Tamsin George

Existing Textual Product Analysis- Media AS

The colour scheme used is black, white and red. These colours have been chosen to appeal to a bold and slightly alternative audience. The colours are all flat and solid which give the magazine a clean and crisp feel.

The photograph used for the front cover is an un-posed style image. Liam looks very casual and this photo shows his cool side. The black and white is in keeping with the black, white and red theme too. It also relates to an older style image which could be because Liam wants to be like John Lennon (also shown by the glasses he is wearing). A high contrast has been used which makes the photo have a professional look, reminding us of his stardom.

The writing style is short and to the point. This is to draw in the reader and so they can tell easily what is featuring in the magazine.

The overall look of the magazine is bold and the simple colours give it a chic edge, making it come across as an upmarket magazine.

On the front cover the picture dominates it, this is so the reader is captured by who is on the front cover, and then want to read more about it on the inside pages.

The fonts used are all bold and block like, this shows a male dominated audience because if it was female the magazine is more likely to use for feminine associated fonts like Bradley script.

FRONT COVER #1

This is a second NME front cover that uses a red and black colour scheme. This makes the magazine easily recognizable to the regular readers and also appeals to a wide range of people.

A colour photograph has been used for this front cover, by using colour it shows that the band are current and bringing something new to the music culture. It is a posed photograph and Alex Turner is wearing sunglasses to keep some mystery and to create a barrier between him and the reader, reinforcing his stardom and distance from the average person. The composition of the photo tells us that Alex Turner is the leader of the band, by putting him in front of the other band members we know who is in charge and of the most interest.

The writing style on the front cover is short quotes or statements that are designed to hook the reader. The plain writing is very informative and un-descript showing that the target audience want to know information and get straight to the point. This suggests a male dominated audience and females are often associated with more flowery, gossip like writing.

The overall look of the front cover is busy, but bold and easy to look at.

Like on the first front cover, the photograph of the band dominates the majority of the page. This tells you instantly which band is featuring in the current issue and by keeping the text limited the reader wants to buy the magazine so they can read further into the tag/headlines.

The fonts used are the same as on the previous front cover, by keeping continuity between issues the magazine is easily recognizable and still appeals to the same male dominated audience. Red font is usually associated with danger, so by using this all over the page it gives it an edgey feel.

FRONT COVER #2This is the masthead and is written in a bold red font. Red is usually the colour that means ATTENTION, and by using red it captures the users attention.

This front cover uses a slight variation on the colour schemes usually used. It’s less obtrusive and the toned down colours give a more feminine feel. The blue textured background is softer than the usual harsh flat white used and appeals to a more female oriented audience.

The photograph used is meant to look natural and un posed, giving off the impression that Florence is a relaxed kind of person. It uses soft tones and colours to match her feminine image and the feminine look that the magazine is going for in this issue.

The writing style is still short and informative, telling you what is in the rest of the magazine. This is to keep the usual audience interested, still keeping the male audience hooked.

The overall look of this front cover is gentle and feminine. This theme is compiled by use of colours, font and the photograph of the female (Florence) as the main topic.

The text to picture ratio still remains the same as the previous front covers that I looked at, the picture dominates the majority of the cover.

The font used for the word “Florence” is in italics, which has a more feminine and gentle feel compared to the rest of the writing used on the front cover. This is because it is targeting the female audience, rather than the usual block-like male associated font. It is also the lead article in the magazine, you can tell this from the dominance of the word over the page.

FRONT COVER #3This is the Masthead.

These are all cover lines, they are all stories within the magazine however do not take the main focus, they just make the reader aware of other reading within the magazine other than the main headline.

CONTENTS PAGE #1The colour scheme used is black and white. This makes the page nice and simple and easy to comprehend. The aim of the page is to show information, so being simple and easy to read is essential. However it is unusual for there to be no red in the colour scheme of NME. This may show that they occasionally like to do something different, to show their diversity.

The photographs show people clearly and are all of similar size, showing the different stories all have the equal importance. They are all documentary photos (e.g. bands playing live) which gives the magazine authenticity and credability.

The fonts used are bold and easy to read. Some of the taglines are in italics, giving the overall image some variation and added interest. This is unusual for an NME magazine which usually sticks to more conventional standard fonts.

The masthead is centred showing a more formal layout but to contrast this the photographs showing each story are more abstract, bringing back that unique and individual feel, matching the Indie target audience.

The overall look of this contents page is neat and organised, this is done so that it is easy to find the article that you are looking for.

The text to image ratio is split so that images dominate most of the page, with just a short pull quote underneath them. The quote is there to explain the picture, although the pictures are meant to be the key indicator to what the article is about. This suggests that the reader is going to be well educated in the subjects of the magazine and do not need everything explaining to them.

