FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

The main image on the front cover is of the band Arctic Monkeys the band are positioned like a diamond, this allows them to be in a medium close up which is convention for front covers but also allows them to be looking at one another and this conveys the rebellious streak that is often carried with the genre indie rock. The Arctic Monkeys are very high profile and admired among society so this rebellious and mysterious streak is desired throughout their fans, due to this message being conveyed it helps persuade the viewer to buy the magazine as it is this image that the viewers have an aspiration to be like. The way that the band are positioned also have connotations to the former band Queen this was an international recognized group and by positioning the Arctic Monkeys like one of Queens positioning in a famous music video Bohemian Rhapsody this could infer to an older audience who know and are fans of Queen that the Arctic Monkeys are a band that have the same power and music, this attracts the Queens fans due to the intrigue that this creates, this intrigue leads to a purchase of the magazine. Only the front person is in full focus and the rest of the band gradually gets out of focus this conveys to the viewer that the man from the Arctic Monkeys in the front is maybe the face of the band and is probably the lead singer/guitarist, this is important because by learning this from the positioning of the image it implies the order of the band to the audience even if theyve never heard of, another way that this message is portrayed is by only this person looking straight into the camera and the rest of the members looking at each other. The direction of all the band look is also important because by looking at one another it has connotations of them being clueless but the way that the front man of the Arctic Monkeys is looking directly into the camera this has a higher impact upon the audience of their image of they may be clueless but theyll still do it. The lighting of the image is important because it allows the faces to stand out and be more striking against the black. The Arctic Monkeys make-up is natural which conveys that this is the band stripped back without any intervention from another party. Their hair is also key to achieving a perfect image , their hair is slicked back which creates their facial profiles and also adds texture to the cover, this style also gives a bad boy imagery as this is an association of this cut and the genre they play. There is only one other image on the front cover and this is on the Manic Street Preachers. It conveys a front cover of a mini magazine that comes with Q, by placing this mini magazine cover on the front it conveys to the audience that this is a mini publication which has been thoroughly done like its own magazine, thus enforcing that if Q were to be purchased the consumer would receive more value for money this makes the magazine more attractive to purchase. The image is placed in the top right hand corner with the skyline that lists about that mini publication, due to the publication being in the top right hand corner in the skyline it allows it to be seen when the audience are looking through magazine.

The colours used on the cover of Q are fairly dark tones. Various parts of the magazine contribute to colour and alter the tone that the overall magazine sets. The image is from the main feature, which is on the band Arctic Monkeys, there is a huge black and dark tone that is set in this image, the band are wearing black suits, hair and background this use of black not only assists other features to stand out and be seen by its target audience but it also aids with the bands genre, which is indie rock, black has a mysterious feel which this band like to convey throughout their music and their career the use of the dark colour aids their public image in being dark characters with a dark style of music. The masthead, Q is the same colour, a vivid red, as usual this attracts the eye and makes the brand of the magazine stand out, therefore making it more recognizable and imprints on the viewer more, this could lead to them enquiring about the magazine, therefore increasing the publicity. The use of a blue in the skyline attracts the eye which is important as the information in the skyline is about the mini-publication which is making it more likely that the viewer will buy the issue. The use of white font allows the cover lines to stand out and to be easily read by the audience; this conveys the information easier and makes it more likely for the viewer to purchase the magazine as they know what the content. Silver is used and has connotations of wealth and jewellry, this makes the magazine more appealing as it is glossier and makes the audience feel like the magazine is worth the 3.99 and that Q is a luxury. The silver is also used for the buzz words which draws that audiences attention as silver stands out against the light, this therefore draws the attention to the piece of information that could persuade the viewer to purchase the magazine. On the cover lines Q alter the colour between white and silver, this is to make the cover lines look more spaced out and helps the viewer to establish between each cover line. Red is used to separate cover lines as it goes with the colour of the masthead and also stands out against the black so it can separate the cover lines. The blue positive sign also matches with another part of the magazine which is the skyline it also, like the red, stands out against the black which allows the viewer to access the connotations which the positive sign brings, for example that there is more than on the cover.

