Front Cover Development #2

I have decided on this image as I feel like it has more of a striking impact than the one with the fur coat, and have chosen the dark navy for an eye catching masthead which stands out. To contrast with this I have chosen a pale baby blue for my sell lines as this compliments it well and limits the colour palette so it looks professional. To the left hand side I have included a list of featured artists which is an idea I got from many existing magazines as it encourages one off buyers to purchase the magazine if they see a person of interest is going to be inside. I quite like how this looks however want to make my main image slightly bigger, so this would no longer fit. I have thought of the solution of adding a banner to the bottom of the page which will include this list as it will fill up some blank space and be more easily seen, as well as making the necessary info such as the issue number more clear on the page.

So far I really like how the front cover is starting to look however need to think of some solutions to the white space, so I plan to enlarge my main image and sell lines to do this. I also want to experiment with colours slightly more so it is not so monochrome and appealing to stereotypical males by being blue.

Front Cover Development #1

I have started to design my front cover for my magazine. I have so far edited my main image, created my masthead and also created a barcode which is one of the necessary conventions. I really like the colour scheme of this front cover and the main image as I think the dramatic makeup of the model is effective, however I think the font of the masthead could be a bit too thin as it isn't very bold and eye-catching, nor is the shade of blue I have chosen. 

This is actually my second front cover design, as initially I used a different image which is shown below. 

I decided not to use this image as although I really like the styling and hair on this image it didn't have as much visual impact as the models expression is quite dull. The leather jacket on my final image is darker so less distracting from the makeup and sell lines I will add. However, I do prefer the navy shade of blue used for the masthead so plan to alter my current front cover to look like this. 

Double Page Spread Draft Article

I have written an initial draft of the article I plan to use for my double page spread. The topic of this is that it is a feature about my main artist, a fictional teen star Lily Walker, and how she has returned to the industry after taking a few years out to grow up. It includes large bits of interview with the star as well as a brief review of her new album, I have chosen this topic as it is an artist of a similar age range to my target audience making her relatable and also someone to look up to. As she has a new album coming out it is a very current hook which will interest the reader.

My teacher marked this draft at a grade B, and overall it was a relevant and good article however to improve I have been told that a closing paragraph is needed which includes tour dates and an album release date as I have mentioned these in the body of the article. I will add this to my final draft to try and improve my grade to an A however I am also considering putting details like this in a separate box on my double page spread to highlight this immediately to the reader as I think this will be more effective, in a similar way to 'the lowdown' section on this example.

Contents Page Fonts

For the main title of my contents page I have decided to use the same font as my front cover mast head to create a house style for the magazine which is consistent. This font is 'Bebas Neue' and is effective as it is bold and takes up a lot of space on the page making it eye-catching and instantly noticeable.

For the titles of the features and articles I will use the same font as my sell lines on the front cover for the same reason as I have just stated, I want these to stand out on the page too in order to clearly anchor the article names.

For the writing underneath my article titles which will be a short summary of the features or pull quote from them, I will use the font Bodoni XT as it will be clear and easy to read at a small font size. I will use this same font in a larger size for the page numbers which are an important convention of the contents page as it will contrast from the article title therefore standing out to my audience.

Contents Page Colour Scheme

In-keeping with my house style, I will carry through the colour scheme of blues into my contents page as this will look equally as effective here and relate to the same people.

The varying tones of blue mean I will be able to ensure every aspect of the contents page is clear and distinguishable however in cases where this is not easy to see against the images, I will again optionally use black and white to ensure nothing blends into the background.

As an extra for my contents page I will potentially incorporate some dark red colour into the colour scheme if I want to highlight an aspect of it, such as the page numbers which are an extremely important feature. This will make sure it is eye-catching and as easy to navigate through as possible.

Colour Scheme

I have chosen to use a colour scheme which is based on blue. This includes light sky blues which connote fun and happiness, possibly medium blues if a darker shade is needed to make some font stand out, and a darker, navy type blue for main sections of font such as the masthead and main sell line as this is a dark colour which will contrast from the white background and stand out on the page.

This is another colour chart I have created which is showing two simple block colours, black and white. I have included these in my colour scheme because in some areas of my front cover, the colours might not stand out against the main image and in these cases font which is black or white would be necessary  in order for everything on the front cover to be clear and noticeable at a glance. 

Overall I think that the colour chart I have created will be effective for my magazine, as although blues are often related to the male gender, the specific tones I have chosen are bright and youthful, and will appeal to both genders I believe. When taking my photos I ensured my model wore blue nail varnish to fit in with the house style and this is an eye-catching colour scheme to have on the front cover as it will grab the attention of readers when on the shelf, encouraging them to buy due to this being such a bright and bold primary colour.

