Q Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

• On the double page spread of Q magazine there are two photos on these pages. The main photo is of the featured band Oasis, this featured article is the main article of the magazine that has been published on the front cover. This photo is of the band at a younger age in 1995, this would tell us that this article is for an older generation, to read and gain information about the band. In the photo all of the men from Oasis are wearing the same outfits, with the same objects around them. This effect of the men wearing the same outfits indicates that they want to show that they are a band and are all the same. Also the fact that they are all sitting down in deck chairs and watching TV tells us that these men are normal people and like to live normal lives, even if they are famous. Considering this, the effect of them sitting in the beach adds a quirky sense to it, showing that they love the beach just like everyone else in this world. The photo has been placed at the top of the right hand side of the second page, and goes partly across the first page. The photo has been laid out like this to fill more than one quarter of the double page spread to show the importance of the band status.

• The whole double page spread has been placed within a boarder. Throughout the 20 page spread there is a border surrounding the article. This is to show a specific house style and effectively organises the article making it look neat and compresses the stand first onto a text box to shoe organisation of the article. However, the two photographs used on the double page spread have been placed to overhang the border. The main article photo overhangs the top of the border, this is effective as it creates a unique style of organisation from the conventions of the text, colour and layout and the photographs used, and this is effectively used throughout the 20 page spread. This links back to a unique and different house style this main featured article has been given that is different to the rest of Q magazine. This article demographic would appeal to an older generation as it is organised and has a soft and clam style and tone to the article. The double page spread is also about a famous and older generation band called Oasis, which would encourage middle aged people to be interested in this magazine and would appeal to mixed gender.

• In the bottom left hand corner there is a smaller picture of fans cheering for Oasis at one of their concerts in 1996 when they hit their peak. This image shows how people loved Oasis and cheered them on. It shows that their fans are extremely important to them for making their fame happen, and taking off their career. The effect of placing this photo at the bottom of the page makes it seem as if they are looking directly up to the other image across the page to see Oasis. This makes us see Oasis in a different light as if they are almost idols to worship.  

• For the conventions of the double page spread there is a specific theme to the article. On the top right hand side there, a filler has been used. This filler is used throughout the 20 page spread of the featured main article. This shows that this article has its own specific house style as it is continuously used on the 20 page spread. The article has a specific colour scheme matching the front cover, as this is that main feature article. The colour scheme is red, black and white. This is also a part of the house style of the main article.

• The typography and style of text has been repeated and is the same as the typography on the front cover. This is another house style that has been frequently used throughout the 20 page spread. This typography is to show the brand identity of the article and the band, linking all of them together. The stand first has been spread evenly in columns across the double page spread. The stand first too is aligned and is positioned immediately under the headline, and placed into columns. Nonetheless it is clear it is a separate piece of text forms both the headline and the main body of text because visually the size of font is different. The stand first uses the black text to ensure it stands out. The stand first effectively introduces the reader to what the feature is about. The article starts off with a drop cap which is used to enhance the article and is also called an initial and is a letter at the beginning of a word, a chapter, or a paragraph that is larger than the rest of the text. Initial caps, by their size or design attract the eye of the reader. They signal the start of a story or a change in focus. In long articles or predominantly text publications they provide a visual break. This is one of the conventions in the double page spread being shown to the reader.  Another convention Q magazine have embodied in their article is structurally separating the text into columns, 6 to be precise. These columns appear to be distorted in places because Q has used things such as pull-out quotes and photographs to cut into columns of text. Again this makes the page visually more appealing to the reader and less intimidating to read. The columns are also laid out in an organised way which would appeal to the reader as well. The decision to the break up the article with things such as drop caps, and pull quotes etc. visually attracts the more low-brow demographic to read their magazine.