Contents Page Analysis

The contents page follows general layout conventions of a standard contents page as it has an even mix of both images and text. It has headlines to explain the different topics that will be present in the magazine and to help the audience navigate through the magazine to

what they want to read. Also it contains page numbers to help the readership find the pages in the magazine that they want to go to. In most magazine contents pages they will include a main image that takes up a majority of the page and in this ‘Kerrang!’ magazine it shows the main image of a member of Bring Me The Horizon.

The title used on this contents page is ‘Kerrang! This Week’. It uses a large general, sans-serif font and is put in both white and yellow on a black background. The title is presented in the same style as the name of the magazine ‘Kerrang!’ is in a display font and its effect makes it look as if it is damaged, dirty or cracked. This relates to the Metal Rock genre as it can be very dark and edgy. The title catches the eye of the audience first as it is placed in the centre of the contents page. By the title saying ‘This Week’ it implies that the magazine is very current and up to date with the content in their issues. The title is in white and yellow which stand out against the dark background colours and are conventional to the genre.

The images used on the contents page are meant to reflect the Indie Rock music genre and this is presented as a member of Bring Me The Horizon is shown in the main image surrounded by fans at the top of the contents page. The image shows him at a gig surrounded by fans and this makes it seem as if he’s just come off stage and is signing some autographs for them. This will be used to draw in the audience as it is the largest image on the contents page and if the readership are fans of the band then they will recognise him and know that it is an Indie Rock magazine. Genre is reflected in the main image through the artists costume, hair and the setting of the image at a low-light event.

The articles on the contents page are presented to the audience under different topics such as ‘Feedback’, ‘News’, ‘Swag’, ‘Live Reviews’, ‘Features’, ‘Gig Guide’ and ‘Famous Last Words’. This suggests that the readership are interested in reading about different Indie Rock bands and new information that has arisen about them. Also, that they are interested in getting information on new and exciting things that are related to Indie Rock music. The text on the contents page is presented in a black, bold font in all capital letters and the page numbers are presented in a bold red font. This links to the colour scheme of the Indie Rock genre. The mode of address used is informative and friendly and gives the impression that the person who is in charge of the magazine is also a fan of Indie Rock music; not just the readership. The mode of address is also informal as there is use of words like ‘swag’ that are used to relate to the modern target audience. The effect of this

is that the audience will feel as if they are being directly talked to and it will make them want read it more.

In the editor’s letter, the editor ‘Nichola’ expresses her excitement at meeting the Indie Rock band ‘Biffy Clyro’ and how they recorded some ‘new tracks’ for Kerrang! to release in the magazine. The relationship is created between editor and reader through the mode of address as she speaks to them as if they are friends and that they are familiar with each other, “let me know what you think!” The editor’s letter is put underneath a picture of the editor ‘Nichola’ and this exaggerates the relationship between the editor and readership as she shows them her face to make it more personal. The letter is placed in the bottom left hand corner of the page and I think it was placed there because it is before the other pieces of text on the page and you would read it first so it catches the audience’s attention.

The layout of the contents page is the same in every Kerrang! magazine issue and this is used to showcase the brand identity of the magazine as the audience will see it and recognise the magazine. The main image is placed on the top half of the page, the title is placed in the centre, the editor’s letter in the bottom left of the page and the rest of the text is laid out along the bottom of the page. I think the layout is placed like this to catch the audience’s attention and make certain things stand out on the page more than others. It is also laid out like this so that it is easier for the audience to read and to find the things they want to read quickly.

This contents page uses the general Indie Rock genre colour scheme of red, black and white but has some extra yellow on it; this gives it a fun and edgy look. This shows that the readership can be playful but also have a dark side to them. The colour scheme maintains brand identity as it would be consistent throughout the magazine e.g. on the front cover and in articles. The contents page also includes circles with stars in them that are placed next to the main stories in the contents. This reflects that the magazine wants to point out to the audience what the most important articles in the magazine are.

The ‘Kerrang!’ magazine put a subscription promotion in the bottom right hand corner because it would be the last thing the audience read before turning the page and therefore is the last thing on their minds. This placement could help persuade them to subscribe to the magazine to get it every month.