Hair, Make Up and Costume Preperation

 Before taking the images at the photo shoot, a lot of work was put into preparing the models by doing their hair, makeup and putting together outfits which worked well from the selection of clothing we had brought. Throughout the shoot there was frequent breaks to ensure the models hair was as neat as it had been to start with and to touch up the makeup in order to ensure that the quality of the photos was consistent and the look was kept perfect. There was also costume changes which effected the hair meaning it had to be redone, and to help with this I brought some friends along to the photo shoot who helped me with achieving the desired makeup looks, hair styles, and maintenance of the looks throughout the shoot. As there was a lot of us involved in this, we all brought items of clothing and makeup which was helpful as it meant there was a lot of different options and variety to create the looks I had aimed for, this is clear in how my photos came out as for example the dark red lip I chose for my main image was not something I owned myself therefore this wouldn't have been achieved without contribution from my models and other people helping. 

Preliminary Task Unused Photos

I took a number of my own original photos for my preliminary task, using a digital camera around the college campus with staff, friends and other media students. In my final product I used one main image on my front cover, and five on my contents page so there was a large number of photos I disregarded either because they weren't of good quality or didn't demonstrate the topic of the article as well as I wanted. Here are some examples.

These have highlighted things I will aim for and also avoid when taking my photos for my real final product, the outside lighting was unreliable so I will mainly take my photos in a photographic studio as lighting has a major impact in how the photos come out. I will also use confident models who will not be shy and embarrassed or mess on when posing as this is clear in the photos, as well as each photo needing an impact otherwise it will be missed on the page and irrelevant to the articles.

Preliminary Task

As a preliminary task, I have created a front cover and contents page for a college magazine. In order to do this I first made a plan with ideas for a masthead and sell lines and then took my own photos around the college of features I would like to include. I then created a mock up of a front cover and contents page using Photoshop and had this marked by my teacher.

To create these I used Photoshop and used a combination of my own original images, and a few found online such as the ski slop and shop logos. I stuck to a colour palette of reds and greys so there was a consistent house style and tried to make these look as professional as possible.

I was awarded a grade A from my teacher for this task, as the layout and colour scheme are effective making it look professional, as well as the image and cover lines being appropriate to the target audience of college students. This is because all of my articles are relevant to what goes on inside the college and my model is of the target age group herself. The positive comments of my contents page were that the layout is easy to navigate by the clear page numbers anchoring the images, and this is aesthetically pleasing. I will aim to achieve the same grade in my final product.

Areas for improvement which were highlighted was the quality and cutting out of my main image which is something I will take much better care with in my final product as the camera used was not of amazing quality and I didn't spend too much time editing the image for this piece. Another thing was that the sell lines on my front cover seem to blend into one and I have picked up myself on the fact that there is blank space on the right but not on the left which is something I will change in future too. The final comment was that the script font used on both pages is slightly unclear for the audience and to improve this I will choose a more simple style which can be read at a glance to ensure that my magazine is accessible to everyone.

Front Cover Task

In order to practise producing a front cover, I was given the task of creating a front cover for a music magazine with Jarvis Cocker as the main image. In order to create a relevant magazine for this artist I had to do some research on his music and the genre and found a number of bands which were of a simple rock-pop genre.  This also helped me choose the colour scheme which is fairly gender neutral and bold and I used my previously chosen title of 'Beat' again as it is not specific to any genre. I would like to use this masthead for my final product as it signifies that there is a wide genre included and I also like this way this looks on the page of all current mock ups I have made, as it is a short and punchy title.

This task was marked by teacher and was given an overall grade of B. The image was good however to improve I need to take more care when cutting out the hairline, and I was given mostly positive comments about my sell lines - they are appropriate to the task and genre and demonstrate excellent awareness of scale, however to improve this further I will take more care in the positioning of them, as they get a bit lost in the cover image by covering his hair, which looks unprofessional. Overall my teacher said I demonstrate good knowledge of conventions of magazines as well as layout, design and colours of the page however a negative comment is that she was unsure about the filled in B as it does not look as effective as intended. I agree with this so in future I will avoid doing this and will also practise cutting out a bit more on photoshop so on my final product the hair is not badly edited. 

Photoshop Task

Using the notes I made on how to work photoshop, I created my final production - the movie teaser poster. The briefing I was given for this task was as follows.

This task was peer marked, and my peer awarded me a score of 25/40 which is also a grade B.

The feedback I recieved was that my images were a good size and of good quality, however to improve I could use space better as there was quite a lot of blank area due to all of the imags being placed in the middle, and also that although the choice of colour is good, a block colour rather than gradient effect would be better for the background. Due to this feedback, in future I will ensure my background is more simple to not distract from the image, and take more care when positioning aspects of my work so that the space is used more effectively.

Looking at Last Year's Work

I was set the task of looking at work from previous years and giving it the grade I thought it deserved based on the strengths and weaknesses I have identified. The magazine I will be aiming for my own work to be like would be 'Pop' as I thought this deserved a grade A as the images and layout were excellent quality so seemed very realistic, and it fitted the obvious genre really effectively.

