Joseph Porter
AS Media
Research
Double Page Spread Analysis 1
NME Magazine
Layout
The main colours used on this page is blue, grey and white with warmer colours used on the image, this provides a contrast between the band and the magazine that makes the image stand out on the page. Page furniture also features a decent amount on the page, with rectangular shapes in different shades of blue are placed behind the article and in front of the image, this gives the page character and makes it more than just text next to an image.
There is a logo in the top right and issue in the bottom right corners, this is shown on every page, making the reader subliminally recognise the brand.
House Style / Page Furniture
This double page spread features a biography type interview with The Vaccines. The layout of the page is kept simple, with a strict border kept between the image and the article, this suits NME's target market of a more sophisticated audience, as having a neat, clean style allows the two pages to focus on the article and the band more than the page furniture and elements.
The image dominates the left page and 1/3 of the second, making it the dominant feature.
Title
The largest element on the page excluding the image is the title of the article, the font of the title is the same style as the standfirst, however, it is unique to the rest of the article. "The Vaccines" is in full caps and uses the most space from the rest of the title, in order to make it as large as possible, "The" is placed on the line above "Vaccines," both are left justified.
The standfirst gives a summary of the band, and is a smaller font in order to fit more text in, the height of the standfirst is the same as Vaccines, keeping consistency.The colour of the font is navy blue to fit the house style, however, a darker blue is used in order to make it stand out from the background. A light blue is used for a name so that the reader can easily recognise it.
Main Image
The main image of the double page spread is a medium-long shot of The Vaccines. The image takes up two thirds of the double page spread, it is therefore the main feature of the page.
The clothing of the band includes saturated colours which mixes with the burnt coloured look of the background, the band's hair is messy aswell as the way they are dressed, this gives the band the feeling that they are rebellious, however, their style suggests the genre of folk rock.
Everyone is looking directly at the camera with serious expressions, this gives the connotation that the band is not messing around. They are also positioned uniquely in that one band member is kneeling in front towards the camera, suggesting that he is one of the leading members due to his larger space on the page, whilst the three band members are standing behind them. Two band members are also holding guitars, this relates them to both music and the standfirst's statement of being one of the biggest guitar bands of that year.
Article
The article is split up into two main columns which are seperated by a single vertical line and is where the majority of the left-aligned text can be seen. It contains two main features which allow it to follow the house style of the magazine, these are the drop caps and the pull quote (see right).
There are two drop caps in this article, these are used to indicate to the reader when there is a change in style or structure of the writing, or if it is a different piece all together. The drop caps are shown by making the first letter of the word are much larger font, taking up multiple lines and a blue colour in order to allow it to flow with the house style.
The pull quote is taken directly from the article, in this case, it is a statement of intent from the band and is usually very expressive or provocative. It is positioned in the right column, this is probably in order to break up the large wall of text so the reader's attention is not lost. It is given a blue font colour and is made larger than the text around it, whilst the name is a lighter blue to fit with the consitent house style.
Quotes
Double Page Spread Analysis 2
Q Magazine
Layout
The most prominent feature of the double page spread is the large "L" drop cap which spans across the entire article, this acts as a unique selling point of the magazine since this feature is also seen on other double page spreads and is therefore a consistent part of their house style. It's font is the same as the logo of Q, and the red on white background shows the inverted colours of the logo.
The Q logo can be found on every page at the bottom right underneath a black line aswell as the page number which follows the black colour scheme, the line allows the section to be seperated from the rest of the page.
House Style
Q magazine's double page spread also places the article and image on seperate pages, with the article featuring on the right side, this time, they are both split equally. This allows Q magazine to put more focus into their article which would suit their more sophisticated target market, who presumably would need less visuals and more content.
The title is located above the article, this time it is right justified, a single pixel line seperates it and the article. There is also a border below the article, giving the article a definitive start and end.
Title
The title of the double page spread is kept very simple, even though it is the largest piece of text on the page, it is still very small in comparison to the large L within the article. The title is simply the name of the artist, the first word is lower case and italicised whilst the second is fully caps, suggesting that is the part of the name that sticks out in the reader's mind; "GAGA." This is followed by a single line which seperates the article from the title.
The large "L" acts as a subliminal break-up of the text whilst being read by the reader, since the change of colours keeps the interest whilst it is being read due to it's changing nature, and therefore acts as page furniture which is used in a very discrete manner.
Main Image
The main image is positioned on the first page and is therefore the first thing the reader sees when they scan the double page spread. In order to stay within the style of the double page spread, it used a black and white effect, with no borders due to it filling the whole page.
