Contents page- Contact sheet

Front cover progress

Finally finished my front cover! I'm still a bit unsure about the background but I'm going to sort that out one I finished my contents page so I can see how to match them up! 

Typography

The same font is used for the masthead as it is for the cover lines because I want to keep everything more or less the same which will give it the look i'm aiming for.

Title decisions

The font I wanted to choose had to be this font as it was eye catching and unique from the rest. However the font came in different boldness and some were thinner than the others. But I thought I would go with the one slap bang in the middle as it was neither too thick or too thin. This worked well for my title as it looks clear and well presented.

 My font size had to be big enough to stand out because it is the main focus of my magazine and I want it to be unique and individual. 

This was the end result but I really wanted it to have a commercial brand that will stand out to the public and people would recognize it.

So I decided to change the 'N' and I would be doing this for most of my mastheads just to give it that unique look that I want.

Peer Review: NAMES

What name do you think that she looks like?! Any good names please :)

Peer review: Which one shall I use!?

Please tell me which one you prefer!

Photo shoot contact sheet

Finally!

Yessss. Finally did my photo shoot over this weekend and I thought it turned out pretty well. Overall I was pleased with it and I'm excited to get started!

Masthead layout

Photo shoot blog entry

Front cover:
I would like a close up (almost macro shot) of the models face for the front cover. I'd like half of the face to be on the cover and half not. I have shown this in the first draft I did. In my questionnaire people seemed to prefer the close up image on the front cover rather than a group photo or a single portrait photo. This is what gave me the idea.

Contents page:
I would like to use a long shot for one of my images on my contents page. I have also shown this on my first page draft. I'd like to have more alternative images in contrast to my front cover. The image i'm going to have above this is going to be almost like an album over of the model I use on my front cover. This magazine issue is going to be based around the model I use on the front cover.

Double page spread:
I am using two images for my double page spread. One of them is going to be a blown up 'band' photo and I'd like this to be placed on the right hand side. The other image is going to be included in the article on the left hand side, however it is going to be a lot smaller like I have shown on my first double page spread draft.

Shoots:
I want to take two different shoots. One of the shoots is going to be a close up portrait shot of the models face. I will take different angles of the face depending on how it will fit the front cover. I am going to take all portrait photos so I can get a good fit for my front cover. The second shoot is going to be a more natural shoot, although I say that it is still going to be set in a studio. I am going to use less harsh and strong light for this and give it a softer feel.

Models:
Makeup:

I will use heavy makeup for one of the shoots. I want to give a heavy makeup look for one of my shoots because I want them to look like A-list celebrities. However for my second shoot I am going to dress her with hardly any makeup at all as I want to give the model a softer, more appealing look. I'd like to do this because I wouldn't want the audience to be intimidated at all.

Clothing:

I'd like my models to be wearing clothing that is high in fashion or alternative, which reflects on what the magazine is about. I want people to read the magazine and automatically think that they are celebrities. I have made a mood board on this and discovered that most alternative fashion is more or likely the same.

Props:

The only props I am going to use are an acoustic guitar and an amp. I may have the model sitting on the amp for my front cover however I will still keep a plain background as I want to minimise the clutter. I will only use the prop for one image on my contents page and this is going to be on the 'album cover' image. 

Lighting:
I am going to use a single modelling lamp for my photo shoot and place it either to the left or right of where they are standing. I decided this because it gives a lot of ton and depth towards the photo which is good because like I mentioned in my introduction and aims i'd like the magazine to look polished. I want to use extreme, strong lighting to give it even more of a studio effect. 

Background: 
I'd like the background to be very simple and ordinary. I don't want to much going on in the background because I don't want it to look cluttered. I would want the main subject of my image to be the model and not the background, this is why I would keep the background plain.

Setting:
I would have a studio setting for both photo shoots. I want this because like I keep repeating myself I want to keep the simplicity of the magazine classy. 

Double page spread- Draft

From looking at my questionnaire everyone that took it said that they would want an exclusive interview from a relevant artist in the genre of the magazine. I personally wanted to do this anyway and it is even better that that's what the audience want's as well. I have planned to take a group photo of a band and place is on the right hand side of the page and there would be a few cover lines overlapping that. Then on the adjacent page there would be the interview that the viewers would want to read.

