4) Analysing the double page article of a magazine
The double page spread of this magazine is about Ozzy Osbourne. It takes up 6 pages in the magazine.
On the cover, the article is referred to as 'Through The Keyhole At Home With...'. The word "keyhole" has connotations of secrets and hidden treasures, this makes readers feel like they're going to find out some interesting, personal things about Osbourne and his life. The word "home" gives them a sense of comfort and tranquility. It also makes them feel closer to him as, in a sense, they'll be "entering" his personal and private space.
The title on the first page of the actual DPS is "Welcome to the Madhouse". It's written in large, capital letters with almost each word in a different colour which catches the reader's eye as soon as they open the page. This means that the first word they read is "welcome" which makes them feel like they've been invited in and encourages them to continue reading. The word "Madhouse" is the biggest on the page and is written in a cracked font. This emphasizes the meaning and connotations of the word. It questions the mental stability of the focus of the article, here Osbourne, and also suggests that the house is "crazy". This could make readers want to know more and read further. It's also a reference to his recently released autobiography entitled "Memoirs of a Madman". This is almost like an inside joke with his fans as it's something they understand and relate to which makes it feel more personal but it also doesn't alienate people who aren't necessarily his fans because it's not specific to him.
The photo takes up both pages, putting Osbourne in the center. This emphasizes his importance and makes his image seem larger. His arms are open which adds to the feeling of being welcome. It looks as if he's opening his arms to readers, inviting them in. It could also mean that he's opening up, revealing his secrets and showing the real him. He's screaming into the air which works with the word "madhouse" to make it seem like he's crazy. In a way, this pokes at the curiosity of readers making them want to know more.
The black textbox is an introduction to the article. Highlighting it in black shows its importance and tells readers that it's the first thing they should read.
They make the article seem special by saying that "invitations like this don't come every day". This makes it seem like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to read an article like this making it unique and appealing. Also, describing Osbourne as the "Prince of Darkness" and the man who "bit the head off a bat" makes him seem like an interesting character thus making readers want to know more. They also mention a few things they saw in his house (e.g. "dogs", "black magic" etc.) which is like a teaser to the article. Ending it with "..." not only symbolizes that there's more to know, but also leaves a feeling of suspense, almost ending the introduction on a cliffhanger. Evidently, both factors work together and are attributes in making people want to read the article.
The second page of the DPS has a lot more writing. It's the page with the main article on it as it's in between the first page which is the introduction and the last which is the conclusion. This makes the feature seem almost like a separate book inside of the magazine making it more important.
There are still multiple images with the writing so that it doesn't just look like a page of writing which, for many people, can seem unattractive and make them want to skip the page. The photos show Osbourne in different parts of his house.
The main image which is the background image of the DPS and placed right in the middle is of him sitting on a chair. It looks almost as though he's sitting on a throne, putting him in a very high position and showing his importance. He's looking directly at the camera. The effect of this is that it seems like he's looking the viewer right in the eye. This makes it a lot more personal and direct. He's also pointing at the viewer which adds to this effect and also makes the reader feel important and more involved; it makes them feel like the article is directed at them.
The editor of the magazine takes a quote from the article and places it in the middle of the page in large font away from any other writing. This really makes it stand out on the page and makes it the first thing someone would read when looking at the page. They take an interesting part of the article so that when a reader looks at it, it makes them want to find out more and read the whole article.
The "Even More Ozzy" bubble is a way for them to get readers more involved and promote other aspects of Kerrang! They explain that Kerrang! Radio will be playing his songs which encourages fans to listen to it and also gives people who might not have known much about him before reading the article the chance to discover his music. This gives them more listeners, making them more popular and bringing in more money.
The "Enter The Madhouse" bubble is the same. It pushes readers to check out the website giving them more viewers. Readers can have an interactive tour of Osbourne's house online which makes them more involved. By linking the article to their website and their radio channel, Kerrang! are building a closer and more involved fan base. This helps them in keeping the magazine going even in a time where most people would prefer to just look online because it's not simply a magazine but a collection of different medias working together and creating a family.
The arrow at the bottom of the page tells readers that there's more to see. It encourages them to turn the page and keep reading. The phrase "Now head into Ozzy's bunker" suggests that they haven't seen anything yet and that the best is still to come. It catches the curiosity of the reader and makes them want to read on.
The final page of the DPS is a lot more fun and interactive. There are no big blocks of writing but there are small boxes of information about specific things you can find in his house.At the top of the page there's a bit of information about the "Through the Keyhole" feature in general. The title gets bigger and bigger resembling the form of a telescope. This symbolises the fact that they're looking closer into the lives of stars almost like they're spying on them.
There's an exclamation mark after the "K" of keyhole. This refers to the title of the magazine, "Kerrang!". There are other articles throughout the magazine where it's refered to as "K!". Using that signe here makes it very personal to the magazine. It symbolises the fact that it's their idea for a feature and something specific to them that you wouldn't be able to find elswhere.
Underneath the title there are a few lines briefly summarising what the feature's about and what its aim is. The use of a rhetorical question - "But what do their homes look like?" - provokes thought fromt the reader and makes them want to know the answer, thus making them read further. The phrase "Join us" makes it sound like the writer's talking to a friend. The reader is receiving an invitation from the magazine which encourages them to read further. The word "exclusive" suggests that this is the only place they will have the opportunity to do this thus making it seem special and interesting. The word "journey" suggests that the reader will be discovering new things and growing in a knowledge of culture, this also draws them in and makes them want to read more.
At the bottom of the page there's an introduction to this DPS in particular. Ozzy Osbourne's name is written in big highlighted in purple. This attracts attention to his name and introduces the subject of the DPS. "The Prince of Darkness" is a reference to one of Osbourne's albums released in 2005. This attracts his fans who know about the album but could also just be seen as a nickname for him, therefore not leaving out people who don't know about it. The word "darkness" has connotations of mystery and hidden secrets, arousing the curiosity of readers. This makes the thought of finding out more very appealing and exciting to them.
There's also an introduction to the room from Osbourne himself. This makes readers feel like he's personally inviting them in, replacing any thoughts of intruding his privacy with comfort and excitment. As seen in the rest of the DPS, he uses very informal and colloquial language including swear words. This shows his personality and makes the reader feel like he's comfortable with them and being himself. It makes the article seem much more real because he isn't changing his attitude which could make it seem like he's just trying to present a positive image of himself to get more fans.
The background image shows Osbourne in his bunker at home. The room is full of different objects showing his personality and the kind of things he has in his house. The colours are mainly different shades of brown giving it an authentic feel and creating a base for the article. The lack of bright colours allows the highlighted boxes of information to stand out more.
The colour of the information boxes alternate between purple and yellow. This makes it more attractive as it's more fun and alive but not too colourful that it's distracting.
For each interesting object that is in his bunker, there's and "Ozzy says". He gives a personal comment about everything allowing readers to understand why he has them and what they mean to him. This brings them closer together and makes the reader feel like they're getting to know him better on a more intimate level.
Certain objects have a zoomed in image as well as an "Ozzy says". This emphasises these objects and gives readers a closer look at some of the more interesting, important things they could find. The superposed images also make it a lot more fun and exciting. They're attractive to readers and catch their attention making them want to know more.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal note: The use of a recurring feature such as "Through the Keyhole" can be very useful for the magazine in staying popular as it encourages people to continue buying the magazine to find out more about different artists. They may feel that once they've started the "journey" it's their job to continue until the end. This helps the magazine make money and maintain their current audiences or maybe find new ones, even in an age where magazines are sometimes considered a dying art because of new technologies.
No comments:
Post a Comment