Magazine Analysis

The background of this cover is bright orange. This fits the genre of the magazine suitably as it goes against the conventions of what you’d expect a magazine background to be like. They are usually a quite dull colour to focus your attention to the image or text. However this bright orange colour was most likely used as a theme to go alongside King Krule’s hair.

Clash magazine is a British alternative music magazine which features a mix singers, rappers and producers.

The colour of the text used in the coverlines has a very clear contrast against the very bright background. This makes it easily readable but it also again unconventional and so fits the genre title, alternative.

The image used is taken at a slightly strange low angle medium shot. The lighting they have used only highlights the one side of his face but emphasises the abnormal colour of his hair which matches against the background proving to be a running theme.

The image overlays the masthead which is a feature sometimes used in magazine covers but could still be considered unconventional and suiting to the alternative genre. They have overlaid it perfectly so that the masthead is still readable.

The main coverline, related to the main feature, is in the biggest font and is also in a style font to highlight it is the biggest feature to the reader.

Very large and clear conventional masthead. Matches the colour scheme also.

The main coverline used is done in a quite strange and unpopular way. It has been positioned directly beneath the masthead and even overlays it in a contrasting colour, this suitably fits the alternative genre.

A medium close up has been used in the image, a common camera angle. The lighting they have used helps to put the reader’s focus on Madlib because the light is mainly on him and the background is very dark and not lit at all.

Barcode and date are positioned in an unconventional place, more towards the side of the cover in a 90 degree rotation.

‘Wire’ Is an alternative music magazine which focuses its features on very underground and sometimes quite unheard of music artists.

The coverlines are done in a quite conventional manner with them being in columns near towards the bottom of the page. The colour used contrasts against the image, making it easily readable so that readers can quickly find the feature they most wish to read.

There is a clear colour scheme in the front cover with a real emphasis on a very dull blue, almost grey colour in Madlib’s clothing and the masthead.

The masthead is layered behind the image in this particular cover. A feature which is sometimes used in alternative magazines. They have still made the masthead easily readable though.

The photo is taken in a medium close up angle, capturing his face and shoulders. His face is more in focus than his shoulders are.

‘Fader’ is an alternative music magazine which tends to concentrate more on alternative rap artists but still features singers.

What is strange and rather unconventional about this magazine cover is that it features only one coverline. It relates to Earl Sweatshirt, the man in the image. This is suited to an alternative magazine.There seems to be a

colour scheme in what he is wearing with an emphasis on green. There is also a textual colour scheme with white being the main colour used.

Clash is an alternative music magazine and so its target audience is teenagers to young adults so the contents page must attract to them suitably.

The colour scheme of this contents page is very dull, with practically only black and white colours shown throughout. This is suitable to the target audience as you wouldn’t expect people who are interested in alternative music to enjoy very bright and vibrant colours and would appreciate more dull colours.

There are different categories clearly shown, this makes it easy to access the page that the reader aspires to look at. The only other category other than music is fashion which is a small section anyway and would still be themed in an alternative manner like the music.

There aren’t any clear contents photos in this page. Only previews of the two front covers that the magazine has. This appropriately fits the term ‘alternative’. As it goes against the common structure which magazines go by. Which, again would be appreciated by the target audience and would help attract them.

There is different text used within the contents, one of them is also bold, this helps highlight important features in the magazine to make it easier for readers to pick out the pages that will interest them. It also suitably fits the genre of the magazine because it goes against the conventions of how a common pop magazine for example would use text in the contents.

All of the texts seems to have almost a border where the text cuts off. This creates a very old fashioned look about the page which would most likely attract the target audience.

An old fashioned almost vintage theme seems to run throughout this contents page.

This alternative magazine follows the more conventional technique of an image inside the contents page of a prominent figure in music.

This photo is taken in a slightly abnormal way as it is a high angle long shot. This is an angle which is not commonly used within magazines so it suits this particular magazine as it is alternative. It also goes against the conventional way of using the rule of thirds as the photo is more placed to the right of the page rather than the centre.

