The second magazine I’m going to analyse is an issue of ‘uncut’
Front Cover
Layout: The route of eye of the front cover goes across the title, through the image and main article and then across the band names in bottom corners. The masthead, main coverline and additional coverlines have been placed along the route of the eye so that when you glance at it you see all those things that are put there to appeal to the target audience. There are more band names placed in the terminal area along with the ones of the route of the eye line so that the reader will see them and be drawn into the magazine because it interests them. In the primary optical area are some of the image and mast head then a quote from the main article. This is placed there so that when you first go to look at the magazine, you see the most important things first and get drawn into the magazine, making you want to read and buy it. There isn’t much text or images in the dead areas because people tend not to look at them, so it is not useful to place information there. The title expands out into those areas but you see it when you scan over the magazine through the route of eye. The coverlines on the front cover are very ordered as they are placed around the outside of the page with only the main coverline in the centre to appeal to the audience. This shows that it is aimed at a more mature audience because there isn’t things just placed anywhere. There is also a pug in the top right corner advertising a free CD appealing to the audience. It is placed there so that when you glance over the cover through route of eye, you see it. In the hotspots there is the image and the main coverline. It is placed there because it is the most important part of the front cover and its purpose is to draw people in and appeal to the audience. It needs to be in the centre so that it stands out the most.
Images: There are only two images on this front cover to keep it uncluttered and simple. The main image on the page is of the ‘Kings of Leon’ which is who the main article is about so it is relevant to the front page. The image is in black and white as is the plain backdrop behind them. This look connotates style because it is quite old fashioned. This therefore implies that kings of Leon are a very stylish and perhaps old fashioned group. Even though the image takes up the whole page, all text other than the title overlaps it, to make it so the page isn’t plain. The shot is a long shot to show the whole body of all four members, this is to show their costume and body positions. Their clothes are quite smart and stylish but they all look different and unique from each other, which I think, makes them more appealing as a group. They are all standing close to each other, some with arms crossed, some turned inwards. I think this shows that they are a very close group. One member is stepped further forward than the other three, connotating perhaps that he is the main member and more important to the group than the other three. The other image is in the top left corner, so it is in your direct eye line (route of eye) but is not as important as the other one. This is a close up of ‘neil young’ because the target audience only need to see his face to know who he is. The image also relates to the coverline at the top of the page right next to the image, as it is an article about him. You can’t see much of his costume other than the top of a black t-shirt and a hat. But even so, the hat makes him look quite stylish and old fashioned, matching the image of Kings of Leon.
Colour: There is once again a consistent colour scheme of black, white, red and gold. The black and white signify professionalism, also looking smart and simple. The red and gold complement each other greatly, looking unique and not targeting a specific gender. This widens the target audience of the magazine. The four colours look very good together and create a smart looking, stylish magazine cover. They use a limited number of colours so that it doesn’t look too confusing or childish. In the lists of band names, the red and gold are used to divide up the names and distinguish between them, looking more appealing. There is a label above the main coverline saying 'world exclusive' in red and gold. This makes it stand out much more and draws attention to it, appealing to the reader.
Font: Unlike ‘Q’ and ‘Rock sound’, this magazine doesn’t put most things in capitals, making it have a less aggressive demeanour. The only things in capitals are the coverline at the top of the page to make it standout more, and the band names at the bottom two corners. This is to show that they are also important as they appeal greatly to the target audience. Even though the layout is ordered, the various fonts on the page make it look slightly more messy and cluttered. However, different fonts have different effects and look different. They put the main coverline in serif because it looks more important and different, whereas they put all the band names down the side in sans serif to make it easier to read. Whereas in other music magazines of this genre, the text is not gothic or rough looking, it is quite smart and simple. This gives off a more mature vibe. It is also quite a masculine font and so gives the impression that Kings of Leon are also masculine. The font of the title is spread out to make the short word fit the whole page and is in quite a basic font. It looks smart and the 3D masthead is a very effective look because it makes it stand out a lot more. The masthead is also in a red font making it stand out from the black and white image and background. This shows it is very important as it needs to be seen. The font in the main coverline is outlined in gold; this is very effective because it makes it look very classic and old fashioned. This relates to the issue as all artists and bands on the magazine seem quite classic and old fashioned.
