My article

"It's not my fault he left, he can find someone else to blame"

Singer/songwriter Kara Payne, 23, is one band member down after an altercation leads to ex-drummer Danny Cooper leaving Waterproof Robot.
Signs of the unexpected news were first seen at the recent concert at the O2 where a last minute change was made; scrapping the band's hit 'Underwater' which featured a drum solo. Later the same evening, Cooper was nowhere to be seen at the V.I.P party and it's suspected he went home on his own following the harsh decision. When Alternatones  asked Kara her thoughts on the matter she told us "He said my attitude was 'unwelcoming', he's just being a spoilt little baby as far as I'm concerned...it's not my fault he left, he can find someone else to blame". Hot head Kara is adamant Cooper isn't crucial to the running of the band, there are even rumours of a new talent show, run by Waterproof Robot, in search of a replacement drummer. 

This isn't the first time the band have threatened to part ways as in June last year arguments in between Jo Strauss, lead guitarist and vocals, and repeat offender Kara Payne resulted in a solid 2 month musical hiatus with cancelations to TV and radio interviews and CD signings. Whether this latest squabble is going to cause the same hassle to loyal fans is unknown but according to their manager Tim Wallis it's "Just a phase that he's very confident they will all overcome together". With a European tour just a few months away it’s in their best interest they do. After a disappointing outcome at last week’s MOBO awards, with no trophies for the mantel piece, Waterproof Robot have a lot of work to do if they’re going to want to stay current in the music industry and they’re not going to do that if they can’t even sustain their all too patient fan base.

Kerrang! Cover Analysis in progress

Kerrang! is a very rock and metal based music magazine which explains their choice of featuring Biffy Clyro as their cover models.

The title of the music magazine is positioned at the top of the page which follows the conventions of print magazines, this is done in the hope it is the first thing consumers will see.

The main singer is placed in the centre and in the foreground with the bassist and guitarist just behind him. A mid shot has as it’s a convenient camera shot to make the three look as equal as possible even though one band member is placed in front. They all have a direct mode of address with fixed and firm facial expressions which accurately conveys their genre of rock music.

The main singer is wearing a white hooded jumper, which against his dark hair complies with Kerrang!’s house style. The connotations often attached to the tones black and white are darkness and eeriness, matching the connotations attached to rock and metal music. To add, the lighting has deliberately been crafted to create shadows in the middle of Simon Neil’s face which reiterates the shady element.

Simon Neil’s body language has his hand on his chin showing a contemplative pose. This illustrates a more intellectual side to the rock band which moves away from the stereotype of rock musicians just making nonsensical noise. A possible reason for this is because Kerrang! usually writes more academic articles.

Just below Simon is anchorage text which reads the name of their band “Biffy Clyro”. It is bold and big, serving as a caption revealing the act it rests upon. The lettering is around about as big as the magazine title and visually sandwiches the band in between the two texts.  Simon is placed in front of the magazine title but not the band title, this creates the effect of emphasising how engaging the shot is, as if he’s coming out the magazine.

Elsewhere, the magazine includes offers of free posters, a technique to directly attract readership. This is another convention of music magazines, offers of relevant items readers can keep which serve the purpose of not only drawing in an audience but also if purchased, it will remind consumers of a perk they gained from the magazine, increasing loyalty.

A third convention this magazine follows are the use of puffs. Puffs....

Mojo contents page analysis, in progress

At the top of the page we see the magazine title Mojo, the title block also serves as the magazine’s logo so with that said placing Mojo on the contents page follows the conventions of music magazines. 

This contents page is on one page and consists of one background black and white photograph of soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae. Using black and white promotes maturity as it bears the connotations of sophistication and class. These are themes Mojo is known for as it targets an older audience of 24 – 44 year olds. The singer also has a direct mode of address, head is down which denotes vulnerability however the eye contact indicates confidence. The location of the photograph is in a grassy park with trees and fallen leaves, the setting projects tranquillity, another mature ideology likely to interest an older audience. Corinne isn’t sexualised in the slightest, wearing clothes which aren’t revealing which reiterates the efforts made by the magazine to cater to its older audience.

There’s columned writing which is tailored around the singer, not crossing her face once. The text is in black with select parts in red to attract attention. Another technique to draw interest is making some of the text bigger, in extra bold and in red. The use of solely one picture is another method of conveying maturity as rather than placing several sporadic pictures across the page which ambushes the readership; this one picture does the opposite projecting calmness which again is something which appeals to an older audience.

There aren’t any promotional features on this contents page. However Mojo do have a website with multiple features which include links to the social networking sites facebook and twitter. Additionally, the readership are able to subscribe to the music magazine to hear exclusive news before anyone else and for chances to enter competitions.

Kerrang! Magazine Article Analysis

Analysing magazine articles

The article focuses on the bassist of Fallout Boy Pete Wentz. They cover the musical genres of alternative rock, punk and pop. As the article is centred on him, the target audience will be fans of his music and people with an interest in rock, pop and punk.

The lexical choice in the article is quite verbose which implies the articles and magazine is directed at an educated, well-read audience. Words like “laceration” and “divulge” indicate the article is a more serious one, aimed at an older audience. The quote from the bassist on the other hand uses a colloquial lexis; he says he was “bummed out”. The word choice would be familiar with readers, as it would be commonly used among them.

