DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

Mixmag has a large image of the featured person making it clear to the reader of who the artist is if they didn’t already recognise their name. The name of the featured artist is in small font at the top of the page which means that if the magazine spread attracted your attention you would then have to search for the artist’s name which keeps the reader’s attention.

It is very clean and sticks to white and black front to create the tone of organisation. Sections of the text are in columns to keep the magazine looking professional. The font of “all that she wants” and “helena hauff” are all in lower case letters and aren’t following the conventions of a typical magazine. By doing this it suggests to the reader that the magazine is well-known and doesn’t need to follow convention in order for people to buy the magazine and to then ensure that they make a profit.

All the negative space creates a laid back chilled vibe like the contents page and front cover. The negative space on the double page spread also is very unconventional as a typical double page spread aims to fill as much of the two pages as possible to ensure that it is full of information and fulfils its purpose of informing the reader with “gossip” about the feature article.

The feature article photo is very contemporary and also unconventional as the top of Helena’s head has been cut off. This creates the impression to the reader that she is famous enough to not need the whole image to be included but also suggests to the reader that the magazine doesn’t follow convention and therefore is well-known enough to do so. The photo also continues onto the second page rather than sticking to the conventional one page feature article photograph. It also doesn’t start at the edge of the page on the first page and instead included lots of negative space in columns on either side of the image. This keeps the tone of organisation but also that it again doesn’t follow convention.

The stand first is very plain and fairly big font for extra text to attract the audience. In the stand first the artists name is in bold to show the reader literally who the article is about. It is typically placed beneath the heading of the article, however it has been placed on top of the feature article photograph to make it stand out, to make the reader be drawn to it before beginning the passage itself but also it is underlined in light blue to simply express to the reader that this magazine doesn’t follow convention and they are different giving the reader more opportunities and more reasons to buy the magazine as they are so different.

Generally this double page spread doesn’t follow convention and this can relate back to featured artist and what it suggests about her. By not follow the typical rules of a double page spread helps to express to the reader that she isn’t a typical artist, and that she is very different in terms of her music and personality. This is shown through the use of lower case letters for the heading and her name being in small lower case letters. Firstly the heading suggests that she is a very chilled and laid back artist that too like the magazine doesn’t follow the conventions of the music industry. Secondly the use of her name being in small lower case letters suggests to the reader that she doesn’t consider herself to be a big and famous artist and therefore has requested this to be written in the way it has. This article is different to the other articles in the magazine suggesting that it isn’t the magazine itself but actually the writer of the article and the artist featured.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

MIXMAG CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS

MixMag actually states “CONTENTS” within the actual page directly at the top suggesting to the reader that it is easy to navigate. It is set up in columns to keep it looking tidy and to create the tone of organisation and cleanliness. It has images with page numbers to attract the reader to those pages. However it doesn’t contain much negative space suggesting that it includes a large amount of information.

The contents page follows a colour scheme which is the basic black and white scheme, creating a laid back and chilled tone. The only bright colours used are within the images which grabs the reader’s attention and attracts them to those pages rather than the actual contents. It also gives a vibe of excitement and fun to the reader, suggesting that this magazine is energetic and colourful exactly how a festival would be.

Beneath every title of each page there is a very minimal description of what the page includes. This allows the reader to know specifically what that page informs you off and therefore they know exactly where to navigate to.

Within the page there are images of both genders which doesn’t limit the audience of who would buy the magazine. By doing this they attract both genders and therefore both men and women know it is acceptable for them to buy this magazine.

By spreading the contents across two pages it gives it a more defined vibe and as a typical magazine would have their contents limited to one page, it is unconventional. By doing this it suggests to the reader that this magazine is well-known and they are typically rule breakers giving it a higher status.

There are four images within the contents page, but only two of these are more eye-catching. This is because they are both full of colour.

