Anaylsis of Kerrang's contents page

Colour: There is no clear colour scheme because the majority of the page is taken up by numerous images all involving different colours. However the text is in black and red which relates to the colour scheme used on the front cover. There are a lot of black elements on both pages which is stereotypically associated with indie/rock so it is a conventional colour to use in a rock magazine. The background is white which makes the contrasting black and other colours stand out. There is a collaboration of different colours which add vibrancy and excitement.

Design: The contents spreads over two pages which shows the magazine involves a lot of information and the pages look neater as it isn't cramped all into one place. The images and text are on a plain background which make the colours stand out, especially the main colour black. The images are in a neat order, none of them overlapping and then followed with neat columns of text underneath. However, the use of a scribbly handwriting style, similar to the style on the front cover, makes the page seem more youthful and fun. This relates to the young target audience. The neat order of pictures would be too old fashioned and boring but by using interesting fonts, the contents is quirky and young. Each heading has a different and very unique font style which clearly separates each of them from the rest. Again they are modern and edgey which will attract the target audience. The uniqueness makes them stand out.

Images: The majority of the images are of the main cover feature, Greenday. However there is one image that is not, instead it it is John Lydon from the Sex Pistols. Sex Pistols would be classed as 'legends' along with Greenday so they fit into Kerrang's Legends Special Edition. Sex Pistols relate to Greenday as they were highly influencial to Greenday. There are a lot of images used in the contents showing stages through their career which shows how long they have been around. The biggest image showing them very young in the boot of a car, illustrates youth, rebellion and fun which will attract the audience. The target audience are influenced by Greenday which is why they look up to them with respect. There are only individual images of Billie Joe but that is to be expected as he is the lead member and the target audience will also know and expect this. There are 4 album cover images in a neat column which express Greenday's success and achievement. In summary, the images are illustratiting that Greenday is worthy of the title 'Legends'.

How are words used? It is clear from the domination of images that they are more important than the text. The text is structured in neat columns which makes it easy to find pages. Putting the page number in red followed by the page title in black also makes it easy to find pages and seperates each page from the others. The red stands out which attracts the target audience. The most noticable piece of text is the big title, Greenday. It clearly stands out due to size and the unique, youthful bubble writing style. The title refers to the images making it clear what this edition is focused on. The word contents is the only text on a red background establishing what this page is. It is quite small but the red background makes it stand out enough. The headings follow in a pattern, either being black text on a white background or white text on a black background. This makes the headings bold and brings attention towards the different sections of the magazine. The use of scribbly handwriting with arrows show specifically the images that relate to the pages, giving readers more of an insight of what is inside. There is a special dedication to the people that construct the magazine which is clearly seperated from the rest of the page as it's on a black background. The special dedication makes the magazine appear professional and respectful.

Language: Each page has been put into small categories which is a neat and smart way to show readers what the magazine will include. The headings are short and blunt, not being longer than 3 words which makes it catchy, simple and memorable. The page titles are also short and simple followed by a a short sentence giving more of an insight about the page. Without the summarising line, the pages would make no sense to the target audience, for example pages include 'California Screaming' 'Having a blast' and 'Burnout'. However, the use of musterious words make you want to read more about the situation. The text is in everyday normal language which diffuses any confusion and is not intimidating to the target audience. There are uses of subtle persuasion such as using the word 'Classic' instead of just stating interviews. This makes the interviews sound of high importance and special. Also one of the headings are 'Plus' which again sounds special and is very inviting to readers as they are getting a lot for their money.

Overall Impression: The contents looks very smart and professional due to the neat order of images and text. It expresses high quality and it seems that a lot of time and effort has gone into producing work of this standard. This is very important as this is a legends special edition so it has to live up to the name. The structure is mature and smart but the use of fun images and quirky font styles bring back the youth and uniqueness to the magazine. This relates to their young target audience. It is neat but shows a lot of things going on which adds excitement and vibrancy. It is clear that the page is targeted towards a young audience but Greenday's long career and the image of John Lydon enables an older audience to relate to it. The magazine attracts a wide audience as it is focused on 'Legends' of rock. Overall, the contents page creates a youthful, loud, quirky impression which relates to familiar elements of rock.