Q magazine contents page centre’s on the upcoming British rock group The Couteerns. This is essential as they are aimed at a mainstream audience therefore incorporate a variety of different artists and group’s in their magazine for example Jayz, Lily Allen, Cheryl Cole and Madonna this ensures that people with all music interests are drawn to the magazine making sure this magazine makes as much profit as possible. The mise-en-scene consists of the band Courteerns they are dressed stereotypical as they are wearing jeans and a t-shirt this is often how rock band’s are dressed , this allows the audience to easily identify the band as they often dress similar and also encourage them to buy the magazine as they are dressed quite casual so audiences can relate to them and want to buy the magazine this also attracts laid back cool people interested in music . The Courteerns are upcoming rock band therefore may encourage people to buy the magazine as they are new therefore produce fresh modern music which the audince are often interested in.
On the left hand side there is a column which shows Oasis written in capital letters and in a special colour that the rest of the page doesn’t consist of. This indicates Oasis are special implying that Oasis are different from others and therefore more important as they get there own colour text and box around it advertising it in the centre of the left column. This is significant and will immediately attract customers as this is a special edition therefore it wont feature primary interview of Oasis in a long time so the audience is encouraged to buy it. Also this suggests the Courteenrs and Oasis are similar as they are both featured on the magazine this will encourage people to buy the magazine eventhough the Coureenrs are not as established as Oasis people will be drawn to the magazine as Oasis are a globally recognised band and if they purchase the magazine they may find to enjoy the Courteerns and the information provided about them.
The colour scheme used consists of red , the Q at the top corner of the page is in red reminding you which magazine you are reading as the red Q is featured in all Q magazines.
The text is mainly in regular black font and some parts in white this keeps the magazine very formal and organised which allows the audience to easily look through and find the article they are interested in , whereas if there was a variety of colours and fonts the reader might find it difficult to get past the content page and see what the magazine actually has to offer. This indicates that this magazine might be targeted at an older audience or older students as the colour scheme is straight forward which younger audiences tend to avoid also web addresses are shown at the top right this reminds people that they have a website that the can go on.
The smaller picture shown at the bottom of the content page is there to attracts the audience attention and divert it to take a look at what is on offer at the bottom of the page he contrasts with the band shown above as he is wearing a suit which is purple this also contrasts with the colour scheme used throughout this page as it is not dull and boring.
Not much is said about what this section is about and the audience is unable to see this mans full appearance this might help create suspense and encourage the audience to read on and find out what the article is about. Q magazine contents page has proven to be very individual when compared to other magazines content page for example Vibe devotes different sections of magazine to different areas that might not relate to music much such as fashion where as Q specifically focus on music by incorporating reviews of different music and interviews in their magazine. The bottom left corner of the magazine gives detail of the magazine like when it is released, how many pages it consists of. This is essential as it gives the audience information they might need if they want to buy the magazine and it is clear to find.
The content page for vibe magazine main image consists of the globally recognised rapper Kanye West. One of the main features that stand out in this main image is the hand across him with the red heart; this is significant as it can relate to the readers as she is trying to win over Kanye West's heart this content page is also trying to win over the reader’s heart and interest the reader and encourage them to buy it. Also the colour red contrasts with the other colours such as black, grey and blue theses colours are very dull and suggests unhappiness, depression and misery whereas the colour red suggests passion, love and danger. Kanye’s facial expression relate to the dull colours consistently used as he looks expressionless. Kanye clothes also adhere with the colours used in the background as he is wearing a greyish jacket and t-shirt this looks very stylish and will attract many young people who are the target market for this magazine as fashion is growing more popular amongst the youths therefore pay more attention to trends and are encourage to buy this magazine as it not only offers them music but fashion as well. One of the main sections of the magazine is also based around fashion as it suggests at the bottom left corner of the content page, this implies that fashion is apart of music and has increased popularity therefore vibe have successful identified a trend and incorporated it in their music magazine to attract young people. Kanye also uses direct address to involve the reader and encourage them to by the magazine by using eye contact.
