1. This Q cover features many conventions; for
example the central image is the first thing that
catches your eye, although arguably this should be
the masthead this comes closely second. The layout
of the cover is also conventional with the cover
stories at the sides and the cover line pairing with
the main image being the largest. The red used on
the masthead is bright which helps it stand out and
blends with the colour scheme. The use of the
stand out colours emphasise the line ‘they’re back
with a bang’. The line ‘they’re back with a bang’ is
used to intrigue the audience and make them want
to know more. Alex Turner – the lead of arctic
monkeys is being represented as a ‘big deal’ as his
picture overshadows all the rest of the features on
the page. The pull quote uses a mode of address
coming directly from a band member which then
goes on to the mode of address being an opinion
from the magazine – ‘’THEIR MOST EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW EVER’’, this combined
with the buzz word ‘most’ is used to make the audience feel more eager to read it as it
is exclusive, the uses and gratifications theory could be applied here as it would be
fulfilling the audiences desire for surveillance. The cover conveys a striking and
alluring feel to pull in their audiences, this is a good approach for Q is a popular music
magazine aimed at a mainstream/indie target audience.
2. This NME cover has a very vintage old style with
the use of the faded colours; making it kind of
reflect a newspaper print. This goes well with
the genre of the magazine as it features bands
old and new, and a lot of the bands and artists
featured don’t make the typical chart tracks and
take inspiration from music pre-2000s. The
black and yellow used on the graphic feature
makes it stand out and yellow often being
associated with happiness makes the audience
feel that ‘Jack White’s new album’ is a good thing
and something they might want to look into. The
artists on the cover are represented as a team
with their back to back pose and the close
bringing together of their names with the ‘&’.
This appeals to audiences as teamwork is valued
highly in our society. It could be argued this is
being used to sell a good, friendly hard working
lifestyle.
The image of the two well polished men is also used to appeal to audiences as NME’s
target audience is mainly men and this look could be desirable/idolised by a lot of
them. The magazine follows conventions as it uses a bold font for the cover lines and
the smaller text accompanying them being in a smaller font. The italic font used for the
pull quote also follows convention.
3. I would say that this cover doesn’t follow convention
as much as the previous two covers as the amount
of text is minimal. However the integration of
images and text works well as the cover lines frame
the image of the model. The Male Gaze theory can be
applied to this cover as the image draws attention to
the woman’s cleavage and the curve of her waist.
After reading cover line ‘Summer Tours’ stands out
and then the reader can see if there is a band they
like in the list, the red colour and large font size is
used for this technique of pulling in the reader. This
cover also has a vintage feel like the previous, this
works with the name of the name of the magazine
‘Rolling Stone’ as the Rolling Stones are a band who
were formed in the 1960s. This gives the magazine
the opportunity to appeal to an audience with a wide age range. In the graphic feature
the line ‘Guiliani: Worse Than Bush’ shows that the magazine features a story on politics
so it is not just a magazine that focuses on music, again widening the range of people
that the magazine can be targeted to. This is fitting as Rolling Stone magazine aims to
provide content covering music, liberal politics and popular culture.
4. It is clear that this magazine is aimed at a niche
market. The splatter background used and the
carved looking font used on ‘BRING ME THE
HORIZON’ implies it is aimed at the edgy, metal and
rock market. The smashed effect on the masthead
emphasises this. The bright colour scheme used
shows that this magazine is made for artists who are
not afraid to stand out; this is supported by the
tattoos covering the man in the main image. The
splatter of red in the background connotes blood
which adds to the magazines sharp and edgy image.
The buzz word at the side ‘EPIC’ excites the reader
and encourages them to buy the magazine to receive
the posters inside. The use of a leading question in
bright yellow in the skyline is another technique
used to intrigue the reader as to want to know what
is inside. The flash on the right under the masthead will appeal to the niche audience
and ‘Of Mice & Men’ fans as they will relate and feel emotionally connected to them;
therefore wanting to buy the magazine and read the article.
5. This magazine cover uses a striking pairing of
almost contrasting colours yellow and blue, this
helps it stands out and fits with it’s genre as it is an
alternative music magazine. The poses that the band
are pulling and the way that they have made it look
like the man in the centre is holding the band name
show that one of the messages of the magazine is not
to be afraid to do something different. This cover is
the least conventional as there are not many cover
lines and the ones that are there don’t fill up the
sides. However the masthead at the top and the
skyline follow convention fairly ‘normally’. The
image seems as if each person has been shot from a
different distance which also emphasises the sense
of alternative and mixing things up.
The mode of address used on the skyline ‘’THE BAND WHO CHANGED MY LIFE’’ is that of
the bands featured in the magazine, this is used to help sell as the readers be eager to
relate with their favourite bands music taste – here the uses and gratifications theory can
be applied as the article can help readers fulfil their wish to identify themselves with
icons in the media.
6. This contents page is quite simplistic which
shows that the readers focus is mainly on the
content and the images, this is because Q is
aimed at an older target audience and the
magazine prides itself on it’s high standards of
photography and printing. The simplistic
nature of the page gives it a sense of maturity.
The use of the red white and black colour
scheme and the white background also enhance
this. The font used it also quite simplistic and it
gives the page a chic style. It follows the
convention of the columns and page numbers
being on the side and the containing of stacked
images.
7. The layout of this contents page is very busy
which shows that the magazine promotes a
busy and active lifestyle, attractive to it’s
younger target audience. This is supported by
the images used as they are iconic artists
playing live as these people are idolised by
readers. The band index is a good way of
filling up the page and it also attracts readers
because if they see a band they like they will
be more encouraged to read it.
8. This contents page is quite simplistic and mature
looking as the layout is not that busy which
shows it is representing an older generation of
music buyers. The drawing represents an artist
and the detailed style that has been used
suggests that the magazine has pride in the
finest quality content.