Double Page Spread Analysis

I have looked at many different double page spreads as part of my research but have chosen 3 spreads to analyse as part of my planning for the magazine.  To begin with, I have used a double page spread from a issue of Top of the Pops. The main image that is used on the spread is placed at the left side of the article taking up the full page, which immediately draws the audience into the magazine. He is looking directly into the camera which is very effective because the reader will feel like he is looking at them, giving them a sense of closure with the article.  He is dressed in black and white clothes which match the colour scheme of the page, suggesting that the layout of this spread has been carefully chosen to help everything compliment each other.  The camera shot used is a long shot which gets his full body in to help focus and draw the reader in. The way he has chosen to pose also looks very relaxed and mellow as he is sat leaning back into a chair, allowing the reader to see him and his body full on. The use of direct eye contact helps to draw the audience in and helps to create the image stand out from the rest of the page. Another image is used in the middle of the page with a piece of text relating to the rest of the interview, this helps to split the article into small sections rather than one large chunk of writing.

The headline is spread across the left and some of the right page,  written in red and black plain font. The headline is a pull quote from the interview, the magazine have decided to use colours in this as it helps to make it stand out more. The questions are bold and in red, whereas the questions are pain black, portraying that the interview isn't serious and makes it more fun to read. The layout of this interview is very organised and not too in your face with lots of different things of going on. The columns of the writing are set into three different boxes, roughly around the same size. Near the bottom of the first column there is a piece of writing which informs you on who wrote this article and what the photographers name is, this is a convention that a lot of music magazines use in order to give people credit. 

The colour scheme of the page is very clearly red, black and white. However, this isn’t the same colours used on the front cover or the contents which shows some importance and individuality to the interview. At the bottom of each page in the middle is a page number so it’s easy to find the interview.

From the sort of language that is used in the article, you can understand that this is the sort of magazine that will appeal to young girls which is actually indeed the magazines target audience.

Top of the Pops magazine has a target audience of young teen girls, and the genre of music is pop. This is a double page spread of an interview with a  popular boy band The Wanted.  The first page of the spread shows the interview with the band and then the second page mainly focuses on the image of the band with a box that has a question.

The title of the article is only two words which makes it more catchy and helps it to get straight to the point, rather than having a 1 or 2 sentences. As you can see in the title, the first word is in capitals making it stand out more whereas the second word is in a lower case and different font, suggesting that it is less important than the first. Another thing that is appealing to the audience is when it says at the top right of the second page ‘Exclusive interview’, this would be the first thing that the reader would see when flicking to that page, therefore making them more interested in finding out what is 'exclusive' about the interview. You can learn from the title that the interview will be on them working out, which will attract a lot of girls as they will want to learn more about them working out and how they keep fit. The audience of the magazine can keep interest throughout the article with the images of the band, as the main image takes up a lot of the page. As the image is in the centre of the double page spread, the reader is immediately drawn into reading the interview to find out as why to the image is there, the larger ratio of pictures to text also helps to draw in the audience. There are quotes placed around the main picture of the band with some quotes from each member along side them. This helps to give a insight into the bands lives, which is what girls of a young age will want to read about. This also draws the audience into buying the magazine as it allows them to get to know the band more and may even help them to relate with them. 

The interview itself is kept very simple and has the layout and format like a normal interview would.  The questions and the answers are written in different colours which helps to separate the text into small secetions, making it easier for the audience to read. The interview also shows multiple answers from different members of the band which will appeal to the reader as they will be getting to know about them individually, rather then having all of them to answer the question with the same answer.

The article purposely uses bright but subtle colours that are appealing to the reader, keeping them engaged in the article. The main colour scheme of this double page spread is pink and purple/blue which i believe compliments the images and layout. The interview itself is quite informal meaning that the target audience will be able to relate to it as they are young and don't want to be reading something that comes across as more formal. The language is suitable for the target audience as the words used are like slang, i.e  "pig out".  People of a young age will understand this form of language as this is the type of words/phrases they use.

This is the final double page spread from Top of the Pops magazine i am using as part of my research. The language mainly used in the article is basic, this helps to appeal to the younger audience the magazine is based at, making it more manageable for the reader to understand what the featured artist is saying. The question/answers are laid out in a column format, going around the images on the page, these images are much larger on the page than the text. The artist in the article uses the word ‘cool’, a word that is familiar within the target audience, helping her to establish a connection between her and the reader.  The opening paragraph sets up the interview by informing the reader of her role on the new singing show, The Voice UK, and whether or not she is like how she is on the show. The interviewer asks personal questions about her past life in which her answers might be relatable to the readers. Instead of the usual title taking up the top of a full page, this one is written in a small circle with only two words. An alliteration is used which shows the quirkiness of the article and is very simple, rather than using a quote from the interview. The font is plain and simple, which i believe is still effective as it doesn't take away the attention from the main image on the other side of the page.  At the top of the page, there is one pull quote that says ‘I’m shaving my head for charity’; helping the reader as it picks out the most important quote of the whole article, contrasting with the title as people will be quick to 'judge' her on what she is doing. 



Looking at these magazines have helped me a lot when it will come to designing my double page spread. After looking into 3 different articles, I now have a much better understanding of how I should set out my DPS and what needs to be included. All 3 double page spreads have a layout that I would try and follow when creating my own as they are very colourful and will appeal to my target audience. By researching into different double page spreads, it has also helped me to gain knowledge on how the interview should be set out and written. For example, the following articles have helped to inform my own creative decisions as I know that when creating my DPS, I would like the questions to be written in bold, then the answers written in a normal font. This way, the readers will be able to understand the interview more and it will be a lot more clear to follow.