Analysis of existing magazines.

Top of the Pops magazine is a classic, iconic and prevalent choice to when considering evaluating a pop magazine. Its genre is suggested in the main header and people are customary to the name of the magazine due to the music program in which it has been created around. This particular magazine cover has followed a theme of purple; From the research I have previously done it has showed that the main buyer of this magazine is young girls. However if I was hoping to widen my target audience I would stay away from colours that are commonly associated with a certain gender. The yellow has also highlighted and drawn attention to the other articles, and is also complimentary to the purple. The text of the main header has been given a sparkly font, this theme has also been tied into other areas on the front page; such as sparkles dotted around the page and a sub-header ‘You’re a STAR!’ by putting ‘star’ in capital lettering we consciously are a wear of the theme. The use of ‘You’re’ is direct address to the reader and makes the issue feel personal. They have included: the TOTP logo in the top right corner, barcode, issue number and price, the BBC logo, website address and a tag line ‘more gossip...’ They have also combined music articles and news with other articles highlighting celebrity music ‘secrets’ or any ‘hot’ gossip. They have cropped the image in able to see the background behind and around it. They have also assigned the image to the right and have placed sub-headers to the left. There is also information over the image at the bottom of the page, making the front cover look busy and crowed. This invokes the thought of a jam packed magazine; this is also implied by the large number 56.

Another example of a popular media, music magazine would be ‘Smash Hits!’ This magazine has a lot of similarities to ‘Top of the Pops’ but also many differences so comparing the two will only give me a better wealth of knowledge when thinking about creating my own. Unalike ‘Top of the pops’ the colour scheme is a lot less gender specific, if anything has more of a male dominated theme with the heavy blocked fonts and a black and grey colour contrast of the t-shirts and the white back ground. Also the main image is of a popular boy band who is again is arguably less gender specific and less age specific than High School Musical. I think the main image works well with a dominant figure in the foreground and the rest of the band in the back ground; this draws our attention the front of the magazine but also has the appeal to pick up the magazine to take a closer look at the photo. Yellow and white sub-headings and the text of the main sells have again been used to mirror ‘Smash Hits!’ logos. The magazine also includes numbers e.g. ‘10’ and a busy front page to imply the impression of a jam packed magazine and again the basics of a logo, barcode, issue number and price, website address and a tag line ‘squeezing...’ and also has a tag line along the bottom to show other sells that the magazine has.

I have also have analised a contents page. As part of my task I will have to create my own so looking at a magazine where the pop industry has influence its layouts, launuage, images, fonts, colours, articles and much more will further increase my knowedge of what i should think about/ enclude in my own.

To break up the contents page list of articles they have used busy, bright colours to enhance the energy and enthusiasm that the pop genre portrays. Images that are associated with the articles have also been given relative numbering with the corresponding colours that link with the contents numbering system so the reader can easily navigate though the magazine; contributing to ‘easy reading’.

The contents page also includes the name of the magazine ‘Mizz’ with contact details and credits listed below. This has all been positioned on the right hand side in a red text box to separate the magazines articles and information from the important information about the magazine which is included in every issue. In the top right corer the words ‘Welcome’ are presented in a decretive, bright font along with a message about what to be expecting from this issues. The bottom left corner along with iconic logos such as the recycling symbol and other relative ones, there is a advertising sell about Dyslexia, to add a sense of seriousness and understanding to the magazine or something that may have a dramatic effect to many readers.

As my magazine will include a double page spread, again by reviewing one from existing pop magazine will give an idea about how to construct and arrange articles, what fonts are used and how colours are integrated. From the large image we as the reader can instantly tell what the double page spread is about and what to expect from the article. The main image is kept left with the introduction directly underneath and the interview to the right with relative pictures surrounding it. By tying in greens and pinks with neutral colours the interview look unfussy yet bright and enthusiastic. The colours chosen tell that this magazine is aimed at girls. Also the way they have highlighted the interview question creates easy reading.