Research and planning finalised

My research and planning has been finalised. This includes the mind maps, textual analyses, an essay on genre in magazines and an essay on codes and conventions. I've also prepared a questionnaire and organised a survey with five students collecting results on subjects including what sort of content and design people want featured in a magazine.  This has helped me understand what people expect from a magazine. They've helped me have a deeper insight into how media works.  The rest of the research and planning is the photo shoot images and why I selected the ones I did plus drafts of each stage of production.

Textual Analysis: Double page spreads

Double-Page Spread

Q: The layout of the double-page spread is spread into two columns and organised so the left is largely taken up of an image of M.I.A and the other column has the article. The layout has a neat effect because the main image is eye-catching, transiting to the right where most of the typography is laid and there’s a sense of structure. The ratio of text to image is there’s far more text than image, comparing the size of the article on the right and in the left column there’s a stand first, with subheading above.

The eye is instantly drawn to the main image of M.I.A, because it’s large and M.I.A presents direct address, drawing the audience in and the eye is also drawn to the bold typography in the left column. No sub-headings are present. On the right the audience is drawn to the large, red ‘M’ and the boxing device with the quote below, as both of them are bold red.

Serif font used through the article, which is clean and provides nice contrast against the colours.

Colour template, which is used for the article appears to be similar to the cover, a combination of white and red where red is used to highlight sections, connoting red as an important colour and white spreads the background of the second column, connoting white as mysterious and the first half of the text for the subheading on the first column is white.

The mode of address appears formal as the writing is similar to a news article, and not a normal interview and Maya looks straight at the audience, being direct address. Language used throughout the article include sibilance 12 times, twice on the left column with “She’s” and “Sri” and slang, when Maya says ‘Which I’m not gonna do” and a simile “It’s not like she actually knows how to make a bomb” along with a couple of metaphors.

The content of the story is this is an interview where M.I.A, also called Maya opens herself up and the focus is on her life. 

There’s one image, making it the pre-dominant one and is of Maya. It’s constructed so she covers almost the entirety of the left column, where framed in quite a close-shot and there appears to be high-key lighting, connoting the aura, which surrounds Maya. Maya’s facial expression furthers the mystique as she appears captivating, furthering any theories, which may surround her and wears a hoodie with the hood over, connoting she might be trying to hide herself.

The background is a studio, with a blank surrounding and this could be because the interview’s about Maya, and she wants to reveal herself. To the target audience, presumably people aged 16-24, Maya represents a lot of things, mainly mystique but also power because she thinks about how she composes herself and has dominance over the audience. Her captivating nature as well is a highlight towards the audience, who would be drawn in by the content of the Stand First too “She’s the daughter of a Sri Lankan revolutionary who’s marrying into a billionaire dynasty. Will the real M.I.A please stand up?”.

Other codes and conventions that are used are a quote from the interview is present and shocking which grips the audience “Even if the Sri Lankan Government didn’t kill me, I’d get killed by someone else”. Maya’s stage name is featured in bold, at the beginning, highlighting her celebrity status and font follows the convention it should be size 11 pt and there’s a drop capital at the start, directing readers where to start reading. The piece fits with the overall branding of the magazine as a white background is still featured, the use of bold red to highlight information and the style of the article fits within the theme of Q, for example the way information spreads over to the other page.

The target audience for this article would appear to be people who are age in the demographic 16-24, as M.I.A is a rebellious character and the content of the interview is enticing towards people around this age, as M.I.A opens a number of secrets. It doesn’t look to be gender-orientated but the strong female character could mean it’s more appealing towards and working class looks to be the class target, because this is the type of class this age range would be in, and her combination of types of music means mainstreamers are going to be attracted towards the article. Colours appear to continue from the cover, which are white and red, with red being the highlighting colour and white taking up most of the writing on the left column and being the background for the right.

M.I.A is the only image so is central and it's framed in relation to all the text. She takes up most of the column and the rule of thirds doesn't appear to be obeyed. Overall I feel the text combined with image gives her an impression that she leads a complicated life.

The age group appears to be people aged 16-24, judging by the content of the left column and with the right, where a big red 'M' is spread which makes it looks modern, along with the bottom section.   There doesn't appear to be a particular gender targeted although the female presence may suggest it's more female orientated. I would guess working class is the target because this is for a young audience and mainstreamers are also targeted. Clues include the styling, big 'M' and how the singer's framed.

No rhyming or repetition appears to be used. Sibilance is used 12 times, twice on the left column. One piece of slang is used where M.I.A says “Which I'm not gonna do” and two metaphors and a simile is used, when she mentions “It's not like she actually knows how to make a bomb”. The mode of address is formal, as if a stranger's writing it and it's like a biography. This details her life.  

