Front Cover Analysis 1 - Kerrang!

Masthead:


   The masthead for this magazine is called 'Kerrang!’ The masthead is underlined and covers 
some of the main image, this is strange for a well-known magazine like Kerrang, as most well-known magazines have the main image cover the title, to show the audience they are well known and confident, they may have done the opposite and had the masthead cover the main image because of how well known the person in the image is to people who read the magazine. The masthead is white, which fits in with the colour scheme of the cover and goes cross the length of the cover, it is also the biggest piece of text on the cover, although 'Black veil brides' is only slightly smaller, this makes it easily recognisable for the audience and eye catching. Above the masthead there is something called a ‘Skyline’ which is used to draw the audience to special features or opportunities ‘All time low want you: be their roadie for the day!’ the word ‘you’ is direct address towards the audience which draws them in and involves them.


Main image: 



       The main image for this cover is a close up shot of just one of the members of the band 'Black veil brides' the subject of the cover gives direct address to the audience as he is directly looking at the camera with quite a rebellious look which creates a certain type of mode of address. The subject is represented as a very gothic character e.g. black hair, face paints, pale skin which would appeals to a niche audience. The ‘layout’ for this magazine is quite formal, with lots of pictures and sell lines to attract the audience. However, all the pictures and sell lines makes it quite busy which could put the audience off, overloading the main image and front cover with too many pictures would be something I would avoid when making my own magazine. The barcode is located in the bottom right corner of the front cover and doesn’t cover up any of the sell lines or image, it also has the price of the magazine in very small text, and this may hint at the fact that the magazine is quite expensive. This magazine does not have a slogan.



Colour Scheme:



            This cover has three main colours; white, black and orange. Having three main colours is a common convention of professional and well known magazines it also keeps it quite simple but still eye catching to the audience. These colours also fit in with the 'gothic' stereotype of this magazine which could make it more appealing to the audience and less appealing to someone else. The black is used as a background to make the white and orange text stand out more; it also fits in with the colour scheme and helps the magazine flow. The most important pieces of information are written in orange to attract the audience to the magazine and also stand out against the white 'Kerrang!' and 'Black veil brides' which stops the cover from clashing. The red background may be used to try and ‘tone down’ the gothic look of the magazine, trying to make it appeal to a wider.

Sell lines:

            Sell lines are a range of features on the front page that are appropriate to the genre and that are featured in the magazine. The sell lines of this magazine are aimed at people who are interested in reading about the bands, such as ‘Panic! At the disco’ The band names are orange, which makes them more eye catching to the audience and a small bit of extra information below in white with a black background which are all the same size, these colours fit in well with the colour scheme of the front cover and helps the magazine flow and look professional, which makes it more appealing to the audience.  The sell lines are right justified, meaning they are all level on the right side, which makes it look neater and more professional; also, they don’t cover the subjects face, making it easier for the audience to identify him and attracts them to the magazine. These sell lines do not have images to support them that are directly next to them but the images are left justified.

Anchorage text:

            Anchorage text is text on the front cover of a magazine that supports the main image; in this case, it is running across the main image near the bottom. It gives the audience extra information about ‘Black veil brides’ and draws the audience into the topic. ‘Is Andy the new god of rock?’ is a rhetorical question, which makes the audience question themselves and makes them want to buy the magazine to find out. This piece of text is not a quote from the subject and would most likely be a quote from someone who is biased towards the band, like their producers or the media, which means this could be quite controversial as not every would agree with this quote, this could make them buy the magazine to know why he would be considered the ‘new god of rock’. This piece of text is almost the biggest text (the biggest being the masthead) which makes it very eye catching to the audience, it is also in white and the rhetorical question in bright orange which makes it stand out even more to the audience.