To understand the production of indie magazines I will now
analyse three successful indie publications, it is important to do this in
order to recognise common conventions in these magazines in order to create
something that is unique in style and personality but still recognisable to the
audience of this genre. “The making of the new through the rearranging of the
old” Bentley 1997. I will analyse three different magazines found in this genre and look in particularly at the form of the magazine and the design, the audience and demographics of the magazines, the perception that the producers and editors of the magazine have over the population and society of its readers and finally how the genre is represented as a whole.
NME
NME magazine is a popular indie music magazine in the United
Kingdom established in 1952, it is a respected music magazine and has a large
and interesting heritage. It delivers its audience the newest and most popular
music and also live music reviews and guides to the newest and best bands. It
is targeted towards the 16-24 age category, however the circulation data below
shows us that the age group is far more broad being as low as 15 years old and
as high as 34Layout: The layout of this magazine cover is rather conventional when compared to other leading magazines of both similar genres and different genres. The masthead uses up roughly 1/8th of the space of the entire cover a common convention in magazine production. The positioning of the text is rather centric in the main feature of the cover, making it coherent and easy to read, more importantly this particular magazine cover does not look overly busy which can be a put off to potential readers. There is a good balance between both images and text that effectively keep the potential reader sustained in observing the cover, possibly leading to a potential sale.
Images: Primarily the indie genre has a larger male audience over females, a reasoning for this may be because of the lack of female artists contributing towards this genre, it is clear on the magazine cover that I have used as an example that males are the higher population of readers. The killers is an all male band as are bands such as Metallica, Rage and Slipknot. The reasoning for a a high percentage of readers being female could be backed up using Laura Mulvey's theory of the opposite sex being used as a means of advertising towards a particular gender. Stereotypically females would prefer pop music however with an ever changing society, it is more common that these traditional stereotypes are being broken, hence the increase in popularity in indie and rock music from females. The picture of the white male on the cover of the magazine may represent NME's main audience, it is important to take this into consideration when producing my own front cover. The images used on this magazine do stick to common conventions of magazine production in some aspects, the main image or images are the centre of the magazine and draw attention to themselves as it is unusual to see the same person on the magazine in three similar images, however this is all part of the story that the pictures regard to. It makes it very clear what band the person in the main image is, "The Killers" capitalised in order to stand out and make a statement, not only does this appeal to this particular genre but also to the particular fan base of the killers
Masthead + Typography: The masthead used a bold font and tends to stray from elegance, maybe in order to portray certain sense of masculinity as this is the magazine's main demographic. The NME logo is one of rich heritage and the colours used are of vital importance, the black background or border adds depth to the cover page, the red used denotes a symbolism of sex, love and rebellion, playing into the stereotype perceived by Stanley Halls, all youths are trouble makers and are simply rebellious. People in the modern age are obsessed with brands and having the most popular brand is a need for some. The size of the logo "NME" shows that the institution wants the name of the magazine to be known, also the positioning of the name also suggests an awareness of the so called sweet spot that designers need to fill in order for the magazine to be viewable when stacked next to other competing magazines.
Colour: Another unusual break in convention is the colour palette, it consists primarily of red, white and yellow however the band member is wearing a green shirt, however much like the indie society, breaking away from mainstream or ordinary styles is common. It also denoted that the band member has his own style and is not going to simply conform to a magazine colour palette by wearing a red or yellow, black or red shirt, giving a sense of arrogance to the band member, possibly appealing to the potential indie audience. Is this a representation of the indie society? Not wanting to conforming to normal trends and mainstream values.
It is clear what the institution want you to be looking at, either "The Killers" or the words "Preview" or "Special" they entice you to want to find out more and potentially buy the magazine, also the bold use of yellow on black is effective for this genre as it may be representing again, the lack of conformity that the indie society have.
Kerrang
Kerrang is not primarily an indie music magazine however it does cover the sub genre of indie-rock which is equally as popular. It has a similar target audience to NME as it is of a similar genre.