I also wanted to place an advertisement on the page to give the page something more. This page is also very simple but I don't want it to be too boring and dull which is why I think something like an advertisement would fill up the space quite well.
I have based the layout on my 4th textual analysis of a double page spread. It's about Lady Gaga and I think that it looks really classy and elegant. This is how I would like mine to look.

Contents page- Draft

I wanted my contents page to keep in theme with my front cover so yet again it is all very simple. I have a few more images on this page as I don't want the audience to be bored with just text. I have also kept the headline typography the same as the masthead on the front cover because like I said I want my magazine to keep in theme with everything.
I am going to design a logo for my magazine that I can place in the corner which will be the trademark for the magazine.
Overall my contents page looks well organised and not too cluttered which is what I am aiming to do for the finished product. 






My second contents page draft is more simple than the other. I wanted it like this as it will reflect more on my front cover. I also have an adjustment on the 'N' as I want my contents and my front cover to have a recurring theme. This could be the trademark for me magazine.

Front cover- Draft

I wanted to keep my front cover as simple as possible because when I did my questionnaire people seemed to generally prefer the more simple layouts. I thought a big image would be perfect for this as it will cover most of the page. I then can have all the cover lines on the opposite side of the page. I don't want there to be much going on for my front cover, I want it to have a clean, polished look.
I chose the headline 'Enough' because you can use a lot of play-on words with it and be creative. For example 'You can't get enough of 'Enough.'' I put the '...' beside it because I wanted it to show the readers that there is more inside if you carry on reading. I think it will draw the reader in.
The model is going to have a very vacant expression on her face, almost to intimidate the reader. I want the model to have a look that will draw the reader in and try to reflect what else there is to come in the magazine. 

My second front cover draft is more simple than the first. It is a mid body shot and has a clear cover line across the body. The word 'Enough' has an altered 'N' I want this to be a trade mark for the magazine. To make it more original and different from the others. 

Textual analysis- Double page spread 5

Textual analysis- Double page spread 4

Textual analysis- Double page spread 3

Textual analysis- Double page spread 2

Textual analysis- Double page spread 1

College magazine evaluation

College magazine prelim evaluation

For my prelim task I had to construct a college magazine suitable for an audience between the ages of 16-18. This is the chosen age because this is how old most college students are. It helped me vary my decision for what I could actually use for my music magazine. 
          I did this by making my magazine appealing to the readers. The magazine included latest news articles of current situations around college. I wanted to engage with the reader and I did this by using relevant articles that I thought the target audience would be interested in. I also took photos for my cover photo, however I took them all in landscape shots. They wouldn't fit on the page so I had to go back out and take portrait photos instead. My favourite part about making the magazine was making my masthead. I loved this because as I was making it I thought it looked quite boring, so I decided to tilt the 'The' to the side to give it a more appealing effect. I made the cover lines and masthead colours that all link together well. I chose red because it catches your eye. I then made the cover lines red & white as I wanted to use some sort of vary on my front page. I chose the title name 'The college magazine' as it was simple and easy to use. People who saw it would recognise that it was a college magazine instantly due to the title.

          I made the contents page spacious and clear so that it wasn't misleading and was easy to follow.
I think one thing I could improve on is the contents page as it looked a bit bare and I could of done this by taking more photos of the school and filling up the page.

Unfinished 

Questionnaire- graphs and analysis

Questionnaire

Prelim task- Finished college magazine contents page

Prelim task thoughts

I really enjoyed making my prelim front cover. It gave me loads of ideas for my actual front cover which I can use! However when I was taking my photos for the front cover I took them all landscape so when I uploaded them onto photoshop they didn't quite fit. I knew for next time to take them portrait to make them fit the whole front cover. I also wasn't prepared for which cover lines I was going to used so I struggled to find ones that would work and would fit in well with the magazine. But all-in-all I thought it was alright :)

Prelim task- Finished college magazine front cover

Textual analysis- Contents page 5

Textual analysis- Contents page 4

Textual analysis- Contents page 3

Textual analysis- Contents page 2

Textual analysis- Contents page 1

Prelim Task experiment with photoshop

Photoshop experiments

My initial thoughts on using photoshop aren't too bad. I've used photoshop before so I didn't find it too hard to use. I wanted to make my masthead unique and for someone to know I had made it but adding a quirk to it. I did this by tilting the 'The' sideways. I really liked the way it turned out because it looked slightly professional.