Rock Sound: For the article, there are ten columns, more than the usual standard and are organised so on the left page there are six, with the various gig guides and the effect this has is everything feels organised, there’s a lot of content and the audience feels there’s a sense of structure. The ratio of text to image is more of the pages are taken up of text, rather than image and there’s a gig guide, as well as other information on Warped UK. The eye’s drawn to the various gigs displayed through the guide, as there’s quite a few gig dates displayed and the image of Davyd Winter-Bates as it’s quite visual with the blurring and heated light, also with the image of Ian Watkins because of how he’s framed. Three different subheadings are throughout the article.

The font varies in size, style and colour for instance in the top left the font starts as being quite big and bold and capitals to give the article an introduction and when it comes to the information for the gigs the font is still capitals but much smaller and the colour is no longer bold apart from listing the bands and month. In terms of the colour template blue is a main presence as it’s the background for a few of the boxing devices and part of the font, highlighting the importance of both and red has a presence because it’s layered on a logo and a flash and is also part of the font, connoting that red is an important colour.

The mode of address acts informal and friendly, partly because the style of an extract from a member of Bury Tommorow appears informal due to the language used such as superlatives and the tone, which involves other language devices that are used around the double-page spread, an example of a device slang “It’s the perfect opportunity for us to show”. The use of language devices for instance superlatives is relevant to drawing the audience’s attention, as the target looks to be people aged 16-24. A feature by a member of Lostprophets appears in the style of being informal because of how he talks, for instance “This will be a lot more chilled and just as exciting” and the construction of the image, the way he’s holding the microphone. Some of the language devices used include rhyming “where, there” and slang, a connotation of this being the presence of slang increases the  and the list of gigs acts informal masthead’s  Images include of Davyd Winter-Bates, various bands performing at gigs such as 'Feeder', one of the members of Lostprophets yelling through a microphone and of 'Funeral For A Friend'. The effects they have are you feel there are a lot of bands.

Colours include light and dark blue, which is used to highlight the boxes and white which takes up most of the background. Black highlights the gig performers. These among other colours are used to keep the reader's attention.

The layout is on the left column there's a box dedicated to Bury Tommorow and the rest is taken up of gig dates. On the right more gigs are shown and there's a feature on Lost-prophets performing in Warped UK and something on Funeral For A Friend. You get a sense this is a mainstream magazine because everything seems laid casually, spaced and there's a lot of gigs.

The shot types are wide 'Bury Tommorow, and the gig pictures' and close ups of Funeral For A Friend and Lostprophets, as well as Bury Tommorow. Wide shots are necessary for the gigs as you can easily see the members of the bands and close ups highlight the people.

I'd say the image of the Lost-prophets member is the central as he's the biggest and framed in relation to the above text. It's dominant and the rule of thirds doesn't look to apply.

The headlines are 'On The Road', on the left column and 'Five Reasons Why Warped UK Kicks The US Version's Arse' and 'Go And See Funeral For A Friend' on the right.

There doesn't appear to be any alliteration, metaphors although there's two superlatives used, one on each column 'biggest'. The tone is definitely in a friendly, informal way, with exclamation marks, brackets and other features and the content is about promoting their new tours, also the focus.

Target audience for this article looks to be 16-24 and the main gender is male, so males are the most likely target. Middle class is my guess as the list of gigs and passion indicate it's for young people who take music seriously. This ties into my theory that aspirers are the personal aspiration. Other clues include colours, the information on offer such as why Lost-Prophets will rock an event, variety of images, the informal Mode of Address and so forth.

The images are constructed in a variety of ways. The image of Bury Tommorow is framed in a close-up, with a dark background that gives it an atmosphere. Ian Watkins has been constructed in mid-shot and the image of Funeral For A Friend has been taken from a low-angle. Davyd Winter-Bates has been framed on the left which keeps him as the main focus and the lighting’s low-key and glows as well, giving it a surreal look and the main use of shots are wide shots, as well as the lighting overall being natural across the images. They’re facial expressions appear enthusiastic, mainly Ian Waktins and this sells the magazine more and the clothing is quite casual and the backgrounds are set across a gig, studio background and outside.

The pre-dominant image is Ian Watkins as it’s the largest and highlights the magazine. To the target audience, people aged 16-24 they represent enthusiasm because from the shot types to facial expressions, it shows commitment to art.

Codes and conventions used are celebrity names are put in bold and stand firsts mostly introduce the celebrities especially with Ian from Lost Prophets. The text is size 11pt but the main image is on the right whereas normally it would be on the left and by-lines are on the left.  The article’s written in informal mode and the piece fits with the overall branding of magazine because it follows the style.