Mode of address and language: The mode of address of this front cover is quite informal although like the other magazine, it uses cultural capital of audience. By using words that the specific target audience would relate to and understand it appeals to them greatly. For example; ‘rocks royal family’, ‘makes some noise’, ‘world exclusive’, and all the band names and artists mentioned. However, the language on this front cover isn’t as colloquial as ‘nme’ for example, as it isn’t aimed at a particular place in Britain , just Britain
Contents page
This magazines contents page only consists of a single page with lots of coverlines in small fonts. On the other page is a music advertisement for an artist’s new album that would appeal to the target audience.
Layout: The route of eye of this page goes across the title, through the image and article names, then back across the image. This shows that even though the article names are conventionally the most important, on this page the image is instead. It takes up most of the page leaving little room for a simple column of coverlines having different categories. The image is in all of the hotspots, once again showing its importance and dominance over the page. The primary optical area contains the start of the title and some coverlines showing that even though the image is important, it is vital that you look at those first. The layout is very ordered as there is a simple column of article names down the side making it clear for the reader to see. This has a more mature feel to it as it is smart yet simple.
Images: There is only one image on this page and it is very significant as it takes up a lot of room, leaving little for the text. The picture is a medium mid shot as it shows his head and shoulders. This gives the effect of you mainly seeing his face to recognise him but also being able to see what he’s wearing. His costume looks very smart as it is a shirt, jumper and blazer which is also quite old fashioned yet stylish. There is the same theme as the front cover of having the image in black and white to make it stylish and quite classic, giving the reader a feel of what the magazine is about and the style of it. The main looks quite fierce and serious in the image; however his messy hair makes him seem quite messy and perhaps playful, contrasting his costume greatly. Even though you can only see his shoulder up, his body position looks quite relaxed which contrasts his expression. The background is quite plain and looks like a simple wall of some kind. This has the effect of keeping the focus on him rather than his surroundings.
Colours: There is a consistent colour scheme that follows the house style of black, white and red. The black and white are basic colours that are simple yet make the magazine look smarter. The title of the page is in big, bold, red letters to make it stand out from the rest of the page showing its importance to be seen first. The article names down the side are in red with black descriptions and grey page numbers. All the different colours complement each other but distinguish the different information to make it clearer to read and understand what is what. There is a category near the bottom called ‘regulars’ in which the text is very small and all placed together. The only clear separating is that the page numbers are in red and the article name is in black. The box below this is in red to make it stand out from the other articles and to show that it is something different.
Font: There are only two different fonts on this contents page, keeping it simple and easy to read. The serif font is used for the article names, the title and the name of the man in the image. The font looks quite masculine and smart giving a professional look for the magazine and ‘frank zappa’. The other sans serif font is used for everything else because of how clear and easy to read it is. All the main information that has to be small is in sans serif so that it is still readable for the audience. Other than the name of the man in the image and the title, nothing else is in bold, showing that these two things are important and are meant to stand out from the page, drawing people’s attention in.
Mode of address and language: The mode of address is informal as you can tell by the language used. Phrases like; ‘booze-fuelled anxieties’, ‘latin guitar master’ and ‘power struggles’ appeal to the target audience and also relate to them specifically rather than everyone. This is because cultural capital of audience is being used where specific words and phrases are used that the target audience will understand.
