Double Page Spread Codes and

ConventionsShakeira Darbyshire

HeadlineThe headline of the article has a unique font and this font is not shown throughout the article.

The headline is the biggest and boldest on the page so it stands out the audience and makes it clear what the article is about.

Image of band/artist

The image is usually visually interesting to catch the reader’s eye and is a picture of a celebrity/band who has had an interview with the magazine.

The image usually takes up one whole side of a page and the other page is the information from the interview that had taken place.

Column StructureOn double page spreads, there are usually 3 or 4 columns with the main body text inside. This gives it a structure which makes it look professional and organised.

These columns are usually located next to the image which takes up the full page. The audience then know that the text next to the image, is an interview with the artist/band on the opposite side.

Pull Quote

A pull quote is a quote taken from the interview with the celebrity/band and is made larger (sometimes used as the headline). It is usually made in a different font to stand out to the audience.

The pull quote is designed to pull in the audience so when they are flicking through the pages they see the quote and want to read the article.

Relevant Mise En SceneIn the double page spreads, there has to be relevant mise en scene. What the celebrity/band is wearing, looks like or doing can indicate what genre they are involved in.

For example, in this double page spread about Mark Ronson, you can see that there are trumpets which indicates he uses them in his music. Also, he is dressed smartly with sunglasses on which makes us understand that he isn’t a rock artist.

Bleed

Bleed is when an image overlaps onto the second page which you can see in these 2 examples.

This is a typical convention of a lot of music magazines as it makes it look professional and increases the quality of the double page spread.

StandfirstThe standfirst is the introduction into the interview with the artist/band. It is usually located underneath the headline of the article.

It is so the audience know what will be happening in the interview and a quick look at what it is about.

Byline

The byline is when the writer of the article has their name on the double page spread. It is usually located beneath the headline.

The purpose of the byline is to tell the audience who wrote it and who conducted the interview and also to give the writer recognition for what they have done.

Dropcap

A dropcap is when the beginning of the article starts with a large letter usually in a shape or a different colour to the rest of the text.

This is to indicate to the reader where the article starts so they don’t start reading in the wrong place.