Mode of Address

Mode of address is how the media talks to the audience. There are four main types of modes these are; first person, third person, formal and informal. First person is used when someone is talking about themselves, as in “I and Me”; the first person mode is likely to be used in a magazine when someone is being interviewed. Third person is used when talking about someone, as in “He and She”; the third person mode is likely to be used in a magazine when someone is writing a review. Informal modes are be presented in different ways, for example by colloquial language or expletive language. Colloquial language is usually involves words that have been abbreviated, which can be interpreted as ‘slang’. Colloquial words are more acceptable in writing than expletive language, which is also known as swear words.

The mode of address for music magazines are affected by the magazines genre, the format of magazine and the magazines target audience.  Therefore if the genre of the magazine is rock or alternative it is unlikely that the text would be formal because it doesn't fit in with the genre. It is more likely that a rock or alternative magazine would use colloquialisms and expletive language because it fits the genre better.

Colour

To find out what colours might work together or might not work together you can use a colour wheel chart. The first colour wheel was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 however it was actually more of a pie chart because the bands of colour were dispersed in wedges around a circle. In the current colour wheel there are 12 colours and they are split up into three sections; primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The Primary colours include; red, yellow and blue. The secondary colours include; green, orange and purple. Tertiary colours are made when primary and secondary colours are mixed together; they are then named after both of the colours involved for example blue-green and yellow orange.

If a colour scheme is not harmonious it can look dull or chaotic however if the colour scheme is too monotonous then it can also look boring. Which will make the reader uninterested in the text or image, therefore colour is important when designing a magazine. You can use the colour wheel chart to create colour harmonies. Colour harmony is pleasing to the eye because the colours work well together which creates a sense of order a balance; this helps to capture the reader attention. There are seven different colour harmonies however the main two are; Complementary and Analogous. 

Complementary colours are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, for example blue and orange.  When complementary colours are used it creates vibrancy, therefore complementary colour schemes needs to be managed to make sure that they are not too striking. Complementary colours are bad too use for text because they make it difficult to read so should only really be used to make something stand out. 

Analogous colours are three colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel, for example green, green-yellow and yellow. Therefore the colours work well together and create fluency.  Usually one of the colours is more dominant and has the most pigment. Analogous colour schemes are pleasing to the eye which makes the appropriate to use when creating an image. 

For a magazine to appear sophisticated it must have an appropriate colour scheme. Colour schemes play an important role in selling the magazine because the colour is what will capture the audiences attentions when looking at a magazine. Therefore when designing a magazine front cover, designers have to make sure that they use colours that work well together yet still stand out. The colour wheel is a useful tool for designers to use because it shows a range of colours that do and don't work well together. However colours also connote different ideas and atmospheres, so designers have to make sure that they use colours that promote the correct idea about the magazine. For example red is a colour that is often associated with danger and love. It is also very intense which creates attention. So if therefore good to use for mastheads, headlines and logos.

When designing my music magazine I will make sure that I use colours that work well together to make sure that my magazine is aesthetically pleasing. I will not use complementary colours for large sections of text because they are difficult to read, however I will use them for text that I want to make stand out.

Typography

Typography is the way text is presented and arranged within a page. Typography includes factors such as; font, colour and spacing. Typography is very important when it comes to designing and producing a magazine, because the font style, font size and font colour can determine whether someone decides to buy or not to buy the magazine. When producing the magazine you need to make sure that the font is easy and clear to read at arms length, you also need to make sure that the colours don't contrast with other colours on the page because otherwise it will be difficult to read and people will be less likely to buy it.

The most common typography fonts used for magazines are Serif and San Serif. Serif fonts make distinctive shapes, using small decorative lines on the end of certain strokes. Popular examples of  Serif fonts, are Georgia, Century, Times New Roman and Book Antigua. San Serif fonts do not use small decorative lines at the end of strokes. Popular examples of San Serif fonts, are Arial, Calibri, Lucida Sans and Verdana. According to multiple studies, most people find San Serif fonts harder to read than Serif fonts. Because of this San Serifs fonts are usually used for smaller amounts of text such as captions or headlines.

Kerning is also an important feature of typography. Kerning refers to adjusting the space between characters, so that the font is in proportion which creates a visually pleasing structure to the text. Kerning helps to make certain letters combinations look better, for example MW, WA VA, and TA. A lack of kerning can result in difficulty to read groups of text or articles. 

From analysing magazines I have realised how much of an important role typography has in the overall look and effect of the magazine. If the magazine has poor typography it will make the magazine look less aesthetically pleasing to the reader/audience, this will therefore effect the magazine negatively because less copies are likely to be sold. However if the magazine has good typography the magazine will look aesthetically pleasing and will have fluency which means that more copies are likely to be sold.

When designing and producing my music magazine I will pay close attention to how I structure my typography. I will make sure that I use San Serif fonts for large titles so that they are easy to read. I will also ensure that I sure appropriate kerning so that large amounts of text and titles are clear and easy to read. 

NME Analysis

What is NME magazine?

NME is a British music magazine that focuses its content on rock and alternative music. NME is released weekly and is edited Mike Williams. NME has been published since March 1952. However in July 2015, NME changed to a free, lifestyle magazine that is available to pick up in train stations, universities and retail stores.

For my analysis of NME I am going to annotate an older issue of NME when it was completely dedicated to music and then the a newer lifestyle issue of NME.