Uncut:

There are two columns and they’re organised so they cover the content in similar fashion, with the left column introducing the article, and it creates a sense of continuity. The ratio of text to image is there's a lot of text but the images are dominant overall. The audience’s eye is drawn to the various images because that's what the focus is and the headings in the red boxes, which highlight the information. Sub-headings are present in below and above the images they function as dates and describe the location where each event took place. For the introduction the font, which starts is large and bold and becomes more muted as it moves onto the images. The overall colour template used is a combination of white, grey and red and a connotation is this shows the maturity of the magazine because the colours are muted, rather than flashy.

The mode of address is informal and friendly as it's a retrospective from Bruce Foxton. There's no rhyming present and repetitious words include 'I', 'That's' and 'Was'. Alliteration isn't present either because this is a personal retrospective and there’s no slang, indicating a mature attitude. Sibilance is used six times and assonance appears with 'even then', 'to do' twice and 'this is' and there are no superlatives or contractions or other language devices.

The content of the story is it’s a history of how Bruce from The Jam was reunited with Paul Weller and focused by being broken into nuggets. Subheadings are used to indicate the various stages, an example being 'The Nashville Rooms, London 1977' and so forth and the language is formal.

The images are mainly group shots apart from one and are constructed to give a retro feel, because of the lighting and the way they’re framed. The way in which the images are framed is different for each one, an example being one has three central/dominant figures, another has two figures are specifically framed in relation to the sub-heading and other examples. The lighting's low-key and half of the images are in black-and-white, the colours are sombre. The main shot types are wide shots and close-ups.

Facial expressions appear casual and the expressions also show The Jam takes their work seriously, as in most of the images the members don’t smile. The introductory image of Bruce Foxton shows him with an anxious expression and another shows him being scared but the overall image of The Jam is professional. Their clothing is a mix of casual and professionalism. In some of the photo shoots they all wear professional clothing and in others there’s a mix, as seen in the final image. Some of the background is shot in a studio while others are shot outside, in a concert and restaurant and the variation is appropriate because there’s a sense of what Bruce has been doing on the way to being reunited with Paul Weller.

The pre-dominant image is of Bruce Foxton who’s outside. No other images are used The Jam represents a history and the variation of clothing, locations among other elements represents their talent and how long they've been doing this.

Other codes and conventions, which are used, include a tagline, 'Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes' and the masthead, page number and dateline is at the bottom of each page. The piece fits within the overall branding of the magazine because the design of the double-page fits within their philosophy, as it’s casual but at the same time retro, connoting maturity and the images are appropriate, as is the font and other elements.

The target audience appears to be people aged 50-60 as this appears to be Uncut’s aim and males are the main gender because there are a few females throughout the article.

Working class and upper middle are the class types as this is a magazine for older readers and succeeders and mainstreamers are the likely consumer characteristic. The mode of address being informal and friendly fits the retrospective and is giving a treat for fans, hence the age of the fans.

The main artist is Bruce Foxton who's relatively old at 57 and this would suggest more evidence that people 50-60 are the likely target range, as well as what the images show and the clothing has variation which appeals to the demographic, including a biker jacket worn by Bruce. 

NME: There are two columns and they are organised so on the left an introduction is given and the article begins. This gives a continuity feel as the contents are structured. The ratio of text to image is vast as there are four images and the rest of the article is text. The eye is drawn to the first column as there’s an image of Pete Doherty and also to the sub-heading’s as they’re bold red. There are sub-headings spread around the article, split into dates as Pete Doherty talks about various stages. For the introduction title ‘The Secret Diary Of Peter Doherty’ the font is bold as it needs to look striking and the sub-headings are bold. The writing is plain as it makes it easy to read. Colour template is a mixture of red and black, red for part of the introduction title and the background of the box article and sub-headings which makes them stand out and the main writing being black which makes it simple to read.

The mode of address is friendly and informal, as is convention. The only rhyming present, also counting as assonance are ‘to do’ and ‘bapple schnapple’. Three examples of repetitious words include ‘they’, ’the’ and ‘doesn’t’. Sibilance is used eighteen times. Superlatives aren’t present nor is slang and contractions or anything else, making a more professional image. The content of the story is over a series of vignettes, Peter gives an insight into his mind and that’s the focus. The subheadings are given an introduction to what the content’s about and the language is formal, as written by a stranger.  