I really wanted to have a well-polished masthead, something that would go well with a college magazine. Something fun but not over the top and something classy but not to mature as I didn't want to put readers off.

This was the first font I used for my masthead but I didn't like it because I  think that people may have some trouble reading it. I just wanted something easy going and polished.

I found out what this was by experimenting with different things to try and make my masthead standout. In the end I used the drop shadow option because it seemed to give some sort of depth towards my masthead. It made it look 3 dimensional.

This is the final version of my masthead.

So far so good

I quite enjoyed making my mood boards. Sounds weird because I don't actually really enjoy work at all?! I didn't think that the mood boards would help but I think the reason I enjoyed making them is because it gave me loads of ideas that I could use in my magazine. Especially for my photo shoot! I can't wait to get started. 

Mood Board 2: Alternative bands and solo artists

Mood Board 1: Alternative clothing and fashion shoot ideas

I think I just died

Just finished ALL of my textual analysis'. I now know for next time not to leave them all for last minute. That was awful. Horrible. Disgusting. I've learnt my lesson and that is to do at least one textual analysis every day!

Textual analysis- Front cover 5

Textual analysis of front cover- 5

This is also a very simplistic magazine layout. I really like the simple layout as it gives it a polished look and that's exactly what I'm going for. The image is showing the well-known alternative band 'Bombay Bicycle Club'. The band is dressed in young and fashionable clothing which could influence readers to dress in similar clothing. The main focus is on the lead singer Jack Steadmen because as we can see he is the only member in the foreground and in focus. This definitely shows the importance of each band member.
The colour scheme on the front cover is very simple as well, this co-ordinates with the simple layout. Most magazines have a lot going on e.g. cover lines, advertisements etc. But this one is kept very straight forward. I'd like to give my magazine that sort of affect because I feel it looks classy. The greyish background and the dull typography makes the image stand out even more. This is good because 'Bombay Bicycle Club' don't have much colour to them anyways. The grey background and their skin tone almost match. This connotes with them blending into the background and giving it an even more alternative edge. As their clothes don't have much colour in them anyways this gives it more of a sharpness. Most music magazines would have a crisp photograph of the model, but in this case there is one band member in focus and it isn't the most crisp of photos.
The headline 'Bombay Bicycle Club' the word 'Bombay' is slightly slanted up. This could connote with them rising in the charts, but I think by slanting it it's adding fun and interest to the topic rather than just having it straight and boring. This connotes with the type of music they make because it's different and upbeat.

Textual analysis- Front cover 4

Textual analysis of front cover- 4

Q is normally a very well-polished magazine. There is usually a lot going on but although it is packed with things to read it still manages to pull of 'clean', 'finished' look.
This image is of 'Noel Fielding' and it is a full body shot. He is wearing mostly dark colours such as greys, blacks and browns and this contrasts with the background which is a white washed colour. This makes the image stand out.
The plain background allows the image and the writing to stand out more, drawing in the readers attention. The kicker is used as an extra piece of information to influence the audience to buy it. The kicker is also a different colour from everything else, a washed out gold colour has been used to make it look unique and to almost make the reader seem interested.
The cover lines of his opinions are voiced on the speakers and could be used as a 'hook' to draw the reader into finding out more about what Noel has to say. It's ironic because it's drawing you in to 'listen' about what Noel has to say and this is presented on a speaker. This connotes as it is done in a smart way in which you wouldn't automatically think of the first time you see the magazine.
There is lots of different varieties of typography used on the front cover in order to intrigue the reader. Although there are lots of cover lines. They are all mostly in one place- on the right hand side going down the column. This is to inform their target audiences what is included within this publication. Like I said it is laid out very neatly and has a clear structure to it. Everything seems to look right where it is. There are very few colours used for the front cover: red, black and white seem to be the three main colours. The red is definitely the more striking colour out of all three because the 2 other colours seem to blend in better with the background, this makes the red stand out even more so.
With 'Q' magazine I love the fact that the 'Q' is always in the same place. It gives it a distinctive look about it, and like I said well-presented and polished.