The design is very ordered and simple which makes it easy to read and discover what is in the content. It follows conventions by having some cover lines on the left third but subverts them by having others on the right side. By having cover lines on the left third it allows the viewer to see the main feature when looking at the magazine in a newsstand because of the way that the magazines are stacked. There are cover lines on the right side of front cover but this is to assist the design and to make the magazine look more appealing. By subverting conventions it conveys information when the magazine is picked up, doesnt intrude with the cover image and doesnt make the magazine look crowded and unprofessional. The font is very modern and stylish it is mostly Sans Serif which lives off modern connotations, it also makes the cover look more fluent by bringing the text closer together. The musicians that are on the cover lines are in a bolder and bigger text than the caption, this is to gain the viewers attention because if the viewer enjoys the musician who is on the front cover then this will be another selling point for Q. The font on the cover remains the same apart from in the skyline, the font then becomes serif, there is use of ascenders and the font is a new typeface. This technique is used to draw attention to this part of the magazine which highlights another reason to buy the publication. Another reason that the font has been changed is because a different message is being conveyed to the audience; a serif font has connotations of an old and less contemporary which implies that this musician is slightly older and more legendary than the other artists featured within the magazine. The same typeface is used in a buzz word to convey that this is linked with the older band in the skyline. The typeface is also slightly changed at the caption of the Arctic Monkeys feature by including descenders, this separates the caption from other cover lines.

The title is Q which sounds like Cue which has musical connotations for example a well known saying is cue the music but this word also has other connotations for example in snooker the cue is a component used to play the game but the content on the artwork supports the musical connotations, by using the letter Q this gives a more trendy and unique title which will stand out more on the newsstand. There is on no strapline which creates just a single piece of branding, but by subverting the conventions it builds a more trendy and modern face which is more appealing to the younger audience. Q magazine depends hugely on society because only 3 words are related to music and these arent highlighted out of the text which they are blended into. These words are record, music and band apart from this Q rely on the viewer to know who the Arctic Monkeys are and the other names listed on the cover lines. The masthead is sized big enough so it is recognizable from a distance which therefore draws in the regular readers but also catches the eyes of people who are viewing the newsstand, which therefore draws attention. The way that this subverts conventions is that usually the masthead is text which is written along the top of the magazine whereas this masthead is more of a logo, this therefore is unique and individual from other magazines thus allowing it to stand out more and be portrayed different to other magazines in the same market which is a possible selling point. It also allowed the masthead to be recognized and read more due to it being located in the left third thus meaning that it cannot be obscured by many magazines making it more apparent to the viewer of the newsstand who might recognise the popular brand and wish to try it out and to also make it easier for a regular reader to locate the magazine and not look at other brands overly as they might get drawn in to similar products. When I placed this magazine cover away from me the majority of the text was readable but there was a few captions that I struggled to read. This was demonstrated in places like Im choosing which band to send into space and other captions that used similar size font, although I struggled it wasnt impossible to make out but this could be my reading ability and my sight rather than a sizing fault. Although by being able to recognise and read the artists this then draws me in so this could be a deliberate part of the font to hook people in and to encourage them to pick up the issue.