The images are constructed as a series of vignettes in terms of how they look. The artists are framed in the centre; lighting is soft except for the photo of Pete in the left column, where it’s harder. Shot types used, mainly close-ups except for one which is a wide shot and they’re framed in relation to the vignettes. Pete’s facial expression is neutral, bored and he’s dressed casual. Wolfman looks like he’s on something and you don’t see a lot of his clothing but he’s dressed in a biker jacket. The pre-dominant image is the one with Pete in the background. Overall the artists represent a casual image to the target audience and you get a sense of history.

Other codes and conventions used is part of the dateline, where at the bottom right of the second column you have the date and the masthead’s there. You could say the main headline is ‘The Secret Diary Of Peter Doherty’.

The piece fits with the overall branding of the magazine as some of the colours continue from the cover and so does Pete Doherty and the design of it feels like NME.

The target audience for the article is the same as NME. People aged 25-44 appear to be the target. Males seem to be the primary aim as it's a very male-focused article and working class looks to be the class type. I'd say mainstreamers are the social characteristic.

One of the reasons I know about my target audience is the design is in consistency with the cover, in terms of feel. The mode of address being informal and friendly adds evidence and Pete Doherty being young is more likely to draw the audience. The dominant image is black-and-white, and is of him young so this is relate-able and the other images are of the artists when they were younger. In terms of psychographics I would think the customers believe it offers value as clothing's also a representation, mainly his jacket. The sub-headings in bold red are a sign that they want to attract a vibrant audience. The background looks set in a studio, which is what a few young magazines do.   

Mojo:

There are two columns and are organised so one big image spreads over the two, with most of the text on the right and this gives an impressionable effect as it feels like one big feature. The ratio of text to image is there's more image than text, as the image is larger. The eye is mainly drawn to the image as the presence of Paul McCartney is striking and the ‘Magical’ font is eye-catching, the bus and also the headline. There's one sub-heading which introduces the article, called 'On The Road Again'. A variety of font is used and for the headline particularly it stands out, feels comic book and the subheading's font is quite dark, helping it to illuminate as is the coverline and another is plain, red.

The mode of address for the writing is formal and language that’s used are there’s no rhyming, ‘The’, ‘Was’ and ‘That’ are used as repetitious words and some alliteration is used, such as ‘Magical Mystery’, ‘We Were’, ‘Being Broadcast’, ‘Our Own’ among others. Sibilance is featured a lot with ‘Satisfaction’, ‘Stories’, ‘September’, ‘Soul’, ‘Sgt’ and others. There is no assonance or other language features, and the language that is used leaves an impressible effect, with the use of terms specifically ‘Magical Mystery’.

The content of the story is it’s promoting a MOJO special The Magical Mystery Tour… And Beyond and the article also talks about the film itself and that’s where the focus is centred. One subheading is used and in terms of content it’s focused on getting the audience prepared for The Magical Mystery Tour. No particular media language is used. 

One image is featured and it’s constructed by being spread across the two columns. Paul McCartney is framed in the left column within relation to the entire text, therefore being dominant and the lighting appears natural and the shot type is a wide shot.

Paul McCartney’s expression is contemplative, his clothing a mixture of black, dark blue and a mixed range on his jumper. The style of his jacket appears casual as do his jeans, linking to the genre, as the combination of clothes appears mainstream and Rock’s considered a mainstream genre. The background looks to be set outside, the setting next to a Magical Mystery Tour bus, communicating the widespread appeal of The Beatles as this is how far they’ve spread.

The pre-dominant image is the same as the main one because there’s only one image.

To the target audience Paul McCartney appears to represent the average citizen, leaning against the bus and less of a celebrity than he might appear, also contemplating the journey he might be about to take and whether he should step on the bus.

Other codes and conventions present are the headline is the largest piece of text and it’s used to draw the reader in, rather than explain what the article’s about. That’s what the stand first does, which is an introduction to the article explaining it. A drop capital’s used at the beginning of the article so the reader knows where to begin and there’s a consistent colour scheme as well.

The main colour template is red, spreading across the page and yellow’s another colour where is part of the headline, the backdrop of the bus and is also used in one of the boxing . Yellow's the other main as it's also part of the headline and it spreads across the bus and the background for the sub-heading. A connotation to describe is it expresses vibrancy. 

This article fits within the overall branding of the magazine as it makes sense to cover a band such as The Beatles within Mojo and the styling is consistent.

My estimation for the target audience demographic is people aged around 40 plus, because this looks to be an older magazine. There’s barely any female presence on the cover apart from the mention of ‘Auntie Jessie’, possibly suggesting this is a magazine aimed at males. This all means middle class are the likely income and social class to buy this and for psychographics, this will be mainstreamers, as Mojo is an established brand. It’s possible to see this is aimed towards people 40 plus through the Mode Of Address, as the communication is simple with easy-to-read font and the Magical Mystery Tour is something people will have watched growing up and the image connotes nostalgia, as if Paul McCartney wants to take a ride through history lane. 