The first image is of a girl holding a drink looking in an area which appears to be a festival. She is smiling which tells the reader that she is having a good time and is enjoying the music played the same way that the author of the magazine would want the reader to feel about the magazine. She is in focus and the others within the image aren’t suggesting that she is the main focus, by using a girl in minimal clothing (some kind of bikini) attracts the male reader stereotypically being a straight man. Her eyes are directly looking to the camera and it is shot at eye angle. This suggests to the reader that she is not threatening with the camera being beneath her and that she therefore has no power, it is also not shot above her to make her look weak and vulnerable. Therefore it suggests that she is just a normal girl and that festivals can be for anyone. When looking at the page “116” it is only listings of night clubs to go to therefore this image emphasises the fact that this magazine is for people who typically want to enjoy themselves. The use of “116” being in block and in a large font at the bottom of the screen and to the right simply tell the reader where to navigate to in order to find what the article or page will be talking about.

The second image is full of bright colours as it contains fireworks and is of a packed dance festival. It implies to the reader who is presumably of a young age that festivals are fun and that it is typically energetic and full-on. In the bottom right corner it says “Dave Clarke at Tomorrowland”. This simply tells the reader exactly where this shot had been taken and informs them of the type of music being played at this festival. In the bottom left corner “74” is in big block font simply to tell the reader where to navigate to. This is common on a contents page as it is involved in a magazine simply to tell the reader where to navigate to and summarises what each page involves. When viewing this page it is an actual interview with Dave Clarke and is on a double page spread with one being an image and the other images and writing. Therefore the image of his set at Tomorrowland simply emphasises the fact that festivals were created to have fun and enjoy life the same reason for this magazine existing and informing young people that this is what they should go out and to do enjoy themselves.

The language used in the contents page is very informal and is written to a reader of young age typically below the age of 30. However it is also fairly informative language. For example “What’s it like to be a dancer?” and “Three top club nights reviewed”. Therefore this relates back to the idea that a contents page exists to inform the reader of what is included in the magazine.

MIXMAG CONTENTS PAGE

MIXMAG FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

MixMag is a short and snappy title which is catchy to the reader and memorable. The word “Mix” has connotations of the magazine being available for anyone regardless of race, class, income, gender or age. This means that its target audience is very broad and means the magazine would going more recognition. As it does this, it doesn’t limit the buyers which means that MixMag could gain a high profit. The alliteration of “M” has resemblance of a DJ’s turn table so this tells the reader the genre of the music magazine if not explicitly stated. The bubble-writing type of font used contrasts the connotations of being clean and chic as it creates an impression of relaxation and a chilled vibe, therefore the reader wouldn’t take the magazine as serious as others. The roundness of the font heightens the chilled vibe and that it shouldn’t be taken as a statement professional magazine but more of a fun and ranged magazine.

MixMag uses the colour of bright purple for its masthead. The colour of the masthead is also used within the plugs to make it eye-catching for the reader, but also gives it a professional look increasing the chances of the magazine being bought. The colour scheme of grey, purple and black across the front cover keeps the magazine looking fresh, smart and clean, giving across a professional well-known vibe. As the plugs do not include much information it tells the reader that this is a famous magazine that is going to be bought regardless of what information is on the front cover due to its publicity. The minimalistic use of plugs creates lots of negative space across the entire front cover making it very unconventional when comparing to a typical magazine. The front is in block and then beneath where there is extra information it is not in block but is underlined. By using both block and underlining on the text, it makes the reader directly look at all plugs rather than the negative space as it entices the reader. The language used isn’t very highbrow and sophisticated, it is very chilled and relatable language for the main audience it wants to attract of a youthful person of either gender. This article is in purple, however last month the masthead was pink. Both are pastel colours and this typically would attract the reader of MixMag. They create a fun and enthusiastic vibe which a magazine like Q wouldn't do.

The puff of “THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DANCE MUSIC & CLUB CULTURE MAGAZINE” explicitly states what music is featured within the issue. It is in block capitals to make it look punchy and clean. By doing so, it catches the readers’ eye after reading the title because of the use of black and block font. As it says the “WORLD’S BIGGEST” it tells the reader that it is a well-publicised magazine with lots of recognition in all countries as well as races and cultures.

