Analyses of double page spreads

Analyses of Two Page Spreads

I initially knew very little about two page spreads and what they generally consisted of. To widen my knowledge I decided to analyse

some two page spreads from different magazines and different music genres.

COLOUR SCHEME The colour scheme is predominantly pink

which shows that the artist is very feminine and enjoys all things girly. The different shades of pink show a side of Nicki the public are very aware of, she enjoys anything girly and borderline

‘tacky’. The darker the shade of pink, the more that area stands out. There are also

bright colours shown through her jewellery which add some more fun to the page. The zebra print of her outfit

connotes individuality, vulnerability and standing out.

IMAGEThe main image is off-centre, mainly situated on the right hand page. The

image stands before any of the pieces of text which shows Nicki’s importance and fame and suggests that she thinks highly

of herself. Her arm is raised in a contorted manner to allow the camera to read the

word ‘icon’ on her ring. This would suggest that Nicki sees herself as iconic

whilst in the public eye and an icon to her fans. Her zebra print outfit shows that she

is daring and enjoys standing out from the crowd. She is wearing a wig through

which she is infamous for constantly changing her hair colour and style this

way. The thick fringe covers her eyebrows and forces attention onto her dark brown eyes which are wide open and alert as if

she didn’t realise the picture was going to be taken. Her posture is very upright

which shows that she is confident and powerful within herself.

LAYOUTThis article is not a typical music magazine two page spread. This is because the artist’s image has been cut out and placed over the top of

some of the text. There is writing either side of the image of Nicki and this makes her seem more

central than she really is. The magazine does however follow the general rule for a headline

related to the artist which in this case is her name and directly below this is an introductory

line which allows the reader to have an insight as to what the article is about if the photo and heading is not enough. The article is in sub-

sections which gives the article order and makes it easier for the reader to find a part of the article

that they are interested in reading.

FONT CHOICES‘Nicki Minaj’ is in very large font in a deep pink colour. The size of the font draws the eye of the reader to it instantly and this introduces the topic of the article. Above her name is ‘the gospel according to’ in fancy, medieval writing which looks similar to that on the front of a Bible. This shows that the artist sees herself as superior to other artists that have had similar articles about them. The main chunk of text (the article itself) is split into sub sections which are in a slightly bigger size of font and are bold to make the words stand out further. There is a quote to the right hand side of Nicki which is outlined in a light pink box. This will force the reader to pay attention to it

COLOUR SCHEMEWhite, black and red. The grey background connotes something impure and dirty. The quote used is in white with a black border to the letters which allow the words to stand out. The red of her shirt connotes danger, passion and being different. This shirt is in contrast to the grey background and allows Lily to be the main focus.

IMAGEThe main image is to the right hand side of the double page spread and it shows Lily Allen leaning forward slightly whilst standing. Her arms are on her hips and she has slouched her shoulders forward

in a very relaxed manner. This shows that she is very calm and composed

within the situation, as though she is used to the environment she is in. her tattoos are visible as her sleeves are

rolled up casually which suggests that she is willing to express herself through many forms of art. Her makeup is very minimal base-wise, however her eyes

are extremely dark being the main focal point of the look. She has black eye

shadow and eyeliner outlining the whole eye and eye socket with a slight wing to emphasise the look and make Lily look

feline-like. This would connote independence and being unpredictable, which would warn people to stay away.

Her hair is also black and styled in a pixie-bob which shows that she is not

afraid to be herself and express herself through her appearance.

FONT CHOICES The quote used as the headline is

arranged in such a way that it looks like it has been cut out of a magazine. This gives an edgy vibe to the article as notes written

in this way are usually used to keep the sender anonymous. The varying size of each letter adds to this and also would

appeal to a younger audience as it looks aesthetically pleasing. Key words within the introductory line are in red to allow them to stand out against the grey background and in between the sea of black text. This

catches the reader’s eye and lets them know what to expect.

LAYOUT The layout of this double page spread is typical

for a music article. The main image is of the artist and covering almost one whole page. A

quote from the artist has been used at the top of the page and is in very large font size as well

as being a different font to the rest of the article to ensure it stands out against the other text.

An introductory line has been used to introduce the article to the reader and this is in a slightly larger font than the main article is. The main

article starts off alike a newspaper article with the first letter being a capital ‘I’ to show

sophistication and maturity. The article is then in columns to give the page order and make it

easier to read.

