Analysis of 2 articles

Article 1

Body textThe text in this article, featuring Cheryl Cole, is quite small and is around the size of 8-10. The colour is black which links in with Q’s colour theme of black, white and red. The font is simple which makes it easy to read and also gives the magazine a more finished look. It is arranged in 3 columns which makes the page look a lot busier. The use of the drop cap half way through the article – instead of at the beginning of it – sections the article into two, creating the illusion that the article is shorter than it is (which will make more people read the whole thing). There is also a big red capital C overlapping the first two columns. The opacity has been altered so that you can

see the text through it. This draws the audiences eyes to the text as not much colour is used in this double page spread, it also links in with their colour theme. The body text is placed on the left hand side of the two pages, which is where your eyes will go to first.

Images

Two images are used in this article. Both are a mid shot of Cheryl. The image with her against a white background is the main image which takes up the whole of the right hand side of the double page article.

From her eye makeup, to the outfit and pose, it is clear that they were aiming to create an edgy look. She is not making eye contact and is looking to her right side which gives the impression she is fierce. The second image she is

in front of a green screen which has been photoshopped into a city at night time whilst raining. She is holding a hat on her head which creates a shadow on he face over her eyes –keeping it with the edgy look they were going for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIx8-YmAVk0

A clip from behind the scenes at the photoshoot with Cheryl:

Index tab

This is positioned along the top left hand corner of the left page. The font is clear and large so that it is easily spotted and read. Her first name is in italic and second name in capital letters, which makes it stand out from the page even more. It is black – which links in with their colour theme.

Pull quote

This pull quote is positioned in the bottom left hand corner of the left page of the double page article. Initially having it here, would not make it stand out at all. However, what they have done is put it all in capitals and have it red which makes it probably one of the first things the audience will see an will look at. The quote itself is unusual and doesn’t make a lot of sense which would make people want to read the article to find out what she means by this.

Graphics Several graphics are used to enhance the look of the article, for example these lines:They also separate the page and give it more of a structured look.

Their logo is also included in the bottom left hand corner which reminds the audience which magazine this article is from.

The page number is displayed alongside their logo. It is different and interesting the way they chose to have a 0 before the page number, which makes them stand out as original and gives a bit of individuality.

Article 2

Body text

The article itself has not got much detail to it. However, arranging it into 4 columns creates the illusion that there is more to it and gives a more cluttered feel to the article which links in with the magazine’s genre. The text is positioned in the bottom left hand corner of the double page article and the size of the font is very small and appears even smaller due to the size of the text used for the pull quote. However, the font is Times New Roman so is easy to read in the sense of what font it is.

Images

In this article there is only one image used. It is positioned on the right hand side of the double page and takes up most of the right page. It is clear by her style in this photo that she was aiming to create a more edgy look, to link in with the style of the magazine, but also to show a different side of her. By her ‘style’ I mean her bold black eye makeup and her black messy hair. However, even though she was aiming to create an edgy look her facial expression is gentle and relaxed.

Pull quote

The first thing that I noticed about this pull quote is how large it is. It takes up around half of the double page, which is unusual. The font style is different and definitely unique as it appears to be letters cut from a newspaper article and stuck on messily to create a collage effect. Having the pull quote large and messy links

very closely with the genre of music that NME covers. Having the pull quote positioned on the top left corner of the left page means that it will be one of the first things that the audience will see as it is where your eyes automatically go to.

Graphics

Very few graphics are used in this article. However, the page number is displayed in the bottom left hand corner of the double page. This is where it is expected to have a page number displayed meaning that it has stuck to the conventions. It is very small so that it doesn’t take up much of the page. There is a gap between the article and the page number, making it easier to spot what page it is.

Another graphic that is used is the logo that has been displayed alongside the page number. Again, it is very small, but as it is red it stands out more. Having the logo on the article reminds the audience what magazine they are reading.