Q MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS

BY JONI SOMMERVILLE

THE THEME OF THE MAGAZINE IS ESTABLISHED HERE (RED, WHITE AND BLACK) AND UNUSUALLY WE SEE THE DATE ABOVE THE TITLE WHICH COULD IMPLY THAT IT IS OF A LARGER SIGNIFICANCE THAN NORMAL. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE TITLE LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT THE MAGAZINE WANTS TO BE REMEMBERED AS A CLASSIC AND SO ITS SIMPLISTIC PRESENTATION IS MORE FAMILIAR WITH ITS READERS.

BELOW IS AN IMAGE WHICH WOULD STEREOTYPICALLY REPRESENT A MUSIC MAGAZINE THAT IS AN OUTLET OF ROCK N’ ROLL. THE DERELICT BUILDING, GUITAR, HIS SHABBY DRESS SENSE SUGGESTS A RELAXED, EDGY APPROACH TO MUSIC AND LIFE. ITS ON THE OPPOSITE OF FORMALITY, AS UNLIKE BOOKING A STUDIO WITH LIGHTING THEY’VE SHOT SOMETHING THAT ALMOST EVERYONE COULD REPLICATE. EVEN IN THE NVC (NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION) THE MODEL IS POSED IN AN INTIMIDATING WAY, HIS EYES ARE DOWN TO THE CAMERA AND HIS EXPRESSION IS STERN. HE FACES SIDE ON WHICH SAYS THAT HE HAS AN ATTITUDE THAT MATCHES THE ROCK AND ROLL VIBE OF REBELLION.

THE TITLE RUNS UNDERNEATH IN A BLOCK LARGE WHITE FONT WHICH STANDS OUT ALONE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND. ALTHOUGH THE GENERAL FEEL OF THE IMAGE IS INTIMIDATING THE LIGHT FROM THE WINDOWS AND THE BRIEF GREENERY IN THE BACKGROUND SUGGESTS IT WANTS TO BE MORE APPEALING AND FRIENDLY AS IT IS INTRODUCING A SURVIVAL GUIDE, THEREFORE IT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME APPEAL AND WARMTH TO IT.

LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER CONTENTS PAGES I HAVE ANALYSED THE PAGE NUMBERS TO PREFERENCE ARTICLES ARE AT THE BOTTOM, THEY’RE HIGHLIGHTED TO CATCH THE AUDIENCES EYE. THIS PARTICULAR PAGE HAS MORE DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE ARTICLES UNDERNEATH, THIS ALLOWS FOR THE READER TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO READ VERY QUICKLY. AS WELL AS WHO'S CONSTRUCTED THE ARTICLE AS THEIR ACCREDITED. IN REALITY ITS IMPORTANT TO NOTICE HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK ON JUST ONE MAGAZINE AS THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE COVER WILL DIFFER FROM THE PERSON WHO HAS MADE THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD. THIS IS GREAT AS IT ALLOWS FOR A VARIETY OF STYLES OF ARTICLES AND SO THERE IS A HIGHER CHANCE THAT THE READER IS LIKELY TO IDENTIFY WITH AT LEAST ONE STYLE OF WRITING OR PAGE LAYOUT THAT IMPRESSES THEM.

THE PICTURE OF THE LONG SHOT THAT AGAIN FOLLOWS THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A ROCK N’ ROLL BAND. LIKE THE PREVIOUS PICTURE THE BAND ARE POSING IN A THREATENING, NO SMILES WAY IN ORDER TO BE RESPECTED FOR LOOKING EDGY AND COOL/HARD. THE BAND THEMSELVES CONSIST OF OLD MEN ALTHOUGH THEIR DRESS SENSE REFLECTS A YOUNGER STYLE SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOW MEN REGARDLESS OF AGE CAN APPEAL TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE WHEREAS IF IT WERE TO BE OLD WOMEN DOING THE SAME SHOOT IT WOULD HAVE A COMEDIC VALUE. THE GREY BACKGROUND AND LOW KEY LIGHTING MAKES THE BAND APPEAR MORE DARKLY MYSTERIOUS.

