Analysis of Double Page spread from Kerrang!

Analysis of the Double Page Spread in Kerrang!

As part of the main task I have to produce a double page spread that could be part of my contemporary music magazine. To get inspiration I decided to analyze a double page spread from Kerrang! As my magazine is going to have a similar article to Kerrang! I am going to use the double page spread from Kerrang! as a template.

The double page spread has the picture on the left however, the shoulder stretches on to the right hand page. The main text is on the right hand page. The photograph dominates the page and text. The image is the first thing the reader’s eye notices.

The page is bare with only one plain color used which is Brown. The picture reminds me of mud and is very unattractive I really did not like the color used. It depends what the audience think to the design different people will have different thoughts.

The main font colors used is White and Grey. As the background color is a dark brown, light colors needed to be used. The White and Grey font stand out to the eye and makes it easier to read. The words “The Perfect Stranger” are in a light Grey and is the biggest text on the whole article. This is the headline of the article. The strapline “Dir En Grey” frontman Kyo is not like other rock stars" is in a White and Grey font. The first line “Dir En Grey” is in White Bold Capital letters and can be told from the other text. The rest of the text on the left hand page is in a mixture of Grey and White. The main article, the interview is on the right hand page and takes up the whole of the page. The writing in the article is tiny and is very hard to read. The only words which stand out is the quote which is Grey and White “When I was growing up I hated music KYO”. All the other text is tiny and does not catch the eye. The only thing which catches the eye is the headline and the picture.

Kerrang! have decided to use Kyo from “Dir En Grey” in the main photograph because he is a lead singer of a famous rock band. Kyo has been represented as a rock god who looks tough with his tattoo, however, it is as if he is sniggering at the reader as his fingers are covering his lips. It is clear to the eye the picture has been edited so it looks completely perfect. A lot of the photographs in Kerrang! are posed and not natural you can tell this from the background they are standing in front of, and the way they are positioned on the page. On the double page spread especially it is not natural you can tell that Kyo has been told to pose and he has just been put in front of a Brown Background. The image looks plain compared to the other images in Kerrang! The only reason we know this is the main article, is because it is on a double page spread.

In my l opinion I found the double page spread very disappointing for Kerrang! I have seen double page spreads in Kerrang! And the presentation has been better in the past I found this one very plain and boring and not much is happening. I was impressed with the actual article itself but the photograph was very disappointing because it looked put on. Although it does look professional I like pictures to look more natural.