Magazine Double Spread Analysis

What is a double spread page?

• Double Page Spread refers to two pages that are treated as one, with images or text extended across the binding . I would be analyzing three double spread pages for my media assignment .

Double Spread #1 Header

Drop cap

By line

Article Title

Main Image(Indirect mode)

Footer (Magazine name and page number)

Standfirst

General Analysis

This double spread image is possessed by ‘Harper’s bazaar magazine’ which is a women’s fashion magazine that began in 1867.This double spread is dominated by only one image which dominates the page to a great extent. The article is written in black letters against a white background. It was very appropriate to have a white background as the main Image is very colorful and lively. The colours would not have been popped very well and looked that attractive on a dark coloured background. The neutral colour scheme of the article and the background contributed towards making the image look very eye pleasing. The image takes up a whole page and a great proportion of the other page with text thus abiding by the concept of double spread sheets .The article of these double spread sheets is divided into different categories which can be demonstrated by the subheadings before every paragraph showing that the article focuses on particular aspects rather than one single topic. There is a lot of uniformity as the writer has not used different colours for the header and footers also. This double spread does not possess any pull quote as it does not focus on only one particular subject.

Article Title

The article title of this double spread is written in a very simple way using the neutral colour blank. The article title also does not have a large font size like the articles of majority of the double spreads do .The title is written in an elegant way

Main ImageSince this double spread possesses only one image, it gets categorized as the main image .The image can be claimed as a medium long shot as it portrays the subject from head to toe and we can see the surroundings. The image is taken on a field near an enormous resident type building . The image is a landscape and comprises of seven subjects. The image is an indirect shot as the subject(the ladies) are not looking into the camera which enables them to not look into the reader’s eye. The subject fails to establish a friendly and manipulative bond with the reader even though one model (the one in the red shirt ) is partially looking At the camera. The image shows a number of models who are walking towards a particular location. The ladies in the image are dressed in a highly fashionable way.However,their facial expressions are very solemn as none of the ladies are smiling.

Drop Cap

Like every drop cap, the article of this double spread has a bigger sized and bold coloured drop cap. The drop cap of the article in this magazine is in serifs and gives a formal and sophisticated look.The letter of the dropcap, however, has a thin starting line and some proportions of the letter are bold.

Standfirst

Unlike many double spreads, the stand first of this double spread is quite detailed and elaborate. Many articles have standfirst of one line. The size of the letters of the standfirst is small and it is written in a different font which gives a very pleasing look to the double spread.

Header

The denotations about the header is that it is written on the extreme top and on the extreme right. It is written in bold, black and in capital. Like every other page od the magazine, the header of this double spread is the same.

Double Spread #2

Celebrity Name

Drop Cap

Main Image

By Line

Standfirst

Content box

General AnalysisThis double spread is from a music magazine. We can see

that the article title is a pull quote. Unlike many double spreads, this is not dominated by too many pictures. There are only two images on the double spread. The colour palette of these double spread sheets comprises of the colours white and black. However the use of the colour orange before the title and the dropcap and brightness. The colour scheme is extremely consistent throughout these double spreads The image of the violinist is appearing on the page with the text hence showing some connectivity between the two pages proving that it is a double spread. The text of the article is divided among three columns which gives a tidy and nice look.

Article Title

The article title is written boldly in white and it is situated at the corner on the extreme right . Although unlike many article titles this one is not written in capital letters yet the letters stand out in white against the black background. Since the article title is a pull quote, the apostrophe marks also makes the title stand out and makes it more prominent. The name of the violinist has been highlighted in a bright orange colour making it stand out more as a celebrity . Despite being in the corner, the highlight on the celebrity's name is a great method of appeal. The dullness of the colour white is compensated by the brightness of the orange highlight

Standfirst

The standfirst of this article is giving a glimpse of what the entire article is about. The standfirst is not written boldly in capital letters. The standfirst suggests that the article is emphasizing on the fact that having a great violin is not the only instrument for great fiddling and great fiddling demands more than that. This standfirst says a lot in a little regarding the article.

