RESEARCH OF MAGAZINE FRONT COVER

MastHead

Main image

Lure

Barcode

Cover Line

Secondary Images

Headline

Advertorial

Banner

Masthead:The masthead conforms to the conventions of a magazine as it is place at the top of the front cover. The bold irregular black text stands out on the electric blue background capturing the attention of their rock and heavy metal audience. Although the model is in front of the Masthead it is still recognisable.Selling Line:On this issue of ‘KERRANG’ magazine the selling line is ‘7 AMAZING POSTERS’ the reader will see that buying the magazine comes with 7 poster of artists that’s they maybe a huge fan of. It is also at the top of the magazine which conforms to the conventions of media and the white and red text on a black background allows the magazine to stand out and capture the readers attention.Main Image:The main image is of the lead singer from ‘Black Veil Brides’ ‘Andy Biersack’ who is placed in the centre of the magazine creating a focal point . The shot that was used, was a Medium shot as we can see the model from waste up which is a common shot for magazines. The angle that was used is a slightly low angle shot which could be used to emphasise how intimidating he is as he says ‘I’M READY TO KILL’ adding effect to the main pull.Pull-quotes:There are other pull-quotes with the exclusive and to support the headline, showing what one can find inside. They are used to appeal to the audience.Advertorial:‘WIN TICKETS TO READING. LEEDS’ entice the reader to purchase the magazine for a chance of winning.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Secondary Images:The use of other images on the front cover is unusual as other music magazines such as ‘Billboard’ do not do this, as it can draw focus away from the main image. But the addition of extra images can advertise what else the magazine has to offer. Not only does the images give a deeper insight to what the magazine contains, it may also appeal to the younger (teenage) readers who are more likely to purchase the magazine as they get a visual perception of magazine instead of huge amount text.Plug:The plug is on the left side of the magazine under the masthead. The plug is used to capture the attention and interest of the audience. The white and yellow text stand out against the red background almost forcing the reader to look at it. However it is not the main focal point to the magazine it just adds to the front cover and encourages the audience to buy and read the magazineFonts:There are a maximum of 3 different colour (Red, White, Yellow) used on the front cover which does conform to the convention of real media. The colours also correspond with the colour scheme of the magazine i.e. the Red text corresponds with the plug and/or the Headline.Barcode:The placement of the barcode conforms to the conventions of real media. The barcode is used to indicate the price and release date.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS

INSTITUTIONSPublisher Company:•Kerrang is published by a German publishing company called Bauer Media Group.

•Bauer Media group owns 50% of the British Television Company – Box Television

•Kerrang is the biggest selling weekly rock magazine

•The total circulation (availability) is 37,603

•Bauer publish Kerrang magazine in a few different countries

•Bauer Media Group also work alongside Box Television and which are responsible for a many popular music channels such as ‘Smash Hits’

Bauer has created many different platforms for Kerrang such as Kerrang TV and Kerrang Radio

IDEOLOGY•Kerrang is a magazine that is completely devoted to rock however it used to be a magazine that focused on the up rise of British heavy metal and rock, so the magazine tries to incorporate some of their original elements.

•Kerrang magazine conforms to the genre of Rock. We witness this through the use of text, images and the overall house style of the magazine. For example Andy Biersack is on the front cover of Kerrang and he is in a rock group which reinforces the type of genre Kerrang represents. Also the vigorous front cover heightens the magazines rock nature.

•Kerrang slogan is ‘Life is loud’ and they want to breakaway from the norms of popular music and show a unique and different side to the music industry. We can see that their slogan has taken full shape in the construction of their magazine as it is very bold/loud and it is very different to the other rock magazines such as ‘NME’

AUDIENCE & REPRESENTATION•Kerrang magazine appeals to a specific audience because the topic and themes that are inside the magazine might not appeal to everyone. It would appeal to those who have an interest in the rock genre and its content.

•The fact that the model is looking directly into the camera lens could suggest he is looking/reaching out to his audience. This would make the audience feel connected to the artist and more inclined to purchase and read the magazine.

•It appears that the magazine is aimed at a younger audience possibly aged 15-27 male and female. It is debatable that the magazine is predominately male but Kerrang still reaches out to both genders. The magazine appeals to its target audience through the use of its fonts, colour scheme and the artists involvement. The magazine has a very modern look and is always evolving with the rock industry.

•This magazine would fall into the social grade of C,D and E. the reason why I chose these grades is because with the age group I thought this magazine was targeted at they may be skilled workers but they may also be students.

•Andy Biersack looks like someone who is in a rockband through the style of his hair, the makeup, the piercings and even choice of clothes (which are studded giving him an edgy rock look). His costume reinforces the genre of rock as he is wearing dark colours which are studded giving him a unique tough look.