COLOUR SCHEMEThe colour scheme of this double page spread is

completely neutral and an almost sepia tone has been placed over the whole article. The colours are very

earthy (green, black, nude) with a splash of red through the tartan lining of his jacket. This allows the whole

page to be brought together nicely and the green font used forces the black around it to stand out from the

rest of the text because the background is a dirty, sepia toned nude colour. The paleness of the artist’s skin is

emphasised by the background which makes him looked washed out.

IMAGEThe image is an extreme close up of the artist’s face with the top of his head cut off to allow part of his chest to be displayed. He is looking directly into the

camera through his glasses as though he is looking into the reader’s eyes. His expression is very sullen and he

looks sad or upset, though he is trying to show no emotion whatsoever. His glasses are thickly rimmed which can be seen as a bold statement because it

draws attention to his eyes. He is shown to be unshaven which can connote manliness but also

suggest dirtiness and homelessness. His hair has been badly cut, as though he has done so himself and this adds to his grungy look. His necklace can be seen due to his jacket being pushed back towards his shoulders.

This looks to be something handmade, leather or string which would most likely have a charm or

pendant on the end. This shows once again that he is indie and different to a generic music artist. His outfit is very neutral from what I can see, he is wearing a green

t-shirt and a black bomber jacket which is extremely causal and this shows that the artist is going to be his everyday self throughout the article which will appeal

to the reader as readers don’t like the idea of being lied to.

FONT CHOICESThe font used for the quote at the top of the page is quite rounded whilst the edges are still squared off. This makes it seem mature but at the same time has an element of fun. The size varies for each different letter and word which

allows the writer to direct the reader’s eye to the words and phrases they want them to read first - these are

usually the most interesting words. The font of the article is very simplistic and basic, this gives a laid back feel to the

article and suggests that it’s the meaning of the words that counts, not the way they look. A large, capital ‘G’ is

used to start off a new section.

LAYOUTThe layout is very similar to most

other music magazines. An image of the artist has taken up one whole

page and the other half of the page has been filled with text. In this article, the heading takes up a

quarter of the whole two page spread which is unusual because it is usually the article itself which takes up the majority of the second page. This

shows that the heading must include an important message to convey to

the audience. The text is structured in columns to make it easier to read and

there is an introductory line which introduces the artist and the article.

COLOUR SCHEMEThe colour scheme in this article is very obviously red and

black with a hint of green. Half of the picture has a red overcast and the other half the green overcast. These

overcasts could be interpreted as the reflection of lights which then leads me to think of traffic lights. As if half of him

is stuck and the other half ready to move on, perhaps reflecting the style of music he creates. It could also be

suggested that the red light is a representation of the red-light district. This would suggest that he is some sort of pimp and that he can get any woman he wants. The red of the ‘J’

stands out from the white background and the black text, this also splits the vast white space behind the black text which

would be quite difficult to read.

IMAGEIn the image, Jay Z shows no emotion whatsoever. His face is very straight and serious with a slight pout to his lips which

makes him seem uninterested and fed-up of the situation. He is wearing all black sunglasses which cover a large proportion

of his face which suggests that he likes to hide his emotion and keep himself to himself, or perhaps that he is hiding

something. He is dressed in a simple black t-shirt which is very basic in terms of fashion and suggests that he does not like to show his wealth through his clothing, however the necklace he is wearing contradicts this as it is some sort of gun-metal

which appears to be a chain. This would presumably have cost quite a lot of money and would be designer which shows that he likes to buy his luxury items as things that aren’t too flashy but still make a statement, this is typical of a rapper as they

tend to wear jewellery. This, along with the serious face suggests that he is down to earth as he isn’t putting anything on for the sake of the camera. The separation of Jay Z by the colours green and red suggest that there is a good and a bad side to him and one or both will be conveyed in the article.

FONT CHOICESThe heading is very small in

comparison to other music magazines. This is to emphasize the ‘J’ in the

centre of the page. The ‘J’ is in a bold, curved font which looks rather fancy. This suggests that Jay Z is important

and deserves the high quality font. The beginning of each sub section is started with a capital letter alike a newspaper

which adds a sense of maturity and professionalism to the article. The

quote over the image is in this same fancy font and it gives the artist the importance he obviously wants to

have. The font of ‘rap radar’ is very racing-like and informal.

LAYOUTThe layout of this article is not as typical

as other music magazines. The image takes up half of the page and the artist

is very central within the image. There is a ‘J’ which stands for ‘Jay Z’ which is the artist’s name and this covers the centre of the second page, sitting beneath the

whole article. This shows his importance and superiority. The article itself is

structured into columns which makes it easier to read as a block of text would perhaps over face some readers. The

heading is at the top of the page which is typical to a music magazine as it starts

the article off.