Intertext

Q Magazine - Context

Editor: Andrew HarrisonGenre: Music MagazineFrequency: Monthly MagazinePublisher: BauerFirst Issue: October 1986Country: United KingdomLanguage: English

Q Magazine - About

Originally called ‘Que’ in 1986 but later changed the name to ‘Q’ to stop confusion of being a snooker magazine, was founded by Mark Ellen and David Hepworth. Q is well known for producing lists such as ‘The 100 greatest albums’ Q magazine also includes reviews which uses a 5 star rating, exclusive interviews with popular music artists. Q uses the idea of give away and competitions in their magazines such as CDs . Q then expanded from a magazine, to a radio station, also produced an online website and a TV channel.

Q Magazine – Visual CodesLighting and Colour – The colours used are pink which is a stereotypical feminine colour which connotes, yellow which is a neutral colour, red which is used as the logo and the colour is used so that the audience associate the colour red with Q, and then plain colours are used such as black, white and grey. Binary oppositions can be applied as these colours are contrasting. These colours make the strapline, plug and coverstories stand out against the grey background which then connotes that these are important as the colours used on them make them stand out. The lighting used is artificial as they are on a set but is bright used to connote innocence.Dress Codes – A white dress which is stereotypically a feminine outfit. The colour white connotes innocence. A tiara is used which connotes a princess. Propp’s theory can be applied as Lana is viewed as a Princess. Her hair is down and loosely curled which connote she cares about her appearance as she has taken the time to style her hair. Her make up is fairly natural.

Uses and Gratifications theory can be applied as Personal Identity applies as the audience will want to be as naturally beautiful as she is and they will want to be a famous singer. The blood pouring down her face connotes she is injured and it also links into the text “ so what's so bloody good?” The blood also goes against the ideology of innocence as having blood pouring down her face does not connote innocence.The use of blood can also go against Propp’s theory of Lana being seen as a Princess, and instead could be seen as a false friend as the blood connotes violence and injury. Levi-Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions can also be applied as Lana can be seen as Innocent, but can also been seen as devious. Gesture Codes – Lana is giving direct mode of address which connotes confidence. Her gesture codes are open which also connote confidence. Her hand is raised on the top of her head which connotes she is injured and that is where the blood is coming from.A plug is used to advertise the latest festivals, the connotations of this is that the audience will be into going to Glastonbury and all the other festivals.

Q Magazine – Technical CodesCamera Shots – A medium close up is used as so that the audience can still see Lana’s dress codes, but are still close enough to see the blood down her face.

Q Magazine – Narrative CodesThe narrative for this issue is damsel in distress as the blood denotes she is injured, and her dress codes connote innocence. The use of blood creates enigmas that the audience want answered, examples are “Why is she bleeding?”.

Q Magazine – Double Page SpreadDress Codes are provocative and minimum as in the camera shot you cannot see any form of clothing apart from an accessory of a necklace that Lady Gaga is wearing, the connotations of this are confidence as she is confident to show off her body. Laura Mulvey’s female gaze theory can also be applied as the dress codes are used to appeal to the male audience as they tease them and the attention is drawn to the breast area due to the necklace she is wearing.Gesture Codes – She is giving direct mode of address which connotes confidence. Both her hands are placed on top of her breasts which connote she is teasing her audience and not letting them see beneath her hands, this also connotes self-respect as she isn’t completely exposing herself to her audience.

Lighting and Colour – The lighting used is artificial which connotes they are on a set which is conventional for a magazine of any genre. The colours used are black and white on the main image, this connotes old fashioned, and Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions can be applied as black and white are contrasting colours. A red is used to outline the letter ‘L’ the connotations of this is love, and the ideologies of this is that the audience will love the article.

The Image of Lady Gaga is placed on the left taking up what seems is a full page, the connotations of this is that she is just as important as the article and because the audiences read left to right, the image will be the first thing they see. The ideologies also created is that Lady Gaga is a highly recognised star as her image is bigger than her actual name which connotes she does not even need to have her name as the image of her will be recognised by the reader so they will already know who she is.

Q Magazine – Contents PageThe logo of Q is placed at the top of the contents page which is conventional of music magazines as the audience will read from top to bottom so the logo will be one of the first features that the audience will see.

The slogan is then positioned underneath the banner which says “Discover great music”, two step flow theory can be applied as this slogan is an opinion leader as it influences the audience to think that Q magazine contains great music and by reading Q, you will discover the greatest things but in other magazines you wont do this.