Language features are used on the cover of magazines to persuade a viewer through words to pick up and purchase their products. Although the design of the magazine is vital the language is also paramount to ensure that the artwork gives a professional impression and impact to make the audience feel that they are investing their money into a legitimate publication that conforms to the aims of informing and entertaining. On the cover there is no repetition which gives a profound image to the cover as if Arctic Monkeys was being written all over the cover then this would make Q look very patronizing which could come across very offensive to their more adult audience. Personification is also absent from the cover but this device is more associated with fiction texts as when used in fiction it can be conveyed as very mad and amateur style of writing for a text that has aims to inform. Imperative is a device that would be more common within this style of text but more commonly found in adverts, there is no persuasive or commanding devices which are commonly found in buzz words such as buy although it can be argued that the use of an exclamation mark after special adds a very similar effect to what an imperative does as it sets off a feel of excitement which is an emotion then felt by the reader which causes them to be persuaded to buy the magazine through emotion. Metaphors and similes are also scarce among the front cover which isnt a surprise as like personification these devices are connected more with storytelling and assist the reader on how to view certain imaginary characters which cannot be depicted through an image but due to this being a non-fiction text quite often an image can be provided to aid the viewers understanding so this eliminates the need for these devices, imagery is another language device which is unnecessary for that same reason. Rhetorical question is a device that I would expect to appear on a magazine cover due to it making the audience think about the answer and making them feel the need to know this unknown information therefore possibly causing the viewer to buy the magazine to discover whether he/she was correct. Yet another language device that has been partly employed is humour and pun, because although there is no specific wordplay among the cover lines there is a strong sense of a joke or entertainment, this is demonstrated in the caption to the cover line which says baking cakes for music and is also present with How broken hands, competing haircuts and a strange voyeurism helped make their best record yet. There is a suggestion of playfulness achieved which makes the product more appealing to the viewer as they associate with this attitude which can be almost described as some sort of banter, this makes the artwork more appealing to a new buyer as there is no unknown terminology that alienates the viewer and this humour achieves an informal feel which is associated with how people would communicate with their friends. This overall makes the magazine more approachable to a wider audience. Figure of speech is avoided on the front cover as it can be taken literally by the viewer who could purchase the magazine to find out the information but then be let down by the way that it was just sarcasm, this could cause the reader to never buy the publication again. Sarcasm and irony is a very hard device to use in written text as there is a wide range of people viewing and reading these captions, this wide range of people contains people who can identify sarcasm easily but others who cant, this thin line between is hard to achieve as it can hold so many risks as making the audience angry, upset or confused. Hyperbole is another device that isnt present within the magazine cover, the use of exaggeration can often come across very boastful yet is often used in attempt to sell something, by avoiding hyperbole this works with humour and creates a friendly approachable feel to the product which is vital for sales. Symbolism is also absent in the front cover as like sarcasm it can be read differently by different people, this is more associated with design and colour for example red can have positive and negative connotations, for example positive connotations include love, passion and romance but the negative connotations also carried are blood, danger and stop the way people view words varies down to their personal experiences and is something that cannot be generalized, this creates a same effect with many words and symbolism is hard to conceive on a front cover as it could bring back negative and unhappy memories for the viewer who is trying to achieve pleasure in purchasing a magazine. This cover prides itself in the use of alliteration which is presented in the captions such as 25 years of triumph and tragedy and on beards, booze and baking cakes for music this use of the language device creates more impact and increases dramatic effect which makes the reader feel like they dont just want the magazine but need the magazine as they will miss out if they dont purchase the issue, it also assists the reader in reading the captions, by using alliteration the cover lines are portrayed as more fluent and create an easily read publication. Rhyme is another language device that is used it is demonstrated in the Q interview this conveys a very catchy and fun vibe which is then fed off by the audience who are looking for a fun and entertaining leisure activity and persuades he viewer to invest as it gives what the viewer is look for. It also gives off a fluency like the use of alliteration gives, giving the impression that this magazine is easy to read. The final device present is the rule of three which is present in the cover lines on beards, booze and baking cakes for music and how broken hands, competing haircuts and a strange voyeurism helped make their best record yet the use of rule of three gives lists on what the viewer is missing out on and enforces the depth of the interview conveying that the buyer would be making a good investment.

Overall I think the cover is very effective. It conveys a clear view on the kind of contents that you are likely to find inside through the use of cover lines which are sized and proportioned so they can be seen from a distance and can be easily read if someone was at a newsstand. Through the use of language devices it portrays a fun and playful tone which associates and connects with the audience on a personal level. Although there is barely any reference to music through the connection and heavy influence society has on us we can tell that this is a music magazine due to the artists on the cover, these people have a huge impact upon society and have household recognition which instantly allows the viewer to know what kind of magazine Q is. Due to the sophisticated layout which has a little range of colours this suggests that the target audience is older than teenagers but aimed at both genders due to no strongly masculine or feminine colours being exploited. Although there is no music genre being conveyed whatever genre the Arctic Monkeys are is the genre of Q, the use of dark colours such as blacks in the image suggest that the genre of music covered isnt pop but a more serious type such as rock or alternative. The readers interests are conveyed through the artists, Q have paid attention to upcoming albums, tours and artists to specify what kind of artists would the audience want to know and have a particular interest in. The cover suggests an opening for a wide audience but it neglects genres such as heavy metal due to the organization of the page, due to the connotations of messy and destructive that they carry it is expected for that genres cover to be messy. Another audience who isnt addressed is reggae fans who are naturally drawn to warm colours such as red, yellow and green which are heavily influenced on Jamaica and Bob Marley, the use of red and blue instantly neglects the reggae readers and creates a cold dull feeling which isnt the aim of that genre of music.

CONTENTS ANALYSIS

The design is very plain and simple, it is not too busy but there is no lack of content, this page does what it is required to do and no more. The way it splits the content up between reviews, cover stories and other content assists the reader on finding the ideal content that they desire.

