ANALYSIS

COLOUR SCHEMES

The colour scheme throughout Kerrang! Is mainly red, black, white and yellow. These colours are very bold alike the music genre they portray and can attract the eye of new readers. The colour red is associated with things such as danger, anger, strength and rage, in which many of the bands featured in Kerrang! Portray through their band image and music genre. Red is used constantly throughout the covers of these magazines to convey what the magazine is about.The colour black is symbolic of things such like death and sadness, yet also power and intimidation. Bands and performers featured in Kerrang! Often fall under the sub genre of ‘death metal’ which may be a reference to the contents of the magazine.The colour yellow can often be associated with confidence, originality and creativity, which the bands and performers in the magazine all convey, which can also be implied by the bright colours on the magazine cover.

Masthead is consistent, same size, style and font, however can change colour depending on colour schemes.

Barcode shows price and date of issue. This one is from 7th November 2015, for £2.50.

Headline shows what the feature of the magazine, usually the band name.Anchorage shows the topic the feature is about without giving away what is inside, to make the reader want to buy it.The plug of the magazine often offers something the reader can physically gain, often posters of popular bands which are exclusive to the magazine.Splash image is relevant to the main headline, usually a long shot or a medium long shot as the image and clothes of the band draw attention to them.Menu strip can attract specific readers who are fans of those bands.Secondary lead shows which other topics are inside. Can attract fans of that specific performer.

Puff and plug grabs interest of the audience. Specifically words such like ‘win’ and ‘special’.

Title – the reader knows what they’re looking at.Message from the editor makes a direct approach to the reader, makes them feel involved.Photo is a medium long shot, takes up left and center thirds, shows content of the magazine with clear title, page number and tag line. Red, black, white and yellow colour scheme continues throughout the magazine.Cover stories clearly shown on contents bar with direct page numbers and brief description and supporting image. Sub headings showing exactly what the topics are with direct page numbers.Fonts and text are easy to read, stay consistent with font size, style and colours. Key works and page numbers are bolded to stand out. Brief advertisement of magazine content at bottom, supported by page number, description and image.

Colour scheme has remained the same, mainly yellow and black.

Font is clear and readable, also stays consistent to size, style and colour.

Pictures are clear, large and high quality, edited to match the aesthetic of the magazine and the band.

Instruments featured in the images shows what type of band they are, for readers to acknowledge.

Pull quotes from the artists draw the attention of the reader, makes them curious to read on, also in bold contrasting colours to stand out.

Conventions of a magazine contain the columns that the text is presented in, looks like a magazine article and is easy to read and understand what is happening.

Questions are bolded within the text so the reader has an understanding of what they are reading, also to locate significant parts of the text.

The mise-en-scene of this double page spread includes their clothing, which is mainly dark tones, a denim jacket and also a plain black jacket. This fits the genre of the band which is punk rock, as it doesn’t feature anything glammed up which you would expect from a pop artist. They look like they are concentrating which fans will appreciate seeing how the artists spend time on their music.

MISE-EN-SCENEFront CoverCharacters: on the cover of Kerrang! It features two-piece band Twenty One Pilots, who fall into the genre of alternative pop, electro pop and indie pop, however fans claim that they fall into the genre of rock and/or punk yet nonetheless fit into the general aesthetic of the magazine. Blocking: The characters on the cover portray their image with their stances by being close together yet not touching, as if they’re close to their followers and fans.Costume: The costume of the characters shows them in dark clothing of black skinny jeans, one wearing a plain black t-shirts and one wearing a hoodie with the image of a skeletons bones. One is wearing Vans canvas shoes which closely relate to this genre and Kerrang! Are partnered with the Vans warped tour. The red hat and face paint also connects to the colour scheme and aesthetic of the magazine.Contents Page:Characters: On the contents page it features a medium long shot of a member of the band Crossfaith, which fits into the metalcore genre. This fits the diversity of the Kerrang! Magazine as it is a subgenre of non-mainstream pop culture music. Blocking: The way this band member is stood with this hand out looks intimidating and threatening, which relates to the genre of the band. Costume: The man on the photo is wearing a leather jacket and a baggy grey t-shirt. Leather is often associated with being punk and edgy, which can symbolise how they want to portray their band to the public. He has styled hair however his facial hair looks rugged, seeming like they want to look good yet don’t care what others think about their image. His facial expression matches the blocking of the image as it looks very scary and intimidating.Double Page Spread:Characters: On this double page spread it features 3 photos, however each of them contain the same characters more of less. In each of them is the same girl who the article is predominately about. They are each from the same band of the punk rock genre which suits the idea of the magazine.Blocking: In each of the photos they seem to be doing something to be associated with the making of music as they are sat around by instruments (with the exception of 1 photo), which shows them to be busy and hard working when it comes to their music.Costume: A lot of their clothes are toned down colours and black. The girl wears a denim jacket and t-shirt which is a massive contradiction to mainstream pop culture artists who are usually dressed up in glam.