A plug is then used to state what issue number the magazine is, Uses and Gratifications theory can be applied by information as the audience now know what the issue of the magazine is so they could store their magazines in an organised fashion.

Big page numbers are used on the images of the coverlines which is also conventional of music magazines as the images of Intertexts allows the audience to flick straight to that page number..

The contents page is also in a list which is also conventional as it allows the information to be organised in a logical order and this list is on the left as we read to left to right so this will be one of the first things the audience spots.

NME - ContextKnown as ‘The New Musical Express’Editor: Mike WilliamsGenre: Music MagazineFrequency: WeeklyFirst Issue: March 1952Company: IPC MediaAudience: 23,924

NME – Visual CodesColour and Lighting – The colours used are very masculine i.e. red, black and white, this connotes that the star on the main image are aimed at a male audience rather than a female. The colour red connotes blood, which then links in with the font of the coverline as it looks like it has been written with someone’s blood. The lighting used is artificial which connotes they are inside, most likely on a set. This is conventional of music magazines.Dress Codes – Black tuxedo with a black top hat which is conventional of the olden days, it also connotes he is dressing up for a special occasion. The man on the right is wearing a white bow tie and shirt which connotes formal wear so again he may be dressing up for a special occasion. Levi-Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions can be applied as the colour of their dress codes are contrasting colours, black and white. He has also got make up on around his eyes which connote darkness and mysterious. Both stars are wearing rings which connote marriage. The star on the right also has heavy stubble which is stereotypical of males as they stereotypically do not care about their appearance as much as females, the use of stubble also connotes he hasn't shaved in a while, which also links in with the idea of males not caring as much for their appearance.

Gesture Codes – Both stars are giving direct mode of address which connote confidence. The star on the left has his hands perched on top of a walking stick, this connotes he is waiting for something/someone. One hand is placed on top of the other which also connotes he is planning something devious. Facial expressions are hidden which connote mysterious as the audience are kept guessing.

The star on the right has one hand clenched in a fist which connotes violence as it the action you do when you punch someone/something, he is also clenching hold of a clock. This prop is used to link in with the cover line as the text and watch connotes counting down the minutes until their album is released. The clock also connotes old fashioned as the style of the watch is from the olden days which also links in with their dress codes. His other hand is resting on his knee which is used to show off his rings.

NME – Technical CodesCamera Shots – The camera shot used is a close up. This is used so that the audience can see their gesture codes but can also see the props and iconography used in this photo shoot. This connotes that the props used have some significance.

A plug is used to advertise a competition to its audience, which is conventional of music magazines as its ‘returning’/’rewarding’ its audience for purchasing the magazine and almost an incentive to purchase the magazine if there is something in it for the reader, the competitions used are conventionally intertexts that the target audience enjoy. Uses and Gratifications theory can be applied by social integration and interaction as the audience will discuss with their friends about this competition and they will want to win it.

The logo of the magazine is placed in the top left which is conventional of magazines as the reader will read from left to right, top to bottom so this will then mean the logo of the magazine will be one of the first things that the reader sees.Underneath the logo/masthead, is the issue number and the price of the magazine in a much smaller font this is conventional of magazines as this allows the reader to collect/store the magazines in the correct order so they can refer back to each issue.

The font used for the cover line connotes blood which then goes on to produce enigmas and ideologies of violence and danger.Sell lines are used on the bottom left which advertises the other intertexts that are in the magazine, which are going to be other artists/bands that the target audience likes as they will be in the same genre of music.

A strap line runs across the top of the magazine advertising a “photo special” which is used to attract the reader into purchasing the magazine so that they can receive the photo special which uses the incentive of give aways to the reader which almost rewards the reader for purchasing their magazine.

A list is also used to advertise the sell lines in the magazine which is conventional as the reader can instantly see what other intertexts are in this issue of the magazine without having to flick through the whole of the magazine to see. A list also connotes that there is lots of content that it has to be mentioned in a list as there is to much.

NME – Double Page SpreadDress Codes – The dress codes are all casual as they are wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The connotations of this is that they aren't too concerned about their appearance and don't feel the need to dress up and that they didn't spend to long choosing their clothing. This also connotes they are fairly young.Gesture Codes – The gesture codes of all members are relaxed as the first member has his arm perched on his stomach which connotes he has recently eaten. The gesture codes of the second member has his arm behind his head which show his gesture codes are open which connote confidence. The third members gesture codes are his arm is on his lap which also connotes that he is relaxed and chilled out. All 3 members are giving direct mode of address which connote confidence.

