Analysing Music Magazines

What does each colour make you think of (the connotations)?

What does each font make you think of (the connotations)?

Analysing Music Magazines

Key Tips:• Don’t just annotate the pages, write a detailed

analysis for each page• Use media terminology• Refer to specific examples from the magazine

pages• Explain the effect of each example you use• Use terms like connotations or signifies

Typography

• What font styles are used? • What are the connotations of the font (what

do they suggest)? • What effect do you think the fonts are

supposed to have on the audience? • Why were the font styles chosen?

Layout

• Is the layout cluttered or order? • What effect does this have? • Does the layout follow the route of the eye

and/or the principle of thirds?• What is the ratio of image to text?• Why is the page laid out like this?

Colour

• What colours are used? • What do the colours connote? • Why have these colours been chosen?

• Colour Connotations

Images

• What shot types and angles were used? • What is the effect of the shot type

and/or angle? • What effect does the mise-en-scene

have? • Why were the props, costumes,

locations, etc. used? • What do they signify?

Mode of Address

• How does the magazine ‘speak’ to its audience?

• What language is used? • What impression do the fonts, colours,

etc. have?

• Typography• Layout• Colour• Image • Mode of address

• Typography• Layout• Colour• Image • Mode of address

• Typography• Layout• Colour• Image • Mode of address

• Typography• Layout• Colour• Image • Mode of address

HeadlineStandfirstBylineCaptionCoverlineCover StoryFeatureKickerLayoutMastheadPull QuoteSerif FontSans Serif Font

Analysis

In pairs choose one of the magazines and analyse the front cover and double page spread. Bullet point your key points under the following headings:

• Typography• Layout• Colour• Image• Mode of address

Coursework Blogs

You present all your work for the main task on an individual coursework blog.

You will need to set up your blog and give the address to me.

The site we recommend you use is blogger:www.blogger.com

Assessment

We will be assessing your analysis of music magazines in two weeks time.

By the 25th of November you should have analysed the front cover, contents page, and double page spread from 3 magazines similar to the one you are going to produce.

This analysis must be placed onto you blog.

Resources for this unit are available on the Media Department blog