double page spread layout plan

This is the plan I have created for my own double page spread. To the far left, there will be a giant picture of one of the cosplayers dressed up in cosplay and there will also be smaller images from the documentary under the text. The titles will be centered in the middle of the page with the subtitles under, and the page numbers at the top. The text font I will use will be the same as the font used for my documentary title;

The colour scheme will be themed based on the colours worn by the cosplayer, in which her outfit (Alice in wonderland cosplay) is white and blue, and so this will be the colour scheme for the double page spread. 

double page spread research - NME magazine

This layout has been used for the music magazine NME. This layout uses conventional codes and conventions expected to be seen to represent a genre, which is what I will be looking at to give ideas about how I will represent the cosplay genre to my target audience.

The colour scheme used for this double page spread is pinks and blacks. The conventional use of using pink colours links in with the stereotype that it appeals to a more feminine audience, in which links in with the use of the female protagonist (Nicki Minaj) presented on the front cover of the double page spread. This works in contrast with the black colours, as black is associated to be a more negative colour, and so in this case could be use to show a "darker side" to the singer presented on the front cover.

The layout of the double page spread shows the main title of the article in big letters on the far left at the top, in which the picture of the woman being discussed in the article has been placed in the centre of the page and also layered a little bit on top of the main titles so she will be the focal point of the piece. The article text has then been placed under the main titles and centered around the image, each paragraph has also been numbered so the audience know what order to read the text in. there are also page number printed in small black text at the bottom of these pages, in which this has been done so the audience can keep track what page they are on when reading through this magazine. 

The image of Nicki Minaj has been used to appeal to the audiences taste and also reflects on her musical genre by the use of costuming and makeup within the mise en scene. In the photo, she is wearing a zebra print leotard, in which we can tell its zebra print as it uses the familiar pattern we associate with zebras. This could represent her personality and tell the audience she as being "wild". Her makeup matches the colour theme used for the background, in which her lips are bright pink and her eye makeup is black, in which matches with her outfit. on her hand, she has the word "icon", in which could tell the audience she is an important musical figure. 

double page spread layout research - Kerrang

This layout presented is a typical layout for any magazine. As there is little resources to look into in terms of magazines double page spreads that look into documentary, I will look into the layout from Kerrang magazine that did a double page spread about a rock band called My Chemical Romance. 

The magazine have used a black and white themed format to show a "deep" and "emotional" side to the band. This works with the main title "We're being the best MCR we can be" which suggests their emotional struggles to please their audience. The magazine has shown to us they are a band by using various images to suggest so through the use of props (e.g. microphones, sound mixers, guitars, etc) which is something we could associate with band equipment.

 The lead singer has been strongly represented as this is the largest image used on the far left, in which as he takes up most of the page space, he is therefore the more important band member. The use of costuming in the mis en scene also support these statements as they have used dress codes where they dress in black, urban clothing (e.g. black jeans, black band t-shirts, black jackets, etc). The use of urban clothing then suggests they are young and trendy, and the connotations of black are often associated, in this case, with musical artists who sing sad songs about darkness and death, etc.

The layout has been used so the main titles are place at the top centre of the page, with the detailed text underneath and the images placed along the bottom of the page. the far left page, as previously discussed, is mostly taken up by the use of the image of the main protagonist, with additional text at the top of the page that uses red coloured font. The idea of this is so it will stand out on the page, which has used black and white tones, along with the subtitles "News" and "World exclusive" which has been used to attract the audiences attention. Also, along the top of the page on the far right, they have listed additonal information in a white box, in which they have used red font on top. This has also been layout to capture the audiences attention, in which along with the subtitles "New MCR tracks" would capture the attention of fans of the band. 

The titles used in this double page spread use font colours of whites and reds to stand out against the black tones of the background and work with the colour scheme created in this poster layout. The font style used in the main titles is tatty and urban which links back to giving the audience an idea about their style of music as well as the bands personality (e.g. hardcore, edgy, loud, etc).

poster analysis - supersize me

This poster is advertising for a documentary called supersize me, which is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. His film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he ate only McDonald's food. The film documents this lifestyle's drastic effect on Spurlock's physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit.

