My magazine is of an alternate rock genre and I took my influences from magazines like 'Spin' and 'Kerrang' and I think my final products are similar to theirs in many ways, but not all ways. If my magazine was identical then we would both be competing for the same audience and as my magazine is new and undeveloped I wouldn't be able to gain readers over the more established brands.
-Connotational analysis of my cover. 
At the top left of my front cover there is a masthead. I placed it at the top left of the page because it is conventional to do so, and therefore the readers will instantly recognise that my magazine is in fact a magazine and not a book, for example. The masthead is bold, it is the largest text on the page and it is in a strong sans serif font, this enables it to stand out and to catch the viewers' eyes. It is similar to the 'Spin' title. The background to the masthead is purple, and I have put an effect on it to make it look more exciting, purple gives connotations of royalty which contrasts with the idea of it being aimed at rock-influenced teens. This idea also links in with the fact that teenagers are stereotypically rebellious and do not like to go with conventions. Also the name of my magazine, 'Vague' contrasts with the genre of rock and links in with the rebellious theme. The almost glittery background was chosen to appeal to a mostly female audience and it should stand out as there is nothing else like it out in the market. The majority of music magazines are targeted towards males.
In keeping with convention, the cover is almost filled with the medium close up image. In this case it is of an all-girl rock band, again designed to attract a female audience. The artists have a subjective gaze which draws the viewers in as it catches their attention and encourages them want to buy the magazine. Cover lines are another conventional item I have included on my magazine front cover. These are essential in reaching the targeting audience and persuading them to buy the magazine. The cover features the usual bar code in the bottom left cover. I placed it here because it was the least disruptive position for it.
At the top left of my front cover there is a masthead. I placed it at the top left of the page because it is conventional to do so, and therefore the readers will instantly recognise that my magazine is in fact a magazine and not a book, for example. The masthead is bold, it is the largest text on the page and it is in a strong sans serif font, this enables it to stand out and to catch the viewers' eyes. It is similar to the 'Spin' title. The background to the masthead is purple, and I have put an effect on it to make it look more exciting, purple gives connotations of royalty which contrasts with the idea of it being aimed at rock-influenced teens. This idea also links in with the fact that teenagers are stereotypically rebellious and do not like to go with conventions. Also the name of my magazine, 'Vague' contrasts with the genre of rock and links in with the rebellious theme. The almost glittery background was chosen to appeal to a mostly female audience and it should stand out as there is nothing else like it out in the market. The majority of music magazines are targeted towards males.
In keeping with convention, the cover is almost filled with the medium close up image. In this case it is of an all-girl rock band, again designed to attract a female audience. The artists have a subjective gaze which draws the viewers in as it catches their attention and encourages them want to buy the magazine. Cover lines are another conventional item I have included on my magazine front cover. These are essential in reaching the targeting audience and persuading them to buy the magazine. The cover features the usual bar code in the bottom left cover. I placed it here because it was the least disruptive position for it.
-Connotational analysis of my contents page.
My contents page is fairly conventional. It displays the date at the top of the page so that the readers are clear on which magazine they are reading and whether the information is recent or old. I have put five images on my contents page, this perhaps differs from most magazines because the majority do not have as many. I have put more pictures because from my research I found that my target audience prefer to visually see information. On the pictures I have added the page number for the articles so my readers can turn straight to the page they are interested in. I have included features and regulars on my contents page, conventionally the features are bigger because they are the new exciting subjects that make the reader buy the magazine, and the regulars are always there and will be familiar so do not need to be recognised as much. Also the page number can be seen at the bottom of the page to show the readers what page they are on. I decided to put the title of my magazine at the top of the page because my magazine is new and I want to emphasise what the magazine is called so they are more likely to remember it. As it becomes more established I could remove it from the contents page perhaps.
-Connotational analysis of my double page spread. 
My double page spread has a large picture of the main story in the magazine, which is typical of most magazines (their front cover image is their main double page spread story). I have used a drop cap on the first word of my text which pulls the readers towards the start of the text to make them start reading. I have included gutters which separate each column of text which makes it more appealing to read and I have put a pull quote at the top of the page in the blank space which makes it stand out further. It is typical of a double page spread to have pull quotes because it makes the viewers want to read it if the quote is exciting. The title 'THE GIRLS ARE BACK' is in bold sans serif font and is the largest text on the page, which consequently makes it eye catching. I believe the title must stand out but must also be exciting to encourage people to read the article. Furthermore, I have included the page numbers on the bottom of both pages so that the readers can locate the article without difficulty.
The title of my magazine is 'Vague' which gives connotations of unspecified things which many
would class as not very interesting. I chose this because it contrasts with what the magazine is really about, similar to how teens rebel and do not go with conventions. The word 'Vague' would not normally be used for a title for something because it is not interesting, but because of this it draws attention to itself and becomes exciting. The typical reader would be the complete opposite of vague, as they would be seen as loud, confident individuals and vague is not a word to describe these traits. So by being the almost the opposite of what people would expect to see draws attention to it and makes it fun and innovative as well as being slightly ironic.