The camera shot is a long distance shot, this is used so that the props and iconography can be seen, and it also allows all 3 of the stars to be in the image.The iconography used are a bed and posters, this connotes they are in a bedroom, which connotes to the idea of youth, as stereotypically the younger generation are known to spend a lot of their time in their bedrooms and use posters to display their artistic side.

NME – Double Page Spread2 plugs are used in the double page spread. This is used to give a basic fact file of the band so that if the audience do not recognise the band at first they can gain some background knowledge on them. This also allows uses and gratifications to be applied as personal identity can then be applied as the audience can relate to the band as they will want to be like them. Information can also be applied as the audience will then have facts on the band themselves.Colour and Lighting – Colours used in this image are fairly dull, the only colour that stands out is the blue theme that runs throughout the article. This is used as it is a fairly neutral colour and appeals to both sexs which connotes that the band appeals to males and females.

The blue also connotes it highlighting the words as its behind the actual text, this then connotes youth as youth use highlighting as a revision technique.

A pull quote is also used to give the reader an insight as to what the article is about, it is used to draw the audience in and to make them read the whole article. On the right hand side, other intertexts in the same genre is advertised as the reader will most likely enjoy these new upcoming bands as well as the teenagers.

NME – Contents PageA band index is placed on the left hand side which isn’t very conventional of music magazines but is an effective way for the reader to jump straight to the relevant page with the band/artist they are most interested in so it saves time for the reader.

Subheadings are also used which is conventional of music magazines as this allows the reader to flick to the relevant page they wish to view.

A banner/plug is placed at the bottom advertising the subscription for NME which is conventional of magazines as straight away it advertises the magazine and gets the reader thinking about whether they want to subscribe to the magazine and puts the idea in their head.

A list is used on the right hand side which is conventional as it organises the contents page in a logical order for the audience to view.

Kerrang! - ContextEditor: James McMahonFrequency: WeeklyPublisher: BauerGenre: Rock Music MagazineFounder: Geoff BartonFirst Issue: June 1981Based: LondonAudience: 42,077

Kerrang! – Visual CodesLighting and Colour – The colours used are all dull colours, burgundy, white, black and gold. These are stereotypical masculine colours as they are plain and dull. The lighting used is artificial and is used to outline the characters gesture codes.Dress Codes – All stars are wearing black clothing, this connotes darkness and that they aren’t going to give anything away, and this is clothing that burglars wear when they commit a crime. The Middle character is covering up half of his face which connotes mysterious as he is trying to hide. He is also wearing a cap which connotes he is trying to cover up his main features as his hair is covered and it also connotes youth.Gesture Codes – All stars are giving direct mode of address which show they are confident.Props – A hammer is used which connotes violence and is being used as a weapon as it looks like the hammer has smashed a screen/window. This is stereotypically masculine as they are more violent than females.

Kerrang! – Technical CodesCamera Shots – The camera shot used is a medium close up only the upper half of each other stars body can be seen and it is used to focus on the gesture codes of the stars.A strapline runs across the top of the cover which uses a buzz word of “free” which is used to appeal to the audience as the poster will be other intertexts and media interests that they also like. The strapline runs across the top because the audience will read from top to bottom so this will be one of the first things that they come across. The typography of “exclusive” is also included in the strapline and the ideologies of this are that they are high up as bands will only give Kerrang! An interview and not other magazines, this also provides a unique selling point for the magazine. The brand image is also seen to be trustworthy as again they are the only magazine who were trusted to have an interview. Selllines are also used of other intertexts in the same genre as the target audience would also enjoy these bands as well so they would appeal to them. Images of other intertexts are also used to advertise what other artists/bands are in the magazine which is conventional of music magazines as it gives the reader an idea of what other stars are in the magazine.

Kerrang! – Double Page SpreadDress Codes – The star is wearing a casual t-shirt which connotes he is fairly laid back about his appearance. The t-shirt is also used to reveal his tattoo sleeves, this connotes youth as sleeve tattoos are the ‘latest’ trend. Tattoos also connote bravery as tattoos are known to be painful and tattoos are also stereotypical of males. He also has a stretcher in his ear which connotes youth as this is again another trend within the younger generation, and a stretcher gradually creates a large hole in your ear which could been seen as stupid but the stars ideologies is he breaks the rules and is rebellious.Gesture Codes – The star’s gesture codes are open as his shoulders and arms are relaxed and pushed back, this connotes confidence. The star is also giving direct mode of address which again connotes he is confident. Both his hands seem to be in his pocket which connotes he is relaxed and this is also a stereotypical male pose. His head is slightly tilted to the side which connotes he doesn’t want all of the attention and he’s almost turning away from the camera.

