NME Double Page Spread Analysis

The NME double page spread for Franz Ferdinand does not particularly express the same overall tone and connotations as the front cover does as the feature article photograph for the front cover suggests a serious tone whereas the feature photograph for the article suggests a slightly more relaxed tone due to their change in positions. Throughout most of the photographs they have similar facial expressions until the last page which includes a photograph of the band all smiling showing a happier tone and this could suggest it is showing how at the beginning of the magazine it is serious and more formal but then ends up happy like the relationship of the band as told through the article. The layout for the first page is fairly neat as it does not include much text this could be to attract attention to the feature photograph which has been used for the whole background of the first page. The text that is included on the page is all either flush right or flush left, this gives it a neater appearance and also has black text on a white background, making it stand out more. The overall layout of the text is quite straight forward as it is all aligned into columns, with each new section starting with a drop cap.  The article does not have a headline at the top of the page; this is unusual as most magazines would include a main title for the features. The drop caps highlight the start of each new section making it easier for the reader to read, each drop cap is eye-catching and attention-grabbing as they are bigger and bolder than the rest of the text and have white text on a black background.

The colour scheme is simple and not too bright and full-on; it is mainly black and white with a little bit of red. These colours contrast with each other well and make the text more noticeable, especially on the first page with the photograph for the background. A pull quote has been used on each page to attract attention; one has been used at the top of the first page in bold, black letters with a white background to gain interest from the reader. It also stands out well against the background linking with the purpose to make it more eye-catching.

The lack of colloquial language and the use of coarse language suggest that it is aimed at an older audience as they do not appear to be trying to communicate with the reader in a friend-like manner and are not trying to seem young and cool as they might do if it was aimed at a younger audience. The spelling and use of grammar seem to be relatively formal suggesting the article has a main purpose to inform the reader and tell the story of the bands history. They have used a red box around two of the sections that are not quite as important as the main text to separate them from the main part, although they do still feature information about the main article. The use of these separate sections help to break up the text a bit and give a bit more interest to the page, they also contrast with the plain white background that has been used on the majority of the pages.