The writer of the article sets a knowledgeable narrative tone. It’s very detailed as it’s filled with facts about the bassist; “Patrick Stump started work on his debut album… Following an altercation in a New York City night club… Pete started writing songs for a new project…”. The quality of the writing is very professional, using formal language and Standard English. It uses paragraphing well to add professionalism.

The layout of the article is columned, replicating a newspaper, which reiterates the seriousness and sophisticated nature of it. Throughout the magazine the same font is used which creates consistency. Above the article, on the same page, a quote has been depicted and used a title to point out what the item is going to be about. The first two words of the article are in the same colour as the title and it is bigger and in capitals. This is done to grab attention and to influence buyers to read it.

The whole page is entirely made up of text. As it is columned it implies readers will be familiar with the layout from reading broadsheet newspapers. It also suggests their readers will be more educated as it follows a mature format, integrating quotes from a previous interview rather than a simpler ‘interviewer –interviewee ‘arrangement.

The image of the bassist is a positive one. It is done professionally rather than one taken by the paparazzi. This projects an optimistic view of the rock star which contrasts with the title of the article saying, “I was at rock bottom”. It shows the writer is on the Wentz’s side.

There’s a sub-heading summarising the focus of the article and it’s saying there is an insight into the bassist life straight from the man himself.

The article itself is very detailed, providing facts upon facts about the bassist. Prior knowledge about Pete Wentz would be beneficial to the reader however it isn’t a necessity for understanding and enjoying the article. It gives names: “Craig Owens”. It gives events: “...altercation at a New York City night club”, it gives places: “...a family holiday in Jamaica” etc.

An overall evaluation of this article shows the magazine stays true to its initial target audience, featuring an article on alternative rock bassist Pete Wentz in a positive light. It radiates a classy, intellectual commentary keeping the sophisticated tone of the magazine.

Image 3

This is a mid-long shot of Britney Spears.
She appears to be lying on a satin/silk bed sheet. It's pink however quite a dark pink to show there are elements of 'girliness' however that she's is also slowly moving away from that to become a more mature sex symbol. The costume of Spears adds to the sexualisation of the image. She's wearing a black bra, briefs and a flimsy half sleeved top. Her torso and cleavage is fully exposed
She has a direct mode of address which serves the purpose of engaging with the audience. Her mouth is slightly open which leaves her with a suggestive facial expression which is reinforced with her costume conveying a very sexual image.
The props used include two controversial items. One is a stuffed toy which implicates an innocent, naiive image as it represents a typical childhood possession. The phone she holds in the other hand in a way signifys the transition from the childish toy to a more mature young woman. It has the effect of suggesting late night phonecalls as she is in her pyjamas and on her bed, again projecting a seductive vibe.

Image 2

The front cover has an extreme close up of Britney Spears' face.

She has a defeated and quite lifeless expression on her face. The shot is in black and white, the effect of which is it emphasises the dull and despondent sentiment. Because the shot is an ECU it also serves the purpose of implying that within the magazine there will be a detailed and meticulous look or article about the pop star. There is again a direct mode of address which creates the feeling she is looking potential readers in the eyes, something which is essential for truth telling. The eye contact from Britney gives the impression she herself is telling her story and that it is 100% truthful.

Image 1

This is a Rolling Stones magazine with pop star Britney Spears on the front cover. 

Britney is placed in the centre of the cover using a mid-shot; showing her head down to her bum.The mis-en-scene of the picture reveals a lot of Britney's body as she is only wearing white pants. This immediately gives the magazine quite adult themes which indicates it's directed at an older audience. To add, her body language is seductive as she is pushing out her bum attract attention the curves. The prop used seems to be a T-shirt Britney removed leaving her breasts nude. This is done to repeat the seductive portrayal of the pop star.
She has a direct mode of address which is done purposely to engage people looking at the cover. She's also smiling which adds to the inviting nature of the front cover.
The clothing Britney is wearing is white; coinciding with the colour scheme of the front cover. The title is in purple, a young, playful tone which works well with the cover model as it moves away from a serious feel which, known to all, is far from what Britney is at this stage in her career.

Preliminary Contents Page

I have created a contents page to fit into my college magazine. I have placed a clear heading at the top of its page with an edgy right angle border to convey a young take on things. The text is in black as it nicely stands out infront of the green background. I've chosen to use a bright green colour as I have the intention of grabbing attention. The details of what's inside of my magazine is simply dislayed with the page number and information. I purposely avoided using pictures to ensure all attention would be placed on the words.

Unedited image

Preliminary Task

I have designed the front cover of a college magazine entitled "Bishop News". My magazine is aimed to target the students of Bishop Challoner sixth form. My model is a male student from the sixth form which I'd hoped would project familiarity among potential readers. I also used puffs placed along the left hand side. I positioned it there so it looked natural, for conventional reading. I made the text black as it is over my models white clothing, I thought black would be the most suitable colour for standing out and keeping in with the simple layout.

After taking the picture I put it onto paint where I added the text using the text tool. I got the barcode image from google and pasted it there.