DPS conventions analysis

Asuka Young

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Heading / section notice

Drop-Cap

Pull quoteHead line

Main image/CVI

Standfirst

Alley

WOB text

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The language used in the section notice connotes desperation and attention for support in this mercury prize from the readers. This is because of the language used- in the fact stating of how many days it has passed and how metal music has not won an award yet.

The main image of this double page is filing up the whole space, and the main subject is in the centre of the page, at a slight high angle. This image connotes the dedication / feelings rock bands put into their music, trying to give it a meaning. This image is an establishing shot also to illustrate the togetherness of this particular band, which leads into the idea that people need each other to live, which can be an interpretation of what this article is about.

There is a standfirst which is above the main article. The language of this connotes the importance of music, because ‘brush of death’ sounds as if death is a light, passive thing, compared to making good music.

This article is written in wob to perhaps connote the respect/peace towards the dead as the article is about death partially. It is also in opposite colours with the image/the background rectangle overall, which may connote that death has made the band even livelier, or feeling more alive than ever.

The alley between the two colums of the article,which is small, connotes that the gap between the wholeBand is small, therefore the readers feel their togethernessAs a band.

The pull quote connotes the importance of friendship between people, as this is usingTwo different coloursto present two differentEvents that connectTo each other. As the First part is in a darker Colour, it may connote That this particular Event should be Highlighted as important.

The fonts used in these pages are close to the impact font (sans serif), and gives the impression to the audience that this magazine page is friendly/wants the audience to understand (Because it is easy to read).

The color theme in the house style of this page is creme color and white (text wise), with a brown based image.The text colors connotes the purity / justice of the contents, therefore the readers will be more likely to believe in what is written. These colors are also contrasting to the rest of the page, so it stands out.

The language used in these pages are not too arrogant or mis-behaving as the sentences are fairly neat and standard with no grammatical errors, but wordings / adjectives such as ‘Brush with Death’, ‘Bloody Sab-Bat’etc indicates that these pages do have language conventions of a rock magazine.

Overall I think this double page has a clear and simple layout of features, using space in an effective way. This allows to feel that there are not so much quantity to read, therefore the readers will feel ease. These pages also represents the positive attitude amongst rock musicians, and how much music means to them. This encourages the readers to perhaps be inspired and gain new ideas regards to music as well.

This image is likely to be shot at a slight high angle with an establishing shot to show the room/scenery. This image perhaps illustrates the dedication of this band by their action of performing music, being relevant to the context of this interview, seen from the pull quote.with rock conventions of having multiple guitarists, a drummer and a vocalist.

(Extra analysis)

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Audience Gratification

This headline appeals to target audiences that Sees themselves in a Similar situation, or for thoseWho can find their moral Values in response to thisHeadline. (information andPersonal identity). This maybebecause of the verbal codeof ‘my’ and ‘me’, which can apply to almost anyone. This can furthermore, encourage people to stand up when they have personalproblems because ‘woke me up’ connotes a sense of realization, therefore this could inform audiencesin a helpful way. This can also have an effect on their beliefs and ideology.

The image of the dsp, which is a symbolic non-verbal code appeals to audiences who are fan of this band because It clearly presents all the members of the band, and their passion for music, which makes the fans feel pleasure to being their fans. This can be an aspect of entertainment.

The standfirst, which is a verbal code, allows the audiences to be more interested in this article because It Is entertaining, particularly by using words such as: ‘Brush of death’ and ‘Don’t let __ fool you’ etc. The word‘You’ is directly referring to the audiences, so perhaps theyAlso feel a sense of belonging in the magazine, Which is a part of social interaction in the Katz’ gratification.

The white on black textappeals to any audiencesbecause it is easy to readIn terms of clarity,and because the article Seems to be small in the corner of the page, the audiences will think that there is not much to read. This means it increases the chances of the audience being informed.

A wob & drop shadow

Drop Cap

These are Facing Pages

Flush Left

Sans serif text Headline

Lede

Overline

Cropping (image)CVI (centre of visual interest)

The cropped image connotes the fact that these people wants the readers to look closely / understand their efforts to survive, because the facial expression perhaps expresses seriousness, or arisingproblem before them, although the body language of the girl has a quite opposite connotation.

The overline is therefor introducing the article/ getting the most eye-catching information out in short sentences. The text colour is white because the part of the image behind is black. The name of the featured band and the editor/article writer’s name is in red, in order to stand out from this overline. The main headline has a wob. This connotes that this is a pure article meaning that it is telling the truth. The drop shadow conveys perhaps that the story is going to go through deeply about activities that took place.

The text is sans-serif because it is connoting the bold impact of this article and how things are ruff, as a serif font would look elegant/playful almost.

The image in the dps is the CVI, and this connotes that these people in the image are in need of attention, and therefore this image is large, which also connotes that this is an article with a big story.

The drop cap connotes that this article is dramatic in a way, because a very large drop cap can have a sense of a big beginning.

Flush Left of the whole article may connote that it is sticking to the CVI, which means that it is referring back to the image whilst reading, which helps to understand the article further with visual element as well.

The Lede of this article does not go straight into the context, providing a somewhat casual context of a day in a life of a normal man. This Lede connotes that the article is reminding readers that, the person they are talking about is also just another person, the same as the readers. This lede also grabs interest of the readers because it is stating a fact that is too casual for a music star- eg: The 38 year old MC is having lunch at a Thai restaurant...etc.

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Audience GratificationThe cropped image, which is a non-verbal Symbolic code, attracts audiences because again, some people may be fans of thesePeople. Also young audiences may identify themselves doing the same actions as these people in the image,and feel social or involved in the society. (Social interaction).

