Padd Solutions

Kerrang! Magazine: 27th November 2009

Pages 1 & 2

The first two pages of the article featuring 30 Seconds To Mars consists of a large photograph of the lead singer, Jared Leto, covering both pages. The first page consists of the band's official logo in the top right hand corner, a translucent grey column which details what the article is about (an interview with Jared Leto and how this is the most revealing interview he's ever given), a large title which says, The War Zone, with the word War being emphasised to attract the reader's attention and to provide a connection being the article and the title of 30 Seconds To Mars' new album, "This Is War". There is also a 'words' and 'photos' credit at the bottom of the column. The second page only contains the image with the page number and magazine logo at the bottom left.

Leto is shown in the image holding a white flag bearing the band's logo and is staring directly into the camera to engage the audience. He is wearing heavy-looking, black clothing, suggesting that he needs to wear hard-wearing outfits in this personal "war" of his. The landscape behind him is presented as very dark and desolate, as if it is post-apocalyptic, another signifier of the "war" he is going through, or rather, went through before the article was written. The overall effect is portraying leto as a very tough figure, perfect for the article's content.

Pages 3, 4, 5 & 6

The next four pages are presented very similarly with the article being written on two white columns which only take up the left sides of the pages, leaving the two right pages for large, photographs.The article begins with a drop cap in red, with the band's triangular logo behind it, the triangle becoming a motif throughout the article as a small red triangle is used before each of the interviewer's questions. The questions themselves are presented in bold capitals to provide the reader a chance to read each of the questions and decide which they would want to read if they didn't want to read the whole article. it is clear that Kerrang! is trying to be controversial and keep the reader interested as the first statement to Leto is "A listener who didn't know you might hear "This Is War" and come to the conclusion that you're a bit of a bastard..." which is not normally something an interviewer would say to an artist in more conventional magazines. Within the article's two columns there is also a box that is presented differently as it is a quote from the article, designed to catch the reader's eye and the person who quoted it, Jared Leto. There is then an arrow at the bottom of the article's second column which tells the reader that they should turn over the page to keep reading. The fifth and sixth pages of the article are presented in the exact same way as the third and fourth.

The images used, which feature primarily on the right hand sides of these pages, are of Leto and his band stood together, each of them in the same, aforementioned attire and the same post-apocalyptic style setting. There is also a caption at the bottom right of the page, just above the page number and logo (also present on the left hand sides of these pages), which state the band members names. On the sixth page of the article and spilling over onto the fifth page there is another image of Leto on his own, but the remaining space is filled with two solo shots of the other two members of the band. This is because the band is famous for Leto's involvement, which is also why it is only him giving the interview about the new CD, rather than the entire band.