1. Portfolio Research By François Ali

2. Front Cover Analysis

3. Cover Image ‘You Me At Six’ are photographed wearing dark colours and slightly confident and cheerful expressions. The use of dark casual clothing with the jumpers and T-shirts will attract a teenage rock audience. Masthead Kerrang has a fairly basic masthead that is partly hidden by the cover star. This is most likely because Kerrang has already established a brand identity and therefore does not need to show the entire masthead for it to be recognised by its target audience. What gives Kerrang! Its brand identity is the way the masthead has white lines through it making it appear shattered therefore more rock and roll. This would appeal to their target audience of 15-29 year olds as it gives the magazine an edgier more youthful feel. Headline Except for the masthead ‘You Me At Six’ is the largest sans-serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. Freebies Another way in which Kerrang appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example free posters are given away with this issue. List of Bands Kerrang follows the codes and conventions of music magazines by featuring images of featured bands on the bottom left hand side of the front cover and another list positioned on the black strip on the top and bottom of the page. This gives the audience an idea of what bands and therefore the genre to expect inside the magazine. House Style Kerrang consistently uses the same fonts and mainly sticks to lime green, yellow, black and white. Barcode Kerrang follows the codes and conventions of magazines by positioning its barcode in the bottom right hand corner and by displaying issue information and price in the same place.

4. List of artists Vibe displays a list of featured artists on the right hand side giving an idea of what artists and therefore the genre (hip/hop rap) to expect inside the magazine. Involving the film ‘Notorious’ on the strip on the top of the page targets film audiences as well. Masthead Vibe’s masthead follows the codes and conventions of a magazine by taking up the full width of the page and being positioned at the top of the page so it can be seen. Because of this the masthead is the biggest writing on the cover and draws in the attention of the reader. VIBE’s masthead is big, bold and straight to the point. Cover image Kanye West is photographed in a medium close up showing more of his face which suggests that he is the focal point in this particular issue. Having Kanye Wests’ presence will deliberately appeal to a young audience of a hip hop genre. Kanye is one of the best artists in his genre so having him on the front cover will make readers pick it up and want to read about him. House style Vibe consistently connects their image with the words in the front cover. He is wearing a ‘chavy’ cardigan which connects with the colour of this front cover which is appealing to the eye and targets the hip hop/ rap audience. The use of matching fonts and cover lines gives Vibe its consistent house style. Lure The quote ‘I am Rap’ on the left hand side acts as a lure to encourage the audience to read the full story inside. Graphics A simple feel is given to the magazine. For example the sans-serif font used for the headline ‘Kanye West’ is very plain as the font has nothing inside it. This front cover is very colourful which gets attention at a quick glance. The deliberate use of the pink and blue colours gives a ‘chavy’ feel to it appealing to that particular audience.

5. House Style Billboard consistently uses the same fonts and mainly sticks to yellow and white as their main colours. Masthead What gives Billboard Its brand identity is the way the masthead has the red, blue and yellow colours inside some of the sans serif white letters giving a gentle feel therefore targeting towards more of a female audience. This would appeal to their target audience of 11-19 year olds as it gives the magazine an edgier more youthful teenage feel. Cover image The mis-en-scene of the cover image is very effective because it fits in with the pop/rock genre by using props such as a guitar and an icon figure. Miley Cyrus is photographed in a medium long shot where she is the focal point of this particular issue. Having her presence will deliberately appeal to a young female audience of a pop genre. As she is also an actress this will target Television audiences as well. In addition, this magazine is a summer edition where Miley is wearing a t-shirt, it seems very hot with the bright lighting and blue sky. Sub headlines such as ‘how to score the big gigs of summer’ creates a good feel to this issue as they relate to the season we are in which appeals to audiences. Lure The quote ‘Hannah Montana’ on the right hand side acts as a lure to encourage the audience to read the full story inside. Mode of Address Billboard uses a gentle, sweet feel of language, for example ‘Miley’s Magic Kingdom’ which you would expect as they are appealing to a young female age group in a friendly manner.