The colour used is part of the house style and logo which has been carried on from the front cover, this gives the magazine a familiarity and a theme which will be recognized by the readers.

There are very few images on the contents page as most of the contents is dominated by text, which is convention for a contents page. There is one main image which relates to the cover image, this is bigger to everything else and draws the readers eye to this story, unlike the cover image the front man of the Arctic Monkeys is looking away from the camera to achieve this mysterious and rebel look that is carried with the genre of music they carry. Also there is no need for him to look directly into the camera anymore as there is no need to connect directly with the audience as this process is only really needed when the viewer first comes into contact with the magazine on a newsstand as this can draw the viewer in to become a consumer. The artists are in bold to catch the eye of the viewer, so they can easily navigate to the page they want to be on, thus completing the aim of a contents page. This is convention of a contents page. There is a little caption under each heading this conveys what each feature and article are about this persuades the reader more to read the content and also more information is given which tells us about whether this article is a review or a biography, this again brings in the audience to read the article.

Buzz and puff words are still being used on the contents page to highlight certain points to the readers attention the use of 17-page collectors special draws the readers attention especially as its in yellow which is a bright and eye catching colour, the use of collector also has connotations of valuable and one day could be worth money so this persuades people to keep or buy the magazine if they look at the contents before they buy. The other puff and buzz word cover story helps the reader navigate as this could be the story that they most want to read as it couldve brought the viewer to become a reader.

Q section off certain parts of their magazine to make it easier for their audience to navigate but also to draw the attention to these articles. By including this it makes the contents page more interesting and appealing to the eye.

Images are use on the contents page to add interest and make it more appealing to the audience rather than just have text which isnt very visually pleasing yet very functional. There are only four images but this creates a nice balance between text and image, if there wasnt a very good balance then either text or image could become very overwhelming and make the contents page confusing or unattractive. The main image is of the Arctic Monkeys who are the cover on the cover image, this means that this is the main feature of this issue meaning that most people are going to be looking for this article, by making this image the biggest it makes it easier to navigate to the main article. In the image it is just of the front man of the Arctic Monkeys he isnt looking directly into the camera like he is on the cover. This is because there is no need for there to be any direct contact between the viewer and the magazine as the contents page isnt a device that needs to get people to purchase into the issue, by having the front man look away from the camera it creates this mysterious feel and that he is someone we will never understand, which creates a feel of curiosity among the audience, this then is conveyed that by reading the story some of our curiosity will be released as the viewers questions will be answered. By having a white background it allows the image to sit more fluently into the contents page, it allows the head to go slightly over the banner which almost replicates a cover of a magazine, it also conveys the Arctic Monkeys breaking the boundaries like it is breaking out of the image area to the banner. By the lead singer facing the side it creates a silhouette which also raises the audiences curiosities and persuades them to turn the page to the main feature. There are very defined lines which is visually appealing and draws the eye due to the high contrast of black and white. The musician wears a dark blue shirt which has connotations of night which also brings a sense of secrets which again raises curiosity within the reader. Dark blue is also a very masculine colour especially with the sunglasses, this manly persona also makes woman like him more than a musician but also bring this kind of crush emotion. The gold chain around the lead singers neck conveys a wealth and a fashionable persona which appeals to the males who aspire to be like him. The slicked back hair is a very 70s style and conveys a retro feel, just like their music, it also portrays a unique persona, many artists have modern hairstyles but this hair conveys the picture to be retro which goes with the whole image of retro style. There are two other images on the contents page. One is of the Manic Street Preachers who are wearing out dated and less fashionable clothing to our era, this conveys that this band are being brought back and it also conveys how times have changed from when they were popular to now. The image is an older one which shows the band as young, their scruffy outfits and slouchy poses convey that they are rough yet this is contradicted by how they are standing outside Buckingham Palace, home of the neat and royal, which creates more impact among the viewer which could also convey that this band are so rebellious that they will never be inside Buckingham Palace and like us redeemed to look from the outside. There is also a less concentrated person in the background who could be a member of the public yet it looks like he has been purposefully placed there, he is not suited to the attire and looking away from the camera this suggests that there has been trouble between the members of this band. The third image is of the new girl band Haim this is suggested by the surroundings of the image which is full of green and nature which therefore suggests fresh and down to earth. There are posed with the lead vocalist closest, this is because the lead vocalist makes the majority of contact with the audience and is almost instantly recognizable so the reader can easily identify who the band is. Haim are mostly wearing black which is normal attire for a musician but the garments are leather jackets and skinny jeans which goes with their grunge genre due to the connotations of rebellious and laid back. The last image is separate from the rest of the page and is placed with a sidebar, this informs the reader that this image is to do with The Q Review this assists the reader in navigating around the magazine. The image of Green Day front man Joe Armstrong with his arms outstretched, this is a symbol of happiness and freedom which reflects that the reader will attain this emotion if they were to read the article, it also conveys the artist as a good band to see live due to their openness to the audience, the feel of freedom and how the lead singer is looking out towards the audience rather than paying attention to the photographer. The back of the photo is a blue form the stage lights which causes it to stand out due to the high contrast between the blue and the white. The lead singers arms also break out of the photo therefore having connotations of breaking out.