The feature article photograph is of a man of Asian race, wearing a white jacket and has his hand in the shape of a triangle across is face with two silver rings on his fingers. His hair is slightly windswept to the right and his eyes are directly facing forwards looking at the reader. This intensifies his look as the clothing is very basic and plain so the direct contact to the reader is enticing the reader and drawing them in to read the front cover and see what the magazine involves. By doing this is catches the reader enough to increase the chance of it being bought. The right side of his face is shadowed heightening the direct focus to the reader on the left side. This creates a mysterious impression to the reader and could connote that it is unknown of what will be included in the magazine relating back to the plugs and how they include little information of the magazines content. He has a common haircut whereby the sides are short and the top is long and styled. With this being a popular and current haircut it tells the reader that this magazine is very common and well-known and is up to date with the current music as well as fashion and style. The way his rings and zipper upon his jacket are both silver increases the professional look to the magazine as it continues with the colour scheme linking to the grey background colour. The fact that they have used an Asian DJ for the feature article photograph gives the magazine a multi-cultural vibe which will help to attract a diverse audience. It is shot as a medium close-up and has been taken at eye level suggests that he is neither vulnerable (low angle) or empowering (high angle) which creates the impression to the reader that the magazine is available to everyone regardless of your position in social status. The fact that the man is covering almost half of his face makes him seem very mysterious and intriguing suggesting that the magazine contains mysterious information that you wouldn't have known before reading the magazine.

MIXMAG FRONT COVER

PRACTICING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The image on the left was inspiration for those below. I found the way that the photographer styled, angled and lit the model captivating and suited the model as it showed off her facial features. The use of the background set being black allowed the model to stand out and made the picture come out clearer. The use of a bottom light helped to emphasise her facial structure. I imagine that the model was also lit from behind the photographer as her eyes are beaming with the reflection of light, helping to emphasise her dramatic eye look and desirability in her eyes.

I found that at the start whilst taking images, it was hard to determine where the model was lit from. After turning on the front lights and background lights, I decided that the model was lit from a low angle in front of the model. This helped to light her entire face whilst showing off her facial features which is how I take the photographer to have done this.

 

I then decided that the images I originally took were too lit from the front, I felt that it blurred her face slightly and made her look too pale in comparison to the model on the top left. Therefore I chose to move the light further back and therefore her face structure was more visual, her face returned to her natural skin colour and she appeared more like the model in the top left. I did find that giving the directions to the model more difficult than expected. Therefore, I know for the future that specific directions work best with allowing the model to understand exactly what is wanted of them for the ‘vision’ of the shot.

I took inspiration from this image as I felt it showed off her facial structure. I found the way that she was photographed very sophisticated and well lit. The way in which the model is positioned helps to convey a provocative but child-like in the way that her lips are slightly parted creating a playful vibe. The head angle being slightly tilted to the left adds to the playful vibe and the way that her chin is slightly pointing upwards makes her seem more sophisticated. I noticed that the model had a white/cream background making the vibe seem more chilled. I found that the photographer took the image with the flash enabled as her eyes have a reflective beam in them which they decided not to Photoshop out to make it appear more natural. I also believe that she may have been lit from the top left side but also in front of the model, this is evident in the reflection of the light upon her left shoulder.

In this shot I decided to use a black background rather than white/cream like the photographer did above as I found that it added more focus to the model, it allowed the camera to capture a better quality image and also made the model look more striking. Although the clothing worn is not similar to the image above, it is still visible that the lighting strikes the models left shoulder. I know for next time to ensure to use a jet black screen to ensure it is not see through, or to use Photoshop before uploading my shot publicly. 

LEARNING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

These images show myself testing out lighting and taking practice portrait images in preparation or my magazine project later on in the year. By doing this I learnt which lights to use and where they light the model, which background is best suited for taking portrait photos and also which lighting best shows the models features. I also learnt how to focus and use specific features on the camera itself.

When taking these images I also learnt how to direct a model, how to style the model and also using extras like a fan to better imitate the models image. By doing this, I feel I have the skills to take my images for my music magazine.

SCHOOL MAGAZINE EVALUATION

School magazine analysis from keshialavallsmith