Lighting and Colour – The colours used a masculine as reds, grey, black and white are used which all are conventional of the rock genre and red connotes blood. Binary oppositions can be applied as the colours are contrasting colours i.e. Black and white. The lighting used is artificial which connotes they are on a set, the lighting also looks to be placed looking up onto the star as the bottom of his shirt is the brightest part. The effect of this is that it outlines himself.

A pull quote is used on the double page spread, this is because it attracts audience to want to read on, it also creates enigmas such as “what does he do on a Friday night?” etc and the audience will then have to read the article in order to get those enigmas answered.A border is used which connotes the famous lights that stars have around their mirrors, this connotes that he is highly famous to receive this treatment.

The ideologies of the star would be rebellious and ‘hard’ as his gesture codes and dress codes of a tattoo connote this.

Paragraphs of the article are also highlighted which connotes that these are the questions the star was asked and underneath are his answers, this allows the reader to read the responses they are most interested in.Uses and Gratifications – Personal Identity can be applied as the male audience will want to be like him and want to be as brave to be able to get tattoos and to have the confidence he has, where as the female audience will want to be his girlfriend. Information can be applied as he tells his audience in the article what he gets up to on a Friday night. Social integration and interaction can also be applied as the audience may be shocked as to what he does on a Friday night and will be surprised so they will discuss this with their friends.

Kerrang! – Contents PageBig page numbers are used on the sell lines images which is conventional of music magazines as this allows the audience to jump straight to the relevant page they are interested in. A list is also presented on the right hand side which again is conventional of music magazines as this presents the magazine in an organised fashion and it makes it clear for the audience to know what the magazine contains. Subheadings are used which allows the audience to quickly find the relevant topics they wish to read under the different headings. Large images are also scattered on the left hand side which is conventional as it gives a visual representation of what bands/artists are in the magazine. In the top left hand corner is a summary from the publisher and 2 step flow theory can be applied as conventionally the publisher will use their opinions to influence the reader.

The dress codes used for the coverline is a casual white t-shirt which connotes he is fairly relaxed and in a comfortable environment as he hasn’t put much effort into his dress clothes. He also has a tattoo around his neck of a swan which connotes there is some personal significance to this tattoo.

His gesture codes aren't giving direct mode of address which connotes he lacks confidence. He also has his head turnt away from the camera which connote he is doing a natural pose and he is showing off his tattoo. The connotations of tattoos are hard and brave.Uses and gratifications can be applied by personal identity as some males may relate to him for his shyness and lack of confidence and may be in the same situation.

Publishers

Bauer*Founded in 1875*German Publisher*Revenue is £2.129 billion.*Other media texts include Bauer Radio, Box TV and bauermedia.com*Bauer publish Q,Kerrang!, Empire and Heat magazine.

Future Publishing*Founded in 1985*British Publisher*Revenue is £3.7 million*More than 150 magazines*Other media texts include Metal Hammer, futureplc.com

IPC Media*Founded in 1958*British Publisher*Revenue is £*On average they sell 350 million magazines a year.*Other media texts include The sun, The people.

Target Audience

Questionnaire AnalysisThese results show that the majority of people that read/purchase magazines are from the younger generation and are aged from under 16’s to 19 year olds. I will aim my magazine at this age range as this is because this questionnaire shows that the majority of people that purchase magazines are from under 16 – 19.

These results show that more than half of the people that took part in my survey were females and around 33% were males so for my target audience I will use stars that are aimed at both males and females as the rock genre appeals to both sex’s.

These results show that out of the people that took part around 22% read magazines extremely often, 11% read magazines very often and 22% read magazines moderately often etc. I also then went on to ask “how often do you purchase magazines?” these results then showed that the majority of people purchased their magazine monthly rather than weekly and fortnightly, based on the results from these 2 questions, my magazine will be released monthly as this is what is affordable for my target audience as they will most likely receive a monthly allowance/ have a part time job.

I then asked what genre of magazines do the people who took part in my survey read, and over half said music magazines, so as this was the most popular genre I have decided to base my magazine in this genre as this is the most popular genre for the target audience.