Unlike the front cover the colours on the contents page are very light. Although the red is carried over as this is part of the house style. Black is used for the font, which stands out and helps the contents page serve its purpose as it is clear and readable, also if there was a white background this could come across very harsh and overwhelming. Red is used in the banner, the titles and in text, this frequent use of red, infers that this colour is the part of Qs style and appearance so wherever we see this style we will link it to Q magazine. Red is a very unisex colour so it will appeal to both genders, it also has associations with passion and energy, this reflects the reader who should be passionate about music and have energy to participate in live music and dance. In the sidebar there is a slightly more variety in the colour such as pink and light blue which draws your attentions as these are only used on this part of the contents folio. There is also a use of yellow in a buzz word to also draw attention. The use of colour on the contents page is very basic and simple to assist the reader to move around the magazine fluently and find their chosen article. The boundaries of colour is only broken to draw attention. There is a use of a light brown as a background to the bottom half of the contents page, the use of a more dull and transparent colour is used to separate the pages from the stories on the cover, which again, assists the audience with navigating around the magazine.

The design of this contents page mostly follows to the conventions of a magazine contents page. There are 4 columns which all have an image in, there is a main image which relates to the one from the front cover and other images on the contents page which are close to the main image. There is a very structured layout which helps the reader navigate around the magazine, this includes page numbers next to titles. There is a banner with the issue date, the Q logo and the title of the page which again sticks to the codes and conventions of a typical magazine contents page. The house style is continued as expected from the front cover. The contents page is divided into cover stories and other articles by how there are images with the cover artists on a plain white background and the other articles there are no images and it is on a dull brown colour. Other articles The Q Review get their own side bar which is separated from the contents page by lines going around those stories and the use of banners with a couple more vibrant colours. There are sublines describing the article briefly and are very small so they dont distract from the main design yet tell the reader what to expect from the article so they can judge whether to read it or not. There is bold type used for the artist which informs the reader the artist that the article is based on. In the bottom corner there is the Q logo with the issue date and page number this is still to the typical codes and conventions that contribute to the overall design. This magazine contents page design subverts conventions by not providing any subscription, contact details or editors letter which is usually on the contents page. A flannel panel is also usually provided which contains all the editors and credits to people like the photographers but this has been left out due to this bulking out the design of the contents page and therefore not serving its purpose due to it being hard to navigate. An image of the front cover of the magazine would also disrupt the design of the contents page therefore making it less fluent for the reader.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

There is a montage of pictures of various colours, this draws the eye and makes the article more entertaining. It also assists the reader on understanding the article for example who it is and what its about. It also breaks down the text for the reader so they dont feel overwhelmed with writing. The images appease the eye while the writing appeases the brain.

The headline of the double page spread is the biggest text on the whole page. This is to draw your attention to it. It uses cameraman which is associated to the story. Other parts include language that have film connotations, which is what the article is about, for example its a wrap is clich which is used in association with film making. This use of lexis allows the reader to find out what this article is about and to instantly decide whether they are interested or not.

The text is serif so makes it easier to be read by the audience. This is important as if the article isnt read or enjoyed then Q could lose a consumer. By using serif text it allows the reader to not feel too overwhelmed by the article and allow them to finish without feeling like theyve read too much and that they struggled to get to the end. The whole aim of a magazine is to please the reader rather than make the audience feel overcome by text.

The use of a sidebar adds additional information that assists the main text. In this case it gives some context to other bands that made a film. This additional context is placed here as it gives the readers who are interested extra background information that they also might enjoy to read and who would like to discover more on the topic.

