Article Analysis

Metal Hammer Article

The structure and presentation of the page are made to look chaotic and busy to reflect the atmosphere of the gig and the genre. The main image, spread across two pages is un-posed and shows a live set with the artists and their crowd of fans. There are lots of people visible in the image which again shows that it is busy and that the band is popular. The layout is carefully structured so that there is no empty space on the two page spread, in the main image where the black space above the crowd is and the space below the faces of people where their legs are, there are more live and posed photos arranged over the top to keep make the page look even more full and vibrant. The photos are placed at slanted positions to again make the page look chaotic and reflect the care free attitude of the artist.

The images on the page are quite dark with lots of black and deep greens and purples which are typical dark colours found in rock/metal magazines as they reflect the dark connotations and atmospheres created within the music. The mise-en-scene of the images also shows lots of movement which shows the energy and the excitement at the gig which draws the reader to read about it. The painted faces of the audience also show the involvement with the artist and the crowd but also reinforces genre. The white text of the title ‘CRAZY NIGHTS’ and ‘AAA’ (Access All Areas), hugely contrast the background of the main image as the white contrasts the dark colours and draws attention to the titles, telling the reader what the article is about. The white of the text also subtly links with the white of the crowds painted faces and make the text and the main image look well matched rather than awkwardly placed.

Another feature of the article that I think works well is the use of fonts not only for the titles but the coverlines also. The font of the article itself is small and simple which makes it easy to read. There are different fonts used for the beginning letter of each paragraph and the beginning of the article. There fonts are extremely bold and big so as to draw the eyes attention to them so the reader knows where to read from. Also the red colouring of these letters further makes them eye catching. Also the font of the ‘AAA’ and ‘CRAZY NIGHTS’ is edited to look like spray painted and eroded which gives the page a messy rustic feel which again reflects the genre but is also stylistically pleasing to the eye. The red text box in the bottom right hand corner of the article also uses this effect.

The language use within the article itself is quite informal and almost chatty, this directly address the audience more than if it were written in a formal tone as the reader will be able to relate to the language more. Also the laid back approach to the writing in this article reflects the laid back attitude of artists from this genre and also the fans, this is shown well in that swear words which are often considered taboo in many media texts are left in conversation and not censored out as they would be in perhaps a pop magazine such as Top of the Pops. I think this also shows that the magazine is intended for slightly older more mature audiences rather than a younger audience that might be targeted by Top of the Pops magazine.

KERRANG Article

The structure of this magazine article looks as though the pictures have been stuck to paper, because you have the main picture (which is biggest) in the middle and smaller pictures coming from along the bottom and right hand side. This shows that lots of things happened at the event the article talks about and reflects the chaos and busyness of the atmosphere. Also because the pictures are un-posed for it is clear that they are live photos which connotes genre as live music is a huge part of rock culture but further reflects genre as rock artists are less concerned with their image and more concerned with their music.

The reader’s interest will be grabbed first and foremost by the images of the band. The band featured is widely known and successful and this grabs the attention of their fans or fans of bands from similar genres as this triggers curiosity as to whether their review will be good or not. Also the pictures may make the reader want to read the article because they show lots of action and movement which suggest the gig was vibrant and energetic (exciting). Another feature is the question asked to the band member in the bottom left hand corner, by asking the band member a question the reader will feel they personally know the band member as they will feel as if they asked the question. This is a form of personal address towards the reader and makes the article personal for them to read.

The language used in this article is very colourful and descriptive. Words and language such as ‘crushing,’ ‘crunching metalcore riffage’ ‘rousing,’ and ‘passionately’ suits the target audience for KERRANG magazine (late teens early twenties) because the language is more mature and interesting for the reader and so the reader will not get bored of simple bland language but also is not bombarded with long and complex words and sentences that they will not be able to understand. Also the mode of address is quite personal and informative to the reader because the writer writes as if they were talking to the reader as a friend; this is shown in the chatty tones used by the writer. In addition to this, the audience for this article and the magazine becomes further apparent in the un-censored approach to the article; swear words and ‘taboo’ words are left in rather than taken out which shows that this is not targeted at younger audiences.

The main use of colours in the article is through the images of the band However there is a clear colour scheme of red, black, grey and white used in the text on the left hand side of the article. Because the images are live shots, the colours are quite dark because the venues are often kept dark to create atmospheres; because of this most of the colours in the images are from clothing or lights in the picture. The dark use of lighting and colour in the images however does reflect the genre and is a convention of rock magazines and colour schemes. As well as this the dark texts used in the article matches the dark colours of the images, keeping with the atmosphere of the article; white text on black is used to caption the pictures, which resembles lights in the dark similar to the venue but also contrasts the blacks and dark colours of the article. Also the grey texts used under the band’s name match the grey-tones in the pictures making the article look unified. By matching colours of the texts with the colours in the pictures the text becomes a part of the action taking place in the pictures bringing the article together.

