2. The masthead is bold and placed in the left rule, can be easily recognised by regular buyers. Use of the colour red with the white and black border gives it that extra eye catching appeal. The header is giving extra information and giving more reason for a potential buyer to purchase the magazine. “16 page” suggests that this magazine is packed with news about the music industry world and increases the chance of a potential buyer to buy this magazine. The main image dominates the whole centre of the magazine. Showing a great impact on a buyer’s eye contact. The angle used is a high angle to suggests how Dizzie Rascal is almost leaping out of the page at the reader. The facial expression that he has used is a very happy/cheerful face which suggests that this would have an impact upon a possible buyer and with the use of the direct eye contact between the reader and Dizzie Rascal would increase the potential The main cover line is to comment on the image. The boldness of the words “Dizzie Rascal” shows its importance and the use of capital letters shows the idea of how Dizzie is upbeat and almost “jumping out of the page” towards the reader. The use of the slanted word is to make the cover look interesting and shows Dizzie Racal’s rebellious side within his music. Barcode-date/issue/price – the use of the barcode is useful for the NME industry. It is used to calculate sales and give an idea of how well NME sells whilst in comparison and competition against other magazines. The use of the issue number and date is to give an indication to the reader about the price and the date it has been issued on. The use of a footer is to present to the reader what extras are also included within this magazine. In this instance, NME is featuring acts such as Jay-Z, Paramore and The Big Pink; which are artists that do almost have similarities with Dizzie Rascal’s genre of music. This would then be used to give a potential buyer a reason to purchase it and to give a understanding of what genre the magazine is about. The use of the pull quote is to add extra information to the readers without giving too much detail away. It is also used to give more reason to a potential buyer. The way in which the copy is all in capitals suggests that it is up beat, again like Dizzie’s music and the use of the word “man!” shows that he is an urban musician and the exclamation mark shows that he is happy – which is reflected in his facial expression in the main image. The background is an urban setting, which reflects Dizzie Rascal’s music genre; urban. The use of graffiti shows that Dizzie Rascal is rebellious and the bright colour is busy and exciting which portrays the fact that Dizzie’s music is upbeat. The flashers offer something more to the target audience. They stand out from the background and they draw in the reader – almost suggesting the fact that it’s something that people have been waiting for. The way in which NME magazine has used the rule of thirds is how the left third is used to store and advertise “extra information” and when the thirds intercept each other, that is where the eye contact is most attracted to. In this case, the rule of thirds is cleverly used with the main photograph of Dizzie Rascal and how the eyes are attracted to the image and the main cover line.
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5. Kerrang: Front Cover Analysis The Masthead – the masthead is an onomatopoeia of the “Kerrang” and this connotates the idea of rock and the sound of an electric guitar. The font used is almost smashed which reflects the genre of the music. The main image - the use of the main image sets the target audience. The man in the image is the lead singer. You can tell that he’s the main singer by how the “Foot Fighters” sell line is covering his body. The photo is also an MCU shot and the use of the head tilt shows that he has attitude, much like the music. The photo also dominates the page and as the background is muted it looks possibly like the USA – which is the Foo Fighters hometown and where they originate from. Main Sell Line – All in block capitals to show that the text is important. Also, the line “Foo Fighters” almost jumps out at you. Finally, the use of the slanted copy underneath shows that this is a chaotic magazine. The position of the bar code is important as it is almost hidden in the corner and out of the way. The issue number also important for the magazine is industry. The font is very gringy – which perhaps reflects the type of music, yellows are used to stand out and the black and white are contrasting. The left third gives information about other music bands that are similar to the Foo Fighters and this gives an immediate instinct about what the magazine focuses on and the music genre which is rock. The main image dominates the centre and the right third which is giving the reader an insight and shows an immediate representation of what the magazine includes. The use of lines on the front of this magazine is to add extras to the reader. The use of “8 page special” suggests that this interview is only available in this magazine and gives more of a eye catching appeal. The music band featured also has similar genre of music as the Foo Fighters, which gives the representation of who the target audience is of the magazine Kerrang. The use of the footer is also giving an extra to the readers. The use of the larger “PLUS” gives an eye catching appeal and it shows that the readers are getting value for their money.
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7. Top of the Tops: Cover Analysis The masthead is clearly identifying the target audience for this magazine, which is female gender aged 8-14. This can be identified through the use of font and the glittery use of colour. The image is a group shot of stars from High School Musical. They are dressed all formally and glittery which again gives a good impression of what the target audience is. The image is centred in the right third which is where most main images are situated. This is because they are eye catching and are in a good position to see what is included in the magazine. The left third is being used to store extra headlines that are included within this magazine. This therefore gives the reader a more positive aspect to buy this magazine. The main sell line is very dominant across the page. It catches the readers eye and the use of the capitalisation of “STAR” suggests that there is something special inside. “Exclusive interviews” suggests that the reader is getting value for their money and this is a must see, which encourages them to buy the magazine. The colour scheme is also very feminine with the use of pinks, whites ect. Which clearly defines the target audience. The sell lines are all placed along the left third and the bottom third. It has filled the magazine’s page to show that this magazine is jam packed with celebrity/music gossip. This is ideal for this type of magazine as its target audience which are young teenage girls would be interested in. The position of the bar code is important as it is almost hidden in the corner and out of the way. The issue number also important for the magazine is industry. The use of colour is very important for the target audience. The use of purples, pinks, yellows and whites gives a very clear portrayal of the target audience intended for this magazine. It shows that it’s a girly magazine filled with celebrity gossip.