The main colours featured on NME magazine are red and white, as this is the colour of their logo also.However, sometimes colours such like blue and yellow can be seen to highlight and underline key aspects of the magazine and subheadings to convey what is also inside the magazine.Splash images on the cover often have minimal colours, usually blacks, whites and greys, this creates a minimal effect on the cover.Colours like red and black imply ideas such like power and intimidation, of which the music genres featured in this magazine are infact powerful songs by powerful bands which have meanings.

Masthead is aligned to the left, and is consistent in the colour, size and positioning on all covers.

Barcode shows price and date of issue.

Splash image is a medium long shot, shows the whole band with the lead in the foreground and the rest in the background. Being on the cover will attract fans of this group in particular.Text on the cover isn’t aligned with each other or to a side, shows that it is very casual and not formal.Bold and contrasting colours catch the eye and draw attention, big words and names are also eye catching. Font is consistent and doesn’t change, however orientation does to make it look edgy.Pull quotes can trigger curiousness from the audience and also give an insight to the topic of the article.Coverlines of popular artists can attract targeted audience and readers. Also portrays content of the magazine.

Colour scheme is consistent to the cover, mainly red, black and grey/white.Magazine (full) title and issue date are printed small so they don’t take the attention away from the main focus.Images break up the text to make it easy to read, also supports the topic of the title. List of bands in alphabetical order makes it easy to locate specific parts of the magazine, with clear page numbers.Subheadings are bolded and highlighted to make it easy to read and locate on the page.Font style, size and colour is consistent and easy to read, also not harsh to look at.Simple shaped boxes and photos so its easy to look at and take in.The photograph used is a medium long shot of someone surrounded by guitars. No direct approach to the audience so not overpowering.

Faded colours and photos fit the general aesthetic of NME magazine, also cool toned and not harsh and over powering to look at.

Drop caps are used to introduce the article.Pull quotes are extracted from the article, usually funny or catchy and what people will remember.

Colour scheme is different to the cover and contents page, however are cool toned and accent the images featured on the page with similar colours and tones.

Timeline strip at the bottom makes the spread seem interactive with the audience, with the text highlighted to make it stand out.

Image captions are highlighted to draw attention to them.Language is informal and casual, also contains foul words which contribute to a genre of music which the magazine is influenced by.Conventions of the magazine include the columns, images, quotes and drop cap which are all featured on this double page spread.