At the back of the main image there is a large “v” this refers to vibe magazine as the logo is “v” this is very effective as it is catchy therefore helps the audience remember the magazine and as a result buy it in the future.
One the right there is a list of where to find pages of articles it is in big black font therefore making it clear and easy for the audience to read. The instructions provided are fairly simple as it tells you the article involved and the numbers needed to find the page you would like. It also has sub-sections; Features and Fashion. This makes navigation easier as the reader can easily find what they want much easier. This section of the content page is quite small as the main image takes up most of the page as it is very eye catching so the audience ca immediately see the main image and be drawn in it is there to attract the target audience and persuade them to buy it. The title of the page “content” is not written in a straight line it starts a new line twice throughout the word this stands out as it is written in big bold black font and is very effective as it makes this magazine very original and unique which might attract potential customers as it is going against the normality which young people are often drawn to.
In the bottom right hand corner of the page, there are a couple of bullet points explaining the pictures on the front cover and also the contents page. It tells you the artist’s name and where the picture was taken, etc. this extra information might be useful to people who like extra knowledge and are fans of Kanye West or this piece of photography.
The magazine XXL specializes in Hip-Hop and was founded in 1997.XXL has also started releasing the annual Top 10 Freshmen list, a tradition which has been growing more every year. As well as teaming up with international artists Eminem to release a special issue titled XXL Presents Shade 45, and was designed to give maximum exposure to Shade 45
The title “XXL” can relate to the main image, for example it can be interpreted as 50 cent one of the key models of this cover is trying to hide his face with a white cloth therefore he is unknown which is what “X” often refers to. This suggests he is a rebel and prefers to be hidden, Soulja Boy can also be preserved as being a rebel as he has his underwear showing with his trousers low even though this might be a common trend circulating the Hip-Hop and Rap genre it is still informal and looked down upon in society. Soulja Boy also has many tattos which is also a key trend this might encourage young people to buy this magazine as it is a popular trend. The main image of the cover is 50 cent and Soulja Boy, male rap artists are often the cover of this music magazine for example Eminem, Lil Wayne , The Game have all previously featured on XXL. Both 50 cent and Soulja Boy have large muscles which suggests he is strong, powerful and can be intimidating this is stereotypical as men are often represented as physically powerful also this indicates they take pride in their image and health , the links between health and fitness suggests the target audience for this issue is young males between 16-25. The target audience can be seen as having a narrow range of music interests as “ 50 cent” “R-Kelly” “Lloyd” “Soulja Boy” “B.O.B” are all Rap artists this also reinforces the target audience of males as females are unlikely to be interested in this genre of music.
They are both wearing a lot of expensive jewelry and Soulja Boy is without a shirt this reinforces the stereotype of males as they often represented as show offs which both 50 cent and Soulja Boy fall into as they are wearing a lot of expensive jewelry and Soulja Boy shows off his muscular body, this again attracts a male audience as they aspire to gain a muscular body like Soulja Boy so are encouraged to but the magazine as they might be let in on some of his exercise and eating pattern, however this might also attract females that are interested in male rap artists. Soulja Boy’s facial expression’s suggests he is very serious which is very stereotypical of the rap genre he represents ,as it is identified with rhyming of real life often serious issues also rap is a male dominated genre so seriousness is incorporated as it is to a stereotyped representation of a male.
Most of the text involved in the copy is presented in bold black and white colours which indicates that the magazine is aimed at a male audience, as they are often represented as straight forward. The font is in capital which can suggest power and success as it is there to draw customers in. The only statement on this front cover is “ 50 CENT SOULJA BOY A HATER‘S WORST NIGHTMARE” this directly relate to the key image as it is very threatening and intimidating. The colour red is also used on this cover which can suggest blood and danger which can also relate to this statement as both 50 Cent and Soulja Boy look very aggressive and violent. as a radio station. More recently In November 2008 XXL released XXL Raps Volume 1, which included music from 50 cent this could be a reason why he is featured on this cover.