MAGAZINE COVER 2

Masthead

Exclusive

Headline

Secondary images

Cover lines

Banner

Hook

CODES AND CONVENTIONSCMasthead:The masthead conforms to the conventions of a magazine as it is place at the top of the front cover. The bold white text really stands out against the background forcing the reader to look at it. It is also conforms to magazine front covers as many of them do have the model/artist covering a bit of the masthead however it is still recognisable.Main Image:The main image is of the lead singer from ’30 Seconds To Mars’ called ‘Jared Leto’. He is placed in the centre of the magazine which many magazine tend to do creating a focal point to the magazine and it draws the readers in. The shot that was used was a medium shot as we can see the model from the waste up. The angle that was used looks like a slight low angle shot as the model doesn’t appear to be completely on the same level as the camera.Pull-quotes:Interestingly there is not a main pull on this front cover and one may say that it challenges the conventions of media. However it could have been done to attract the audience without giving the reader too much information. There are other pull-quotes with the exclusives and there are many on the left third, showing what one can find inside. They are used to appeal to the audience and give them an insight into exciting topics.Banner:On this particular magazine the banner is at the bottom which again one could say that it challenges the convention of media as it usually about above the masthead. However the banner is another indication to the reader of what is install. The banner is used to encourage the reader to open up the magazine and read it. The colours used also attract the attention of the reader as it is very bold and eye catching yet follows the colour scheme of the magazine.

CODES AND CONVENTIONSSecondary Images:The use of other images on the front cover is unusual as other music magazines such as ‘Q’ do not do this, as it can draw focus away from the main image. But the addition of extra images can advertise what else the magazine has to offer. Not only does the images give a deeper insight to what the magazine contains, it may also appeal to the younger (teenage) readers who are more likely to purchase the magazine as they get a visual perception of magazine instead of huge amount text.Fonts:There are 4 different colour (Red, White, Yellow and Black) used on the front cover which does conform to the convention of real media. The bold white masthead also corresponds with the exclusive running across the bottom of the magazine. The colours also correspond with the colour scheme of the magazine i.e. the yellow text corresponds with the yellow Banner.Barcode:The placement of the barcode conforms to the conventions of real media. The barcode is used to indicate the price and release date.Hook:The hook is placed at the top of the front cover and is used to capture the attention of the reader. It is interesting that they decided to use a different colour so that it is not drawing attention from the masthead. It is also used capture the attention and attract any potential fans. ‘ALL TIME LOW’ is also in another colour to the rest of the text so that particular text will capture the fans attention and encourage them to purchase the magazine. The hook is also supported by an image.

Publisher Company:•Kerrang is published by a German publishing company called Bauer Media Group.

•Bauer Media group owns 50% of the British Television Company – Box Television

•Kerrang is the biggest selling weekly rock magazine

•The total circulation (availability) is 37,603

•Bauer publish Kerrang magazine in a few different countries

•Bauer Media Group also work alongside Box Television and which are responsible for a many popular music channels such as ‘Smash Hits’

Bauer has created many different platforms for Kerrang such as Kerrang TV and Kerrang Radio

INSTITUTIONS

IDEOLOGY•Kerrang is a magazine that is completely devoted to rock however it used to be a magazine that focused on the up rise of British heavy metal and rock, so the magazine tries to incorporate some of their original elements.

•Kerrang magazine conforms to the genre of Rock. We witness this through the use of text, images and the overall house style of the magazine. For example Jared Leto is on the front cover of Kerrang and he is in a rock group which reinforces the type of genre Kerrang represents. Also the vigorous front cover heightens the magazines rock nature. Even the body language and costume of the model goes against the dominant mainstream ideology which is exactly what the magazine wants. Each pose, each costume is unique and almost rebels against mainstream ideology.

•Kerrang slogan is ‘Life is loud’ and they want to breakaway from the norms of popular music and show a unique and different side to the music industry. We can see that their slogan has taken full shape in the construction of their magazine as it is very bold/loud and it is very different to the other rock magazines such as ‘NME’

AUDIENCE & REPRESENTATION•Kerrang magzine appeals to a specific audience because the topic and themes that are inside the magazine might not appeal to everyone. It would appeal to those who have an interest in the rock genre and its content.

•The fact that the model is looking directly into the camera lens could suggest he is looking/reaching out to his audience. This would make the audience feel connected to the artist and more inclined to purchase and read the magazine.

•It appears that the magazine is aimed at a younger audience possibly aged 15-27 male and female. It is debatable that the magazine is predominately male but Kerrang still reaches out to both genders. The magazine appeals to its target audience through the use of its fonts, colour scheme and the artists involvement. The magazine has a very modern look and is always evolving with the rock industry.

•Jared Leto doesn’t look as though he has been dressed up and had his make up done to look immaculate but instead he looks normal and genuine which represents other musicians in the rock industry and shows that they’re being themselves and that is what the audience may find appealing the fact that artists that are unpretentious.