The posters layout puts the main titles near the bottom of the page, with additional textual information underneath. They have also used quotations, which central around the image used in the background, as well as idents and award nomination logos;


 



 









The documentary has used the main focus of the documentary (Morgan Spurlock) as the cover of the poster. By doing this, it gives the audience an idea about who the documentary is focusing on, like they would do a protagonist on the front cover on a film poster. This image is close up and stands out as there are no other images used within the mise en scene setting. The use of using fries is an icon to McDonalds, which is an international corporate business who are famous for their fries. By showing all the fries in his mouth may suggest food addition or excessive eating, in which with the title "Supersize me". What is universally accepted about fries is they are unhealthy and bad for you, so by seeing him with a mouth full of fries along with the title may suggest that he wants to gain an unhealthy lifestyle, in which would intrigue the audience and could lead them to asking questions. 

The colour scheme used in this poster has been arranged so they represent the colours from the McDonalds logo;

The poster has exclusively used red and yellow colours, which is included in the main titles, additional titles and even in the costuming which in the image of Morgan Spurlock he has a red tshirt on. One of the quotations used on the top of the poster quotes "I'm lovin' it!" which is the well known tagline used for McDonalds. The background of this poster is plain white and uses no colours, which helps the contrasted colours in the foreground stand out stronger.

poster analysis - Food inc.

This poster is advertising a documentary about food and where it comes from.The Academy Award-nominated film examines corporate farming in the United States, concluding that agribusiness produces food that is unhealthy, in a way that is environmentally harmful and abusive of both animals and employees. The film received positive responses and was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award and the Independent Spirit Awards in 2009, both for Best Documentary Feature.

The poster has been laid out so the text are central with the cow, which has been placed in the middle of the poster. The main titles have been placed below the image of the cow, with additional details in small print below, and quotations used at the top of the poster. The poster has also used a star system to attract a target audience, in which under the main titles, there is a smaller title that says "A Robert Kenner film".

The image used in the centre of the poster is important to give the audience a message and understanding as to what the documentary could be about. In the poster, there is a cow standing in a field which has a barcode on its side. The significance of it being in a field within the mise en scene is iconic as that's the environment we'd associate a cow to be in. The significance of the barcode, however, is that is it something we associate with brands or products at a supermarket as that is where you'd expect to see one. The use of combining these two elements is that it could tell the audience what the future holds for this cow, in which works in contrast with the farmhouse in the background as it is where we expect meat to come from. This further shows the cow to be "branded" with an expected fate which could make the audience feel guilty or sympathy and want to investigate further into this documentary.

The colours used in this poster are bright and highly contrasted, which works in contrast with the scenery set in the poster, which has been set up to create a sunny day in the countryside. The font style used for both the main titles and the additional titles are plain and serif, which works in contrast with the rest of the poster and makes it seem formal. The font colours are black and white, in which the darker fonts have been used to overlay the brighter areas and the brighter fonts overlay the darker areas. The font colours work well along side the font and mis en scene as the colours used are plain and formal, and they also match the colours of the cow in the image used. 

poster analysis - making a murderer

This poster was used to advertise a Netflix documentary called making a murderer, which was an observational documentary following the life of a man who was wrongly accused of murder. This poster is typical for a social documentary, as it uses aspects of the person being used in the documentary in the poster title, as well as the trademark Netflix logo and the tagline "A Netflix Documentary series". 

In terms of layout, the poster has put the titles and subtitles in the top left hand corner of the screen and dates/additional information on the bottom of the screen. There is no star system or additional information about who is featured in the documentary as typically this is only done for film posters as social documentaries usually look into the everyday lives of normal people. The poster has been centred around the image used, in which shows two photos ripped in half.

The right photo shows an old photograph of a young boy. We can tell its an old photograph as it is in black and white, in which is something we associate with being old or outdated. By using a photo of him when he was young, it expresses his innocence in which means it would cause empathy. This works in contrast with the image used on left, in which shows a picture of the same man in his mug shot (prison photo). You can tell its a prison photo through use of mise en scene, as the background of the photo is striped which we can associate with prison bars or uniform. You can also tell its a more recent or modern photo as it it done in colour, in contrast with the other photo which has been done in black and white. 

The use of the rip down the poster shows a divide between the two photos. It represents the change in character from a young innocent boy to a prisoner, in which gives the audience hints as to what the documentary could be about. Also the fact that the line divider is torn could represent the fact he is mentally torn or "broken" as a person which further shows the difference and change in character in the pictures. 

The font style colour used are the same as the ones used for Netflix logo, and so is a font that would be instantly recognisable and familiar to the audience;