KERRANG! Contents Page Analysis

KERRANG!

Main article is clearly about Slash, as the largest picture on the page is of him and is located at the top half of the page, the first place the eye will go when the page is turned.
contents page follows a pattern like the others I have mentioned below, in that the writing the editor wants the reader to notice first is large and bold, whereas writing they want you to take time and read is small. This is genius.
Slash is wearing all black and is pulling his sunglasses down to show his eyes. I think this is a representation of rock and roll. It's what some celebrities do when they are recognised, to prove their identity. It gives him a kind of "Do you know who I am?" look, emphasising his status in the world of rock and definitely the world of Kerrang.
Half of the page is taken up by the picture of Slash, and the large box with writing in underneath contrasts the picture completely, making the page bold and visually intriguing. While the photo is dark in colour, the box is white. There seems to be a pattern arising in the genre of magazines I am interested in, using black, white and yellow as theme colours. The yellow, arguably, is the brightest colour one can find. So, using it against plain colours makes both the page and the titles stand out.
The fonts are very bold and eye-catching. I think they maintain the image Kerrang! tries to display, by looking quite "grungey". They look faded, like they've been damaged.
Overall, I think the contents page of Kerrang! is slightly more cluttered than the others, matching the age-group of their "ideal" audience, who are presumably quite busy with school, hormones, life and teenage angst.

Selection and rejection

The majority of pictures I took the first time around were blurry and in the wrong locations. I re-did my photo-shoot with Jess, and got the picture I used on my on front cover for my college magazine, "Brainstorm". I think the picture I ended up using was the best I took. It's sharp, with good lighting and an appropriate background.

KERRANG! Front Cover Analysis

KERRANG!

Masthead is bold and bright, which is a contrast to the dark red of the background and Frank Iero's clothing. It draws attention to itself. It also appears behind Frank, which shows that people can recognise the magazine without seeing the entire logo.
The image is of Frank Iero, guitarist of former alternative band My Chemical Romance. They split up recently, which would create hysteria amongst the fans. Including Iero on the front cover of the magazine would ensure sales as the topic of MCR's split is very popular at the moment. He's looking straight at you and is both posed and dressed very casually. I can't help but feel his tattoos are being shown deliberately, to tie in with the genre of music the magazine appreciates. I feel that is why Iero is posed with his hands at his front, to show his tattoos. The two on his neck are also visible. His clothes make him look as though he has grown up compared to his MCR days and also suggest that he has moved on and is comfortable in his current situation. The background is just red, to force the focus onto Iero, and also to match the colour scheme of the magazine.
Like every issue of "Kerrang!", there are free posters included, which are advertised on the front cover. Small pictures of the bands are included, which makes people have to pick up the magazine to investigate and see who the bands are. If they pick the magazine up, they are a step closer to buying it.
There is a banner with "FRANK IERO" on it. The banner is bright yellow and the font is large, dark and bold. This catches the eye and forces the attention to his name. They've used model credit on the cover to advertise their magazine.
There are buzz words on the cover. Above the IERO banner, there is "WORLD EXCLUSIVE" written in yellow, which stands out against Iero's dark clothes and also matches the yellow of the banner.

Preliminary Task

This is my front cover for my college magazine. I think it looks quite professional, with a clean-looking font and bold masthead. From my original survey, I discovered that the pupils of Sixth Form thought blue was the most appropriate colour for the theme of a college magazine. The picture is of Jess  holding a guitar, which I think promotes the musical side of the magazine. I think the picture is also quite friendly, so people are more likely to actually pick up the magazine and read it. I put the headings of the cover stories in capitals, to draw attention to them and interest people. I chose the three headings, "Gossip!", "Music!" and "Helpful info!" as when I carried out my survey, those were the top things people wanted to see in a college magazine. By including the most popular topics on the front cover, I would hope that would encourage people to read on. If I did it again, I would maybe have taken the photo of Jess with a different background. Although the dark background forces the reader's attention to Jess and her guitar, I feel that maybe a background with more instruments included would be more appropriate, rather than one with "GCSE" included, which doesn't fit in with a Sixth Form magazine. However, I think the lighting on Jess's face compared to the dark background looks quite impressive and fits well as a magazine cover. As for the contents page, I am happy that it is simple and to the point, however, it could include more. There is a picture of Becky smiling which suggests that both the school and magazine are friendly and helpful. I've included the topics people found important in my survey to ensure everyone's interests are met. If I did the contents page again, I think I would include an actual background to the page to make it seem less bold and bright. Also, the masthead on the contents page differs to the one of the front cover, as I was unsure as to whether it was underlined or not and took a chance. However, I think the contents page and cover go well together.