Music Magazine –

Contents Page and DPS Textual Analysis

Name: Zakary WinsallCandidate Number: 2144Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

OCR Media Studies – AS Level

Unit G321: Advanced Portfolio

Issue DetailsXXL have placed their red and white logo against a black background which stands out. They also used a white text for the issue month.

Main ImageThis main image consists of Lil’ Wayne facing straight forward towards the camera with a blank facial expression. He is clearly showing off his tattoos and chain, which are quite stereotypical of this genre of music.

Page NumbersThese are in a black colour, which sort of blends in with the background. Also illustrating what article is on what page.

Sub HeadingsThe sub-headings are all in black and bold to stand out from the sub-lines. This level of consistency is something I need to consider replicating.

CreditGiving credits for the image used on this page of XXL, stating it was a specific shot for this issue.

Page Number & DetailsHere at the very bottom of the page they have noted the page number, along with the issue date and the magazine website.

Cover StoryThe cover story of this issue of XXL relates to Lil’ Wayne’s last solo album and how he is planning to set up the most successful franchise in his career.

SublinesThese give a small insight to what that specific article will be about to interest the reader in a 2-3 line summary.

In this issue of XXL, and most others, the contents page is split up into multiple pages, with the Editorial on a separate page.

Editors SignatureThis would appeal to the audience as it makes them feel like the editor is part of them and is actually listening to what they suggest.

Editors DetailsThe editor writes after their signature their full name, along with their rank in the magazine. ‘Editor-In-Chief’ along with a twitter link to their page in order to give feedback and (in the process) help establish a ‘personal relationship’ (Katz) between the institution and reader.

No Editor PhotoIn this issue there is no editors photograph, instead it is an image of Lil Wayne on a skate ramp. This could possibly create ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer), however this is something may avoid replicating as my magazine is going to be the first ever issue and will not be a market leader to take such a risk.

In this issue of XXL, and most others, the contents page does not include the Editorial. Instead it is located on a separate page.

EditorialThe editorial in this issue of XXL ‘informs’ (Katz) the reader about how many times Lil’ Wayne has been on their cover. However it also talks about how the Editor (Vanessa Satten) is so eager to listen to Lil Wayne’s new album.

Main ImageThis is a medium-close up shot. Lil’ Wayne has his arms crossed and he is showing his teeth in which he has a diamond grill. He is illustrating his power and wealth by doing so.

Quote from InterviewThe quote was taken from the interview. By enlarging it and presenting it in its separate box shows off the artists values. In this case Lil Wayne states that he has ‘a big heart’. Expletives have also been used to censor an offensive word. However, this was not censored in the actual article.

Drop CapitalThe drop capital is used in order to grab the readers attention as it is very easy to read on the page.

Questions & AnswersThe questions are asked by the interviewer and are in bold. The answers are given by the interviewee which are in plain text. The Q&A article allows for a rapport to be made between the interviewee and the reader as they feel like they are getting to know the artist better than before.

Mode of AddressThe way in which it is written is in quite a informal and friendly tone, as this would be in order to appeal to the audience and feel as if you are talking with them instead. A few examples of this informal language written on the page is “He rocks a blue-and-white striped shirt, board shorts covered in weed leaves and lit joints” and “I don’t have a short man’s complex. I’m just a little n$!@a with a big heart.”

Stand FirstThis is an article of text that summarises what the main article is actually about. It also gives credits to the interviewer and the photographer. In this issue of XXL it is located on the page before the article.

ConclusionOn the contents page for an XXL magazine, the layout that they have is very simplistic and easy to read and follow. The bar that contains the issue details is a simple black bar. This is a nice feature I would like to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) for my rap magazine.

Similarly in the Double Page Spread, with the ‘Quote from Interview’ there is a simple black shape in order to separate the quote from the main interview. Again, this is very simplistic and not very detailed.

A final feature that would be brilliant to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale – 1980) in my rap magazine is the massive drop capital shown on the Double Page Spread at the start of the interview. It catches the readers attention and draws them in to read the article, which I will endeavor to recreate for my own publication.