Kerrang analysis

The second magazine i have chosen to analyse is issue 1295 January edition of kerrang.

Again when studying this magazine you can see clear conventions personal to the magazine and magazines in general such as a title barcodes, prices etc.

Colour

The colours of this copy of kerrang can imply alot about the audience they are trying to capture.The bright blues, white and black are all following the magazines house style of the magazine traditionally. The black and white colours both are used alot, with the title in a black background and the title writing in white it is instantly recognisable. The black colours used in the imagery create a dark Gothic like feel to magazine generally associated to the music genre this magazine is trying to attract. The bright blue is used to highlight around stories or features within the magazine which will interest the reader, the bright eye-catching colour is effective in doing this. Using white for most of the writing provides great contrast with the colours making the writing stand out significantly. However the other dominant colour we find in this front page is a bright pink, this is unusual for a rock magazine, this pink suggest that perhaps the magazine was also trying to aim at a specific target audience this time.

Design

The design of the magazine is a pretty standard layout for a issue of kerrang, the page is covered mostly by a large dominating picture, a close up of a music artist. Everything else is them placed on top of this background image being careful not to obstruct the facial features of the image, signifying that this image is of some importance to the up selling of the magazine.The bright blue and pink lettering placed on top of the image allows it to be recognised easily. A pug at the top left hand side of the magazine again draws in the audience with its design as its not following the conventional squares and box set like layout of the magazine, this can cause excitement within the audience and attract them furthers.

Most of the font used is bold easy to read times new roman like font, this simple font works best in advertising whats in the magazine. However the magazine title is a large paint flick / broken up effect, this makes the title of the magazine look busy and interesting suggesting the magazine is similar inside, along with the exclamation Mark at the end suggesting it is really exciting and appealing greatly to the audience.

Images

The main image is starring that of Ville Valo from the most successful band HIM.This image is quite a powerful one, the skin complexion of the musician is a very pale tone, contracting greatly with the bright colours and black on the page, this image doesn't appear to be using alot of makeup suggesting this musician is all about raw talent. This allows the audience to believe that they can live up to this and that its good to be yourself. In the top right hand corner we have a small picture of the 'Rev' from avenged sevenfold, reading the bar along the top we can see that this is paying tribute to the death of the drummer. the image is a small close up of the musicians face, this allows the readers to exert some sympathy while at the same time allowing it not to ruin the overall excitement mood the magazine creates. There is a medium shot along the left hand side of the magazine of a singer from bullet for my valentine, this image shows a feeling of action and excitement as the singer is in a recording studio, this pose suggest the singer is looking forward to doing this, encouraging the reader to purchase the magazine to have a look at the rest of the images. The poster images finally in the bottom left corner of the page are very successful, these are all bands which shall be appearing in the kerrang tour of 2010, this obviously attracts the readers of kerrangs attention and is encouraging them that they have to buy the magazine as it has lots of information about the tour inside. the images all contract with each other greatly, two being black and white, dark and mysterious, while the other two are very colourful and chaotic, suggesting that the tour is going to have a mixture of music which all the readers love and will all want to read more about.

Pose, Style, Hair and make up

The pose of the main image in this front page its quite an intimidating image, the close up of the face reveals a very pale complexion contrasting with a outfit worn by the artist. The picture has been taken at a slightly up tilted image, this give us a feeling of being lower than him, this creates a powerful feel and that Ville valo has a element of control over us. this makes us feel drawn to the image despite its intimidating look. It is a very effective pose, with little makeup visible ts gives an impression of raw control and power strengthening the meaning of the image more so. This represents the target audience to be those who wish to follow the words and music of this musician. This main image and pose. is going for a more Gothic like target audience. In two of the smaller picture we can see that they are again attracting a Gothic like audience, the dark, secluded poses combined with heavy makeup suggest they are aiming at a particularly small target audience with these poses. The other 3 main images on the front page are very colourful and energetic, with the poses being busy crowded seeming, these busy poses combined with the Gothic ones suggest that there is alot going on within the covers of the magazine. All these poses are very appealing to the wide target audience they are aiming for.

How are words used on the cover

The title of the magazine is used in a very effective way, it follows its conventions that it always does with the same instantly recognisable title. Its broken chaotic effect grabs the readers attention while the exclamation causes excitement within the audience. The strapline will appear to be then 3 letter word 'HIM', this strapline links with the main image, signalling that this is going to be the main story inside, promoting it further. The caption 'inside Ville Valo's secret world' appeals to the audience as the life of their favourite celebrities appeals to their human inquisitive nature thus being a good story to promote on the front page. Glancing at the front page quickly it is easy enough to identify the contents of the magazine, with a poster special clearly advertised in a bright blue box with pictures. Bright blue is used to promote the bands inside so they are clearly visible. a reader can quickly glance at the front page and establish if they would wish to purchase it for the contents. The size and design of the words used are easy enough to see at a distance and promoted in such a way so as to stand out along a magazine shelf.

Language

The language used on the magazine is very simplistic and common. Its mealy stating the names of the bands with a brief bit of promotion as to what they are going to be talking about in the magazine. The 'common' like language used on the front of the magazine appeals to their target audience of a rock genre around a teenage and young adult age range.

Overall impression - how effective is the front cover

Overall the magazine is incredibly effective as it give a very clear indication of the content of the magazine. It is designed to appeal to the rock genre, aiming and a teenage and young adult target audience, it is not to appeal to a mass audience it is a very specific audience. Its content is of a very specific group, targeting the interests of the audience perfectly, keen to explore the inside life of celebrities they idolise and whats new within their band.