This is another magazine which specialises in music, called Kerrang. Other similar magazines include NME magazine, Smash Hits and Top Of The Pops magazine. Kerrang has spread it's entertainment cooperation by creating the Kerrang awards, The Kerrang tour, Kerrang Radio and Kerrang music channel on Sky Tv. There only seems to be one perticular genre represented within this front page, which is rock music for it's is only freaturing rock artists. The genre's which aren't included within this front page are R'n'B artists, dance artists, pop musical artists etc obviously because the institution would only want to inform the audience on one perticular genre of music, which is part of their values and beliefs. The stylistc features of the genre include the dark colours included on the splash as well as the title's font and their tagline which they've used, these are all the stylistic features which give a grunginess feel towards the magazine. The photographs are heavily shawdowed which creates more darkness within the splash. The font has a classic vintage look to it, which creates the feeling of passion for music. There are WOB text used to create contrast and aswell as make the page darken to fit with the representation. It's obvious this musical genre is Rock, content typical of this genre is body art which includes piercings, hair, make-up and tattoos as it's representational for Rock musical artist to express themselves through art and music so content of this magazine could include a certain clothing brand as well as tattoo and piercing information. Other content which is typical for the genre is gig information in the back of the magazines, if you look at the back of these magazines really passionate about music you will always find a lot of gig information in the back of upcoming shows and ticket information and also other band information.
The fonts used seem to be art based and designed to exploit the genre, which is rock. The font of the masthead is very roughly what seems to be free hand drawn on, this already gives the idea of self expressionism which seems to create an attitude about the magazine from just looking at the masthead. The colour of the masthead is black which connects with the overall pallet of the splash and also suggests their passion for the magazine and music. The masthead has an explanation mark at the end which also makes the masthead connect with the tagline however, this also reinstates the idea of the genre being rock as rock music is usually connected with the idea of being played really loudley which again reinstates this idea of self expresianism of doing what you want when you want, almost a type of rebelling. The logo under the masthead is printed in yellow which does connect with the other plugs and lurs include the colour in on the splash, however i believe it's used for the fact yellow: is a colour which is very attention grabbing, as you get yellow postits, yellow illuminous jackets on road workers and yellow traffic cones it's a very noticable colour, and i believe it's used to grab the audiences attention however, i also believe it's used to create a variation within the splash and thus making it more interesting and intreguing for the audience. The size of the text varies, the masthead is the biggest as this is a convention of magazine therefore this is expected, however the tagline is over layed the masthead rather then printed underneath, i feel this present an attitude for the magazine and again, also could promote self expressionism thus creating the attitude of rebelion: To tag something is to grafiti you're sign on an object, the idea i believe came from an interpretation of the word 'tagline' trying to design which will connect with the younger audience even more. The headline, is displayed over the image and with the main image colour pallet being dark, the white text displays the contrast thus making it more eye catching for the audience. The sub headling is conventionally placed underneath the headline and printed with smaller text, the colour of this is yellow which then again connects with the tagline however also catches the audiences eye and make the magazine more visable to on lookers. The photograph reflects the dark pallet of the splash with the band membors wearing dark colours: blue, black and brown which is also blended in within the black background: i feel this is trying to promote the idea of the passion and seriousness behind this magazine and also with rock music being associated with dark colours, the colours aswell kind of establish the genre to the audience. Again, like the rolling stone magazine, the photograph is taken with eye level which makes the audience able to connect with the artists as there is no status divide between them, they are completley eye level and able to connect. All of the photographs on this front page are male, it seems to be a very male dominated splash, however the plug 'sexiest men in rock' i believe weigh the gender audience out as it's obvious this magazine is targetted at teenagers, and the younger audience.
