double page spread analysis for as media studies

1. Corey Balsom AS Media Studies 13/11/15
Analysis of music magazine double page spread – NME (Dizzee Rascal Edition)
The main image on the leftpage showsmusicartist
Dizzee Rascal,frameddeadcenter.He isseen
wearingcasual,trendyclotheswhile holdingacan
of spraypaint,suggestingconnotationsof mischief
or crime.He isalsoindirectlyaddressingthe
audience,lookingoff tothe leftasif he is watching
out forsomeone,sohe doesn’tgetcaught
vandalising.DizzeeRascal isa veryyoung,successful
artistand thisimage may representyoungpeople
as beingtroublesome andrebellious.
The main headline “FromTags to Riches”isthe most eye-catchingpartof the
double page spreadnexttothe image of Dizzee Rascal.The typographyof the
headline isstrange,aseachwordisa differentsize thanthe other,eveneach
letterisdisjointed.Thismakesforaveryabstract,attention-grabbingtitlethat
the readerwill fail tomiss.The designbehindthe wordsalsorelatestothe
image,usingink/spraycansplotchestosuggestthatthe headlineispartof
some graffiti art.Thisbreaksaway fromthe normal conventionof using
genericsansserif fontstakenfromwebsites,andallowsthe magazine to
expresscreativity."FromTagsto Riches”mayalsogive the readeran insight
on Dizzee Rascal’shistory;all of whichwill be touchedoninthe article,sothe
readerwill wanttofindoutmore andread on.
The coloursof the double page
spreadare varied,usingamultitude
of colourstomake it seemcreative
and pleasing,keepingtothe theme of
graffiti art.Dizzee Rascal’sclothes
alsoseemto conformto NME’shouse
style of red,white andblackcolours.
At the start of the article,
there isa drop cap. The use
of the dropcap catchesthe
reader’seye,makingthe
beginningof the article
much more visible tothe
audience.
The image at the bottomof the right page showswhat
lookslike anexpensivestereoandbottlesall aroundit.
Thisreinforcesthe impactof the headline “FromTagsto
Riches”byhavingthe image on the leftpage represent
“Tags” and the other page represent“Riches”byshowing
Dizzee Rascal gettingupto nogood,thenshowingan
expensive stereowithbottles,suggestinghe hashita high
pointinhislife withpartying.The image onthe article
page is framedat the bottom,where the reader’s
attentionwill be whenreadingthe article.
To the rightof the
headline,there is a By
Line, tellingthe audience
who wrote the articleand
who made the images.
“Words Tim Chester”,
“Pictures Dean Chalkley”
Surprisingly,there is
little use of branding
inthe double page
spread.Usually,
there wouldbe an
NME masthead
somewhere onthe
page,so thiscan
subvertexpectations
and perhapssuggest
that NME doesn’t
needthatmuch
brandingas itis
alreadysowell
known.