Main Heading: The main heading

reads from rags to riches, this

choice of words relates to the rock
genre of the NME magazine because
it implies that the artist has come
from a rough and rebellious
background, rebellion relating to the
rock genre and being a key
denotation of it. The riches part has
connotations of the glamorous rock
star lifestyle, which is reinforced by
the designer clothes the artist is
wearing (see the main image) and so
portrays him as a wealthy star that
people would aspire to be. The text
is also black, which relates to dark
and dangerous connotations that go
along with both the colour and the
genre of rock.
Main Image: In the main image the artist is wearing red
black and white which are the main colours used by the
magazine in there logo and most of their magazine covers,
so here he is coordinating with the rest of the magazine
and creating a house style. He is also promoting the
magazine as the recognisable colours used by the
magazine would be seen by people and instantly
recognized as NME due to branding. The background of
the picture shows a graffiti wall which is visually
connected to the rock genre, denoting themes of crime
and non-conformity. This on its own would have been
worth merit but the artist is also contributing to the art so
it portrays him as a rebellious character, making him into a
non-conventional role model that the target audience of
NME will respond well to.
Colours: The colours follow the house style and branding
of NME magazine, uses of red black and white which are
the main colours used by the magazine in there logo and
most of their magazine covers. The red is also a signifier
for danger, revealing to us that the artist is edgy and
dangerous. Black is a very formal colour, showing us that
the artist is smart and sophisticated. The wide variety of
colours in the background of the main image shows the
colourful nature he has, that he is a vibrant character and
has many traits to him.
Rule of thirds: This magazine actually breaks the convention as there is no
use of the rule of thirds, neither in the main image or the layout of the
article. While this may not be within the typical codes and conventions of
the construct of a magazine, it does fit in with the magazines genre as
rock music and the entire alternative scene is all about breaking the rules
set by previous examples, proving to the target audience that this
magazine is worthy of their money as they are not buying into your
typical commercial music magazine, it is as revolutionary as they see
themselves.
Mis-en-scene: The scenery on this
two page spread is very important as
it has some good signs that denote
the rock star lifestyle, for example
the empty bottles of beer, the
graffiti on the walls, the classic
music player and the empty plastic
cups.
By-line: The by-line is an important
convention of magazines as it allows
the audience to easily find out the
creator of the article and the date it
was written on, giving it a more user
friendly interface that they find
easier to read.
Font and typography: The font of the main heading is a large and easy to read impact font, it takes up almost a half of the page and is
impossible to miss, bring instant attention to it. The way it is framed is also key as the letters are all slightly angled askew; giving it a very
random and chaotic feel. This relates to the chaotic themes of both the genre of the magazine and the genre individually, his name is
dizzee rascal (his name rascal has the connotations of mischief and discord), and has created a rebellious brand for himself that
conforms to the genre of the magazine and the style of the font. The main text also uses a dropped capital Y to begin a paragraph,
bringing attention to it and the article. It is black to match the main heading and also is a basic convention of most magazine texts.