Double page spreads.

I will now look at double page spreads to determine the typical conventions of these. The one above is taken from NME magazine and features the band MGMT.

This double page uses a large image that takes up most of the space. The picture is a simple one of two men sat in a hotel room. The setting is plain, with dull coloured walls and a lamp lighting the room, and the figures featured look quite moody and troubled. This would interest the audience as they may wonder why the band are placed in such a setting. One of them makes eye contact with the audience which intrigues them into reading the article positioned down the right hand side. On top of the image is placed a quote from the text which is another feature used to intrigue the audience into reading the full article.

The title text is positioned on the left side of the page in a large, white font. The band name is cleverly included, each letter coloured red to be easily recognised by the audience.

This is a recent double page spread from Q magazine, focusing on the return of the rock band U2.

The image, which is taken from a low angle causing the band to look dominant, takes up the full double page and features all four band members stood in a line, each one looking directly at the audience to engage their attention. Behind them are an array of bright lights which are eye catching and enhance the fact that the bands return is something special.

The text 'Did you miss us?' is placed over the image in the red font which is a knowable feature of the band and so becomes easily recognisable to their fans. Smaller text is positioned underneath this which is introducing the band and members and informing the reader of what to expect over the next few double pages which also feature U2.

Music Magazine - analysing covers

Today I will start work on the main task of designing the front cover, contents page and a double page spread for a new music magazine.

I have decided that the genre my magazine will focus upon will be rock. I will begin by researching the genre and looking at current magazines that feature this type of music. The magazines I will look are NME, Kerrang and Q. Like in the preliminary task, I will analyse these covers to look for common conventions.

This is the cover of the Christmas edition of NME magazine. The word 'Christmas' in the headline is the largest piece of text on the cover, along with the masthead. The masthead is also the brightest feature of the cover and is positioned in the top left of the page so that it is eye catching and unmissable. It matches the Christmas theme too, as the letters are topped with snow.

The image is the main feature of the cover, like with the college magazine, as its purpose is to attract the audience. This picture is a long shot of the Arctic Monkeys all dressed in elf costumes to match the Christmas theme. They all make eye contact with the reader to intrigue and interest them and bring them into their world.

The cover features a list of all the bands and singers that will be found inside the magazine. This establishes the genre of the magazine as well as enticing fans of the listed bands into buying the magazine.

The buzz word 'free' is used to attract attention in the top right corner of the cover, showing the audience previews of the posters they will find inside. Another plug is positioned in the bottom right corner next to the bar code, advertising the 'NME Big Gig'. Another buzz word, 'win', is used just below the masthead to capture attention, as the audience are instantly drawn to these commonly used buzz word techniques.




This is a cover of Kerrang magazine. Like NME, the largest pieces of text are the masthead and the headline, both of which share the same font style. Across the top of the cover there is a bar featuring the names of bands that will be featured inside the magazine. There are small images and names of other bands positioned down the left hand side to attract the attention of their fans who may be inclined to purchase the magazine.

Underneath the headline there is a line of text which says "Your votes are in! And the winners are ..." By not revealing who the winners are, the reader becomes intrigued to buy the magazine.

The image is a medium shot taken from a low angle of a man playing guitar, which appeals to the readers of Kerrang, a teenage to adult audience, and fits the rock genre. The man does not make eye contact with the reader as he is concentrating on playing the guitar which gives him a moody yet determined look.

The tagline of the magazine is 'Life is loud' which is positioned on top of the masthead, but as you can see , is not fully visible as the image blocks out some of the letters. This causes the image to appear more dominant and reinforces the fact that it is the main focus of the cover.

This is a cover of Q magazine, featuring Madonna all dressed in red which connotes passion and makes her stand out. The red also matches that of the background of the masthead, becoming the dominant colour of the cover. The image engages the audience by the use of eye contact, appealing mostly to a male audience.

Q magazine is aimed at an older audience, as we can tell by the bands featured, Paul McCartney and David Bowie for example. It also has a wider selection of artists from different genres, from the legendary rock band U2 to the female singers Beyonce and Britney Spears.

The masthead is the largest piece of text on the cover, positioned in the top left corner of the cover to make the magazine instantly recognisable to the audience. The other pieces of text all share the same font and white colour.

"1 of 20 special covers to collect" gives the reader an additional reason to purchase the magazine and may persuade the die hard Q fan to buy the next 19 issues just to collect these special covers. This text matches the masthead, as it is written in a white font on a red background.

The text "20th anniversary special" is positioned in the gold bar at the top of the cover. The gold bar frames the cover, enhancing the 'special' theme.