Katie Mould

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

NME

• The colours in this magazine are very neutral with pops of colour here and there. The majority of the colour comes from the images with the writing being mainly black. On the front cover we can see the the focus point of ‘Muse’ is in yellow writing which suggests to people looking at it, that this is the main focus point of the magazine, this is then reinforced by the main image. In the contents page all of the colour is coming from the photos which means if you take those away you are left with basic black writing. On the double page spread there are a lot more colours used, with red highlighting important areas and a yellow circle around an interesting area to draw in attention to that particular area. In the bottom right of the page there is also a red box that may mean it is something of importance and you need to read it.

COLOUR

• The layout of the front cover makes it easy to look at without being overpowering with information. I think that this type of layout is the best if you want to draw in a good audience. The design is very simple as well, they have put the coverlines in specific places so that it doesn’t overpower the main image. The layout of the contents page is fairly structured and you can easily navigate around the page but it still has a messy essence which makes it easy to relate to and so that it can appeal more to the majority of its target audience. The design is nice with a bold title. However, it may be slightly too large and bold because it seems to overpower everything else on the page. The double spread has a layout that I personally really like and I think most other people would relate nicely to it. With the majority of the images on the right hand side of the page and all of the writing on the left hand side so that it is an easy interface.

LAYOUT & DESIGN

• The main image is used to represent the type of information you’re most likely to see in the magazine. He is obviously a famous musician so it will appeal to a large amount of people. The contents page uses happy, vibrant pictures of popular musicians which is used to try and make the reader feel more comfortable reading the magazine. The images in the contents page also give you a glimpse of what you will see inside, much like the image on the front cover. On the double spread, the images are used to coincide with the main image on the front cover. The double spread will always be a story on the main image on the front cover because that is why the reader buys the magazine. They back up the story you are reading so that you get a good idea for the type of person you’re reading about.

IMAGES

• The pose of the artist on the front cover shows the reader that they feel powerful and dominant because of the way that they are looking down towards the camera rather than face on. This kind of pose is staged to make the reader feel a certain way about what they are looking at. The hair is very casual and relaxed, not overly styled to make the reader feel at one rather than feeling alienated by him. His make-up is very natural, he may not even be wearing any, which makes the reader feel more at ease when looking at the cover. This is because when an artist or band looks more natural, they feel like they can relate a lot more than if they were wearing lots of make-up.

POSE, STYLE, HAIR, MAKE-UP

• The shot used on the front cover is close-up to make the picture feel more personal and though you are at one with the artist. I think that this type of framing, rather than a long shot or mid shot might be less personal to the reader. The background is clear so that the focus is not taken away from the main artist. If there was too much in the background then it would look too confusing and busy. When you look at the front cover your attention immediately goes to the main image because I think that is what the creator wanted to make the reader focus on. On the contents page, your attention is immediately drawn to the pictures that are scattered across the page. I think that is so you can easily get an idea of what will be included in the magazine. The double spread page has images that highlight what the story will be about with smaller supporting images that also emphasise what sort of information will be in the main story.

COMPOSITION & FRAMING

• The main coverline on the front on the front of the magazine reads ‘MUSE’ which suggests to the reader that the main story in the magazine will be based around the band Muse. Some of the other coverlines show you what else you can find inside, things such as Reading and Leeds festival line-ups. This would appeal to people from a 16-18 year old target audience because they would be the most likely people to attend festivals. The straplines at the top of the page also show the reader what sort of muscians and artists they are likely to see throughout the magazine. Some of the coverlines standout much more than the others simply because they have brighter colours and more interesting fonts. Some of the coverlines and straplines would not be that noticeable from a distance which could cause diversions when looking at it from a distance.

WRITTEN CODES

• The language used in the magazine is very relatable and laid back with some formality to appeal to a wider audience. I think that this type of language is better than if it was just to be formal or just to be laid back because I think that if you used a very specific type of language, then it has a tendency to alienate certain groups of people. The double spread in this particular magazine is an interview with the members of Muse which means the language that is used in the interview will be relaxed and relatable. I think that having these types of features in magazines makes it easier for the reader to relate to the story. Most of the questions on the other hand are formal so that the reader can get the sorts of answers they are looking for from the artist. Captions on photos are also laid back and relaxed because they aim to reflect the photo which I think is a really interesting way to appeal to the target audience. Also the language used on the contents page is also easy to read and to relate to. This makes it easier for the reader to navigate their way around the magazine.

LANGUAGE

• This magazine is really interesting and appeals to myself and I would think many other people my age. It’s strengths are mainly the layout and design. The layout of the front cover, contents page and double spread are not completely structured and are slightly scattered to represent their type of reader. The way in which they have put this idea across is really intriguing and I think that they have done a good job in appealing to a certain audience. Some of the weaknesses in the magazine would have to be things such as the coverlines and straplines. To me they would not help the magazine stand out on a shelf amongst lots of others. If some of the features would either be bolder or in brighter colours I think it would help the magazine to stand out a lot more. I think this is how the magazine could be improved along with a simpler contents page that would be easier to navigate through to find where you want to get to. Sometimes if you put too much on a page it’ll confuse the reader and make it harder for them to find what they’re looking for.

