Contents and DPS Analysis

Bethany Vaughan4137

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The fonts used also reinforce this with the smashed KERRANG! font connoting rebelliousness due to its apparent destruction, something also seen in the distressed font used in other headings and titles in the contents

The layout of having one large image on the top half of the page along with smaller images placed on top and throughout the table of contents creates visual information for the reader along with the text, therefore making it more appealing to read, and making it catch the eye of anyone who sees people they recognise, making them more likely to buy the magazine.

The editorial provides another perspective on the magazine, providing further information and opinions on the issue. It also creates an interaction between the reader and the magazine because it speaks to the audience, for example the verbal code “Have a great week!” which connotes some kind of friendship and care for the readers wellbeing, therefore encouraging an ‘Personal relationship’ (Katz) and creating a relaxed tone and engagement between the magazine and the reader.

The contents page of KERRANG! has a rebellious and “out there” look while remaining professional and organised, this is an image which I aim to create in my magazine using similar conventions. The house style of white, yellow and black is typical of rock and punk magazines, as they are bold colours and the contrast of the white and yellow against black is easy to read.

The white connotes clarity and therefore creates calm in the page while the black ‘signifies’ (De Saussure) mystery and is a t mystery and is a typical colour used in rock bands logos, clothing and merchandise for this reason. Finally, the yellow is bold and connotes the rebellious and edgy attitude of the magazine.

The use of sublines is useful to an audience as it allows them to easily navigate the contents page to find the article or type of article they are looking for, this is because by categorising the types of stories it gives the reader some idea of the type of content. Furthermore the page number formatting helps to make the contents easy and clear to read because the page numbers are in bold red causing them to stand out against the bold text. The bold black text for the article titles gives a quick and simple summary making it easy to scan the page for something particular while the smaller normal text bellow provides more information about the article which is useful for people who are not just looking for one certain story.

The non-verbal code of the plain background makes the text easy to read and creates a calm and professional looking page as it is not too complex, this means that it is appealing to look at and therefore would encourage an audience to read as it is aesthetically pleasing. The simplicity of the background also creates a focus on the artist and text, connoting that the importance of the article is the music.

The capitalisation and white background used on the questions makes them stand out, creating an easy to read, differentiated interview and allows an audience to scan the questions before deciding to read the page as the format makes them easy to find. This also helps to make the difference between the interviewer’s words and the featured artists words clear.

This ‘informs’ (Katz) the audience what form of story the DPS features, and makes it easy to find pages containing a certain subject matter.

Page number is small in the bottom left and right corners of the DPS. This means that they do not distract the reader from the content of the article but still make it easy to locate. The black background to the white text makes it clear to read and the KERRANG masthead reinforces the brand identity.

The use of a pull quote grabs the audiences attention as it encourages them to read on and be informed of the context of the quotation.

The verbal code “ABSOLUTELY!” in bold and bright white grabs attention as the bright colour effectively grabs attention, especially in contrast with the black, and the use of an emotionally charged word like absolutely piques curiosity and will encourage people to read on to gain context on why such an answer has been evoked. Furthermore, the use of an exclamation point is another device to grab the audiences attention as it sensationalises the story, connoting something exciting which is appealing to readers of music magazines.

The man in the image is dressed stereotypically for the rock genre as seen clearly in the technical code of the mid shot, highlighting his clothing. The gauged ears and sleeve tattoos connote a rebellious attitude and cause the artist to appear bold. The contrasting white and black of his t-shirt and the indie style of it is typical of the genre, and the bold conflicting colours reinforce the rebellious attitude of the magazine and DPS.

The drop capital ‘informs’ (Katz) the audience where to begin reading the interview as it attracts attention.

The image caption provides another point of entry for the reader, providing them with a small about of information about the image.