The image itself is a medium close-up of the artist, Lady Gaga. This is a very expressive photo, she is wearing very minimal clothing and has her hands on her chest, the only thing covering her body, expressing to the reader that she is not shy and therefore keeping their interest. There are chains hanging from her neck, suggesting that she is a prisoner in some way, relating to the article on the right. Her hair is messy and she is wearing heavy makeup, he facial expression is edgy, representing another side to the artist and therefore letting the reader feel as if they are learning something from the page.
Article
The article itself takes up an entire page and features a large amount of text. It is made up of three columns in order to account for the amount of content, ensuring that the reader does not become uninterested when reading it. The text is black, allowing it to stand out from both the white and red background of the "L," the size of the font is small to allow for a large amount of content.
The first drop cap is consider to be the large L, however, it is changed after this to a large "S" and "I" which is the same font as the L aswell as being larger than the rest of the article. The drop cap indicates a new conversation, structure or style of writing whilst helping to break up the text.
There is a distinct lack of pull quotes in the article, this could be an intended feature due to it's lack of importance when targetting an older audience that will be less likely influenced by the larger quote and would therefore prefer this space to be filled by more information.
It could also be due to the lack of any substantial quotes within the article.
Quotes
House Style
This edition of NME is based upon the band due "Hurts," a house style is established most prominently by using colour; the image of the duo is dark with both of them wearing black suits on a black background, contrasting the font colours of red and white. There is minimal page furniture, however, a sinister feel is represented by their emotionless facial expression.
This feeling is contrasted slightly in the contents page, where they are both smiling, similar colours are shown here whilst they are positioned as a smaller feature in the top right of the page. In the DPS, the same colour as the front page returns, with red backgrounds and drop caps. One dps connotes the feelings of the front page whilst the other connotes the same as the contents.
'My Chemical Romance' is depicted as the main artists in this magazine. On the front cover, a medium shot shows all members of the band staring emotionless into the camera, they are wearing full black clothing, depicting a genre of hard rock and take up the full width of the cover. They are also layered above the masthead, representing their importance. Above the photo is a messy font that has a scratched, disturbed look, this gives the band a rebellious look and contrasts against the black clothing. On the contents page, there is not an image, however, they are shown on the first slot in the features section.
In the DPS, the same font makes an appearance with a similar looking image which takes up over 6/7s of the two pages. The lead band member is depicted at the front whilst the band is dressed up in the same clothing behind, the facial expressions remain the same, with no one smiling and the band's facing being positioned relatively close to each other. The colour is also repeated, with the red, white and black combination, keeping the house style consistent. A ripped page effect seperates the article and the image, with blood spats apparent behind the tagline and the article background, this emphasizes the representation of the band as a rebellious, hard rock grunge band, and stays consistent to the front page.
The house style across this edition of Q, featuring Coldplay, makes use of many colours in order to distinguish itself from other magazines. The band's medium shot dominates the front page, taking up the entire width. Their clothing is dark but is contrasted by very colourful and vibrant patterns, this mixes with the light background, with similar paint splatters. This vibrant house style is accompanied by content expressions from the band members, making their story connotation more convincing.
A long shot of Coldplay is the largest image on the contents page, this in an image of them during the photoshoot, making the audience feel as if they're getting an inside clipse of the production and therefore building a connection with the audience. The colours are repeated for both contents and two DPS's, which contain a group photo and an individual medium shot of each member playing with colourful powder, this gives the DPS a cheery look, and stays consistent with the house style. There is minimal page furniture on all pages except contents, and the drop cap of the article, both of which are bright blue backgrounds. Each image takes up a page of the DPS, and they are prominent across all pages, showing their importance.
This Kerrang! Edition features a large amount of page furniture which adds to the connotations of Black Veil Brides, the band being represented. On the front page, only the lead member of the band appears, allowing a close-up to draw the audience's attention due to his role as the "face" of the band. On the contents, they are not represented with a picture other than a repeat of the front page, however, they have two DPS pages; On the first page, one stationary mid shot of the entire band fills up the page above the article, making it a prominent feature. The second DPS contains multiple different images, the main image is an action mid shot of the lead singer whilst the page also features backstage shots and portraits, giving the magazine more of an exclusive feeling.
There is a lack of taglines on the front page, allowing the audience to focus on the image whilst the contents page house style is seperate to the main story house style, seperating the main story from the rest of the magazine and therefore making that story more prominent within the edition.
There is a clear correlation in colour and page furniture between the front page and two DPS's, the colours provide a strong contrast with the shades of purple and black mix. On the front page, the page furniture provides a nature feel with the vines, this stays consistent with the DPS as the background of the article is purple and shaded flowers occupy each corner.
