Bodmin College Magazine
I
am going to analyse a Bodmin College magazine so that I can get a better
understanding of what the common conventions are.
Target
Audience - The primary target audience for the Bodmin College magazine is for
students aged 11-19 because this is the age range of the students within the
college. However, the secondary target of this magazine is parents/guardians
who are older than the students. This could also be seen by the teachers of the
school who are interested in it. The majority of people reading this magazine
fall into the audience demographic at band C1 down to E
Masthead
– The masthead of the Bodmin college magazine does not fit the purpose of the
magazine. The colours does not make the masthead stand out and it is very
small, the common conventions of a masthead on magazines are that they take up
1/8th of the page where as the masthead on the Bodmin college one
doesn’t also other magazines stand out so that the target audience see it and
then buy it. The text used is out-dated so it doesn’t fit the target audience
because a typical student aged 11-19 would expect something more dated.
Colours
– They have used too many colours on this magazine, which makes it hard for the
target audience to pick this up and read it, it has taken away the professional
aspects. A typical magazine would have used 3-5 colours, for example ‘Kerrang’
this magazine uses 3-5 colours and this magazine is very popular to the younger
generations so that it makes the magazine stand and it doesn’t use to many,
which ruins the magazine. These 3-5 colours will be colours that fit well
together whereas these magazine colours do not fit together which then ruins
the image of it. The masthead colour doesn’t fit well with the contrast back
colour, which then makes it unclear and hard to read. This then doesn’t cater
to the target audience and then makes this magazine unfashionable so that the
young people to feel appealed to this magazine.
Layout
– The overall layout of this magazine doesn’t fit the general layout that a
magazine should have. It has 3 images, which have been taken with a poor camera
that made it slightly blurred and hard to identify the people in the pictures.
The shots are long shots making this front cover very busy, whereas on a
Kerrang magazine there is a close up of one persons face which doesn’t make it
busy. The main common conventions of images on a magazine front cover are 1-2
people that are close ups of there faces. There should be title teasers to give
you a rough idea of what is in the magazine so this makes the target audience
read on., this magazine just has pictures so this doesn’t really make the
target audience read what’s inside.
Images – The images used on this magazine go against
the usual conventions of a magazine, as there are 3 main photos that are
jumbled up on the front. The usual conventions on images on magazine front
covers are one main image that is usually a close up on someone’s face and then
maybe 1 or 2 smaller pictures. The images are of girls dancing; the target
audience of this magazine is for both boys and girls, whereas the pictures are
just related to girls so this magazine is not going to appeal to boys. The
content of the images with mainly girls being shown in them supports Laura
Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze.
Texts/Teasers
- This magazine doesn’t have any texts or teasers so this then leaves the
reader confused because they do not know what is in this magazine or what it is
about. The main conventions of texts and teasers in magazines are that there
should be some to give the reader a rough idea of what is in it and what it is
about, this then makes the reader read on.
Overall
I think that this magazine does not fit the connotations that young people
would like in a magazine. It goes against these conventions, it doesn’t appeal
to the reader because it is not interesting to them and does not capture their
attention.
New College Magazine
Masthead
– The masthead in this magazine fits the correct connotation that young people
11-19 would like. It is very big and clear so the target audience can easily
see what it is called and easily recognisable. The denotations of the word
‘SKIVE’ shows that it is a magazine for 11-19 year old and it sorts of makes
the readers want to skive. It has a denim style in the masthead; this connotes
cool because people wearing jeans are scene as cool in the modern world. Also
it has flames in the masthead, this shows ‘bad’ that is what students like
nowadays.
Colours
– in the creation of this magazine they have stayed with the 3-5-colour
boundary. It has a very professional finish and all the colours used in this
all fit together and make it look very appealing. The colour scheme fits well
with the target audience and what the magazine is about. With the black
background. These colours cater together well for the target audience as these
colours create a fashionable front cover that young people would like to view.
Stanley Hall’s theory in 1904 is where he stereotyped young people as drunk, criminal
and rebellious people with dark moods, so that black goes with this theory.
Layout
– The overall layout fits the general layout that you would see on any magazine
as it has 3-4 images that have been taken with a good quality camera and it
makes in not to busy. This magazine has one main image that is clear to see,
also it has a few little ones that give you a rough idea on what is in the
magazine. Unlike the Bodmin college magazine this magazine has texts and teaser
so that it gives the target audience little ideas on what is in the magazine so
they know what they will be reading. This magazine fits well with the target
audience because they will be viewing a good quality and professional magazine,
as it grabs the audience’s attention and brings the closer to the magazine.
Images
– The images used in this magazine fit very well with the layout of it, it
makes the magazine look more professional and not busy. Also the content of the
images with mainly girls being shown in them supports Laura Mulvey’s theory of
the male gaze and shows that this might be showing them as an erotic desire for
the reader.
Texts/Teasers
– They have used texts and teasers in this cover; these are very useful for a
unique selling point and make the target audience buy it. They use theses so
they give a rough idea of what is mention inside the magazine. They have stayed
with similar texts so it is easily readable and clear for the readers. However
if this magazine is for both genders then why isn’t they’re anything about
sport? I feel that this is more towards girls rather boys. Also the spacing of
the words could be different and the positioning for the texts.
Typography
– this magazine has a issue number so that you can recognise what issue you are
reading and what you haven’t. this is different from the original one which
doesn’t have it so this fits better with the common conventions.
Overall
I think that this magazine fits well with the target audience because this
magazine is what 11-19 year old students would like and would be interested in.
I feel that a lot more students and parents would reed this magazine rather
than the other one would read this magazine because it has teasers so that you
know what is in it and what it is about. However I wouldn’t personally choose
the colour pallet for it, id rather a brighter magazine but that is truly my
opinion. Out of 5 I would give this magazine a 4.