The mode of address is formal and you can see it's written by a stranger and leaves a proffessional effect. No rhyming is present. 'The', 'was' and 'that' are repetitious words. A few alliteration is used, including 'Magical Mystery', 'We Were',  'Being Broadcast', 'Our Own' and more. Sibilance is used a  lot with 'Satisfaction', 'Stories', 'September', 'Soul', 'Sgt' etc.  No assonance is present or other types of language. The content of the story is a retrospective on 'The Magical Mystery Tour' and tells you some details about Mojo's upcoming Beatles special and the focus is about the film.

No sub-headings are used with the exception of 'On The Road Again' which is informal and talks about 'The Magical Mystery Tour'.

The only image is of Paul McCartney and is constructed to spread the two columns. The artist is framed on the left against the bus and the lighting appears to be saturated and the shot is a wide one. His expression is a bored one and is wearing a combination of smart and casual clothes, as his jacket is smart. The background is the bus. There's no other images and the artist represents the 'Magical Mystery Tour' as well as the band.

Other codes and conventions present include the masthead, part of the dateline, a coverline and model credit. The piece fits the branding as it reflects the content as well as the design, such as the colours red and white returning.

The target audience is people 40 plus, looks towards males and working class is their aim as well as mainstreamers.

40 plus is the magazine's aim as the design fits within Mojo's maturity and there's no female presence so this provides evidence that Mojo are aiming towards males. The lowest class you could likely have for 40 plus is working and this is aimed at music fans so mainstreamers would buy this. The mode of address being formal adds evidence this is for serious music fans and Paul McCartney has been performing a long time and the image is iconic. The way McCartney poses could also be seen as taking seriously and the clothing is muted. 

Textual Analysis Contents pages

Textual Analysis – Contents Page

Rock Sound: The layout of the contents page is spread over two columns, following the form where the contents is split over 3 or 4 columns and it’s split into multiple sections with the category headings ‘The Noise’, ‘All Your Favourite Bands’, ‘Exposure’ and ‘Reviews’. This helps to draw the reader’s attention to the different sections making it easier to follow. The colour scheme is a mix of black, red, white and yellow, denoting this is a more colourful and youthful magazine and a connotation is that the audience assumes it’s more representative of rock due to both the colour scheme and the dress codes used.  

“All Time Low” is the central image and framed in relation to the heading “All Time Low”. It’s dominant and the rule of thirds appears to be obeyed. The age of the figures across the contents page looks to range from 20-30 and gender is almost entirely male, suggesting the target audience for this magazine is males. In terms of the bands some of them are Billy Talent and Good Charlotte and given the masthead as well, the dominant genre is rock.

One of the bands Good Charlotte has quite high celebrity status and the images are fairly iconic as some of them have typical band poses. Target audience for Rock Sound appears to fit with the audience that’s been targeted with the cover, people aged 16-24 and the design overall looks less enthusiastic than a contents page for a magazine like Q, so the social class is the same as for the cover, working class people and mainstreamers are the consumer characteristic. The image appears quite masculine because there are almost no females, reflecting the stereotype that females don’t have such a presence in rock.

The clothing worn by the models has a range of styles, from casual to smart and an example of the colour is white. The combination of different styles speaks to the diversity of the rock genre, as does the different colours that represent the target audience, for example one of the members of Parkway Drive wears a casual-smart chequered shirt, reflecting the 16-24 age range as this is a kind of shirt they like to wear.

Speaking about the locations and background, this ranges from studio to outdoors and communicates the versatility of the magazine, as well as the bands as it’s seen they travel to different locations, the beach where the Architects have been an example.

Some language that has been used includes slang, below “Contents” where the introduction to the editor’s letter “Hitchin’ A Ride”, also a contraction is given and a lot of puns appear throughout, connoting the appeal towards the audience as well the laidback nature of the rock music genre. There are more contractions, including “Then you definitely won’t”, highlighting the laidback nature more and aiming more towards the target audience.

In part due to the title “Rock Sound”, there’s a lot of sibilance, a couple of examples being “Sonic Boom Six” and “Motion City Soundtrack”
An example of an iconic sign would be the group shot of Parkway Drive, as they look like what they represent, a band and the images in general are iconic signs, because they are what they represent. 

Some examples of an indexical sign are the expressions across the members of All Time Low, where they range from looking muted, to sombre and daft, representing seriousness, sadness and absurdity. Another example could be Jack, from All Time Low’s hairstyle, as it might be suggesting towards his attitude, considering a certain number of people have that hairstyle. 