The page element is put together again, by the convetions of magazines. With the masthead at the very top with the largest, boldest text. The main focus point, the image, is based in the middle making it the most noticable item on the splash, followed by the headline which according to the conventions should be underneath the image thus supporting the story, the sub headline is then underneath that in a smaller text, holding more informaiton into the story: these again are all conventions which alot of other magazines use, these are a good technique because the audiences are used to seeing these codes and conventions everyday: and if one magazine suddenly decides not to use them, it's confusing for the audience. The colour i believe the dark pallet is used to establish the genre and reflect the seriousness of the magazine and how they feel about music. The photographs relate to the text and magazine: because their music fits in with the genre the magazine is promoting, Fall Out Boy create rock music, therefore it's featured in a rock magazine.
I believe the title of 'Kerrang!' denotates the idea of onomataphia reflecting the genre of rock. The sound of an electric guitar could reflect this onomatopaic word, which then again reflects the genre of the magazine witch is rock music and electric guitars are the dominance of rock music.
The main focus point, the photograph of the two musicians are warm and inviting, it also relfects the elxclusive side as you're seeing these musicans posing as them selves having a good time rather then how the marketing expert would make them pose for their album cover. The audience can't really see their costume, instead one of the musicians has his tattoos showing which reinstates the idea of promting self expresionism as a key feature throughout this magazine, the shadowing throughout the photograph is very shadowed which contributes to overall colour pallet of the magazine front cover. Their hair is very neutral which reinstates the idea of this being exclusive and as they're trying to connect with the average working class audience, they're not trying to sepereate the class divide as this could distance patential audiences.
It seems the representation through this magazine seems to basically be promoting self expresionism through body art, with all of the artists on the front page fitting in with this self expressionism theory, as they're all expressing themselves through art, wheather it be make-up, piercings or tattoos.
It's breaking the stereotype between men and women: with only women wearing make-up, as a male artist on the front page of this magazine is wearing make-up which again, reinstates the idea of promoting rebellious as well as self expresionism behavior. The splash is very white ethnic based which i believe is based from culture, as it sadly expected to find artist of other ethnic groups possibly in the R'n'B genre, this magazine isn't breaking the stereotype it's reinstating it which is basically being safe with the audience. The social status representation, is cleaver: as it's asuring the audience these musical artists are on the same social level by using eye leval camera angles and by making the photographs as neutral in terms of props this is contributing to this feeling. It would be different if the artists included a designer shirt in the photograph, or a designer bag: that would be seperating the social status, were as in these photographs there is none of that the audiences can fully connect with the artists featured.
The magazine is providing information for people who have interest in rock music. I believe it tries to challenge the status quo, as it photographs men wearing make-up and we wouldn't normally whitness this either in person or in other magazines: it seems their trying to continuesly individualise them selves as a magazine. The magazine seems to support the values of self expressionism with men wearing make-up and having a full arm of tattoos and face full of piercings; it supports the ideas of the stereotypical rock star.
The media text makes money by selling music magazines, advertisements on both: the radio station and the music channel. The interest of the reader are very important, as the magazine is targetting young adults the magazine is obviously not going to sell if it does not publish views with don't intreige or a view in which the audience cannot connect with, magazine's like this need to listen to the audience's views as the magazine is for the audience. The other media interests link with kerrang are the music channel and radio station: so this institution is very musical based rather then publishing what alot of other magazines choose to do to widen their patential audience by placing in information about film and actors: this is just strictly rock music. The market place is good for publications like this as institutions realised how teens spend more money on entertainment (films, games, fashion and music) therefore the film companies started to target films for the teenage patential audience, and magzines are also trying to do this: Teen vogue, Now for Teens, TOTP magazine, Sugar magazine excetera. I feel it tries to controll it's content after all if a concerned mother if she reads their childs Kerrang magazine and sees innapropriate content she won't allow her child to obviously read that magazine again; thus i believe the public have a large say in which content is published. I feel it's content is very indipendant, as the institution don't want the same magazine published by another company, as thats competition, it's better if the magazine tries to stay completley individual so no other magazines can be made just like it.
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