My double page spread has a large picture of the main story in the magazine, which is typical of most magazines (their front cover image is their main double page spread story). I have used a drop cap on the first word of my text which pulls the readers towards the start of the text to make them start reading. I have included gutters which separate each column of text which makes it more appealing to read and I have put a pull quote at the top of the page in the blank space which makes it stand out further. It is typical of a double page spread to have pull quotes because it makes the viewers want to read it if the quote is exciting. The title 'THE GIRLS ARE BACK' is in bold sans serif font and is the largest text on the page, which consequently makes it eye catching. I believe the title must stand out but must also be exciting to encourage people to read the article. Furthermore, I have included the page numbers on the bottom of both pages so that the readers can locate the article without difficulty.
The title of my magazine is 'Vague' which gives connotations of unspecified things which many
would class as not very interesting. I chose this because it contrasts with what the magazine is really about, similar to how teens rebel and do not go with conventions. The word 'Vague' would not normally be used for a title for something because it is not interesting, but because of this it draws attention to itself and becomes exciting. The typical reader would be the complete opposite of vague, as they would be seen as loud, confident individuals and vague is not a word to describe these traits. So by being the almost the opposite of what people would expect to see draws attention to it and makes it fun and innovative as well as being slightly ironic.My images were created in Southwold, which is a picturesque town near the sea. I asked my subjects to smile, but in a natural way which makes the picture look more realistic. The image for my double page spread is humorous as they are making funny faces and laughing, this makes the article less formal as they are messing about. This also makes the magazine more personal to the target audience, as they can relate to the fun nature of my subjects.
I asked the band to dress informally but I want their clothes to be rock orientated and thus fit for purpose. By wearing rock associated clothing helps to appeal to the target audience as they are more likely to pick up a magazine with a band they like the look of on the front. The presence of the guitar connotes rock music and further illustrates the band's style of music.
I asked the band to look subjectively into the camera as I wanted the readers to gain eye contact whist looking at the images which draws them in further. Also I asked them to have an independent attitude, which can be seen in their body language as they look confident and comfortable with having their picture taken. The subjects are of the same age as the target audience and this appeals to the target audience as it makes the magazine more personal and enables the readers to relate to the band as they are of the same as and will probably have similar interests.
I asked the band to dress informally but I want their clothes to be rock orientated and thus fit for purpose. By wearing rock associated clothing helps to appeal to the target audience as they are more likely to pick up a magazine with a band they like the look of on the front. The presence of the guitar connotes rock music and further illustrates the band's style of music.
I asked the band to look subjectively into the camera as I wanted the readers to gain eye contact whist looking at the images which draws them in further. Also I asked them to have an independent attitude, which can be seen in their body language as they look confident and comfortable with having their picture taken. The subjects are of the same age as the target audience and this appeals to the target audience as it makes the magazine more personal and enables the readers to relate to the band as they are of the same as and will probably have similar interests.
The masthead is at the top right of the front cover and I placed it there because the top right hand of the page is where the viewers look first, so it is the first thing they see. Also things at the top of something seem to be more important than those at the bottom, I believe that the masthead is one of the most important graphics on the magazine as it promotes the product and establishes itself with the target audience as they become familiar with it.
Furthermore, I have used informal language to appeal to my target audience(teens) as I have found they are more likely to use informal language and therefore the language is appealing to them. The content itself is quite short, for example my double page spread does not have many words in comparison to many other double page spreads I have looked at. I made the text quite short to keep the attention of my audience as I think that long paragraphs would make them lose interest.
The music genre of rock is suggested throughout my magazine, with the dark colours, the clothes the artists are wearing and the use of informal language.
The overall house style of my magazine links together throughout my front cover, contents page and double page spread. This is because I have used the same colour schemes(mainly blacks,purples and whites) and used the same fonts and types of images. I have also kept my
language consistent in the mood and context. I believe my magazine's house style is similar to that of 'Spin' and 'Kerrang' but it differs in the sense it is aimed towards a more female market. I believe music magazines such as 'Spin' and 'Kerrang' are incredibly popular with the young adult market and are very successful, but I think there is a gap in the market as the majority of music magazines are aimed mainly at males, and my aiming mine at females will not compete with the other magazine out there because there will be a new market established for my magazine. By not competing with another magazine will allow me to sell more magazines and become a well established magazine.
Furthermore, I have used informal language to appeal to my target audience(teens) as I have found they are more likely to use informal language and therefore the language is appealing to them. The content itself is quite short, for example my double page spread does not have many words in comparison to many other double page spreads I have looked at. I made the text quite short to keep the attention of my audience as I think that long paragraphs would make them lose interest.
The music genre of rock is suggested throughout my magazine, with the dark colours, the clothes the artists are wearing and the use of informal language.
The overall house style of my magazine links together throughout my front cover, contents page and double page spread. This is because I have used the same colour schemes(mainly blacks,purples and whites) and used the same fonts and types of images. I have also kept my
language consistent in the mood and context. I believe my magazine's house style is similar to that of 'Spin' and 'Kerrang' but it differs in the sense it is aimed towards a more female market. I believe music magazines such as 'Spin' and 'Kerrang' are incredibly popular with the young adult market and are very successful, but I think there is a gap in the market as the majority of music magazines are aimed mainly at males, and my aiming mine at females will not compete with the other magazine out there because there will be a new market established for my magazine. By not competing with another magazine will allow me to sell more magazines and become a well established magazine. 
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