Images: It is automatically clear that the institution recognises its primary demographic, males. The main image is of a male band member, part of 30 seconds to mars, again it is interesting to see a featured band on the cover, this may be a method used in order to try and rope in and unite individual fan bases into buying Kerrang. Kerrang on it's own is an iconic magazine, clearly depicted by the covering of the logo. This denotes a sense of arrogance, as if it saying, you don't need to read it, you know what it is. The popularity of this magazine has helped this to be a bold but successful design. The image not only is representative of the indie/rock genre but is effecting in attracting a particular fan base, a tactical advertising method chosen by the institution.
Layout: The layout of this particular cover is again conventional in some senses, it has followed the golden rule of making mast head being 1/8th of the entire cover in order to be coherent and recognisable. However my attention is pulled further to the right side of the cover simply because the text is larger, an inappropriate break in convention, not using the top left sweet spot to its maximum potential, yes there is content in this area however it is not apparent that the content present is the feature. That seems to be the same across the entire cover and I ask myself the question, "what am I meant to be looking at?". There are many pulls on this magazine that are enticing on their own however it can give the illusion of being needy and may even look be a put off to potential reader due to its complicated looking nature.
Masthead: The masthead itself is shattered and bold, it is not perfect or unblemished much like other logos found in pop magazines which depict fun colours and shapes in order to give a representation of the audience, indie-rock music gives us a representation that its audience is not perfect, or unblemished, possible even rebellious in manner, hence the shattered effect, playing again into the hands of the stereotype made by Stanley Hall. The Kerrang logo also uses a reverse, black on white which is usually thought to be a minimalistic blend of colours however in this sense it is only adding to the perception of the audience the institution has. Black is often associated with so called emos or goths, who make up a large proportion of the demographic of this particular magazine. The use of white on black continues throughout the cover page and also the bold use of red and black. The layout of the main text on the cover is slanted again showing imperfection and rawness to the design. Red symbolises sex, rebellion and rage, another perception made over the audience's lifestyle.
Kerrang have also recognised the common convention of using 1/8th of the magazine to present it's masthead and also the sweet spot, used primarily to attract the potential audience with features insight to the contents of the magazine without having to pick up the magazine and view it as a whole.
Typography: The font used throughout the cover backs up my point made about the Kerrang logo, it is not perfect, and has a grungy effect to it to possibly represent the carelessness of the lifestyle that the rock/indie society live. Personally I think Kerrang need to rethink the sizing of certain parts of the cover as it is not apparent as to what the feature is and font size plays an important part in highlighting or making something stand out from the rest.
Colour: The colour palette used here is white, black, yellow and red, however white and black go with anything, especially each other in this case, making the magazine look professional and not overpowering at a first glance. I will admit that the magazine text wise look busy however each part of the cover has a different design making each individual section look individual and unique from each other. The use of promotion, "Free Giant Posters!" is effective as it sticks to the colour palette and hides and dead space, making the magazine look more interesting giving the illusion that the customer is getting a lot for their money. The background to "Free Giant Posters!" is a torn piece of paper which has been carelessly pulled out of a book, adding to the perception of recklessness and rebellion within the audience's lifestyle.
Q Magazine
Q is another indie music magazine however also covers a broader range of the music than both Kerrang and NME, it may be argued that this magazine is more mainstream than either of the others.
Colour: The thing that hits me as an observer firstly is the use of red, again, it seems to be a recurring theme with this particular genre, the colour red as previously mentioned represents, sex, violence and rage, possible indicating the perception thought of by the institution over the audience again playing into the hands of Stanley Hall's theory made over the youth of society.
Image: The use of a white skinny male is again used as the main image, this in turn gives the audience a view of what the kind of person to buy this magazine is interested in, more in depth however would be to say this is who the audience aspires to be. The male depicted acts as a role model over the audience, both in looks and in lifestyle.
I also feel very connected to the male depicted as his staring with intent into the readers eyes, creating a certain bond between you and him. His attention is on you the reader and wants your attention to be him and in turn the magazine itself.
Typography: The use of red is more apparent with highlighting features of the magazines cover. At a second glance I noticed that all of the text is in capital letters a common conventions in some popular magazines. It represents masculinity it a way that goes against the preferred elegance and detail that stereotypically females enjoy. The varying boldness of text throughout the cover keeps the magazine looking fresh as the same size font in both length and width would become repetitive and make the magazine look unprofessional and boring.