6. Freebies Another way in which Blender appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example free tracks are given away with this issue. Cover Image The mis-en-scene of the cover image is very effective because it fits in with the rock and roll genre by using props such as an electric guitar and drum sticks. ‘Fall Out Boy’ are photographed wearing a combination of different colours and slightly confident, cheerful and lively expressions. The use of casual clothing style with the jackets and white shoes will attract a wide range of rock audiences of 16-40 year olds appealing more to the male side. Masthead Blender has a fairly basic masthead coloured all in black contrasting well with the light blue background which draws in the attention of the readers. The masthead is partly hidden by the cover star. This is most likely because Blender has already established a brand identity and therefore does not need to show the entire masthead for it to be recognised by its target audience. List of Bands Blender displays a list of featured bands on the left hand side of the front cover. This gives the audience an idea of what bands and therefore the genre (rock) to expect inside the magazine. Barcode Blender follows the codes and conventions of magazines by positioning its barcode in the bottom right hand corner and by displaying issue information and price in the same place. Headline Except for the masthead ‘Fall Out Boy’ is the largest sans-serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline.

7. Headline Except for the masthead ‘The Enemy’ is the largest sans serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. The deliberate use of the red colour of the sans serif font attracts readers as it stands out the most. Masthead NME has a fairly basic masthead coloured all in bright red contrasting well with the dark background which draws in the attention of the readers. What gives NME its brand identity is the way the masthead has white borders around the red sans serif letters. Also the masthead leans on the top left hand side of the page rather than covering the whole top of the page which most magazines tend to do. Cover Image The mis-en-scene of the cover image is very effective because it fits in with the rock and roll genre by using props such as the guitar. In addition to this, the lighting behind the artist suggests that he is performing on stage which further attracts the audience as it conveys that NME features information on gigs and live music! Lure The quote ‘we’re writing the holy bible part 2’ on the left hand side acts as a lure to encourage the audience to read the full story inside. Barcode NME follows the codes and conventions of magazines by positioning its barcode in the bottom right hand corner and by displaying issue information and price in the same place. A list of bands are positioned on the red strip on the bottom of the page. This gives the audience an idea of what bands and therefore the genre (Rock) to expect inside the magazine.

8. House Style Billboard consistently uses the same simple fonts and mainly sticks to blue, yellow and white as their main colours. Masthead The masthead is stylistic and bold with yellow being a good choice of colour against the dark back drop. This immediately makes the masthead stand out and be more visible to readers browsing. Scratch's’ masthead is big, bold and straight to the point. What gives Scratch its brand identity is the way the masthead has black borders around the yellow sans serif letters. Cover image Lil Wayne is on the front cover which immediately targets the audience who listen to Hip Hop and Rap genres of music. He is one of the best artists in his genre so having him on the front cover will make readers pick it up and want to read about him. The mis-en-scene of the cover image is very effective because it fits in with the hip hop/ rap genre by using props such as the DJ set, micro phone, ’bling’ jewellery such as the gold necklace and ‘cool’ sunglasses and hat. They both look very chilled out and would appeal to a young audience of 14-28 year olds appealing more to the male side. Mode of Address Scratch uses quite informal language for example ‘Great Label or Graveyard?’ ‘beats by the pound’ positioned on the left hand side of the page. This is suited to a younger audience who are more likely to use and relate to this sort of language. Another way in which Scratch appeals to its audience is that it offers extras such as exclusives with DJ Khaled and has previews of new songs by artists such as Akon! Also the deliberate use of Question marks keeps the readers involved.

