text. The title of the article is a quote taken from the interview, which is made to stand out by the use of two colours instead of just one. The article itself is grouped together rather than spread out, so thr reader knows that it is all one article rather than the main article and an additional feature loosely related to the main topic of the article. However, the text of this particular double page spread is split up into two parts; a brief two-paragraph long introduction and then the interview. The questions within the interview are the same size and font as the answers but the questions are in bold. After the interview is finished, a little summary is printed, to go over the main points made in the interview.

Article Analysis #1

With this Double page spread, the main focus of it all are the pictures. They all vary in size, and they are all of different things, however they are all of a similar colour scheme. Each photo has it's own caption, displayed in a small black textbox with white writing, making the small text easily visible and simple to read. As well as these, the other text that is layered on top of the pictures are additional features to the article. The text is black and placed on a yellow background so, like the other text boxes, the text is easy to read, but the yellow also attracts the readers attention and draws the eye. The spread's main article is a black font on a white background but some key points of the article are in red, so that these parts stand out and give the readers certain information about the article topic but doesn't give enough information away to make the rest of the article boring. As a result, the reader becomes intrigued and therefore compelled to read the whole article.

"KERRANG!" Front Cover Analysis

• Black-on-white masthead. This makes it stand out and extremely easy to read. The font is easily recognisable as the KERRANG! Trademark.
• Front cover picture overlaps the masthead. This is popular with many magazines in general, not just music magazines.
• A puff advertising free items, making the magazine more desirable.
• Competitions boost reading as people would want to go to Barbados but may lack funds, so would buy the magazine in order to enter.
• The celebrity, in this case Hayley Williams, is making eye contact with the camera in order to create a link with the reader making it seem more personal.
• Left side third displaying magazine contents. Text font Fits in with other taxt on the cover, as well as the colour scheme.
• Main headline is the band’s name. This draws in potential readers as the band’s fans would want to read the article, so, by making the band’s name the main headline, readers automatically know what the main attraction is for this issue. Features a strap line to give the reader an idea to what the article is about. Because it states that this article is exclusive, makes the magazine seem more desirable as there won’t be any other interviews like this one.
• Banners at both the top and the bottom to give the reader an idea of what else is in that particular issue of the magazine. The white-on-red text fits into the colour scheme, which is kept at 4 colours; black, white, red and yellow.

"REVOLVER" Front Cover Analysis

Like the other magazine front covers, the main cover overlaps the masthead. Although this conceals the name of the magazine, this tends to be popular among all magazines. The masthead itself is large, bold and in a simple font. It uses a dark colour on a light background in order to stand out among other magazines as well as making the masthead easy to read. The main feature of the magazine is clearly displayed on the cover as the font size is much larger than the other articles. It is also displayed on the left hand side, so if it is presented on a horizontal rack, the reader can still see the features. The white-on-black font of the banner along the bottmom of the cover draws the readers eye, enticing them to buy it as it advertises free downloads. On the right hand side presents other groups and artists that are alo featured in the issue, the in what way they are featured has not been specified. Again, like te others, REVOLVER sticks to a simple colour scheme of black, white and grey as well as orange and a hint of yellow.

"Metal Hammer" Front Cover Analysis

Using a white-on-black masthead creates a striking and bold title to catch the reader’s attention. Advertising that this is the 200th issue lets the reader know that it is a special issue , therefore may contain special unseen content. The strap line lets the reader know about another article featured in this particular issue. The main picture on the front cover over laps the masthead, which is popular among magazines. Also, the focus of the photo (Phil Aselmo) is also looking directly into the camera, again creating a personal link to the reader. Phil’s facial expression gives the reader an idea as to who this magazine is aimed at, as this makes him seem like a "badass," suggesting this is aimed at men into dark, sinful music. The photo is a mid shot, so the reader can see Phil’s tattoos. This fits in with the "badass" look. Unlike the majority of magazines, this one does not have a left side third. Instead, the articles are placed either side of the photo. The fonts of each headline match each other as well as the masthead.
The main headline is of the band member, the celebrity. The strap line again gives the reader an idea of what the article is about. The term "exclusive" has been used. It is put in the context of "world exclusive" making it seem even more desirable than the other rival magazines. Like the article headlines, this does not fit in with the codes and conventions of other magazines as it is not as bold, and in the bottom right hand corner, not garnering much attention from the readers, despite it being content within the magazine.

AS Media Coursework Brief

Preliminary exercise: Using DTP and an Image Manipulation Program, produce the front page of a new school/college  magazine featuring a photo of a student in a medium close-up plus some appropriately  laid out text and a Masthead.

Main Task: The front page, Contents page and a double page spread of a new music magazine.