The overline, which is a verbalwritten code, is also appealingto target audiences because theSentences are very short and snappy, getting to the point veryquickly. Also the overline soundsas if it may be relatable for someof the reader’s situations, of havinga success then something going wrong. Eg;‘what went so wrong?’.Parts of the text ishighlighted in red where thereare important names.

From the first paragraph (the lede), the audience feel involvedor a friendly aspect in this article in a way, becauseit is stating a fact that is too casual for a music star- eg: The 38 year old MC is having lunch at a Thai restaurant...etc. This also informs the audience for realizing the fact that superstars are no different to them.

The drop cap:’ D’, which is a verbal written code, makes the audience feel visually / aesthetically entertained. This can be a form of escapism because the drop cap makes the whole text different from the texts often seen in the society, while at work or in school.

The headline may appeal to audiences who are seekinginformation / education, because some audiences may have personal problems they would like to resolve, and this headline has wordswhich might be what they want, which is a change in life. They feel a sense of security through the whiteness of the text, and how its sans-serif sensing welcomeness and the drop shadowmakes the audience feel visually entertained.

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Headline: Serif font

CVIMain image

Negative SpaceDrop capByline

Standfirst

Flush Left Text

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The byline, which presents the writer and the photographer of this article, is in a white font colour and hasSmall fonts, which connotes the invisibleness of their effortsAnd somewhat unresponsible.

The main image, which Is the CVI, connotes Corruption of the mindor misbehaving sort of character of the article itself, as the objectShe is holding is a cigarette,Which connotes stressOr relaxation due to deep trouble. Her facialexpression connotes that she feels calm or another interpretation of feeling stressed.

The negative space provided in the article of thispage is not pure white, which connotes that this articleIs representing someone’s worries or anxieties, not Being clear nor deeply feeling anything in particular.

The standfirst beside the main article connotes thatWhat it is saying is not a Simple issue, because thefont is in serif font, and there is a name (Adele) highlighted in red with a White font colour. This Also connotes importanceof the fact that it is talkingAbout this particular person, which means trying to gainReaders attention.

This article is in a flush left for ease of reading, butalso it allows the readers to see the standfirst every timethey read the article, especially the red section.This allows the readers to refer back to how important she Is in the society, which means that this article is going to beSomething big.

The headline is in two different fonts, which meansThat there are two opposing features that they want to Get across: the fact that ‘girl’ is in white colour and In italic serif font, represents the fragileness of a girl. furthermore calling her a girl makes her seem young.The ‘uninterrupted’ connotes her negative mood/feelingbecause the font is in a clear serif font (spikyVisually), and the colour is red connoting danger or anger.

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Audience GratificationThe Byline allows the audiences to access information about who made this article, which gives them a superior feeling, which may be a form of escapism of being a middleclass citizen. Moreover, by knowing this information, the audiences can be sure of who to blame if they disagree with thisarticle, or have something against it, which increases their sense of authority even more.

The main image may make the audiences personally satisfied with who they are because the object that the model is holding(A cigarette) is considered asa negative aspect of the society. By considering themselves in fact the opposite with this woman, they find personal identity. On the other hand, some people may alsofind personal identity in opposite means, such as young teenagers who are taking drugs because of stresse. They can relate to this image andfind identity.

The negative space (which is not fully negative). suits the mood of this article and the image, and if the audience feels personal identity in the image, they are likely to feel the same with the mood of this article, which the negative space represents. However if the audience does not feel that way, then the semi-negative space may also be interpreted as hope in the future, or something positive.

The standfirst may make theaudience feel that their life is better than a superstar, which leads into self satisfaction. By adding a swearword into the standfirst, this makes the starseem like a lower class citizen, making the audience feel as ifthey have more authority than her.

The headline allows the audience to feel calm or in an opposite way,un-welcomed. First of all they could feel calm which can be a form of entertainment for relaxation, because the font for ‘girl’ is in Italic and has a swirling sort of atmosphere. Secondly they could also feel un-welcomed to this article because the ‘uninterrupted’ font color is red, which for somepeople it means stop/anger/blood etc, which could all connote something negative-however criticizing things can be simply filling time for some.

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Top tips when creating a layout• 1) When composing a DPS, consider how the target audiences will take the DPS

conventions / how they would feel when they read the DPS.

• 2) Consider the house style of the DPS (fonts, font colors, layout etc) because it can convey a mood as well as good aesthetics.

• 3) The type of languages used in the actual article and other conventions with words (overlines etc) are important as they can identify the article’s characteristics. Eg; expressive/ dramatic words such as ‘evil’,‘blasphemously’,‘gasping shock’..etc.

• 4) Think about where the different conventions of a DPS is going to be placed- make the page layout look interesting yet easy to comprehend.

• 5) The CVI is going to be successful due to images, so take an image relevant to the article that appeals to the target audience- maybe try and be creative sometimes.

• 6) Consider the headline carefully- this is most likely to be the first thing the audiences are going to read. Choose words which makes the article sound appealing.

• 7) A drop cap is very iconic to a magazine, so in the DPS, people will immediately notice the article as a magazine article if there is a drop cap.

• 8) The actual article itself needs to be conveying unusual / unknown information to provide the audiences, so that it fits into many audience gratifications as possible.

• 9) edit the page in a a program that provides quality editing tools, so that the page will look professional. Eg: Adobe Indesign

• 10) Do not include too much advertisements, as it would most likely make the audiences feel unmotivated to read the article.