Double Page Spread Analysis

This Kerrang! double page spread follows general layout conventions as the main image is the largest thing on the page and the text is relatively smaller. This issues double page spread does look similar to other Kerrang! double page spreads as the main image fills the entire side of one of the pages and the text is placed on the other page opposite it. This reinforces the magazines brand identity as the readership would see it and recognise it as a Kerrang! article.

The title of the article is “My Dinosaur Life” and this suggests that the article will contain facts about the artists life and how he could be compared to a dinosaur. It draws in the audience as it is the biggest piece of text and it spreads over both the pages on the double page spread. Also it is in big bold writing and is put in black and red to catch the reader’s attention. The surreal nature of the article with it showing a toy dinosaur and an unusual headline will appeal to the target audience as they would be familiar with the weird tone of the magazine and this will draw them in.

There are not many images featured on this double page spread, only the main image of artist ‘Mark Hoppus’ and another small image of a dinosaur which appears to be being measured. The artist is being represented as wild and fun as he is dressed in all black and his hair looks quite unkempt; these features relate to the Indie Rock genre of music. His facial expression and body language make him come across as quite crazy/manic as his mouth is wide open and his body is hunched over.

The main image is placed using the full length of the second page and the other image is placed next to it but at a much smaller size. The images are used to draw in the audience as they would see the artist and recognise him but they would also see him being compared in size to a dinosaur in the other image and this would make them want to read the article to find out what it is about. The caption but under the image is “I love being recognised in the street” and this anchors the meaning of the images as you would realise that he gets recognised on the street for being a popular artist and this relates to the article. This will appeal to the audience because it is unusual for someone famous to enjoy getting attention and it will feel refreshing to them.

The body copy within the double page spread is an article with snippets of an interview with Mark Hoppus within it. The text is presented along the bottom of the first page in blocks next to each other. The information being presented is about how the artist moved from the USA to London and how he is finding living here. He is being represented as funny and humorous as he jokes about the things he loves about the city of London such as where he says that we “have buildings that are older than the USA”. The mode of address used is friendly and casual as they describe his ‘epic’ journey from California to London. The audience would find the information appealing because if they are fans of his then they will get to know his personal side better and this will interest them. It draws them in as it states facts and then uses Mark’s own quotations to back them up.

The other piece of text on the double page spread is the standfirst which previews what is going to be in the article. This piece of text appeals to the audience as it is larger than the main body of text so they would read it first and would get more excited to read the article. It also encourages the audience to read on as they would want to know why he loves being recognised in the street. The mode of address is really casual as it states that the artist just lived “around the corner” from Kerrang! and this is to create a good relationship with both the artist and the readership.

The colour scheme for this double page spread is black, white and red. These colours being used could represent that the artist is both dangerous yet fun as the red stands out and the black and white reflects the edgy Indie Rock genre. The colours are being used to maintain brand identity as the magazine would probably feature the same colours either on the front cover, on the contents page or throughout the magazine so the audience recognise the issue.

The font used on the main title looks messy and handwritten and this creates the effect of the edgy, rock life but also the dangerousness of a dinosaur. There is a simple, bold serif and sans-serif font used on the pieces of text on the double page spread. This maintains brand identity as it is probably used consistently throughout the magazine. It could be seen as quite tongue-in-cheek as the messy, scribbled writing reflects the dinosaur theme of the article.