9. Freebies Another way in which Rock Sound appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example free posters and a free CD are given away with this issue. Headline Except for the masthead ‘Muse’ is the largest serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. The deliberate use of the bright yellow colour of the serif font attracts readers as it stands out the most. The repetition of the word ‘New’ is used to excite the reader. Masthead Rock Sound has a fairly basic masthead coloured all in green contrasting well with the light background which draws in the attention of the readers. What gives Rock Sound its brand identity is the way the masthead has black borders around the sans serif font to create a sticking out effect on the letters. Also they intertwine itself between the bands heads. Cover image They are standing in a serious and strong manner which makes them seem more of a ‘hardcore,’ band and adds to the genre of rock. Graphics A slight rough and scruffy feel is given to the magazine by its graphics. For example the serif font of the headline ‘Muse’ looks quite dirty due to the small black splodges on each letter. The graphics are very colourful which gets attention at a quick glance. Furthermore, Rocksound uses the same colours (green, yellow and white) throughout the front cover. This combined with the use of matching fonts for the cover lines, gives Rocksound its consistent house style. List of Bands Rock Sound follows the codes and conventions of music magazines by displaying a list of featured bands on the bottom left hand side of the front cover. This gives the audience an idea of what bands and therefore the genre (rock) to expect inside the magazine. Barcode Rock Sound follows the codes and conventions of magazines by positioning its barcode in the bottom right hand corner and by displaying issue information and price in the same place.

10. Masthead Classic FMs masthead follows the codes and conventions of a magazine by taking up the full width of the page and being positioned at the top of the page so it can be seen. Because of this the masthead is the biggest writing on the cover and draws in the attention of the reader. It is written in a grey serif font on a white backdrop to make it stand out. What gives Classic FM Its brand identity is the way the ‘F’ is coloured in bright red in a bigger and a different font, to catch the readers eye and you can clearly tell this is a Classic FM magazine . Cover Image Katherine Jenkins is photographed in a medium close up showing more of her face which suggests that she is the focal point in this particular issue. She is looking bright and radiant against a dark and dim background. Having Katherine Jenkins’ presence will deliberately appeal to a wide range of audiences as classical music is mainly listened to an older age group she will also appeal to the younger audiences as she is making classical music more and more popular. Katherine is one of the best artists in her genre (classical) so having her on the front cover will make readers pick it up and want to read about her as she is a multimillion single artist. House Style Classic FM consistently uses the same fonts and mainly sticks to grey, red and white as their main colours. Headline Except for the masthead ‘Katherine Jenkins’ is the largest serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. Her name is in bright pink writing to make it eye catching to the readers when they are looking through magazines and would appeal more to the female side. Freebies Another way in which Classic FM appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example It offers an interview with Katherine Jenkins and has a free giveaway of a CD as it is the Christmas edition in this issue.

11. Masthead Kerrang has a fairly basic masthead that is partly hidden by the cover star. This is most likely because Kerrang has already established a brand identity and therefore does not need to show the entire masthead for it to be recognised by its target audience. What gives Kerrang! Its brand identity is the way the masthead has white lines through it making it appear shattered therefore more metal rock. This would appeal to their target audience of 15-35 year olds as it gives the magazine an edgier more crazy feel! Cover Image ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ are photographed wearing dark colours and slightly threatening and scary expressions. The use of dark clothing along with the tattoos and equipment they are holding will attract a wide range of the male heavy metal audience. Headline Except for the masthead ‘Avenged Sevenfold’ is the largest sans-serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. The white colouring contrasts well against the dark background which makes the words stand out. Freebies Another way in which Kerrang appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example free posters are given away with this issue. List of bands Kerrang displays a list of featured bands on the right hand side of the front cover and another list positioned on the yellow strip on the top and bottom of the page. This gives the audience an idea of what bands and therefore the genre (heavy metal) to expect inside the magazine. House Style Kerrang consistently uses the same fonts and mainly sticks to yellow, black and white. However in this particular issue the use of red is deliberately used as it represents danger, violence, death which relates to the genre heavy metal. Barcode Kerrang follows the codes and conventions of magazines by positioning its barcode in the bottom right hand corner and by displaying issue information and price in the same place.