Textual analysis- Front cover 3

Textual analysis of front cover- 3

Artrocker has a very simple lay out. It is not too messy but it doesn't really have much going on. 'The Horrors' are one band but they have used separate images for each band member. They consider themselves to be an edgy alternate band. The image is in greyscale and only of the band members heads. The use of greyscale could represent the 'retro' roots and influences the band claims to have. The image shows some stripy, pixilated graphics. The colour of the graphics matches the masthead and the cover all together has a main palette of pinks, greys, blacks and white. The way in which the front cover is different or alternative suggests that the target audience is roughly between 16-25- this is the type of audience I am aiming for as I mentioned it in my introduction and aims.
The main article is 'The Horrors- leaving behind the hair and living up to the hype.' The selling line beneath the headline is the selling point towards this article as it draws readers in and makes it seem more interesting. The typography is black which connotes simplicity and is bold. 
Near the top right hand corner of the magazine it mentions different music artists such as 'slow club' and 'Lethal Bizzle' who are varied in styles, but are still fitting in with the magazines image of being alternative. Along the top of the magazine in white are  different genres of what the magazine consists of, such as "Rock n Roll", "electro" and "indie" showing a varied range of tastes/ artists that indicates the kind of music fans are interested in the magazine and indicates to the reader weather they will like the magazine. It also gives a wider range towards the magazine as it is not narrowed down into one music category. 
The text in white- which connotes simplicity again and contrasts the black text- is echoed at the bottom of the cover. This is directing the more alternative audience with artists such as "Bombay Bicycle club" and "Nightmare Air". These sell lines would attract a reader who particularly likes those artists.
The thing I like most about Artrocker magazine is the simplicity of it. It may have taken a lot of effort to create and make it but it just looks so effortless, giving it a rough, careless look about it. I would love for my magazine to have those types of characteristics.

Textual analysis- Front cover 2

Textual analysis of front cover- 2

Rolling stone is a well established alternate rock magazine. Although the target audience for this magazine may be slightly older- twenties to mid forties. I would still like my magazine to have some qualities from this. My target audience is sixteen to mid-twenties, so I would have to make it more appealing for that age group.
The main image is of Robert Downey Jr. It is a photograph of his head down to his shoulders and takes up partially all the space. There are no other photos on this front cover which shows he is the main focus for this magazine. Robert Downey Jr. has his orange hood up in this image. The connotations of having a hood up are that of a 'bad' persona, as a hoodie is seen as the uniform of what a thug would wear. However his facial expression gives us a different impression. Instead of looking at the ground like a thug might do, he is looking straight ahead. He has a slight frown. This gives off the impression of innocents and counterbalances the thug attitude. This expression fits with the text 'To Hell and back with Robert Downey Jr.' This connotes that Robert Downey jr. has been through a hard time and the article has made him as the subject which will explain more about his journey 'to hell and back'.
The typography for this front cover gives it the very 'classic', 'old' look about it. The main title 'Rolling Stone' is in a bold script font. It is easily recognisable as the font for the rolling stone magazine, because they usually use the same font for every issue and this is what makes it iconic. Although there is a text box that is covering the masthead in the top right corner it doesn't matter because the Rolling Stone magazine is already well established and it does not need to show its whole name. The font used for the rest of the magazine matches the title as it still has that very 'classic', 'old' feel about it. Therefore this has connotations of being cultured and gives the impression it's a serious magazine containing well informed articles.
The colours used for the front cover for the background & texts are all very dull, boring colours. Black, grey and white. These colours could connotate masculinity and are definitely more serious colours. They definitely contrast to the bright orange hoodie that Robert Downey Jr. is wearing in the main picture, this makes him stand out more. Orange is usually a colour associated with prison which could link back to the article about him 'going to hell and back' which connotes that maybe he spent some time in prison.

