2. The magazine that I am analysing the double page spread of is the November 2013 edition of NME which features Lou Reed on the front cover
1942-2013. No one is being interviewed in this double page spread but Lou Reed is the subject of what is being talked about.
The sub heading invites us
into the article as it says
‘EGO?’ which would make
the reader question what it
meant by this and would
have made them think
about what kind of ego Lou
Reed had.
Very few quotations are used in
the article, this would attract the
reader to read the whole of the
article as this would mean the
article was going to be about
someone else's opinion on this
artist. Also it is asking you more
questions as the audience than it
is to Lou Reed or any other
person.
The title of this double page spread is a
quote from Lester Bangs about Lou Reed
who is the feature of the magazine.
The title attracts the reader to read this article as
it takes up a whole page of the magazine, and
the writing is very spaced out so it is clear to the
reader and it is easy to understand. The title is
also very powerful in what it says, it may appear
quite shocking to the reader which will make the
read on to see what the title means and what
they are trying to say about the late Lou Reed.
The language used in this
article is quite casual which
invites the audience is which
links in with the questions
theme, it isn’t very formally
written which makes it easier
for the audience to read if
they don’t want to read
something complicated.
The article written about Loud
Reed is targeted at a particular
audience as it would of been
written towards people that
are interested in Lou Reed and
what he was actually like. It is
targeted at a particular
audience by the language used
to describe Lou Reed. The
article tells us a lot of
information about the artist as
is mainly made up of questions
that start with ‘who else
would’ showing that Lou Reed
was unique and an individual
person in what he thought/did.
This also shows he qualities
and not so good things about
him. I think the audience will
be interested in this type of
information as if they don’t
know much about Lou Reed
they can find out a lot by
questions asked to them which
they have to think about and
then realise what kind of
person Lou Reed really was.
3. •
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Analysis continued
The font used in the article attracts the reader as it looks like the font that would be used in a
newspaper, this would attract the audience as that would suggest to them that the article
would be very factual and would tell them a lot about Loud Reeds life. The font it not too big
but also not small, this would attract the reader as it wouldn’t be hard to read and would be
clear for them to understand.
The photo in the article represents the Artist in a certain way as he has a cigarette hanging
out of his mouth and he is looking at the camera like he doesn’t really care about anything.
This represents him as a man who is careless and just wants to make music. The lighting in
the image is also quite dark as it is in black and white showing that the image was taken in
the past in his earlier career suggesting he has always been the same and was quite ‘dark’.
The photos are taken with just a plan black background in the background, they don’t look
like they have been taken in a studio and look like someone that isn’t professional has took it.
This works for this particular article as it shows that he didn’t really care about that type of
thing and cared more about music, so did not need professional photos where he looked
‘good’.
On this double page spread it isn’t really an interview so most of the information is from the
point of view of the interviewer that interviewed him when he was alive. This is giving a
different perspective of him, and this was from someone that had actually met him so would
know him/about him. This may attract the audience as they might want to know what others
thought of him and not just about him.
The theme of the whole article is quite plain and dark, most of it appears to be black and
white apart from three small sections of it where the background of the writing is pink. These
three small sections are not focused on Lou Reed and these are the brighter sections, again
suggesting that he was quite a dark person and that all of this information about him is from
the past.
4. • This analysis of the double page spread will help
me with my own music magazine as my magazine
will also be about the genre indie and it will help
me know what to include in my magazine to draw
the audience in and what kind of techniques to
use to make things stand out from the rest and
make you want to read on due to the shocking
things it says. It will also help me as I now know
what my kind of audience will want to read and
why they buy this genre of music, magazines
(what the articles include etc).
5. House style of NME
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The page numbers on every page of this edition of NME are not at the bottom of the page like a typical magazine, they
are on the side in a triangle shape that is on its side, this appears on every page where the background of the page
number is black and the page number itself is white. You would not expect this to be in the middle but it is quite bold
as the black and white colours are quite bold.
There is a running theme of colours throughout the magazine which is mainly black and white with occasional bits of
red and some brighter colours inside to brighten the magazine up a bit. Blue is also a colour that appears on some
writing in the magazine and it also used as borders for things.
The font throughout the whole magazine is the same for the articles and information and the titles font is also mainly
the same throughout to keep it professional and to make it look good. This font looks like the font you would see in a
newspaper suggesting it is factual and gives you lots of information about music.
Throughout the magazine the photos used are of all of the artists that the information is about and this usually
involves them holding something to do with there music or it is a professional shot apart from old artists that are no
longer around, these photo’s don’t look as professional. The clothes and props they have links to the type of person
they are and the type of music they make.
At the bottom of every page of the magazine the date is written along with ‘new musical express’. This is a running
theme through the whole magazine.
Drop caps aren't used in this magazine but at the start of a piece of information/interview the first few words are in
bold making this parts stand out as you go through the magazine.
The columns on most of the pages are the same side again showing a running theme and making it look a lot more
professional and thought about.
The way they speak to the audience in this magazine is quite informal, drawing the audience in to have an easy read.
This information about the house style of this magazine will help me with my research for my own music magazine as I
now understand that there has to be some running themes throughout the magazine to make it looks more
professional and I also need to make it fit the type of magazine it is (music). I also know what my audience will notice
and what type of colours would be suitable for my own magazine.