NME Front Cover: 

The newer style/editions of NME follows barely any conventions of a magazine front cover and is therefore completely different in style to the previous edition of NME. Because the newer style/editions of NME don't follow many conventions it makes the magazine front cover less busy and chaotic which some people might proffer. Overall I think think the previous style of NME's front cover is better because it allows the audience to find out more of what is inside the magazine and allows the audience to identify the individual/individuals in the main image because of the headline.

NME Contents Page: 

Both editions of NME don't follow that many conventions of a magazine contents page, for example the 50:50 ratio of text to image. However the new style/edition of NME has kept some of its previous features for example having page number written in red font and keeping the name of the sub-headings the same. I think that the original style of NME's contents page is better because it has more detailed anchorage text, provides more articles and involves more colour which makes it eye-catching.

NME Double Page Spread:

Both editions of NME follow various conventions of a double page spread, the style and layout of the article will affect how many conventions are on one double page spread.

Generally the newer style/edition of NME follows less conventions of a magazine than the first/original editions of NME however this is probably because it has changed from being 100% music magazine to being lifestyle with a small amount of the articles being about music. Therefore I am not going to use the new style/edition of NME as inspiration when designing my own music magazine because I feel that it is too minimal and doesn't follow enough features. However I will use ideas and concepts from the first/original editions of NME when designing and producing my own music magazine. 

Mojo Analysis

What is Mojo magazine?

Mojo is a UK based music magazine that focuses its content on classic rock music. Mojo is released monthly and it edited by Phil Alexander. The first issue of Mojo was releases on October 15th, 1993, which suggests that the magazine is successful and sells thousands/millions copies of each issue. Mojo regularly includes a cover mount CD thats ties in with the magazines main article/feature.

Mojo Front Cover:

Mojo Contents Page:

The issue of Mojo that I brought to analyse had two contents pages both feature different techniques so I decided to analyse both of them to fully understand the conventions of Mojo magazine.

Mojo Double Page Spread:

Kerrang! Analysis

What is ‘Kerrang!’ magazine? 

Kerrang! is a UK based music magazine that focuses its content on rock and pop punk music. Kerrang! is released weekly and is edited by James McMahon. The first issue of Kerrang! was released on June 6th, 1981 which suggests that the magazine is successful and sells thousands/millions copies of each issue. 

Kerrang! Front Cover: 

Kerrang! Contents Page:

Kerrang! Double Page Spread:

Magazine Double Page Spreads

The importance of a double page spread: 

The double page spread is the main article/feature within the magazine; it is usually based on the main article/feature that is shown on the magazine front cover. However there is often more than one double page spread within the magazine. Therefore the double page spread has an important role in selling the magazine. Double page spreads are two pages that are next to each other within the magazine and work in conjunction.

The conventions of a double page spread:

Main Image:

The main image on a double page spread usually dominates half of the spread this is to draw the reader attention onto the image rather than the text. The main image relates to the article/feature to the main image on the magazine front cover and contents page. In the main image the subject is usually making eye contact with the camera and often has a friend facial expression; this makes the reader more interested in the article. Sometimes double page spreads will include other images; however these will be smaller in size in comparison to the main image. 

Headline:

The headline on a double page spread is used to grab the readers attention, therefore making them want to read the article/feature. The headline is the largest text on the double page spread and is usually a short a statement or phrase; this also helps to grab the readers attention because it is easy to read. The headline is often written in a different font to the rest of the text on the double page spread which helps it to stand out. Headlines are usually placed at the top of the double page spread because that is where the readers eyes will look first. 

Stand First: 

A stand first is placed below the headline but before the main body text. It is placed below the headline because the headline will make the reader curious about the article/feature and the stand first will resolve their curiosity. A stand first is used to set the tone of the article and briefly summaries what the article/feature is about. 

Main Body Text: 

The main body text is the largest part on the double page spread because it contains all of the information about the article/feature.  The main body text is usually split up into a few columns, this is done so that there are spaces between the text which makes it appear shorter than it actually is; which means the reader is more likely to read it. These columns are operated by a thin vertical liked called a ‘Gutter’. The gutter helps to show the reader the divide between the columns. The main body text will relate to the main image and headline that are also on the double page spread. The main body text usually is informal because it makes it more personal to the reader. 

Pull Quote: 

Pull quotes use the most interesting parts of the article/feature and empathise them. Pull quotes can be taken directly from the main body text or can be summarised extracts. Pull quotes have a larger font than the main body text, so that it ‘pulls’ the readers attention. They also often are written in a different colour font to the rest of the article which makes them more visible to the reader. Sometimes pull quotes are framed; this helps to draw the readers attention to them further. Pull quotes are a good way to break up large sections of the main body text to give the article/feature a more interesting look.  Pull quotes are useful because when the reader scans the article/feature, the pull quotes will stand out to them and then they will want to properly read it to find out the context of the quote.

Drop Capital: 

A drop capital is a large letter at the beginning of the main body text. They often vary in size, but most usually drop down by 8 lines. The drop capital helps to give the article/feature a more interesting look. 

Running Head:

The running head is a navigational element used on double page spreads to help guide the reader. Running heads have the same headings as the subheadings on the contents page. They are usually placed in brightly coloured boxes so that they are visible to the reader even when the magazine in closed. Running heads aren't found on every page but are usually placed at the beginning of each section. 

Gutter: 

The gutter is a small amount of space between the columns of the main body text. The gutter is sometimes marked with a thin line to clearly show the space. The gutter helps to show a clear divide between the columns of the main body text which makes the article/feature less chaotic. 

Typography: 

A double page spread will often have various different fonts, font sizes and font colours to make the article/feature more eye-catching and interesting to the reader. Typography is important in making the double page spread appear aesthetically pleasing.