Foundation Portfolio- Analysis of Front Covers

Foundation Portfolio-The Main Task

For the main Foundation Portfolio task I must produce a front cover, a contents page and a double page spread of a new contemporary music magazine, and take my own photographs i have to use a minimum of 4. To expand on my ideas I have applied the LIIAR model to the genre of the magazine I am going to produce. I have decided to use the music magazines Kerrang! and NME as models to use as a template for my music magazine and to get inspiration and ideas for my own music magazine. I have also researched how LIIAR applies to these magazines.

Kerrang!

Language-The way that I decide to present my music magazine will have to influence how the magazine will appeal to my target audience. Part of the main task is to produce at least 4 of my own images, the images will feature modern music bands which will influence my target audience. If the bands I use on the cover of my music magazine, are bands which my target audience like it is more likely that my music magazine will sell. The writing which this magazine uses on the front cover is bold. For the masthead Kerrang! to stand out they have used white font on a Black background. The writing is in capitals and is shattered. As Kerrang! is a rock music magazine the title “Kerrang!” in White is meant to be shattered as if the masthead is made out of rock because this symbolizes Kerrang! Is a rock magazine. The writing “ 50 Albums you Need to Hear in 2009” is in beige and White writing and is also on a Black background. It is in large lettering so the audience will notice the writing and then will flick to the particular page to read it and be interested in the articles inside the magazine. The more minor stories are in smaller white font so they are noticed but don’t stand out as much. The Front cover is very very busy with band images, although this does give an insight into what the magazine has in store for the reader.

Institution- Kerrang! Magazine is published by one of the leading publishing companies Emap. According to the website. The core target audience for Kerrang! is 15-24 year old with a 60:40 male/female split.

Ideology-The website says Kerrang! Emap's weekly magazine that covers music with attitude, decided to use mobiles to build a deeper relationship with its readers. The ideology behind the magazine Kerrang! Is to inform the target audience which is people who are into rock about the latest gigs which are being held, interviews with the newest bands and rock legends and CD’s which should be bought. But the main aim is to advertise the genre of music and to entertain the audience. My own music magazine will have a similar ideology behind it because I want my music magazine to have the same genre which is rock music.

Audience- My music magazine is going to be aimed at a similar target audience to Kerrang! My music magazine is going to be aimed at an audience aged 15-25, on the other hand, it could be enjoyed by anybody who is into the genre of music of rock. This age group is most likely the age group which would purchase a rock music magazine. According to Emap Kerrang! has a weekly circulation of 70,000, and a readership of approximately 542,000. The main target audience is 15-24 years old with 60:40 male/female split. Kerrang! Readers are sharp individualistic and fanatical about their music. The readers are loyal to Kerrang! In essence the band helps provide a group of outsiders with a sense of community. These sorts of target audiences are going to be similar to my target audience for my magazine.

Representation- The way in which social groups in society are represented in a media magazine such as music magazines have a huge influence on the types of people who will buy the media product. One of the ways to represent different social groups of people in a music magazine or any magazine is through still photography. In Kerrang! The pictures are of well known rock bands or of up and coming rock bands. Most of the images in Kerrang! Are meant to be posed and in some cases very natural and often feature artists on stage and off. Although the pictures on the front of the Kerrang! Magazine I have analyzed are more polished and more posed then the images within the magazine. The pictures on the front cover are put together and the magazine looks busy.