Lexis: Q magazine also recognises the primary demographic of the indie genre, white males. Using vocabulary such as "drugs", "explosive", "bang", plays on a stereotypically male feature to get excited by action and rebellion, I do not think this would be apparent in an indie magazine that focuses on the female demographic.
Layout + Masthead: This magazine has also broken convention by not actually using the sweet spot, instead the main feature has been placed in the top right of the magazine, this break in convention again does give the magazine its own unique design, previously mentioned may be a representation of the indie audience not wanting to conform. An idea that may even be carried on through magazine production by not following or conforming to the small conventions used in magazines. There is a good balance and combination of both text and images which gives the cover a professional look and does not make the magazine look busy. The obvious conventions such as using 1/8th for a masthead are visible and also using a main central image are found throughout magazine production. The covering of the Q logo may be a copy of design from Kerrang magazine, as popular as Q magazine is it is easy to cover a section of their logo as it is only one letter, covering the word Kerrang is a much more bold statement and I think covering the logo in this particular magazine is not effective.
Masthead + Typography: The masthead used a bold font and tends to stray from elegance, maybe in order to portray certain sense of masculinity as this is the magazine's main demographic. The NME logo is one of rich heritage and the colours used are of vital importance, the black background or border adds depth to the cover page, the red used denotes a symbolism of sex, love and rebellion, playing into the stereotype perceived by Stanley Halls, all youths are trouble makers and are simply rebellious. People in the modern age are obsessed with brands and having the most popular brand is a need for some. The size of the logo "NME" shows that the institution wants the name of the magazine to be known, also the positioning of the name also suggests an awareness of the so called sweet spot that designers need to fill in order for the magazine to be viewable when stacked next to other competing magazines.
Colour: Another unusual break in convention is the colour palette, it consists primarily of red, white and yellow however the band member is wearing a green shirt, however much like the indie society, breaking away from mainstream or ordinary styles is common. It also denoted that the band member has his own style and is not going to simply conform to a magazine colour palette by wearing a red or yellow, black or red shirt, giving a sense of arrogance to the band member, possibly appealing to the potential indie audience. Is this a representation of the indie society? Not wanting to conforming to normal trends and mainstream values.
It is clear what the institution want you to be looking at, either "The Killers" or the words "Preview" or "Special" they entice you to want to find out more and potentially buy the magazine, also the bold use of yellow on black is effective for this genre as it may be representing again, the lack of conformity that the indie society have.
Kerrang
Kerrang is not primarily an indie music magazine however it does cover the sub genre of indie-rock which is equally as popular. It has a similar target audience to NME as it is of a similar genre.
Images: It is automatically clear that the institution recognises its primary demographic, males. The main image is of a male band member, part of 30 seconds to mars, again it is interesting to see a featured band on the cover, this may be a method used in order to try and rope in and unite individual fan bases into buying Kerrang. Kerrang on it's own is an iconic magazine, clearly depicted by the covering of the logo. This denotes a sense of arrogance, as if it saying, you don't need to read it, you know what it is. The popularity of this magazine has helped this to be a bold but successful design. The image not only is representative of the indie/rock genre but is effecting in attracting a particular fan base, a tactical advertising method chosen by the institution.
Layout: The layout of this particular cover is again conventional in some senses, it has followed the golden rule of making mast head being 1/8th of the entire cover in order to be coherent and recognisable. However my attention is pulled further to the right side of the cover simply because the text is larger, an inappropriate break in convention, not using the top left sweet spot to its maximum potential, yes there is content in this area however it is not apparent that the content present is the feature. That seems to be the same across the entire cover and I ask myself the question, "what am I meant to be looking at?". There are many pulls on this magazine that are enticing on their own however it can give the illusion of being needy and may even look be a put off to potential reader due to its complicated looking nature.
Masthead: The masthead itself is shattered and bold, it is not perfect or unblemished much like other logos found in pop magazines which depict fun colours and shapes in order to give a representation of the audience, indie-rock music gives us a representation that its audience is not perfect, or unblemished, possible even rebellious in manner, hence the shattered effect, playing again into the hands of the stereotype made by Stanley Hall. The Kerrang logo also uses a reverse, black on white which is usually thought to be a minimalistic blend of colours however in this sense it is only adding to the perception of the audience the institution has. Black is often associated with so called emos or goths, who make up a large proportion of the demographic of this particular magazine. The use of white on black continues throughout the cover page and also the bold use of red and black. The layout of the main text on the cover is slanted again showing imperfection and rawness to the design. Red symbolises sex, rebellion and rage, another perception made over the audience's lifestyle.