Double page spread
Before the article starts there is a double page spread with a title, a stand first and some large pictures of the band members designed to draw people in. The route of eye goes across the faces of the band members to the name of the band, through the title then across to the stand first. This is to make sure that in a first glance of the page, the reader see’s the most important things on the page and the things that are going to appeal to them the most. The image and start are the title are placed in the hotspots because when you see it, who the article is about and the wording of the title would make you want to read it. The main image is placed in the centre of the double page spread and fills the whole thing so as to not leave any gaps and look blank. It is a mid-shot so you see them from about the thighs up. This is to give us a good look at what they are wearing which represents what type of band they are. It also shows their body position and face to be able to recognise members. Their clothing is quite smart and stylish and the slight black and white look gives it an elegant and old fashioned feel, following the classic house style of the magazine. The title is in a large font and overlapping the band members making sure you can still see their faces. It is in sans serif to keep it simple and readable; also the capitals seem a bit aggressive but stand out. However the stand first is in a much smaller font to distinguish between them and fit more of the page, it is also in serif to look more smart and old fashioned.
Layout: The route of eye goes from the kicker across images of the band, through the article to an image in the text and across a pull quote. Once again this is so at a first glance, the reader see’s all the important things on the page, to appeal to them more. The kicker is in the primary optical area because its size and the way it stands out from the rest of the text looks very effective and appealing to the audience. The article text is in the hotspots because overall it is the most important thing and the bit that the audience need to read, this is the same as the terminal and dead areas. It is a very ordered layout to keep it simple and neat which makes it easy for the reader to follow. The text is shaped around the images at the top however the image in the text and the pull quote disrupt the text creating a more interesting page to look at that if it was full of text. It breaks up the article into smaller bits for the audience to manage.
Images: There are a few images on the page to keep it simple and not too cluttered but also to add some colour to the page. The two images next to each other at the top show the band in some kind of gig or concert suggesting a profession and the type of music they are known for. The image of a mid-shot of a member of the band shows him singing and playing the guitar during a gig. This appeals to the target audience because of them liking the type of music and the band so they want to see more of them and know more about them. These images show a more personal side to the shallowness seen in other places as they are live images giving a sense of verisimilitude. The image in the text also follows this pattern by showing a stage and hundreds of people around suggesting a popularity about the band and also what type of music they sing, appealing to the audience.
Colours: This page is kept simple by only using black, white and gold with bits of grey. The black, white and grey keep it simple, smart and classic, whereas the gold adds colour and gives a sense of elegance. The colour ensemble reflects the house style of an old fashioned and classic look, clearly appealing to a more mature audience. One of the images is in black and white with the one next to it in colour. This clearly distinguishes it as two different photos and also makes them look very effective and stylish. The colours in the image within the text gives a sense of reality that you wouldn’t get with a black and white image since you can see the time of day and the style and appearance of the stage. The black text is placed on a white background to make sure that it is clear and easy to read. It also creates a certain simplicity while still looking professional.
Font: The man text used throughout the article is a serif to keep it looking smart and elegant and following the house style of the magazine. This also shows a more mature target audience as it looks more professional. The pull quote is in capitals giving an aggressive feel and standing out more because it seems like it is shouting at you. It is larger than the article font and placed in sans serif font to distinguish them easily apart and to make it stand out while still being clear to read. With each of the images is a small box with a caption in sans serif font to make it simple and to not stand out compared to the rest of the article.
Mode of address and language: The mode of address is very informal as rather than a shallow factfile it is an in-depth article regarding the band and their music, appealing greatly to the audience with all the quotes and personal facts. The language is informal too because of the reasons stated above and the way the ‘diary’ type article seems to be talking to you personally. Cultural capital of audience is used in the article to better appeal to the more mature target audience by using words and phrases they understand and relate to them. These are things such as; ‘orders shots of tequila’, ‘’what the fuck’, and ‘perched on a bar stool’ suggest an older and more mature audience.
Content: The content of this magazine is article about indie/rock with bits of alternative and pop music (as it is al rounded) and artists to do with that type of music. The articles specifically are about: the magazines music chart, reviews of current songs and albums, a main article about Brandon Flowers and various other articles about artists and bands. There are also a lot of advertisements in this magazine, mainly about various albums and artists. There are also a few car adverts and clothing, showing an aim at a more mature advert.
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