• For my own magazine I am going to use the double spread as influence because I really like the way that they editor has set everything out with the interview on one side and the images on the other. I personally like the way that this looks and think that it will work well with the festival magazine I am creating.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

THE FLY

COLOUR• The colours used on the front of this magazine are bold and would stand

out amongst others. The bold, black title of ‘The Fly’ is in black so that it is simple and can appeal to more than just one specific audience. The splash of orange on the page as well shows that the magazine is trying to incorporate something that reflects the person in the main image. They have done this well with the orange colour because it works with the statement hair colour that the artist has. The colours used in the contents page are very simple which reflects the type of magazine it is along with its contents. I think this black and white effect works really well with the tone of the magazine because it makes it easier to read what is going on. On the souble page spread the magazine is keeping the orange tone so that it reflects from the front cover and keeps in key with the rest of the magazine.

LAYOUT & DESIGN• The images and text work together really well on the front cover,

contents page and double spread. The simple photograph on the front works well with the font and the style of writing that is used on the front of the magazine which means that it can appeal to its target audience in the way that they want it to. The type of writing that is used on the front cover suggests that the magazine is aimed at a younger audience rather than the audiences magazines such as ‘MOJO’ target. I think that using the right fonts on the front of the magazine is key when you are trying to target a specific audience and I think that ‘The Fly’ does this really well and easily targets a certain audience. The house style of this particular magazine is black, white and orange, which the magazine clearly follows well. I think that this type of colour scheme works well with the tone of the magazine because it is simple yet it has a bold splash of colour. The layout and design doesn’t particular follow the rule of thirds yet the layout still has certain certain areas that you are specifically drawn to which makes the front cover still easy to view. I think that simple front covers are also much more interesting to younger people because they don’t want to work to hard to understand the information that will be in the magazine.

IMAGES• The image on the front of the magazine is taken straight on so that you

feel at one with the artist and not that they are overpowering you in anyway. This kind of cover is much more approachable than if the image was to be from a different angle. The image on the contents page is also taken straight on to show that they are equal to you. It also makes you feel as though you are there as it seems as though they are in mid conversation which further makes it more appealing. The image shown on the double spread page is very close up to the artists face. This is to make it seem more personal and like you are really getting to know them, rather than just reading a straightforward article or interview. This type of double spread makes the reader feel more comfortable as though they are being spoken to directly by the artist.

POSE, STYLE, HAIR, MAKE-UP

• The pose on the front of the magazine is very relatable and comfortable because of his stance. The added guitar in the shot also makes it more personal which would draw particular people in. I think the particular pose of the artist holding the guitar on the front cover shows that this is most likely when he feels most comfortable which is portrayed well along with the background. The pose itself may be staged but it would be natural if he were in his natural environment. He may be slightly out of his comfort zone in this particular setting. His hair and make-up is very natural which might represent his type of music and also so that the audience feels more comfortable looking at it without feeling overwhelmed. The style of the artist is interesting and unique which may show the type of music he plays but may also show his type of personality.

COMPOSITION & FRAMING

• The image on the front of the magazine is a long shot, showing his entire body so that the audience can see completely what he looks like. The background looks like a muddy area, maybe marshland. I think that this background has been used to represent the type of freedom he has with his music as despite there being a background, there is not much in it. When you first look at the front cover I notice the guitar which I think shows that the audience will first of all notice the type of music that the main artist follows. Going through to the contents page you are first of all drawn to the image which is very simple and then onto the simplicity of the contents itself. I think that this shows the reader something about how the creators of the magazine are trying to directly appeal to its audience. When you first reach the double spread you are first drawn to the image on the right page which initially tells you who the story is going to be about.

WRITTEN CODES• The title suggests that the content of the magazine will be information

that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else, following the term ‘fly on the wall’. The title is a good written code for what you are most likely to read about or see in the magazine. The main coverline on the front of the magazine suggests to the reader that they are going to read about bands that are maybe up and coming. These coverlines along with the title suggests to the reader that the usual audience would be people that want to read about bands that may not be overly popular and that they want to read information that they wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. The main coverline also suggests that the readers would most likely like to know about new bands rather than reading about ones that are already on the scene. Everything on the front cover is not too small apart from the straplines. The bold colours would also make it easier to read from a distance. The bright orange colours used would also stand out on a shelf amongst other magazines.

LANGUAGE• The language use throughout the magazine is very laid back and

relaxed to try and relate to its target audience of around 21 – 25 year olds. Laid back language would appeal more to them because they don’t particularly want to focus all of their attention on the writing. The language on the front cover is very simple, not using many words at all to explain what is inside. I think that this might be either a big downfall or a massive advantage. The downfall would be that people are not interested because of the lack of information when you first look at it. However, it could be an advantage due to the fact that some people like having a very simple idea of what they are likely to read inside the magazine. Therefore, the language in the magazine could either be really representative of the target audience, but it could also be too simple for the people they are targeting.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

• Overall I really like that this magazine has so extremely strong points, however it does hold some weaknesses. The strengths would be that the double spread is easy to look at and it makes you want to read the whole thing as it is personal yet informative. The contents page is also a strength because of the simplicity. The front cover could be seen as a strength also because it very plainly tells the audience what they are going to be reading about inside. However the front cover could also be a weakness because it does not have many coverlines or straplines to inform the reader of everything they are going to read about. The contents page could also be a slight weakness because some people prefer more visual aids to navigate around the magazine. For my own magazine, I think that I would like to follow a simpler contents page much like this one but with a few more images to appeal to more people. I don’t want to over populate the page however which is why I am going to keep it to a minimum like the contents page of ‘The Fly’.