Kerrang is the world biggest selling rock music magazine published by Bauner consumer media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing an power chord on an electric guitar this helps the niche target audience identify with the type of music afford from them magazine so they immediately develop expectations and are attracted to the magazine.
Most of the text presented in the copy is in bold font this help’s it stands out and attract the target customer’s attention. Green, white, yellow and black are used so the font, this is significant as the consistent use of the colour green draws link to the band on the front cover Green Day this allows the target audience to identify this band. One of the article’s advertised says “ WTF?” this indicates this rock music magazine is aimed at a young audience as due to the rapid increase in social networking sites such as Facebook many young people have increased their use of slang words such as “WTF” therefore a young person can easily identify an understand the meaning of this word an therefore might be interested in reading the article. Also an older audience would not understand this language as they are not involved as much in this new digital and online age. The younger audience might enjoy reading this magazine as they might feel like as rebels of society as many people might not be able to understand this language.
The main image is of the band Green Day, as a successful rock band they have appeared many time’s before on Kerrang as well as other rock band’s Fallout Boys and 30 Seconds to Mars. The lead singer of the band is shown with a guitar this helps the niche target audience immediately understand what type of music Kerrang specializes in as a guitar has connotations of rock music. In ways of mise-en-scene He also has the rock and role image as the main image shows him performing on a stage with long messy black hair, this allows the audience to easily identify the rock genre of music and immediately develop expectations from this magazine and are interested in reading it. “THIS IS THE BEST SHOW OUT THERE GREEN DAY” this immediately attract the audience as they are integer by Green Day’s statement and are encouraged to buy the magazine to find out more about “the best show ever”. Green Day is placed the middle of the magazine it is in capital’s , this helps draw in potential customers that are interested in Green Day . Kerrang the name of the magazine has an unusual type of font which can be related to the loud sound of the guitar which caused it to have cracks in it. this gives it the magazine a unique selling point and reinforces the niche target audience as mainstream magazines such as “Billboard” would never try to change the style of how their title is written.
The front cover employs lots conventions that many music magazines contain . For example, A small amount of colours (four) are used with a special focus on the colour green as it can be associated with Green Day. There are also phrases like “WTF” that attract a younger audience. Other front cover conventions are the date, a bar code and the website address.
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis. The two most notable charts are the Billboard Hot 100, which ranks the top 100 songs regardless of genre and is based on physical sales, digital sales and radio airplay. Meanwhile, the Billboard 200 survey is the corresponding chart for albumsales. Therefore the use of Katy Perry for the cover is significant as she has had phenomenal chart success with many of her singles hitting number one globally as well as the billboard hot 100 and her single “California girls” was the fastest rising single in America from Capitol Records since 1967, on top of her chart success she is also a well known artist which is very popular amongst the public.
The main image of Katy Perry shows her wearing a black dress with flowers surrounding her, this reinforces the feminine target audience as flowers are colorful and vibrant and often can be related to happiness, tenderness and cheerfulness.
Katy Perry as the main image coves the tittle of the magazine this indicates she is well known and popular so and the magazine is well known so dosent always need to be shown therefore by showing Katy Perry's full body she will attract the young female target audience easily as she is an popular figure amongst the younger generation.Direct address is used in this image which helps hook the audience in and encourages the public to buy this magazine. the date, a bar code and the website address are additional convention used.
Most of the text involved in the copy has simple font which is mostly written in black this is very broad as it appeals to the mainstream target audience. The colour’s yellow, blue and red are incorporated with the title this helps keep the title looking colorful, bright and creative which might attract a female audience as they are often represented as imaginative. Pink is also a key colour used as the background of this cover, this colour is very feminine and suggests happiness, fun, love this also relates to Katy Perry as her Pop music is often associated with these words this also implies this issue is aimed at young females as they are attracted to Pop music as well as the colour pink. One of the articles advertised is “ making money from facebook social games” social networking sites such as face book have become a key trend with box office success of film’s surrounding this global craze such as the Social Network this is significant in attracting customer’s as many people will be interested in making a profit from this increasing online age . This also indicates the target audience is young people as they are often interested in social networking and facebook.