CONTENTS PAGE #2

The colour scheme used is black, red and white. This continues the usual NME magazine colours, making the page fit comfortably into the magazine, creating continuity between the pages.

There is only one photograph used which shows the featuring article. You can tell that it’s the featuring article from the dominance of the photograph on the page. The photograph is of the band playing live which appeals to the target audience who like the authenticity factor of live music.

The fonts used are bold and easy to read. This makes articles easy to find and clear to the reader. The fonts of this contents page also stick to the classic NME colours of red, white and black,

The masthead is bold and instantly lets the reader know what they can find in this weeks issue.

The overall look of this contents page is neat and organised, this is done so that it is easy to find the article that you are looking for.

The text to image ratio is split that although the photograph is large and centred, the text surrounding it dominates a large proportion of the page. This shows the importance of the other articles, not just the featuring one.

CONTENTS PAGE #3

The colour scheme used is black, white and red, although there are also a number of other colours used which make the page more energetic and playful. The consistency of red, white and black bring the image back to the classic NME look. However, the colours are muted compared to the bold bright colours of the current NME magazines, this in an old issue and shows how the magazine evolves with the times, keeping current and up to date.

The photographs show a range of bands showing the magazines diversity. The slanted angles they have been set at give the magazine and informal twist and remind me of a football style magazine. This reminds us that this is a more male targeted magazine. .

The fonts used are bold and use bright colours. This shows a fun and casual side to the magazine, capturing the reader’s attention whilst reflecting their playful personalities.

The masthead is to the right of the page showing how it has been given less importance this week over the featuring article of the Kaiser Chiefs.

The overall look of this contents page is messy and full of colour, giving an energetic feel to it.

Although there is one main photograph showing the feature article, the writing dominates the majority of the page showing that the information is the most essential part of the page.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD #1The colour scheme used on this double page spread is white, black, pink and orange. The Pink and orange are continued from the main photograph into some of the text and other smaller images across the double page spread

The photographs used on this double page spread are all documentary style images. The main photograph is of a live event, aimed at the reader of this magazine whose hobbies are going to live music events.

The writing style is informal and by using a sports related title “game on”, shows the magazines male oriented target audience.

The photo to text ratio is almost even but there is slightly more text. This shows that the text is the main focus, but some photos are there to give the reader visual information and to break up the page making the writing easier to digest.

The font used is easy to read and simple. This makes all the writing easy to follow for the reader and by setting out the first of the pages into four columns it breaks it down making it more digestible.

The overall look of the page is full of information and pictures, and by putting a range of colours and some quirky angles it gives the page a fun and interesting look, reflecting the alternative target audience.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD #2The colour scheme used on this double page spread is black, white and orange. The colour scheme brings the page together making it more aesthetically pleasing. By including the orange, it transforms what would be a fairly conventional DPS into something different and interesting that catches the eye.

The photographs used on this double page spread are all of Liam, showing his importance and enhancing his dominance over the music world. By having minimal colours in the photographs they have an old fashioned edge, connecting Liam with music history.

The writing style is fairly informal. By having a short and catchy headline “What’s Next For The Eye” it shows that we are meant to already know who “The Eye” are and that it does not need explaining further.

The photo to text ratio is almost even but there is slightly more text. By keeping this ratio almost even it gives the page balance, making it look aesthetically pleasing to the reader.

The font used is easy to read and simple. This makes all the writing easy to follow for the reader and by splitting the text into manageable sized columns it gives the reader the opportunity to read it in sections rather than lumping it all in one where the reader may feel overwhelmed.

The overall look of the page is clean cut and crisp. This gives it an edge of sophistication but by using the orange colour it adds some more fun to it.

By having the photographs of Liam in the place where the headline would usually be found, it shows that the images do all the talking themselves, and that they have become the headline. This shows the level of stardom that Liam has.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD #3The colour scheme used on this double page spread is unusual for an NME page. The colours have been chosen to reflect the album that is being talked about, not the magazine scheme colours. This is to enhance the importance of the album. The blues, oranges, and blacks have been carried through from the image on the left, to the text on the right which gives the page continuity and making it look like a piece of artwork.

The graphics used on this DPS (double page spread) dominate most of the page and instantly give the reader a feel of the grunge image. This lets the reader know immediately whether or not they would be interested in reading the article.

The writing style is informal and by using a sports related title “game on”, shows the magazines male oriented target audience.

In this double page spread there is more imagery than text, perhaps suggesting that the importance of this article is in the image of it and not in the actual writing. By making the graphics dominate the page it shows a lot of time has gone into the design, highlighting the importance of the spread.

The font used matches the style of the album genre. It’s a slanted angles and has scratch marks through it, giving it a grunge feel. The italics used in the tagline give a sense of softness which contrasts the disturbing words.

The overall look of the page is like a piece of art. The artwork continued through the double page spread would attract the reader to it, making it more appealing to read.