•This magazine would fall into the social grade of C,D and E. the reason why I chose these grades is because with the age group I thought this magazine was targeted at they may be skilled workers but they may also be students.

MAGAZINE COVER 3

Main Image

Masthead

Exclusive

Barcode

Cover Lines

Lure

Kicker

CODES AND CONVENTIONSMasthead:The masthead conforms to other magazines as it placed at the very top of the magazine. With the addition of the artist/model covering a small fraction of the title it makes this magazine similar to the other magazines. The attention can be drawn to the masthead as they have filled in some of the letters using bold colours which helps illuminate the magazine and make it stand out from its competitors. The masthead is Billboards trademark and also shows a fun element to the magazine.Main Image:The main image is of the singer pink. The magazine has done something different to other magazine. The image is the only image on the front cover which does help create a focal point however one could say that there is a lot to look at as the page is filled with a lot of writing. Another feature that challenges the conventions of media is that shot that they used. Normally magazine front covers use a medium shot but I think that the use of a long shot really works as it adds more emphasise on ‘PINK’. This shot seems to be a low angle shot because the subject seems to be higher than the camera and the model is looking down to the lens.Cover lines:The cover lines are on the left third of the magazine are not giving a lot of information away but they have emphasised the artist that one can find inside the magazine making them more inclined to purchasing it. The synopses is very small which one could say is effective that small detail might be enough to persuade the reader to buy the magazine in order to read more.Hook:The hook is above the masthead drawing attention to the extra detail provided by the magazine. The choice of words are very effective adding emphasises to the contemporary magazine.

CODES AND CONVENTIONSBarcode:The barcode is on the left hand side of the magazine and it also tells the reader how much is it to purchase this magazine and the date of release. This does conforms to the conventions of media as it is crucial to have information about the price range and date. Above the barcode is also a website where readers can easy access and check out.Lure:The magazine also has a lure which completely stands out from the rest of the front cover. The white and black against the red background makes the reader easily drawn to that section. Again there is not much information that is given about that article but it done to attract the reader attention. Also fans of Taylor swift will purchase this magazine from the little detail that is provided.Graphics:The graphics of this magazine is very different to other music magazine however it does relate to its chosen genre. The bold vibrant colours correspond with the uniqueness of this magazine. It doesn’t just focus on one genre but many making the magazine versatile and that is clearly shown through the text and layout of the magazine.

INSTITUTIONSPublisher Company:• Billboards production company is Prometheus Global Media which was a monthly magazine but later became a weekly magazine.

•The magazine was first published November 1st, 1894

•The magazine was founded by William H. DonaldsonJames Hennegan

•It is one of the oldest magazine in the industry.

•It is a magazine that hasn’t restricted itself to one particular genre but is open to all genres and we can see this through the range of colours on the magazine.

IDEOLOGY•Billboard is based on digital sales, radio airplay and internet streaming data. This allows the magazine to reach out to its wide international target audience.

•Billboard is most recognised for being open to all genre and successfully tracking the music industry and keep their reader up to date on a weekly basis.

•Billboard try to stand out and differentiate itself from its competitors with its unique design and it’s wide target audience. The magazine doesn’t restrict itself to one genre which not a lot of magazine do. Therefore it has a very wide audience and they have tried to structure the magazine so that the simplistic approach will still capture the attention of their readers but also potential new ones.

•As this magazine has been around from a long time it has changed its style to match the industry yet keep a very contemporary look with the addition of artist from different genres of music.

•The Billboard magazine also follows it BillBoard Hot 100 chart, therefore the magazine follows its own set of ideas.

•Billboards target audience is mainly for young adults and teenagers 16-30. And it is debatable that it can read out to an older audience. The magazine reaches out to a wide audience therefore it may be a little challenging design the magazine in a way that appeals to everyone.

•The design of the magazine is very simplistic with the grey background and bold black writing. However the magazine decides to illuminate the magazine based on which artist they have on the front cover of that magazine. As we can see the magazine still has its simplistic approach but with the addition of ‘PINK’ it brightens up and enlivens the magazine front cover.

•Each artist they decide to have on their magazine helps influence the style and uniqueness of the magazine front cover.

•Billboard can reach out to a wide audience as they have chosen very neutral colours like black and white. But the two colours work well against the background and can easily appeal to a wide range of people, instead of choosing bubblegum pink which might limit their target audience. However the pink on the cover works well as it represent the artists stage name.

•The artist is also making direct contact with the audience and this will make the audience feel as they have a connection with the artist. This will make them more enticed to buy the magazine.

•The magazine will fall into the social grade C-D as it does appeals to those who are skilled workers but it also appeals to students and unemployed people.

AUDIENCE & REPRESENTATION