DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

BY: JONI SOMMERVILLE

FIRST PAGE

THIS IS THE MAIN IMAGE/FOCUS IN THE ARTICLE. PICTURED: SINGER/SONGWRITER LADY GAGA. SHE IS KNOWN FOR HAVING A REBELLIOUS, PECULIAR AND OBSCURE LOOK, TO GO WITH HER ELECTRO/DANCEPOP MUSIC. THEREFORE WE KNOW THAT THE AUDIENCE IS OF A YOUNGER GENERATION AS ELECTROPOP BEGAN IN THE 1980S AND HAS CARRIED ON THROUGH THE 2010S.SHE IS USED AS THE TALENT AS SHE IS INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE TO THE YOUNG AUDIENCE.

THE STAR’S MAKE-UP IS A MIXTURE OF NATURAL AND HEAVY. HER EYES HAVE BEEN OUTLINED IN BLACK, WHICH COULD SUGGEST THAT THIS MAGAZINE WANTS TO STAND AS ONE INSPIRED BY THE PUNK ROCK MOVEMENT FROM THE 1970S, IT MAKES HER EYES APPEAR MORE INTENSE TO SHOW SHE IS FILLED WITH LUST. YET, HER LASHES ALTHOUGH EXAGGERATED APPEAR SPREAD OUT AND GROUPED WHICH OPENS UP HER EYE COMMUNICATING A MORE HONEST, EXPOSED EMOTION- A HINT OF FLIRTATION IS IN VIEW AS WHEN WE IMAGINE THIS WE THINK OF HOW STEREOTYPICALLY WOMEN BAT THEIR LONG EYELASHES AT MEN IN ORDER TO GAIN THEIR ATTENTION IN A SEXUAL MANNER. AS WELL AS HER LIPS ARE GLOSSED AND OVERDRAWN TO DRAW ATTENTION TO HER POUT- SHE HAS ‘KISSABLE’ LIPS. HER FOUNDATION AND CONTOURING ESPECIALLY IN THE SHADOWS OF HER CHEEKBONES HAS GIVEN HER FACE MORE DIMENSION. COMMONLY MAGAZINES, WILL WANT TO PRESENT WOMEN AS THIN, ALLURING BEINGS. IT ALSO TIES IN WITH THE ROCKISH VIBE OF THE PHOTO, AS HER MAKE UP FOLLOWS THE ‘HEROIN CHIC’ LOOK OF THE 1990S.

HER HAIR IS CROPPED, PLATINUM BLONDE AND UNRULY. IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT, FOR EXAMPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET IT WOULDN’T BE ACCEPTABLE BUT BECAUSE THE MAGAZINE IS TRYING TO REPRESENT REBELLION IT SUBVERTS WHAT WE EXPECT HER HAIR TO LOOK LIKE. FURTHERMORE WE KNOW ITS LINKED TO ROCK AND REBELLION AS IF WE LOOK AT PREVIOUS STARS OF A SIMILAR INFLUENCE/GENRE OF MUSIC SUCH AS PICTURED: MADONNA AND DEBBIE HARRY. WE CAN SEE HOW INSPIRATION FROM THEIR APPEARANCE WAS INSPIRED FOR THIS SHOOT WITH LADY GAGA TO DISTINGUISH AND ASSOCIATE HER IMAGE WITH THE PREVIOUS STARS.

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THE SHOT ITSELF IS A MEDIUM CLOSE-UP, IT IS USED FOR THE FACT THAT THE MAGAZINE COMPANY WOULD LIKE THE READER TO FOCUS SOLELY ON THE ARTIST, NOT WHAT THEY’RE WEARING OR THE BACKGROUND BEHIND THEM (HENCE THE BACKGROUND IS SOLELY WHITE). GAGA FROM WHAT WE CAN SEE IS NAKED FROM THE CHEST UPWARDS, THIS SUGGESTS THAT SHE IS RAW ‘STRIPPED BACK’ AND MAKES THE READER FEEL THAT SHE IS A GENUINE PERSON WHO IS UNAFRAID TO BE HERSELF, A METAL CHAIN AND STRATEGIC PLACING OF HER HANDS COVERS UP HER NIPPLES. AGAIN THIS TIES IN WITH THE THEME OF REBELLION AS UNLIKE A MAN GAGA CANNOT SHOW OFF THIS PART OF HER BODY, BUT SHE TRIES TO COME AS CLOSE TO SHOWING IT OFF AS POSSIBLE- SHE TESTS HER BOUNDARIES. THE METAL CHAIN WRAPPED AROUND HER CHEST CONNOTES STRENGTH, HARDSHIP AND LOYALTY. AND SO TO THE MAGAZINE’S READERS THIS SAYS THAT SHE’S TRUSTWORTHY AND ISN’T INTIMIDATED BY AUTHORITY. WE ALSO SEE A GLIMPSE OF A TATTOO JUST UNDER HER RIGHT ARMPIT. TATTOOS ARE STILL A TABOO TOPIC FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC HOWEVER TO Q’S READERS IT IS SOMETHING QUITE RESPECTED. AGAIN, GAGA ISN’T AFRAID TO BE UNEXPECTED.

The shot itself uses high-key lighting with a black and white filter to make the photo have more depth and intensity to it. Suggesting that the article on the next page is rather serious and sincere. If they’d have used colour in the shot it’d have taken away the intensity, detail in the chains and how powerful the artist is, it would appeal light-hearted and playful as an artist she wouldn’t be taken too seriously about her craft.

SECOND PAGE

FOLLOWING THE THEME OF THE FIRST PAGE, THE SECOND PAGE IS RATHER SIMPLISTIC. ON FIRST GLANCE WE NOTICE THE RED, LARGE IMPRINT OF THE LETTER ‘L’ IN THE BACKGROUND. BLACK BLOCK COLUMNS OF TEXT ARE PLASTERED ON TOP OF THE ‘L’, THEY MAKE PRECISELY THREE COLUMNS. IT COULD BE SUGGESTED THAT VISUALLY THEY WANT THE FOCUS TO BE ON THE ‘L’, AS THERE IS A LOT IN THE TEXT- WHICH COULD APPEAR AN INTIMIDATING AMOUNT, THERE ISN'T ANY ROOM FOR PICTURES THEREFORE THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY OF MAKING THE TEXT MORE INTERESTING TO THE READER- WITHOUT GETTING RID OF THE TEXT. AND SO THE ‘L’ IS USED. IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER ‘LADY GAGA’ IS WRITTEN…THIS HAS BEEN DONE AS NOT ONLY IS IT THE NAME OF THE ARTIST BUT ALSO UNUSUALLY THE WORD ‘LADY’ IS IN LOWER CASE. THE READERS WILL PICK UP ON THAT, THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE USES CAPITALS FOR PROPER NOUNS, THEREFORE GRAMMATICALLY LADY SHOULD BE CAPITALISED. HOWEVER IT COULD BE SAID THAT GAGA WANTS THE TO BE FOCUS ON HER SELF AS AN ARTIST. RATHER THAN HER ICONIC FEMALE STATUS.

1 2 3I have split up the page, into 9 ‘sections’ using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it. Therefore it means that the text should be a lot easier to consume. Within the text Q uses drop caps to separate the article into its different sections, this is done to male the text more organised and visually it looks ore alluring. A little less noticeable in the bottom right corner is Q’s logo, the page number and the date of the article. Having the logo again reinforces Q’s brand image, it is more memorable to the audience. The page number and the article date is there to make it easier for the reader to find the interview and recall it.