Textual Analysis Of Double Page Spread

This is a double page spread from an NME magazine, in which the British pop/rock artist Lilly Allen is being interviewed. In this double page spread Lilly Allen is represented as a stereotypical rock star. This is shown through the use of dark makeup around the eyes and jet-black hair. The type of clothing she is wearing is associated with rock rather than pop as it is not colorful. The mise en scene of this image allows us to have an understanding of what type of magazine this is. Lilly Allen is also posing in an unusual way, her body language suggests that she doesn’t care; this is the stereotypical attitude of a rocker. Although it looks like she doesn’t care, there is still direct address as she is looking at the audience.

This double page spread has unconventional features. One of the unconventional features is that it only has one image. The image is very large as it takes up a whole page. This could have been made to show the audience that Lilly Allen is very important. NME have also made the double page spread look a lot like a poster. This could have been deliberate, as it will attract their audience to read it. The big image mean that the interview is limited to a small amount of space therefore it may attract a lot of readers as too much information could get boring. The title of the magazine looks very attractive as it the text is laid out in blocks. The double page spread is very visual with large images to take up space. There is probably more of the interview on the next page, if so this is a very good way to lie out a double page spread, as it is very visually entertaining. This double page also has conventional features as the text is laid out in columns; this is seen in every professional double page spread, making the text easier to read.

Another conventional feature of the magazine is that it has a direct mode of address. This is very important, as the correct mode of address will keep the audience reading. The text has to shut the audience preferences and should be writing n a way that the target audience can read. For example if a pop magazine interviews were writing as if it were to be in a Hip-hop magazine a lot of the audience would find it hard to understand therefore the magazine will loose a lot of their target audience.

This double page spread is also conventional as it has a floating quote. The floating quote in this magazine is “People think I’m an attention seeker, but I’m just honest” this a very effective quote as it what an artist would say as they say what every they want to say. The quote also allows the audience to know a bit more about the person the magazine is interviewing. In this double page spread the quote is at the top of the interview, which takes up a lot of space. This is very unusual as quotes tend to a lot smaller than the main image taking little space. The use of colors in this magazine is very limited to about three colors white, black and red. These are very dull colors and there aren’t any bright colors to attract the young audience.

Overall I think that the magazines unconventional features overweigh the conventional aspects. The use of the layout looks attractive and looks as if it will attract the target audience.