Textual analysis- Front cover 1

Textual analysis of front cover- 1

Q magazine is a smart, well presented magazine. The image is showing us Matt Bellamy smashing the logo. The 'Q' logo in definitely connotes as it makes you think of broken pieces, or cracked glass because of the way it is presented. Matt Bellamy's facial expression is angry and frustrated. It looks like he is focusing on hitting the 'Q' logo as hard as he possibly can. The image is a full body shot as we can see all of his body. This means we can see his posture and the way he is stood. You can see that he is putting a lot of force into hitting the 'Q' as he is leaning slightly forward.
The colours used in this magazine all co-ordinate with each other.The more vibrant colour is definitely red. It is the colour that stands out the most and catches your eye. If you really look at the magazine you can see that Matthew's jacket has some hints of red as well. The other colours used around the magazine are very dull and not as vibrant. Which makes the red stand out even more. There's is only about four main colours in this magazine: red, white, grey and black. By using these colours it will make the main colour- which in this case is red- stand out more.
The typography on the front cover is capitalized. However the cover lines & headlines are in bold as well as capital letters. This is a good way to catch the readers attention. The headline 'MUSE' has some of the broken pieces off of the 'Q' logo. This shows that the connotation affects other things other than itself. Most of the text looks more or less the same, apart from the small typography which is in a slightly more 'un-rounded' style. It looks as if it is written in italic. I think that this is good because if every thing was big and bold like the title and cover lines it would be too overwhelming and could put the reader off of reading it.
The structure of this magazine is very tidy and provides a clean, innocent backdrop in contrast to other elements on the front cover. The guitar used in the image is an indexical sign. This is because although it is a guitar and it makes you think of music; it is not being used in a way that you normally use it. The guitar is being used to smash something else up and this is making the connotation by seeing the broken 'Q' logo.
As I mentioned in my introduction and aims I wanted a polished, finished look to my magazine and I feel that this magazine front cover represents this very well. 

Introduction & Aims

I researched different styles for my magazine & finally came to the decision that it was going to be a indie/alternative magazine genre. I thought that this would suit my target audience more than any other genre. Late teens- early/mid twenties is perfect for this. This would go in the C2, D and E group. I therefore hope to achieve a magazine that is best suited for a male & female audience and I’d like it to have a classy feel towards it and for it to look polished. 

The 3 or 4 models I plan to use will be shot in a very plain/ ordinary background with not a lot going on. Most of the shots are going to be portrait for the front cover and then I’ll have an alternative shot for the double page. I will use extreme (strong) lighting to give it a studio effect. I will use heavy makeup and they will be wearing something high in fashion or alternative. I want to give them the look as though they are very famous celebrities. This will go for 2 out of the 4 models. My 3^rd model will be a male model. I want to give him the blunt edge look and I’ll be doing this by dressing him in very stylish clothing. I would then style his hair to look very daring. Almost the clean/dirty look is what I’m going for here. For my last model I would like to try a more natural look, with more soft lighting to give it a different appeal. She will have a very light layer of makeup, nothing too heavy. Then the shots that I like the most will be included in my article. I’d like my audience to think that everything has got a professional feel about it.

             
The layout of my cover, double page spread and contents cover will all have the same theme running through out it so they all ‘click’ with each other. I’m still unsure about what I’m going to name my magazine but I do know that it will have a short, memorable, title & logo that people will remember and recognise if they quite young and it is also a magazine that I’d like them to buy every month. So if I want to keep the audience I need a decent price to go with it. I’m going to have teasing contents on the front as well as a bold kicker at the top of the cover. I don’t want my magazine to look empty but I also don’t want to clutter it up. This is why I’m keeping with the clear background to try and make it seem a little classier than it actually is.

            
I have looked at many different music magazines and lots of different genres. However I chose pop/rock because it was the one that I would usually read. My target audience is people nearer my age so I thought that most people would probably go for the same choice as me. My inspirations for this magazine are definitely rolling stones, vibe, Q, blender etc. They all have the same type of style towards them and that is what I’m aiming for. I will include quotes from celebrities to draw the reader in and have skylines surrounding the photo. Might have them overlap, not too sure yet. Not only am I just focusing on pop/rock I am also looking at what is in the charts right now. This is going to give me a wider range of an audience to work for. Therefore giving me a better selling ranges.

            
By thinking about my introduction and aims I have been able to get a better idea of everything in detail and have a look at everything in a different perspective. I hope to achieve all my aims as soon as I can and that everything works out well.