NME Article

The article is organized with the whole of the left hand page taken by an image of the artist on which the article is about. The image of the artist establishes the content of the article and is also visually interesting to the reader as the contrast of the artists red jacket against the neutral greys and greens of the background take longer to observe; also the increase of contrast used also adds interest for the reader as it slightly obscures the image. The article itself is printed in columns which sections the text and makes it easier and more fluid for the reader to read, this layout is similar to a newspaper. The background of the image on the left hand side page is continued on to the background of the right hand page to show that the pages are all one article and keep continuity. The title of the article ‘FROM TAGS TO RICHES’ takes up a whole half page to emphasize the keywords in the title ‘tags’ and ‘riches’. Also the pictures at the bottom of the right hand page relate to the artist featuring in the image on the left hand page again re-establishing his identity and keeping continuity of subject matter within the article.

The reader’s interest is maintained on the second two pages of the article through large bold quotes from within the text and the continuous colour schemes and images. This maintains the reader’s attention by highlighting the most interesting facts before they have read the article making them want to read more and by visually moving the eye on the next section of the article and also keeping it visually interesting for them. Also the pictures show different stages/events in the artist’s life such as his first NME photo shoot to the release of his video recent video Bonkers; this will interest the reader because the reader is as it is not only talking about current events but also about past events.

The language in the article is fairly mature which suits the target audience for NME (twenty four year olds) the article is informing the reader of the artists life and career, however uses quotes from questions that the artist has answered which shows elements of an interview and makes the reader feel as if they know the artist personally. The style of language is informal informative which addressed an older more mature audience rather than some of the slang that can be found on Kerrang! and Rocksound as they are targeted as slightly younger audiences. This address not only informs the reader but makes the article sound like the reader is being personally addressed by the writer of the article. The sentences are reasonably complex which shows the targeted audience is an older age group (late teens early twenties) as if the language and sentences were to short and simple the audience/reader would become bored and may find it patronising.

The colours of the article show a clear colour scheme (light purples blues greens and black). The light blues greens and purples are used in the background of the images and behind the text and give the article a subtle vibrant feel. This creates a neutral background for the text without drawing attention away from the black lettering of the article. The mise-en-scene of the background image with text connotes to the lifestyle of the artist as in the image the beer bottles, scattered plastic cups and the boom box connote that he spends a lot of time having a good time and partying but the boom box also reflects that he is a musician and that he takes his music seriously, the image in a way the image contrasts work and play.

Top of the Pops Article

The text is organized on the right hand side of the page with the picture on the left; this has been done because naturally we read from left to right to the reader is more likely to look at the picture first then know who the article is about. Also the text is printed in columns to not only to organise and section the text but also to make it easier for the reader to read. The secondary images at the bottom right hand side of the page are presented like a comic strip to simplify the overall message of the article and present it in a more humorous tone making the subject of ‘love’ in the article less heavy for the younger audiences. Lastly, the large font size of the title of the article draws attention so that the reader’s eyes start at the top of the page so they can then read from the top: the beginning of the article.

The reader’s interest is first grabbed by the word ‘love’ and the pun of ‘Lou’ which is meant to sound like the word ‘you.’ The reader’s interest is maintained by the use of the personal questions asked to the celebrity, which makes the interview sound exclusive and makes the reader feel they know the artist personally as they get an insight into their life and thoughts. In addition to this, the quote bubbles highlight key points said by the celebrity in the interview, when the reader reads these it is likely that they would want to read on to find out more, therefore, the reader’s interest is further sustained.

The language in the article is chatty and gossipy which shows the tone is laidback and informal. Gossipy language suggests younger audiences as it makes the situations less serious and more interesting to read. The simple use of langue and short questions and answers again shows this is targeted at younger age groups as this make the article easier for them to read and does not bore them with long words and sentences they would struggle to understand. Also the questions asked to the celebrity are made to sound as if they have come from the audience themselves; this then makes the celebrity’s responses feel more personal to the reader because it is like the celebrity is answering them. Because this article is from Top of the Pops magazine it is aimed at younger audiences and it is likely that the readers of the article/magazine consider Leona Lewis a role model hence the personal addressing of the reader would be important.

In this article there are lots of pinks used which relates to the article in that it is written based on the celebrity’s love life: pink being one of the most stereotypical colours of love. The pink used is also a very bright and vibrant colour to reflect the genre of the magazine as pop music is often associated with bright, vibrant and often clashing colours. The pink is also a very stereotypical girly colour, which suits the artist as they have tried to portray her as very girly and innocent, the dress she is wearing in the main image on the right and the background of the carousel horse furthers this idea of being young and girly and innocent. They may have taken this approach in the image of the artist as the reader and the target audiences maybe are able to relate with her more. The alternation of pinks used to highlight the questions in the interview engage the reader and keep their attention because the colours show a change in conversation and also move the reader’s eyes down the page. In addition to this colour is also used to highlight key points in the conversation which keeps the reader interested.