Kerrang have also recognised the common convention of using 1/8th of the magazine to present it's masthead and also the sweet spot, used primarily to attract the potential audience with features insight to the contents of the magazine without having to pick up the magazine and view it as a whole.
Typography: The font used throughout the cover backs up my point made about the Kerrang logo, it is not perfect, and has a grungy effect to it to possibly represent the carelessness of the lifestyle that the rock/indie society live. Personally I think Kerrang need to rethink the sizing of certain parts of the cover as it is not apparent as to what the feature is and font size plays an important part in highlighting or making something stand out from the rest.
Colour: The colour palette used here is white, black, yellow and red, however white and black go with anything, especially each other in this case, making the magazine look professional and not overpowering at a first glance. I will admit that the magazine text wise look busy however each part of the cover has a different design making each individual section look individual and unique from each other. The use of promotion, "Free Giant Posters!" is effective as it sticks to the colour palette and hides and dead space, making the magazine look more interesting giving the illusion that the customer is getting a lot for their money. The background to "Free Giant Posters!" is a torn piece of paper which has been carelessly pulled out of a book, adding to the perception of recklessness and rebellion within the audience's lifestyle.
Q Magazine
Colour: The thing that hits me as an observer firstly is the use of red, again, it seems to be a recurring theme with this particular genre, the colour red as previously mentioned represents, sex, violence and rage, possible indicating the perception thought of by the institution over the audience again playing into the hands of Stanley Hall's theory made over the youth of society.
Image: The use of a white skinny male is again used as the main image, this in turn gives the audience a view of what the kind of person to buy this magazine is interested in, more in depth however would be to say this is who the audience aspires to be. The male depicted acts as a role model over the audience, both in looks and in lifestyle.
I also feel very connected to the male depicted as his staring with intent into the readers eyes, creating a certain bond between you and him. His attention is on you the reader and wants your attention to be him and in turn the magazine itself.
Typography: The use of red is more apparent with highlighting features of the magazines cover. At a second glance I noticed that all of the text is in capital letters a common conventions in some popular magazines. It represents masculinity it a way that goes against the preferred elegance and detail that stereotypically females enjoy. The varying boldness of text throughout the cover keeps the magazine looking fresh as the same size font in both length and width would become repetitive and make the magazine look unprofessional and boring.
Lexis: Q magazine also recognises the primary demographic of the indie genre, white males. Using vocabulary such as "drugs", "explosive", "bang", plays on a stereotypically male feature to get excited by action and rebellion, I do not think this would be apparent in an indie magazine that focuses on the female demographic.
Layout + Masthead: This magazine has also broken convention by not actually using the sweet spot, instead the main feature has been placed in the top right of the magazine, this break in convention again does give the magazine its own unique design, previously mentioned may be a representation of the indie audience not wanting to conform. An idea that may even be carried on through magazine production by not following or conforming to the small conventions used in magazines. There is a good balance and combination of both text and images which gives the cover a professional look and does not make the magazine look busy. The obvious conventions such as using 1/8th for a masthead are visible and also using a main central image are found throughout magazine production. The covering of the Q logo may be a copy of design from Kerrang magazine, as popular as Q magazine is it is easy to cover a section of their logo as it is only one letter, covering the word Kerrang is a much more bold statement and I think covering the logo in this particular magazine is not effective.
A good start, to improve you need to do the following:
ReplyDelete* Order you analysis more logically e.g. Masthead, layout, colour pallet, images, typography styles, lexis (type of language use).
* Check your grammar at one point you have said 'is' not 'it'
* Add more theory e.g. youth representation theory.
* At the end of each paragraph say what you liked/didn't like and how you might use these ideas on your own cover.
PROFICIENT, REASONABLY DETAILED.
ReplyDelete* PROFICIENT TO EXCELLENT IN DETAIL AND PRESENTATION
* EXCELLENT RESEARCH INTO SIMILAR PRODUCTS WITH REFERENCE TO TARGET AUDIENCE