Front Cover:Characters: On the front cover the band featured are all looking at the camera apart from 2, this gives an informal effect as 2 of them are not looking at the reader when the rest are, almost seeming unprofessional, however the aesthetic of the NME magazine is not to be glammed up and formal but to be toned down and casual. Blocking: They are all stood in a line with the front man closer to the camera, which suggests he is the lead singer of the band, and so he is in the foreground with the rest in the background. Their stances seem casual which fits the magazine as it isn’t formal.Costume: The clothes they’re wearing are mainly leather, denim and the colour black, as these are really relaxed and toned down. The leather jackets are sleeveless and they each wear many necklaces and bracelets which makes their clothes look distressed and edgy. Clothing usually portrays an image of their band and their aesthetic.Contents:Characters: On the contents page there is a photograph of performer Mac DeMarco, an indie rock musician. His musical genre fits into the general aspect of NME which makes it suitable for the magazine.Blocking: In his photo he is sat around slouched. This makes him seem very relaxed and casual unlike mainstream pop stars who would be posing.Costume: Mac DeMarco is wearing an open shirt with a t-shirt underneath. This is very plain and practical yet also edgy and how a stereotypical “indie” musician would dress. It is also appealing to the audience with similar musical interest as they can afford clothes alike the performer in the magazine.Double Page Spread:Characters: The double page spread is about Mac DeMarco like on the contents page, however is more in depth. Blocking: There are 3 photographs featured in the double page spread, and none of them are posed. The first one on the left third of the page is as if someone took the photo without him knowing, the second is while he is enjoying himself by the sea, and the third is one featuring him by an old boom box. Costume: All three photographs are shot in the same outfit which is the same as the costume for the Contents page costume.

Apparent colour schemes through the rock sound magazine covers seems to be alike many other rock magazines, where they incorporate lots of contrasting colours and the three primary colours such as red, yellow, black, white and sometimes blue. The splash images often have minimal colours to them, usually dark tones such as black, grey and navy.On the cover there is usually no empty spaces, however when there is, its usually one colour with different tones to it, for example the blue ones range from pale blue and white, to a bright blue, and the red ones have faded reds with splodges of bright red.

Splash image is a medium long shot from the waist upwards, showing the whole band on the cover each looking at the camera which gives the effect that they are connecting withthe audience.Top strip has a plug saying “Exclusive”, which makes it seem like only the readers will benefit from it. Also has freebies which attract audiences by physically gaining something from the magazine.Masthead is clear an visible, despite being partially covered in the middle third. Left third has larger text as it is usually the most viewed side when on sale.Splash features can attract an audience for specific bands and performers featured on the cover.Cover lines can give an insight into the stories which will be inside the magazine.Different colours are used to highlight subheadings and tag lines in the cover lines.Colour scheme fits the overall colour schemes mainly used for rock sound.

Masthead is featured however is slightly smaller than on the cover, still same font and colour.Splash image is dimly lit and cannot see the full face, portraying that someone is performing and concentrating on their performance which is what audiences like to know.Smaller images featured have no titles yet page numbers, this attracts fans which recognise the band by their appearance, and also people who are curious as to who they are will go to those pages to find out.Tag lines are funny and catchy, can draw attention to specific pages and articles on the contents page.Cover lines are bolded on the contents page as they are what people read before they turn to the contents page to find the specific articles.Text only on the right third, not cluttered and easy to read.The font is always the same, easy to read and colour co-ordinated.

Pull quote gives an insight into the article.Splash image is a medium close up. Shows the man looking away as if he is in deep thought. Portrays him as a deep thinker.

Dark colours are used to represent the image of the band, also matches his hair colour can contrasts against the text on the second page. Fits the original colour scheme of the magazine. Band name is in

bold to grab the attention of people looking through the magazine, makes it easy to recognize the band. The white also contrasts against the black.

Magazine conventions feature columned text, page numbers and also bolded or highlighted questions which are each featured on this dps.

Font is clear and easy to read, the contrasting colours also make it easy to see against the background compared to if the text was red or grey.