By Line

The byline is written in a quite smaller font size and capital letters. In my opinion, it is essential to have a by line as those individuals involved in making the double spread should be given the credibility and the recognition for being Indulged in that particular category.The by line is written in the same colour as the stand first right below the article title demonstrating connectivity. Usually double spreads have bylines at the end of the article but this one has it right after the article title

Main Image The main image comprises of only one subject. The image

seems like a mid close up shot as we can see the subject from the head to the lower chest and the surroundings at the back can be seen as well. It is a direct mode shot as the subject is looking into the camera building a good connection with the reader The shot seems to be taken at a lounge and we can see violins at the back showing that the subject is passionate about violins to such an extent that he is surrounded by violins .The subject is wearing a white dress shirt along with a brown checked coat which gives a semi formal .The subject which is the violinist have quite serious facial expressions which can connote that he highly passionate and focused about his career. Having a blur picture of violins in the background and the subject being dressed in one of the shades of brown colour makes a good contrast. Having a pull quote on the main image is a great contribution towards having the reader’s interest grabbed towards the article in the double spread. For eg;-If the magazine holder is not fond of reading but just skimming through the magazine the pull quote on the main image of this double could manipulate the reader and tempt them and create suspense about something highly interesting in the article hence convincing them to read it

Secondary ImageThe subject of the secondary subject is a violin. The picture is a

full shot as it demonstrates the violin fully. We can see a reflection of the backside of the violin which indicates that it is taken near a mirror. Having the image of the violin further indicates that the article features a violinist. The small image can make the article interesting for the reader.

Drop CapThe letter ‘I’ that is written boldly in orange is

known as the drop cap. Though it is a part of the article, the colour ,boldness and its size completely differs from those of the rest of the alphabets of the article. The reason behind this is to indicate that this is the point from where the article originates. In my opinion, this is a quite creative technique making it convenient for the reader to acknowledge the starting point of the article of a double spread which is highly dominated by text. Having orange as the drop cap colour was quite appropriate as it is extremely bright and dark. It is also An attractive colour resulting in convenient visibility. Having dull colours like baby pink, yellow, blue etc would not have given such an eye catching effect like the orange drop cap

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Content box The content box gives a very good edge to the

double spread. The content box is located on the extreme right on the main image. The content box is the resume of the violinist on whom the article is based. It is portrayed as a page torn from a notebook and it is likely to fascinate the audience. The details in the content box are totally different from those in the article. The use of a different colour for the heading makes it easier for the audience to see what details does the content box contain. The years are also written in 0range which further assists in categorizing.

Pull Quotes

These pull quotes are taken from the article which grip the reader’s attention. Pull Quote give a great edge to double spread pages and increases the attractiveness of an article .Bold pull quotes create suspense and desire about acknowledging what is in the article

The orange box indicates the end of the article. Having the final stop as the same colour as the drop cap is quite co ordinative.The box would indicate that any text written after it is not a part of the article

Double Spread#3

Main Image

Article title

Standfirst

Drop Cap

Secondary Image

Pull Quote

Footer(magazine name and page number)Content

box

Header

General AnalysisThis double spread Is taken from a music magazine called heavy

metal magazine. The colour palette of this double spread consists of black , white and red and this is a very powerful colour scheme. The three colours complement one another in an extraordinarily amazing way. The article of this double spread looks incomplete without a byline. This double spread is not dominated by a lot of images but has one main image that takes up a great proportion of the sheet and a very small image. Both the images of these double spreads have the same subject. This double spread also possesses a barcode which is rare. The article is written in two equal columns with white which is conveniently readable. The ratio of the image on this double spread is higher than that of the text. The article of this double spread starts from the corner on the extreme right and does not circulate around the image or the quote.

Article title

This double spread has a two word article title which sums up that the article is about classical singing. Though the title is not in capital letters, it still stands out because of the use of white colour against the black background.

standfirst

This double spread has a two line standfirst which gives an extremely brief idea about a number of characteristics of Tara Turunen.The word Heavy is written in capital letters which means that the writer. The use of the colour ‘red’ for the standfirst as it excites the reader’s emotions and further convinces to read and acknowledge more details. It invokes enthusiasm and desire to read the article.