The colour red is again used and must be part of the house style as it has been continuously used throughout the magazine. Both on the front cover and the contents page red has been a colour. This is because red is very unisex so it appeals to both genders and the mass audience. If pink was to be the colour of choice then it would eliminate half the market due to pink not being an attractive colour to males and to it having very girly connotations. The use of a house style allows it to be more familiar to the audience, rather than having random colours on every page, this familiarity allows it to be recognised even when the reader is seeing another person reading another magazine. This house style labels the magazine a Q.

The use of a pull quote allows the text to be presented in a more attractive way and to split the text up, allowing the body text to not come across as so overwhelming and make it more attractive for the audience to read.

Institution/Distribution

Q is published by the Bauer Media Group which also own the publications on the page.

FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

The masthead is in red. This allows it to stand out against the green and yellow so the title is instantly recognizable against the rest of the magazine, this creates more of an impact on the viewer as this is the first thing that is seen. It is clear that this brand of music magazine is popular as the image covers the majority of it, therefore making it harder to tell what the magazine is called The skyline includes information on what is free with the magazine this is so it is more likely to be seen and therefore is another point for why the viewer should purchase the magazine. The use of yellow here, being a bright colour, naturally draws our eyes attention therefore causing us to read the information within. There is a high use of buzz words which contributes to this very busy magazine. These catch our eyes and draw it to information about free content and other perks that come with purchasing the magazine. The artists on the cover are in bold this makes them as obvious to the viewer as possible. So if the viewer likes the artists that are featured in the magazine then the viewer could buy the magazine and become a reader. Rock Sound follow conventions by placing all of their cover lines on the left third. This is so they can be seen on the newsstand. In Britain the way magazines are stacked allow the left hand side to be seen therefore magazines place their stories here so the viewer can see as much of their content as possible, this is a typical example of this design. The colour used is very unisex so it appeals to girls and boys. Yellow and green are used, these are next to each other so this means that they are harmonious which allow them to go together easily. The cover image is of the band standing in an arrow formation with the front man, this is the most recognizable member of the band at the front, this allows the viewer to recognize the band and if they enjoy the band it persuades the audience to buy it. They are dressed in black which allows the tattoos to stand out which has connotations of a bad boy imagery that Bring Me the Horizon carries. Black is also traditional uniform for musicians so this conveys that these are music artists so if no one has ever heard of Rock Sound then this infers the genre of the magazine. Their logo is carried twice on the front cover, the backdrop of the image is their logo and there is a pale version of their logo behind their name, this infers the relationship between the logo and the band name which is important for the band and its magazine as fans will recognize this logo and buy the magazine due to it The cover seems to have a very sketchy and doodle type of font this adds to an informal house style. It adds to the freedom and feel of going beyond boundaries that is often associated with the rock genre. Rock also has connotations of destruction which is also inferred by the use of this font.

CONTENTS ANALYSIS

This contents page is spread over two pages, yet the majority of information that helps the audience navigate is on the right side of the page. The left side is take up by a considerable amount of images. The colour green hasnt been carried over from the front cover and there is not even a trace of it apart from in the photos, this conveys that green was not part of the house style but part of the cover style which means that the colour simply remains on the front page and probably doesnt reoccur again. The images have more of a comedic and informal value than on the front it almost gives the impression of a students poster wall, this contributes to the idea that the audience for this magazine is aimed at the demographic of students. The use of lots of images in different shapes and scattered around the place gives the feel of our eyes not being sure where to look. Red is used for the background of the contents this stands out against the images and makes the eye look away from the images and look at the content of the magazine instead. Yellow is also used which is a bright colour so again therefore draws the attention of the eye. On this page there is an in balance of images to text therefore suggesting that for the student demographic that they prefer visuals than to words.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

The use of images, the way the article has been presented has an impact on what the readers think. The article is given a very school girl crush tone, this has been conveyed by a doodle of a love heart, the highlighting of some of the article as if it were a text book and the use of the word obsession. The word obsession has very strong connotations of crushes which are typical of preteen and teenage girls, This gives the impression that we as an audience should act like teenage girls and admire Brendon Urie.

The colour has no links to the cover, there is no sign of green, this conveys that it is not part of the house style and the colour was simply to attract people to the magazine as it was eye catching as it was bright, but this colour could be very overwhelming and distract from the article itself. The colours here are still unisex yet very subtle so add interest to the page but doesnt make the article too bright or over powering.