A symbolic or arbitrary sign is the world ‘album’, as the word ‘album’ has to be culturally learned.

The types of shots, which are used, are close-shots and a wide shot for the group shots.

All Time Low’s group shot is the image, which is central, as it’s in the middle and being the largest image makes it dominant. It’s partly framed in relation to the editor’s letter, along with the heading next to the page number on the image and one of the sub-headings in the “All Your Favourite Bands” section. The rule of thirds has been obeyed.

The magazine works as a whole because the style of language, which is quite casual works in relation to the images because of how they’re shot and the masthead “Rock Sound” is quite an inviting one. The content on offer too is quite inviting as an example the offer of being able to get the scoop on one of UK Rock’s most anticipate albums of 2013, and a gig guide.

Uncut: The layout of Uncut’s contents page is split over one column and organised so on one side there’s the contents side, and the other has an editor’s letter. The masthead is at the top along with the issue date and number and the page numbers, followed by first line and subline, and an image of the editor is featured, along with an image of Gene Clark. The effect this has is the layout is much simpler, so there’s less of an impressive effect.

There’s quite a simple colour scheme, mainly consisting of red for the firstlines and a boxing device at the top consisting of the “Contents” word and masthead and issue date and number. This connotes that the magazine has a simpler appeal, as the colour scheme is limited, plus the use of the colour red is old-school, so this is a hint towards the target audience appeal.

Gene Clark is the main figure featured in the contents. When Uncut interviewed him in 1977, he was 33 and used to be part of a band called The Byrds, an American rock band that indicates the overall appeal of Uncut as old-school music. The Byrds were quite an influence, initially pioneering the genre of folk rock and originating other sub-rock genres including psychedelic rock, as well as the mixture of clear harmony singing and Roger McGuinn’s jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar continuing to have an influence now. 

The image of Gene Clark is iconic, because it shows him at work.

An estimation of Uncut’s target audience would be aged 35-64 because of who’s featured in the image and given the bands featured, and no clear female presence male would appear to be the target audience. The age range means the income and social class would be working, as well as upper middle, and the consumer characteristics succeeders and mainstreamers. The lack of female presence reflects the stereotype that rock is a male-dominated genre, suggesting the idea of this could be cultural.

The clothing isn’t entirely clear, but in the image of Gene Clark he’s seen wearing a formal shirt, linking to rock as this can be seen as a formal genre. 

In terms of location, the image would suggest Gene is performing on a stage, communicating Gene Clark’s role in music as he did a lot of solo performing, as well as that Uncut does it’s share of covering.

Mode of address would appear formal, as devices including contractions, puns, rhetorical questions and assonance are non-existent, although a superlative is used during one of the sublines “The band’s 20 greatest songs as chosen” and there’s little repetition. Overall this indicates a more mature style of writing, and moves towards the target audience.

The shot type used is a close-up for Gene, allowing readers to potentially get an insight into what he was thinking as at the time of the photo he was in quite a fragile state.

Gene Clark is the central image and framed in relation to the letter written by the editor along with one of the headings “The Byrds”, highlighting the importance of him in the issue. The image is dominant because it’s the only relevant one and the rule of thirds is obeyed.

Uncut’s contents page works as a whole because the style of masthead is formal and looks professional and melds with use of informal language and lack of devices, which would make the language less formal. The image on offer is a callback to the past, working with the formal style as does the choice of colours. 

These elements combine to communicate the genre of rock because they’re within the same style and communicate the intention of covering music in a more mature overtone. 

Mojo: The layout of Mojo’s contents page spreads two pages and four columns. On the first page there’s one column of text, making it stand out against background and easy to read, capitals highlighting different bands. On the next there’s only one column of text again, giving easy reference to articles and artists. Part of the content’s spread on the first page and the rest on the second. On the first page only one image is featured, and the image is of Van Morrison and the page number for the article is displayed on an extract from him, anchoring to the article. On the second page there’s eight separate images, five of them relating to articles and they have page numbers anchored on the images, as well as on the images of the staff where it explains the page numbers of the articles they’re hosting. Near the top of the first page the dateline is displayed and above is the word “Contents”. At the bottom of each page as well the title along with page number are shown. No subscription or contact information is displayed on either page, nor is an editor’s letter or image of the front cover, suggesting this magazine breaks convention.

In respect of the colour scheme, there’s a simple colour scheme laid out, consisting of red with the lines below and above dateline and across the first column as well as on one of the columns on the second page. Another colour used is blue and the final main colour is black, all strong colours, which make them and the text stand out and catch the reader’s eye.

