Textual Analysis

Double page spread

NME

Colour scheme There is three colours repeating themself though the double page spread: red, white and black. The background is white as well as the white cloth - it all reflects back to her pale skin. Her long pale legs give connotations to intimacy and to sexy/hot, it appeals to male though the sexy woman but also to women by seeing the strong sexy attitude of another woman. The black goes though the text, that lies in layers on top of each other – giving structure to the page, and though her black clothing and shoes - giving her a rocked look. In addition to the rocked style you have her red demanding hair colour. – These 3 colours are giving the reader an impression of a rock, which can further give connotations to a hard and difficult life or journey to where the artist is in her life now.

PhotographyThere is one photograph of the artist sitting on a table with a cloth on, the image takes up the whole left side of the double page spread. That the picture is so big and gives a view of her whole figure brings us closer to her and gives us a better view of her looks and strong attitude. Her upper body is places towards us while her legs and feet are located to our left hand side giving her a strong and solid posture. She is looking directly at us with an intense look, as she did on the front cover – attracting the reader to the article by making us feel like she is seeing and looking directly at the reader.

Writing style & Fonts They have a quote from one of her songs as the masthead – referring to her as an artist. The masthead is in a very delicate writing, a good size of the letters, not to big and demanding but has a good visibility size and is placed right over the rest of the text - drawing attention to the text. Furthermore, they have in big bold capital letters written USA, this is slightly faded and placed behind the person in the picture – giving the reader the knowledge that the artist is from the USA but also gives it ideas as the USA writing is slightly faded that she is either travelling and not living in the USA any more, or that her song ‘got the love’ has something to do with the USA as the two are words are written besides and on top of each other. Otherwise they have an ingress catching the reader’s attention by summing slightly up the text and using a question and question marks to make the reader want to know what they are taking about and what the story is behind the ingress.

Text/picture ratio & FontsThe picture takes up the whole left side of the double page spread, but the cloth is slightly going over to the right side of the bottom page making the text rearrange around it. The cover line is situated on top of the right side with the text underneath. Making it easier to se the ratio between the picture and the text separating them on two pages but as well binding them together with the picture going slightly over to the right page.

PublisherWith information gathered from NME’s media pack we learn that they are the longest published and most respected music weekly in the world. They reach millions of music fans every week. Their average age market is 25 yrs, 73% of their readers are male and there target market is male 17-30.The publisher of NME is Tracy Cheesman. She is currently also publishing uncut magazine, it is a movie and music magazine with modern indie, rock, classic indie and Americana. Uncut is like NME’s cooler, older brother. There average readers age is 37 and 86% of their readers are male.

Q

Colour scheme The page has a white background colour giving a feeling of purity as well as the black text against the white makes it very ordinary, telling the reader that they are a serious magazine and are saying the news and articles straight forward as they are. The photographs are dark and with very little colour in them making the page concrete and simple. There are all in all three colours repeating themselves though the front cover, black, white and red. Giving the reader the view that even if Q has a simple layout it is still filled with pure articles that might attract more simple and minimalistic readers that only want to read and see the pictures and don’t care about any fancy layout.

Photography

There are two photographs referring back to the main articles but all in all six photographs on the double page spread. The images referring to the text is taken in their music studio, which is staged and posed – bringing the reader closer to the artists and their music by also having them playing their instruments in their own studio. The biggest image is covering the half left page, the picture is a long shot and is mix between eye level and low angle. There is five men in the picture who are posed where some are looking directly at the camera while others are looking left or right, they are very variable clothing, some are wearing black suits - giving either connotations to funerals or work, which shows the seriousness and dedication others have on just a jeans and a shirt or a sweatshirt – toning down the picture to more casual and giving the idea that the band is both casual as well as they take what they are doing seriously. The other image referring to the article is three small photographs put together to one normal size, the small pictures are of the different people form their band playing their own instrument – as I said previously, this bringing’s the reader closer to the artists and their music.The rest of the pictures are of other artist, one of the images is taken live while the rests is posed and taken with a posed background – by the artist posing it makes him or her the focus and makes it easier for the reader to determine if they want to read about them or get better acquainted with the artist. All the pictures are taken with a low key and are as well very passive.

Writing styleThe way the magazine writes is very formal and by the structure of it, the writing style seems slightly posh as it did on the contents page as well. They have on main article going over half of each page – showing the reader that this is the story they are selling and that they have good structure, with columns and a solid composition. They are using quotes from the main article to create interest from the reader. They have names of artist to attract attention to the small articles about different artist, written their names and headlines in capital letter to make it easier for the reader to see what they want to read.