There is a clear difference in the colour of the text used with titles and descriptions. This is used to make it more readable and easy to find the articles which the reader intends to view. The colours are also very suitable to an alternative magazine. The way he is dressed is very

suitable to the genre as it is very unique clothing which you would not necessarily expect people to commonly wear.

The text is layered around him. This emphases his figure and importance to the magazines music genre.

The masthead is reemphasised on the contents page.

The background is a very dull colour which stops the reader from being distracted from the actual purpose of the contents page because it makes the text and photograph stand out.

The word ‘Contents’ has been done in a very unique way with the words not even on one line which very suitably suits the genre alternative as it goes against general conventions in music magazine contents pages.The background of this contents

page is a very dull and not very eye-catching colour. This helps Kanye West stand out, emphasising his position in the world of music and his importance in the magazine.

The most noticeable use of colour in this contents page is the contrast between the heart on Kanye West and the rest of the page itself. Due to the dull colours, the heart stands out giving off a sense of importance. This is a rather unconventional thing to do, especially on a contents page, and so suits the genre alternative perfectly.

The actual contents lines are columned in a conventional manner. However the fonts used are varied. There seems to be different fonts for different areas of the contents. This is quite unconventional as it doesn’t follow one font scheme like most magazines do.

The image is taken as a medium shot, capturing Kanye West’s full body up until his waist. A conventional type of shot in a magazine.

In the background of this contents page, there is a huge ‘V’ layered behind everything else on the page. This is to reinstate the magazine title ‘Vibe’. It is very subtly done so that the reader’s attention is taken away from the actual contents, but it is still an effective technique which is sometimes conventionally used in magazines.

One entire page has been taken up by an image of King Krule in this double page spread. This is quite a conventional design technique when magazines do double page spread features. It is a very standalone picture also and could suggest a lot about the type of music artist he is, being very representative of alternative rock and rap.

The magazine has used a number of different fonts and varied the sizes of them also. This is rather unconventional but I feel is affective and suitable to the target audience as it is still aesthetically pleasing.

There is a massive contrast of colour within the double page spread. With lots of vibrant colour on the page with the image and just black and white writing on the other page containing the article.

The article is done in ordered columns which are very organised and still look easily readable as it is uniquely written compared to the rest of the text on the double page spread.

Another conventional technique which Clash have used in this double page spread is making the first letter of the first word of the article larger than the rest of the text.

The image is very suited to a double page spread rather than a front cover because it is taken in an unconventional style, with a strange almost low angle camera shot with lots of shadows. This wouldn’t be used on a front cover as it does not reveal enough of the face.

The background of this double page spread is all white on both pages. This makes it seem almost like the artist is in the same picture as the text. Which is a strange technique but is fairly conventionally used in magazines.

The image is taken at a medium long shot. Capturing his entire body up until his knees. A conventional camera angle in music magazines especially for double page spreads and front covers.

The text on this double page spread is varied in its fonts and size of fonts. This is an unconventional technique and suitable to the alternative genre. Despite the fonts varying, it still looks good and easily readable which is effective.

The way in which the article is columned is slightly strange. There are two conventional columns towards the right side of the page. However, the start of the article begins lower than the other two columns. This is unconventional and leaves a huge space blank above it.

The article begins with a large size first letter. This is a conventional technique, commonly used in magazine double page spreads.

The name of the artist is in a bold font, emphasising to the reader the artist and his obvious importance within the article.

The way in which the image has been positioned is slightly unusual. It has been positioned and sized to take up around 3 quarters of the double page spread. This is unconventional and seems inefficient as it leaves little room for the article. However, it works because it gives the reader a sense of how important she is.

Conventional close up shot. The black and white effect on the photo suits the overall colour scheme of the double page spread. The timing of the photo is also effective as it gives more character with her facial expression and hair movement.

The title of the article is very large and in bold, emphasising the artist and her importance. It is also not on one line which is unconventional but still is aesthetically pleasing.

The length of the article appears to be very short. Something which is not commonly seen in double page spreads. However it could give off a ‘straight to the point’ manner about the article, which readers may enjoy.

Very dull colour scheme. Only the colours black and white are featured throughout the double page spread. I think this is still effective however and is something I might think to use within my magazine.