Van Morrison, the main image, is now 67 and the representation of him in a white gown highlights the mystique of who he is, as through the years he has a reputation for not being an easy person to interview. His genre of music varies from rock to R&B (rhythm and blues) and this indicates Mojo is a versatile magazine. Van Morrison has very high celebrity status and the image isn’t particularly iconic because it’s interpretational to what it means. On the next page the first image is of The Wallflowers, all members being male and the Wallflowers have a high celebrity status and being a rock band, this indicates more that Mojo have a preference for rock. Marvin Gaye’s the next image and his ethnicity is black, an iconic sign and the main genre he worked in was R&B, indicating that Mojo likes to cover a history of genres. Marvin had a fairly high celebrity status and his image is partly iconic because it’s the cover of one of his studio albums. The members of Tame Impala are in their 20s and all male, the dominance of male musicians in Mojo reflecting the cultural stereotype that females haven’t had such a role in music in the past. Tame Impala’s style of music is mainly psychedelic rock and this furthers the opinion that Mojo want to cover a range of genres. The celebrity status is moderate and the image is difficult to make out in terms of what it means.

The general age range Mojo looks to aim at are people aged 25-44, because the design of the contents page appears retro and a lot of the artists spread across the contents appear to have come from the past. There looks to be equal presence towards females as three are featured across the two pages, but overall male appears to have the dominance. Ethnicity is slightly varied because Marvin Gaye is African American and this is appropriate because Mojo looks to cover the history of music. Working class to skilled working class are likely to be the income classes attached because this suits the age range 25-44 and in terms of consumer characteristics, mainstreamers and succeeders are the most suitable because mainstreamers buy well established brands and seek conformity, and succeeders have climbed the ladder and are going to want to look at musicians from the past.

For clothing, Van Morrison wears a white gown that connotes his mystique and could be relevant to rock as musicians dress in a variety of things for photoshoots. The Wallflowers are dressed smart-casual that links to rock because it’s quite a laidback genre and in the photo of her, Grimes wears casual clothing that links to a variety of genres she performs in because genres such as electronic and hip-hop are known for being offbeat. The overall effect this has on me is it makes me think about the various genres, because the various clothing connotes what the genres mean.

Van Morrison’s image is set against a rural background, communicating that Mojo travels in a variety of places and it links to the extract where Van mentions “I wanted to be a vet. And I was quite good at football” meaning what he is in the image could be one of the things he wanted to be. Wallflower’s photo appears set on the rocks of a beach, emphasising the travelling part and connoting a casual side to The Wallflowers. Tame Impala’s image is set in Paris, communicating a more exotic side to the magazine as well potentially Tame Impala and the location of Grimes looks set on a stage and combined with the lighting, this represents the different genres she works in and shows a party vibe to Mojo. Overall all of this connotes the versatility of Mojo, and communicates a variety of different artists.

The tone and style look to be informal as it’s clear the personality of the journalist is shining through the sublines, as an example “A tear-arse upbringing and tragedy-shrewn adulthood”, making the mode of address appear friendly, having an effect that makes me want to read more. Devices used to draw the reader in include rhyming, featuring underneath the “Van Morrison” heading where his nickname “Van The Man” is mentioned and use of repetition is notable in the “Regulars” category when one of the sublines features the repeated use of the word “why”, gaining the reader’s curiousity. An example of a contraction is when the journalist mentions "OMD". A superlative is featured on the first page when under “ZZ TOP”, the word “gnarliest” is used. 

Iconic signs are the photos of the various artists as well as for instance The Wallflowers looking like what they represent, a band. Van’s expression is indexical, which is mute and this is because it has a connection to his state of mind and is interpretational. The flower on Natasha’s ear is indexical as it can represent a variety of things, from happiness to freedom.

The types of shots used are medium and close-ups, the close-ups allowing us a glimpse into Grimes, Natasha and Marvin’s minds.

Van’s image is the central image as it’s the largest and framed in relation to one of the firstlines as well as an extract from the article. The image is dominant because of it’s size and the rule of thirds looks to be obeyed because there’s equal spacing. Van being the central image has an effect that he looks dominant because of the size of the image.

The contents page works as a whole because the style of language works to draw the reader in, being informal so relaxing the reader and the style of masthead works to create a unique impression and the selection of images work within the style of the magazine. All of it combines to communicate the variety of genres on offer such as rock and aiming to draw the intended target audience of 25-44 because of the style. (not finished) 

    














          Q: There are three columns on each side of the contents page, breaking convention there are usually three of four and there's a main image on the left, with smaller images laid amongst the rest of the contents. The masthead's at the top as well as the bottom, also featuring the page number and issue date. The layout's neatly structured overall as in the left column you have ‘Features’ and the other one includes the other features like ‘Regulars’ which has the regular contents such as subscription page. Page numbers are on the images which makes it easy for the reader to find the article they want.

