2nd Double Page Spread Analysis: Q 27/2/16

After previously analysing a contents page from Q, it is clear to see that this particular music magazine has a very strong brand identity that is followed throughout the entirety of the magazine. There are numerous conventions that this double page spread follows to which I shall investigate.

With regards to the layout of this page, the picture takes up the entire left side whereas the right side is made up of just writing. By doing this, the reader is drawn to the image due to the sheer size of it and the fact that there is minimal writing to distract from the striking shot.  The image is a close up of Jay-Z wearing dark shades along with a trendy yet relaxed outfit. His facial expression is very serious and somewhat moody which is a very stereotypical look for Jay-Z. He may be represented as a determined and focused man due to his stern expression and the fact that he is slightly looking down suggests he is superior in the music industry. 

The header on the right hand side of the double page spread is a very small feature and barely stands out as being the title. It reads: 'The most exciting people music in music: Jay-Z' which suggests he is an iconic member of rap culture and has made a career out of his music. The writing style is very narrow and in a capitalised, serif font that isn't much larger than the text size used for the story below it. This page is keeping to the red house-colour scheme which Q uses throughout all of their magazines. The use of drop capitals including the large, red letter 'L' that covers the whole background on the right hand side look very stylish and effective. They not not only look professional and are a common convention in many magazines but also help to separate large sections of text. 

As the house colour for the majority of Q magazines is red, the outfit background behind the image of Jay-Z contains this colour to suit the trend. Moreover, it could be suggested that as only half of the background is red and the other a pale blue, he is a man with two personalities. Red may connote his serious, work attitude whereas blue is his loving and caring side. In addition, the magazine logo/name is placed in red at the bottom of the left of the right page, to further enhance the identity of the magazine brand and follow the house style through onto the rest of the pages. 

On the left hand side, there is a very large story that is roughly a page long. Although Jay-Z has a fairly young audience, I believe this amount of text would be quite off-putting for a younger reader so therefore think that this particular story is aimed at an older demography. On the same page as the image, there is a small section of writing in a fancy, red font just to the right of Jay-Z's shoulder. It is a quote from the rapper and is being used as a teaser so the reader is encouraged to read the entire story. Additionally, the phrase 'rap radar' is positioned near the artist to reveal to the audience what style of music he is renowned for.

For my own double page spread, I would like to follow some of the conventions this one follows. Firstly, I would like to include one main image and perhaps give it its own page as I believe this looks very effective and immediately draws attention.  I will also be more aware of my story length as I believe this particular one is too long for the target audience of the magazine. Like I have stated previously, I think that quotes make stories more personal so I would definitely like to select a particularly special statement and enlarge it.  Finally, I think that the use of drop capitals is extremely clever and adds a whole new dimension to the page so I would like to incorporate at least one of these features.