The article is on one page yet there is a relating cartoon on the opposite page. This makes the page look very different to other articles which text typically go across both pages, this makes it instantly stand out against other articles therefore making it more appealing. Although by doing this it makes the text look chunky and bulky therefore putting the audience who dont know Brendon Urie off. Although there is the school-girl crush element to the double page spread there is a clear tone that this is aimed at mainly males. Although this isnt overly emphasized the beer on the right page has huge male connotations and is seen as a very masculine beverage, the way that this is taking up a whole page conveys this is more of a masculine page.

The use of a blue blazer gives off many connotations. The colour blue has connotations of cool and cold which are the conditions that beer is kept it. It also gives the message that Brendon Urie is a cool guy, this refers back to the school-girl crush tone that is set the blazer and sunglasses back this atmosphere as the blazer has associations with uniform which is worn when you are a student. Sunglasses have connotations of celebrities which are seen as cool within our society so this tone is conveyed here, smoking has also been seen as a cool thing to do so all these factors contribute to the overall feel of the double page spread.

FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

The masthead is in the top left hand corner so it can be seen when stacked on the shelves. It also places its cover lines on the left third which means NME conform to conventions. By placing the cover lines on the left it allows the viewer to easily access the content of the magazine without physically picking it up.

Colour is important on this cover, it highlights the cover lines and makes them stand out against the image. The colours of the cover lines are related to the origami birds in the images, these are bold and strong primary colours. These colours have connotations of children and the way David Bowie is positioned is like a magician which is linked with children, him being a magician symbol can have many connotations for example him bringing magic to the music industry. David Bowie is a very legendary figure within music and by being seen as a magician it can have various connotations to different people who have witnessed his career some may see him as fake as this is another connotation of magic.

David Bowie is in focus and not looking directly into the camera, this conveys that he is slightly mad and off the radar it also conveys that he is inconspicuous and will never be truly given to the cameras and is different to the rest of he pop stars. It also conveys a gritty feel due to his messy hair and that he has literally fought his way back onto our magazine covers and album charts. The costume is smart but there is no tie which removes the formal attire and creates a more scruffy feel, this reminds me of a magicians attire which is typically smart/casual this is in harmony with the origami birds which highlights that Bowie has a way with music like musicians have with magic.

The use of swear words conveys that this magazine is not aimed at a younger audience. Due to this being on the cover it conveys that the whole magazine will contain content that is too explicit for younger readers. This eliminates a whole audience of below 16. It also conveys a naked tone and that the article within the magazine is free of editing and that 100% of the words spoken are from that artist and arent edited. This creates an informal tone which brings the audience in persuading them that the content in the magazine is what was actually said by the musician therefore removing the barrier and making it more personal thus persuading the viewer to become a reader.

CONTENTS ANALYSIS

This contents page is very formal compared to the other ones I have analyzed. This contents page has only one colour, which is red, this is their signature colour which contributes to the house style combine this with the same font as on the front cover and then this contents page can be recognized as NME just by style. NME divide their contents page into sections so the audience can navigate around the magazine. The use of images adds more interest to the contents page and draws people in to certain stories, this is also obtained by having a larger font which is reversed out and having larger page numbers, these are placed in the center of the page which naturally draws your eye in. The way pictures are placed within circles gives a feel that there is more to see which again pulls the reader in to see that certain article. The page numbers are up in the centre of the page which subverts conventions and is a little touch to imply that NME is a magazine that is proud to be different. By placing pictures with the contributors of the magazine it adds a more personal touch rather than it just being about a name.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

The lack of colour conveys that this is a series article, there are only two pictures which conveys that this article isnt to entertain but inform of a serious problem within music. With quotes embedded within the text to make the text seem less chunky and overwhelming. The pink mini interview on the right conveys extra information and context that if the reader found interesting would then read more on the side. It is in bright pink to draw the eye as this is the brightest colour on the page . Although pink is a very feminine colour this female tone is eliminated due to the colourless and formal presentation of the double page spread, If the pink was more bleeding onto the page then this would have considerably more connotations of girlishness. The article is spread over both pages but isnt placed directly next to each other, for example on the left page is a pull quote which separates the two columns of body text by doing this it makes the text a considerably less overwhelming.

Institution/Distribution