ON THE SECOND PAGE THE COLLAGE CONTINUES THIS TIME THERE ARE MORE IMAGES. THE PICTURES ARE OF POP INFLUENCERS AS Q MAGAZINE IS A POPULAR CULTURE MAGAZINE DESPITE THE SLIGHTLY MISLEADING FIRST PAGE. THE GENERAL THEME OF THE SHOOTS IS RATHER RELAXED AND CASUAL, THIS CREATES A FRIENDLY INTIMACY BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE, MAGAZINE AND PICTURED MUSICIANS. THE INSTITUTION DOES THIS TO PROVE HOW INVOLVED THEY RE WITH THE STARS, THEY DON’T JUST GO TO INVITED APPEARANCES E.G. RED CARPETS THEY’RE IN THEIR DAILY LIVES TOO.FOR EXAMPLE THE FIRST PICTURE (TOP LEFT) HAS A MEDIUM LONG SHOT WITH THE PICTURED MUSICIANS CHATTING FRIENDLY WITH ONE AND OTHER. WE KNOW THEY’RE MUSICIANS DUE TO THE GUITARS IN BOTH IN THE FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND. THE CANDID SHOT WITH NATURAL BRIGHT LIGHTING TELLS THE READER TO ANTICIPATE NEW MUSIC FROM THE BAND AS THEY’RE FOCUSED AND WORKING. IT APPEARS TO BE VERY PEACEFUL AS PHYSICALLY THE GUITARS THEY HOLD TOUCH ENDS WITH ONE AND OTHER RESEMBLING A SMOOTH WAVE AS WELL AS THE NEUTRAL COLOURS OF BEIGE AND BLUE DENIM CONNOTE THE SAND AND OCEAN AT THE BEACH. THE CAPTION TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT INFORMS THE READER AS TO WHO ELBOW (THE BAND) ARE. TO THE RIGHT OF THIS WE SEE THE 1975 (A BAND) ALTHOUGH UNCLEARLY AS NONE OF THEM MAKE DIRECT EYE CONTACT TO THE CAMERA, AS WELL AS SOME OF THEIR ICONOGRAPHY ISN’T IN VIEW FOR EXAMPLE THE LEAD SINGER HAS HIS HAIR BACK IN A HAT WHEN THE MAJORITY OF THE AUDIENCE WOULD RECOGNISE HIM WITH IT OUT AND CURLY. HOWEVER A MAJOR INDICATION THAT THIS IS THE BAND IS THE PINK BACKDROP RESEMBLING THE THEME OF THEIR NEW DEBUT ALBUM AT THE TIME. WE COULD SAY THAT THE MAGAZINE DOESN’T CONFORM MEN TO THEIR MACHO STEREOTYPES AS PINK IS A COLOUR WHICH IS TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS FEMININE.

MUCH LIKE THE PREVIOUS IMAGE (ELBOW) THE COMPOSITION OF THE SHOT REFLECTS A CALMING, STUDIOUS APPEARANCE. ALL ARE PICTURED SMILING AND THEY'RE HUDDLED TOGETHER AROUND A PIECE OF PAPER AS THOUGH IT WAS A WARM FIRE KEEPING THEM WARM ON A WINTER’S DAY. THE HIGH KEY, STUDIO SHOT LONG SHOT ALLOWS THE AUDIENCE TO SEE THEIR ENTIRETY. AS WELL AS THEIR CHOICE OF DRESS OF LONG BLACK COATS AND TROUSERS FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE BAND GIVE THEM ALL ELONGATED BLACK SILHOUETTES THAT “TOUGHEN UP” THE APPEARANCE OF THE BAND AS WELL AS MASK THEIR IDENTITY.

BELOW THIS WE HAVE A MID LONG SHOT OF KATE TEMPEST AND A CLOSE UP OF WILEY. OVERALL IT’S IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS HOW Q MAGAZINE HAS CHOSEN TO PRESENT WOMEN AND ETHNIC MINORITY'S. KATE ISN’T STEREOTYPICALLY FEMININE SHE HAS TATTOOS ON HER ARM, SHE ISN’T WEARING TIGHT-FITTING OR CLEAVAGE SHOWING CLOTHES AND ISN’T POSED SEDUCTIVELY WHICH SUGGESTS THAT Q MAGAZINE AS WELL AS KATE HERSELF WANTS TO BREAK THE MOULD AS TO HOW WOMEN CAN BE REPRESENTED. EVEN MORE SO WILEY- A YOUNG, BLACK MALE RAPPER ISN’T PRESENTED AS A ANGRY, CRIMINALISED BLACK MAN HE’S SHOWN TO BE LAUGHING WHICH DISRUPTS THE STEREOTYPE OF A TRADITIONAL BLACK RAPPER. BOTH SHOTS USE HIGH KEY LIGHTING SO THAT THEIR FEATURES ARE ILLUMINATED AND INVITING. INTERESTINGLY KATE’S SHOT HAS A BACKGROUND TO IT WHICH SUGGESTS SHE ISN’T THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE SHOT WHICH COULD REFERENCE TO WHAT SHE’LL APPARENTLY DISCUSS ON PAGE 86.

( PHOTO NOT IN MAGAZINE)