The mixture of colour is mainly similar to the cover that's an overall balance of red and black, continuing the brand identity and overall it connotes a sense of style and there's a darker red split between the various categories that perhaps connotes this is a magazine that wants to be taken more seriously.

Noel Gallagher is in his early 40's as are the Manic Street Preachers and most of the members of Green Day, another band featured and it expands the target appeal of Q vaguely, as these band members are older and most of the gender is taken up of males, reflecting the cultural stereotype that a lot of musicians are male.

            Speaking to the target audience, the continuation of the brand identity keeps the appeal on people aged 16-24 and the appeal of Noel Gallagher ensures a mixed gender appeal and the variety of musicians shown ensures this isn't ethnicity based and the continuation of brand identity means working and middle class are the social classes that are targeted, as well as aspirers and maisntreamers for the consumer characteristic.
       
            The clothing looks to mainly be smart casual and has a representation of rock because of the mixed balance and linking to the cover, Noel Gallagher's jacket is dark brown which connotes the laidback nature of rock and his trousers are light black that links to rock. The overall balance of style showcases the diversity of the genre.
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            A variety of backgrounds look to be on display. The reader gets an inside glimpse into the production of the magazine with the first image, one of Noel that reveals the mise-en-scene around him, communicating the craft of the magazine and Noel alike. Another image of him is set in the same background and the rest showcase a variety of backgrounds from a stage to streets, communicating that Q is a diverse magazine.

            The mode of address is largely informal but has some formal sublines and devices such as superlatives (biggest and best), sibilance and mainly puns are employed throughout the contents, the use of puns highlighting the informal nature and a connotation that it's a magazine aimed at young people.
           
            The photos are all iconic signs, as is a guitar and the use of a microphone a couple of times.

            Medium and wide shots are used to show the background on offer and give a glimpse into the atmosphere and close-ups, mainly centred on Noel. A connotation for the medium and wide shots are because of what they show, this magazine aims to be diverse and the effect being satisfactory.

            On the first page, the second image of Noel is central as it's the largest, making it the dominant image too and it's in the middle. It's framed in relation to the main heading and the rule of thirds appears to be obeyed because there's equal spacing.

            The contents page works as a whole because the style of language, masthead, images, type of contents and an offer made too (Win £10,000 of musical gear) work in conjunction to produce an overall tone and communicate the rock genre, which is the main genre on display as they connote the versatility of it and that Q is intended to be a friendly magazine.
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          NME: NME's contents page is far more basic as there are two columns, breaking convention and there are small images but no clear main image, connoting that NME ha perhaps lazily put this contents together. Page numbers are on the images but not related to any headings and the masthead isn't displayed at the top and the issue number isn't. The date is however. Subscription information is provided. 

         The colour scheme is very basic as well, with red and black being the main colours but not clearly set out, making the contents page lacking. 

          Pete Doherty is in his early 30s, whereas Dave Grohl's in his early 40s, connoting that NME wants to aim to a range of people and the main gender present is male, in addition the availability of NME in a variety of places and the main band are The Libertines and perform in Indie rock and garage rock revival, indicating rock is NME's main appeal.
         The Libertines have quite a high celebrity status because they kickstarted the garage rock revival movement in the UK and the images are mainly iconic because they represent what they are. 

 In terms of the target audience, the age range looks to be 25-44 because of the simple layout and colour scheme and males are the main target gender and middle class would be the likely social class aim because this would be within the age range, as well as mainstreamers because of the presence of musicians such as Pete Doherty, where they seek conformity. 

The clothing ranges from being casual to smart and this represents the diversity of rock, as well as being a connotation that a variety of musicians are showcased. 

          Referring to the location, it ranges from being set in a studio to being on stage and communicating that NME go out and do coverage in a range of places, including for example with Dave Grohl showing their craft.

The mode of address is quite informal, with a lot of puns "Pete Doherty Always Had Daz In, No Matter What" and there's use of sibilance "Silver Shellsuits", repetition "Knock-Knock" and rhyming "Cock Shock" that draws the audience in and connotes a sense of being laidback.

Shot types employed are close-ups and there's one two-shot of Brian Wilson and another musician and these help give an insight into what the musicians think and how they feel when they perform. 

No image is central, breaking convention and connoting a sense of laziness.
         
          The elements combine as a whole because the language is quite informal and the font isn't as professional as someone would normally expect and the masthead is visible albeit not in the usual position. The images are casual and the subscription offer made, along with simple colour scheme all come together to communicate the genre of rock being maybe too laidback and the intention of drawing a mainstream audience in.