Text/picture ratio & Fonts

They have mage a good structure though the whole double page spread with the four columns going down each page. The main photograph covers the left page, where the artist in I the middle of the image is creating slightly an arrow with his feet leading the reader further down to where the article is located. The right side is more minimised as the picture referring to the article is going over three columns instead four columns as the picture on the left is. The last column on the right page is used to write more about other artist - attracting attention from reader that might know of the artist that there is mentioned on the side of the D.P.S. then understand that there might be similarities between the artist and then wanting to read the whole article.

Publisher

Q is a popular music magazine that is published monthly in the uk. Their target audience is an open mined, engaged and passionate music fans that is continually want to discover new music and to share their music knowledge with others. They have a reach of 75% male and 25% female and with 68% ABC1. Their publisher is the Bauer Media Group, which also publishes Kerrang.

Kerrang

Colour scheme The colours that are used are very strong and bright. The same colours are repeating themselves though the double page spread as they did on both the front cover and the contents page, the black, white, red and yellow. Giving the reader a feeling that the magazine is carrying out this type of style and image though the whole magazine – that Kerrang sort of a rock magazine, so that readers that like rock will know instantly that he or she has chosen a magazine that fits his or hers view in music.The black goes though the background of the head photograph and many of the smaller photographs, some are also used blue as a similarity to the black as well as they have used the black through to the article. The white is repeating though the background of the main article, through some quotes and on the background of some of the photographs. Creating a dynamic atmosphere around the text and the photographs. There are put in textboxes, which has a red background with white writing on them - standing out form the rest of the colours, attracting readers to notice it and draw interest to reading the small textbox articles.

PhotographyThe light in right side photograph is in a low key - there are few colours used except from the black and yellow that is the main two colours repeating thought the image. The photo gives a very naturalistic relaxed and casual feeling with Hayley (the lead singer) relaxing on stage with one of her guitarist in the background. Also giving connotations to rock because of the colours that are used. On the left side you have seven small pictures, some are posed and some seem naturalistic. On the top left side you have a monochromatic naturalistic photo of Hayley listening to music with a surprised look on her face giving us the feeling that she is surprised or shocked which might be referred to or is a subject in the text/documentary of their tour. The small photo on the top right side is a two shot with an eye level angle. The image is very colourful consisting of the different colour in their outfit, all from blue, black, pink, peach etc. The image is of two guys posing for the camera, both looking directly at the camera and therefore looking directly at us. The photograph creates humour and variance between the photographs especially with the monochromatic black and white photo besides it. You have two more naturalistic photographs – one which the Paramore group is in the studio recording and one on the tour bus of Hayley looking up from on seat, both taken form an eye level angle. Furthermore there are 3 posed photos – one of Hayley making a grimace to the camera. Another photo, which is a two shot with contrarieties in the two guys in the image because of the colours, one is totally dressed in black and the other guys is partially dressed in white and black – making differences between the two guys. And the last small posed photo is of the same two guys again posing with a low angel two shot of them. The photo is colourful except form one of the persons in the photo, who is dressed again in an all black outfit but with a brown cap. The other guy is dressed with a red cap, blue shirt that is causally rolled up over his arms. Overall the difference in the images create an interest for the reader, bringing them closer to the artist group and gives the reader a hint that Paramore’s music is very free and by the causal photos showing that the group do and sing what inspires them.

Text/picture ratio & FontsThere are eight pictures on the double page spread, all referring back to the article about Paramore – one big image covering the whole right page and seven small ones on the left page together with the article. There are also textboxes placed around the dps between and on top of photos – the textboxes are red with white writing, grey with black and white with red to make it easy for the reader to detect the textboxes and see what is written in them, attracting readers to want to know what is highlighted in this textboxes. The use the same fonts in the articles and text as they use on the headlines, though the headlines are in bold writing. The quote on the top of the right page have the same front as well only when they have written Hayley Williams underneath they have used another font that is more delicate and have similarities to the font the typewriter gave.

PublisherWith information gathered from Kerrang’s media pack we learn that they are the worlds larges uk weekly music magazine. Their reader are usual young, their median age is 22 years, have a younger target market has shown to be a big advantage for Kerrang, as young readers usually are expensive and elusive to reach but their issue contains of more things attracting them, like film, games and mobile technology. Teenagers are often more open to a wider range of genres inside the world of rock music where each Kerrang issue have a balance of bands and scenes to guarantee that they give the readers what they want, giving them a variety in their music but also introducing them to new music. Their publisher is the Bauer Media Group, which also publishes Q magazine.