Research - Analysing Music Magazine - Double Page Spread and Table Of Decision Making According To My Own Work

This is a double page spread for the music magazine NME. The main image is what you would notice first as you turned the page as it takes up two thirds which would attract the eye of the reader and show their dominance not only over the page but significant in the music industry too. The main image is of the indie band The Vaccines, who are being featured for this article. As the article is promoting that the band is relativity new as they have 'only been together for just under a year' they want to get across to the audience the bands image, style, personalty and type of music to reach out to the audience of what they are all about. This is key for the music magazine to get right as it is the starting point of building the bands fan base. From the image itself you get the feeling that the band are quite vintage, they are wearing retro and unusual clothes that not necessarily everyday people would wear also with the combination of the tea stained background it gives the vibe that this band really are unique.  As the reader now feels that this band is a one off it encourages them to want to read on. Each member is leaning in towards the camera, with strong eye contact with the reader this then creates a connection, the band are inviting you in. The male at the front must be important due to his position, he gives off the impression that he is the lead member, therefore the audience has already worked out who the lead vocalist of the band is. The rest of the members are close together just behind with their arms around each other showing unity, the band presents itself as a family. Two of the members are holding guitars showing that they are serious about their music and want to show off what they can do, it also tells the audience a little about their style of music. As the page overall looks a bit dull the magazine has used a bright blue to cascade some colour over the page, there is strips of blue that point towards the band reinforcing their presence but it is also used for the text. At the start of the article letters appear slightly bigger than the rest of the text in blue which also happens to mark the start of a new paragraph this will grab the readers attention and draw them in closer, a quote is also in blue which the reader may notice first, find it intriguing and read on. The article is in the form of columns which keeps the page tidy, the reader knows exactly where to start and read off from. This may be down to the a2 format. As the main image takes up most of the double page spread the text does not look daunting to read as it looks rather short therefore it will entice people to read it. 

Overall, I think that this double page spread is very successful as it gets across to the audience the bands style, music and personality and this is important as the article states that they have not been around long. The article is key in gaining the band a fan base which I think it has achieved. The added colour to the article gives the page a bit more life which I think is important in attracting the readers eye. I have one criticism which is that the quote should be made slightly bigger so that the audience notice it early on as they could be interested by it and want to read more about the band. 

How research has informed my decision making

Below is a table presenting the ideas that I have come up with after researching for my main task of a music magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread. I have then go on to link how I will use the conventions I found whilst researching and how I am applying them to my work. 

Observation	Impact on my work
Out of the two music magazine front covers I researched in depth Vibe used one image which was a medium shot and NME used two images, the main image being a close up shot the other being a small medium shot. One main image was taken of the artist in a natural environment, looking relaxed in contrast to the other front cover which was taken in a formal photo shot however both artists had a direct mode of address. The direct mode of address was employed as they looked down towards the camera, making eye contact with their audience.	I intend on following the convention of the artist in my main image to employ a direct mode of address as this will make a connection to the audience. I have also decided to use the convention that I observed from NME magazine which was a close up shot of the artist for my main image. This is because it would enable me to have my artist as the sole focus of the front cover. I am also going to position this shot centrally.
The two contents pages that I thoroughly researched both used the style of a bank menu to list the articles matched to their pages. Furthermore both had a main image of artists in action; one was a medium shot of playing guitar at a concert and the other a long shot of the artist dancing with a talk show host. Similarly both had a short text underneath describing what was happening in the image and giving a brief description of the article featured. Rolling stones also included a close up shot to advertise another article featured in their magazine.	I am going to use the convention of a bank menu for my contents page as from my observation I found it made the page look organised and tidy therefore my audience will be easily guided around the magazine. Another convention which was in Rolling Stones magazine was the use of two images to advertise articles, I am going to use two additional images other than my main image to attract my audience to read those articles. My main image will be a medium shot of an artist and the remaining two will be close up shots.
The two double page spreads that I researched specifically both have an A2 format of columns to present the text. One uses a close up shot of the artist with a direct mode of address looking down the camera to the audience. The other magazine uses a wide angle, medium shot to show the band featured but also to represent them as a family unit.	I intend on using the convention of A2 format of columns for the text on my double page spread as this enables me to keep the page presented neatly allowing for my audience to know exactly where to read off from. I also am intent on using a centered,  close up shot of the artist featured as my main image also with a direct mode of address to the audience as I feel this will engage the audience into reading the article.