I then went on to ask what genre of music magazines they read and 67% responded with pop magazines, followed by Rnb, then followed by rock. Based on the results to this questions I will base my magazine in the pop/rnb genre as this seemed to be the most popular genre with the audience and seeing as they are the same age range as my target audience this gives a good idea as to what genres appeals most to them.

These results show that the main things that the audience liked about music magazines was that they could keep up to date with the latest music and that there was lots of reviews. From these results I can make sure I include exclusive reviews and the latest music by producing lists of the top 100 latest songs and top 100 greatest of songs so that this will attract my target audience into buying the magazine. Uses and Gratifications theory can be applied by social integration and interaction as the audience will talk about the different lists my magazines provide and information can be applied by providing exclusive reviews which contains fact files on the bands so for upcoming bands/artists the target audience can then use Personal Identity and relate to these bands/artists. I then asked what music magazines do they read and the majority answered Keerang!, Q and NME which are mainly in the rock genre so I could contribute this to choosing which genre my magazine is as these are also the most popular brands of magazines.

The last question I asked was how much are they willing/do pay for their magazine, over half of the people who took part answered from £1.01 - £2.50 then followed by £2.51 - £4.00 so this can contribute towards how much I charge for my magazine as I can base it from £1.01 - £4.00 but it will be the higher end of the market seeing as it will only be released monthly so it will contain more information.

My Target AudienceThe gender for my target audience will be both male and females as I will be using both a male and female star to go on the front cover of my magazine so my target audience can relate to them according to personal identity of the uses and gratifications theory.The age range will be between 15 – 19 years old as from my questionnaire these are the most popular age group that frequently purchase magazines.The occupation for my target audience will be still in education/a part time job so the magazines price will have to be relatively affordable for them to afford which is also why it will be released monthly as they will most likely receive a monthly allowance from their parents/carers or they will receive their wage monthly.Other media intertexts would be Q magazine, Keerang! Magazine and NME as the target audience is the same as my magazine.Hobbies and Interests will clearly be music whether that is playing a musical instrument/ singing or they may be in a band themselves.They will be in demographics E as they will still be at school/on a low income.

Audience Theories Applied To My MagazineHypodermic syringe theory: I will be injecting the idea of

Uses and Gratifications theory: Personal Identity-I will use stars that are around the same age range as my target audience so that they can relate to them as they will have gone/going through the same things as my target audience so will have the same sorts of issues and will be able to give the advice that my target audience would be able to benefit from. My target audience will also look up to the band as role models as they are in the same age range.Information can be applied as my magazine will include tour dates, interviews, latest music etc.Social integration and interaction can also be applied as I will include competitions and give away’s for the target audience to enter.

Polysemic readings:Oppositional readings- That my target audience will not enjoy my magazine and they will dislike it because it is boring.Preffered reading- I will want my target audience to relate to the stars on the front and think that my magazine is a respectable and trustworthy brand.

2 Step Flow TheoryI will filter information through opinion leaders such as the stars on the front of my magazine and other artists/band members who my target audience look up to and respect and will trust their opinion, I will be doing this to advertise my magazine and to give my magazine a high status so that my target audience will think highly of my magazine and will think it is trusted. The stars will also give opinions on other intertexts which will use synergy as it will be advertising another artist/band through my magazine.

Planning My MagazineOrganisation:The stars I will be using are George Jones and Hatty Campbell as they are the same age as my target audience and they both play guitar and sing.

The location I will be using is going to be a field/river as this will create a country/rnb vibe to it.

The dress codes that the stars will be wearing are casual so a t-shirt and jeans for George and either a skirt and top for Hatty or a top and skinny jeans as I want my audience to be able to relate to them so I want the dress codes to be affordable and in with the latest trends as these would be clothes that my target audience would have/want.

Gesture codes will be relaxed/slouched and they both will be giving direct mode of address to connote confidence.

Props that will be used are 2 guitars as they will be performing in one of the double page spread shots.

Camera Shots that will be used are a long distance as I want George to be standing in front of Hatty, and Hatty slightly further back.

My Font Choices

I have chosen this font for the male target audience as the connotations of it are sport which is conventionally a male hobby, and also because it is simple but effective.

I have chosen this font for the female target audience as it is a serif font and because of the way the letter ‘A’ is written as this is a conventional way of females writing.

I have chosen this font as the letters are very bold which connotes that they are representing the muscles on the males.

This is a very simple but feminine font as the ends of each letter has a line.

This font connotes youth which could be used for my magazine as it is aimed at 15 – 19 year olds.

Draft LayoutsMale Female