12. Cover image ‘Skins’ stars are photographed in a medium shot where they are the largest image on the front cover which suggests that they are the focal point in this particular issue. They are looking straight to the camera very relaxed and wearing simple young clothes overall giving a teenage feel. The lighting behind the artist on the left of the page suggests that he is performing on stage which further attracts the audience as it conveys that NME features information on gigs and live music! In addition, the deliberate use of involving television stars in the programme ‘Skins’ in the front cover will target a young teenage television audience (in a music magazine) of 14-21 year olds appealing to both genders. Freebies Another way in which NME appeals to its audience is by giving away freebies. For example free posters are given away with this issue. Masthead NME has a fairly basic masthead coloured all in bright red contrasting well with the dark background which draws in the attention of the readers. What gives NME its brand identity is the way the masthead has white borders around the red sans serif letters. Also the masthead leans on the top left hand side of the page rather than covering the whole top of the page which most magazines tend to do. Headline Except for the masthead ‘Skins’ is the largest sans serif font on the page, making it the focus point of the cover and therefore the main headline. The deliberate use of the bright yellow colour of the sans serif font attracts readers as it stands out the most. House Style NME uses the same colours (red, yellow , black and white) throughout the front cover. This combined with the use of matching fonts for the cover lines, gives NME its consistent house style. Graphics A slight rough and scruffy feel is given to the magazine by its graphics which would appeal to a teenage audience. For example the sans serif font of the headline ‘Skins’ looks quite dirty due to the thin black splodges on each letter. The graphics are very colourful which gets attention at a quick glance.

13. Contents Page Analysis

14. Lure The quote displayed on the top right corner of the contents page ‘My favourite dance move is the spider walk...’ acts as a lure. Because its quite a bold statement that some might find a bit unusual, this will grab the readers attention and encourages them to turn to the page and read more about it. Editorial Kerrang follows the usual codes and conventions of magazines by featuring an editors’ letter at the top of the contents page. The editorial is fairly informal and boasts about what is included in the magazine. Awesome rock weekends are reviewed in this 72 page issue. Further more, the editors letter has a familiar mode of address making the audience feel like Kerrangs friend. As well as this, Kerrang further follows the codes and conventions of magazines by displaying the editors name as handwritten , giving the magazine a slightly personal feel. Layout Kerrang’s content layout is very grid-like and quite regimented. There are more photos than text which would appeal to their target audience of 15-29 year olds. In addition to this, the photos are the same size making them look like CD covers. This is apart from the photo of the man, which still has the appearance of a CD cover, but is larger and therefore implies that it is the main feature of the magazine. As well as this, beneath each image is a line of text which briefly summarises the article using appealing language such as ‘revealed’. There is also an image of this issues front cover next to the editorial which follows the codes and conventions of magazines. House Style Kerrang uses a consistent house style by sticking to red, yellow, black and white. The contents page also uses matching fonts throughout and tends to box the yellow page numbers and titles in black. Subscription Following the codes and conventions of magazines, Kerrang offers its readers the chance to subscribe by showing images of past issues and offering a cheaper deal than in shops.

15. Layout Vibes content layout is very basic quite empty and uncluttered. It uses a photo of the cover star to take up the whole page and by doing so creates more of an impact. In addition to this the layout is very simplistic with just one image and text over the top , giving it a minimalist feel. The headings are emphasized with a larger and a different font than the text below them. Apart from the red heart on Kanye West, which is the only colour in this contents page therefore making it the only thing which leaps out the page; the uniform layout makes the audience read the page to find a specific feature. Brand Identity Vibes brand identity is again displayed inside the magazine as a large item on the page, emphasizing its importance. House Style Similar to its layout, vibes house style is fairly basic and simplistic; it uses black and grey giving it a relatively classic look and feel. It uses a variety of fonts to show the difference between the headings and the texts below them.