Front CoverCharacters: On the cover is an emo punk band called Bring me the Horizon. Each of the members are all facing the camera and looking into it, which can create a connection with the reader, making it personal to the audience.Blocking: The whole band are stood in a line, facing the camera. The lead singer of the band is stood in the foreground with the members in 2 other rows in the background with the tallest in the back. Costume: They are all wearing the same thing which fits the colour scheme of the magazine which is black and white. The frontman has a lot of his tattoos on display, portraying the kind of band they are. Their shirts look as if they have been ripped, and underneath they are bleeding which can signify that they are a dangerous band.Contents PageCharacters: There is 4 images on the contents page. One of a man performing on stage, and 3 smaller images from the cover page. The splash image from the cover page is on there with the relevant page number, along with two other bands which fans may be able to recognise.Blocking: Besides the largest image, each person on the smaller image is facing the camera and posing with their band. The larger image the person is not looking at the camera as they are performing and aren’t distracted by their vanity on stage.Costume: The larger image, the man is wearing a sleeveless shirt, as while he is on stage he doesn’t want to get too hot. He also has long hair which may imply that he is part of an alternative band where they are not too fussed about their image. The top smaller image is the same as the front cover. The middle image features a band dressed in purple which displays them as a bold band. The bottom images are of performers who are not posing or dressed up for a photo. This shows them as relaxed and casual people which compared to mainstream performers is a drastic contrast in colours and style.Double Page SpreadCharacters: On this double page spread, it features a medium close up of the frontman of the band Bring Me The Horizon. Blocking: In this image, he isn’t looking at the camera and looks to be in deep thought. Costume: He is wearing a ripped t-shirt with his tattoos showing, this shows him to be dangerous which can be attractive to the audience as he looks rough and rugged. His dark hair, white shirt and “blood” stains all fit the colour scheme of the page as it is mainly black, white and red.

CONVENTIONS OF THE MAGAZINES - COVER The masthead on

all three magazines is always at the top of the page, where it is clear and visible.The splash image is always cut out and placed over the masthead so sometimes parts of the masthead cannot be seen.

Magazines can often be set out into thirds, where you have the left third, the central third and the right third. When there is a larger band with a front man, he is often featured in the centre third with the members equally spaced out in the other thirds. However on the Kerrang! cover, it features a two-piece so they are both in the centre third.The left third is often the most busiest. This is because firstly, we read from left to right, so this will be viewed first and grab most of the readers attention. However, also when the magazines are shelved, you usually see more of the left side of the magazine due to the way they are shelved.

The masthead is usually a very contrasting colour with what is behind it, as on these magazines there is a dark or bright background with the masthead in white. This makes it stand out as there is such a large contrast in colour.

The barcode is in the same place on each of the magazines and also features the date and price in the lower right corner.

The colour schemes for these magazines are also very similar, this may be due to the similarity in music genre which features rock, punk, indie, alternative and metal.

CONVENTIONS OF THE MAGAZINES - CONTENTS An apparent

convention on contents pages is images. This can help break down text and also fill blank spaces.On these specific contents pages the colour red is used throughout to make images and text stand out against the other colours.

Big stories in the magazine are often highlighted and made more prominent than others. These are usually what are featured on the cover and what draw attention to the audience in the first place, so they make them easier to locate than the smaller stories.Images on the page usually are accompanied with page numbers, making the photo actually relevant to the magazine which will influence readers to actually want to buy the magazine, rather than filling it with irrelevant images.Subheadings with tag lines are a convention of a contents page, as it can give an insight to the article. Often is an inside joke within a fan base or something catchy which will draw attention to the specific article. Page numbers are also relevant as they tell you the direct page you are looking for, also the whole point of the contents page is to be able to find what you are looking for within the magazine.

CONVENTIONS OF THE MAGAZINES – DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

Double page spreads often have a colour scheme which is relevant to the genre of artist the spread is about. The BMTH double page spread features dark colours which can relate to their genre of music; the ‘Tonight Alive” spread colour scheme also fits with their clothing choice and is also fairly toned down (despite the yellow) and also matches the top strip which was on the cover of the magazine. The Mac DeMarco spread is very toned down and cool toned colours. The grey and blue matches the colours of the photos (more specifically the middle photo with the sea) and pairs well with the colours he is wearing.

Drop caps are only used in one of these spreads, thus although it being a convention of a magazine, it isn't crucial.The body of the text is always structured in columns, and they are also always the same width with the rest to make it look uniformed and also makes it easy to read.Photos are used to break up large amounts of text, and often the text is shaped around the image.