DropCap The drop cap is orange colored which shows great co ordination between with the color of the subject of the main image. The shade of the color of the drop cap is that one of the orange used in fire. At times, the emoticon o fire is used to indicate seductiveness. It shows connectivity with the model of the main image as she is also dressed up in a very sexy way and her facial expressions are portrayed in a way as if she is trying to attract the audience by her intoxicatingly seductive expressions. Hence, the colour of the drop cap mentally prepares the reader for such an image.

Main ImageThis main Image is very empowering. It comprises of only one subject that is a lady. The image is a mid close up as it tightly frames the subject from the head to the lower chest and the subject takes up the entire page. The image not only bleeds over the entire page but also takes up as proportion of the page with the text thus abiding by the concept of a double spread to a great extent . It is a direct shot as the way the lady is looking enables her to establish eye contact with the audience. The subject is dressed in a black shirt and she is wearing a number of necklaces. The black shirt makes her look quite semi formal. However, the use of the red fur which the lady is wearing breaks the semi formal look. The red fur greatly contributes towards withdrawing the audience's attention. For e.g.;-The audience would not have been attracted and the double spread would have a very bad and disrupting view because of the black shirt which is the same colour as the background..Just like most of the singers and musicians, the singer here is wearing a lot of necklaces which gives her a rock star oriented look. Since red colour is meant to attract attention, it would intrigue the reader to have a look. The reader could be flipping pages but he/she might consider checking where the shade of red is coming from thus being ,manipulated about the article. Having the image of Taruja Tarunen is a good reason for individuals such as her fans to read about her. The image is an essential factor as it is giving an idea about the celebrity featured in the article, However, the facial expressions of the lady are a little unpleasant. The way she is looking seems as if she is infuriated or is warning about something. We can see that little pop of red on her right eye which creates suspense in the audience’s mind that is the subject so intensely infuriated. The subject is not wearing a lot of makeup.Eg;-The colour of her lipstick is not dark or red in connection with the colour scheme as it would have created a very hard look.

Secondary ImageThe secondary image of this double spread is a direct shot as it enables the establishment of connectivity between the reader and the subject of the image. The image is a close up shot as it does not give an idea about the surroundings and it does not have any head room. The subject’s face is partially painted with yellow giving a very pale look. The girl’s hair also looks a little untidy and the facial expressions are in a way that they can neither be claimed to be delighted nor gloomy. The way the lady is portrayed in the image indicates that she has a carefree look. The pops of the yellow colour make the picture look a little bright thus withdrawing the reader’s attention. The subject of this image looks rather very simple and we can see that neither has she applied any makeup nor is she wearing any jewellery.

Pull Quote

The pull quote of this double spread is situated on the extreme bottom. Double Spreads usually have pull quotes on the top and they are written in a way that the article circulates around them. This pull quote is written In a quite simple font and written in straight lines.However,the use of asterisks indicates that this pull quote possesses a word categorized under foul language which is which two of it’s letter are not demonstrated. Not only is this pull quote attracting the reader but also breaking the long blocks of text. Like every pull quote, the pull quote of this double spread is sized larger than the body text

Footer

The magazine name is written as the header in white. This footer has a bigger font unlike the footers of majority. The letter ‘A’ has been omitted from the magazine name which connotes that Heavy Metal is a well known and famous magazine and it’s name can be recognized even if as letter is omitted from one of the alphabets. The use of the red triangle with the white font brings about some diversity. Using only white for the footer would have made it look boring.

Content BoxThe content box Is located right next to the main image which gives an insight about something that is linked to the article title but has no connectivity with the article itself. This content box focuses on what of the accomplishments of the female classical singer on whom the article is based. Unlike many content boxes, this one also possesses a small image and a description regarding that accomplishment of the singer. The colorful image in the content box breaks the colour scheme of red black and white and brings some diversity and liveliness to the double spread

Header

The header of this double spread consists of three words that are written in different lines.' Rock is written in red which indicates that a lot of emphasis is being given to this quality. Since it is describing about the chick, this characteristic is made prominent by the use of a different eye catching colour .

Articles have a fully coloured square box at the end which indicate the end of the article. However this article has a an orange coloured bold ’H’ which is a great and unique innovation signifying the magazine where the article belongs