From this activity I have found that a common weakness of the work is that it looks unprofessional - either by bad quality images, messy layout, or incorrect grammar and spelling. I will ensure I avoid all of this in my own work by taking my own pictures and not trying to cram too much into a page such as the contents page, to make sure it isn't messy. The common strengths are consistent house styles which is something I will also include as I have chosen a colour scheme which I will make sure is used throughout, and also I really like the idea used by 'Sixstrings' to list included bands on the front cover as this is a good way of enticing and attracting one off readers.

I found this useful as it meant I could see other examples of work and compare it to my own, identifying areas I will avoid and things I can take inspiration from to make sure my own magazine is as good as possible.

Potential Problems Proposal Plan

I have considered some of the potential problem areas with my coursework images and article, and thought of ways in which I can deal with the problems in order to get the right images I need.

Recce

I have carried out a recce at the location of my photo shoot, which is in the photographic studio at the local university.

The potential hazards that could pose a health and safety risk in the professional studio are all of the wires and cables trailing on the from appliances such as the studio lighting which cause a potential tripping hazard, or obtrusive furniture which is in the way of where I am wanting to take the photographs, such as the chairs which are around to be used. Another hazard could be the backdrop, which is a set up of white fabric, as where this is taped to the floor there is the potential risk of tripping if it is not completely flat.

To ensure these risks are minimised I will ensure the floor is clean and dry before we start the photo shoot to avoid the slipping hazard, and ensure the backdrop is secured safely and flat to the floor so there is no chance of catching your foot on it and falling. I will make my models aware of wires so they avoid tripping on them and if possible I will move these wires however this might not be possible as the studio lights are set up to be positioned in a certain place.

In the studio the time of day and weather will have no effect on the photos as the studio lighting will be used, however for one of my contents page images where I would like it to be against an outdoor, urban looking background I will ensure I choose my time of day carefully therefore have chosen midday, so that the daylight is at its brightest. If the weather is bad such as a dull, cloudy day, the outcome of my photos will be effected as bright, natural night is essential in making my photos come out as good a quality as possible so to ensure this doesn't affect the outcome of my photos I have allowed a few days where myself and my models are available to take this particular image incase the weather is particularly bad one day.

Some potential hazards found in the studio

My photos will have a plain white back drop, which will already be set up in the photographic studio. I would also like to take a photo for my contents page outside, either on a brick or wooden wall so there is an urban feel to the image, and because these are both common things I will not have difficulty ensuring that I find a background of this sort.

Permission is needed to take the photos in the studio I have in mind, so by doing this recce I confirmed with the owner of the studio at Sunderland University that I would be able to use the studio, and I have booked a time in which myself, the models, and the studio itself are free to carry out the photoshoot as students at the university would get priority booking. I will then email the owner of the studio to confirm the booking. For this I have booked around 5 hours to ensure that ample time is available for hair and makeup changes.

Other people and crowds would be an issue in my photos as I am aiming for such a simple and plain background therefore to ensure this won't spoil the effect I will photograph one model at a time (unless it is a group shot) and make sure no one is in the area I am shooting when I take the photos. Although this should not be an issue in the studio, I have still bared this problem in mind.

To ensure all of the equipment and models I need come together at the appointed time I have ensured both my models and the owner of the studio are well informed of the arrangements and have pre-prepared the makeup, clothes, and props I will take. I have also prepared the camera and the owner of the studio has offered a variety of props which I will be able to try out on the day of the shoot. Plan B for the photo shoot would be to book another time if it does not go to plan, or use my friends house where there is a plain neutral coloured wall in a light room to take the photographs however this would not be as good a quality.

Arranging the Photoshoot

After booking the studio for the photoshoot to take place in, I have taken responsibility for getting in touch with friends who we would like to help on the day or model for the photographs, and confirmed things such as the time and date, location and transport and also what they would need to bring along so that the photoshoot runs smoothly. Here are some screen shots of the conversations.

Booking the Photoshoot

As me and my friend both needed to use the studio, we decided to combine our photoshoots and use the same friends as models. My friend Grace took responsibility for contacting Colin, the owner of the photo studio and I made arrangements with the models so here are the screenshots of the emails which they exchanged in booking a slot for us to use.

Initial Proposal Plan

I have thought of the considerations of the conventions and ideas to be used on my magazine.

Photoshop Research

In order to familiarise myself with using the programme 'Adobe Photoshop', which I will be using to create my final production pieces, I have completed the production of a movie poster for the film 'The Simpsons Movie'. To do this, I first had a play around with the software and gathered notes on how to carry out particular functions such as using the tools and applying filters. I can now refer back to these notes when using the programme in future in order to use it correctly and effectively.


























For this research my teacher gave me a grade B as my work was thorough and demonstrated good knowledge in using photoshop therefore I am now feeling confident about working with it.

Photographic Techniques

There are some photographic techniques which are essential to consider when composing a shot.

First, the shot distance is key and each different type of shot can portray different ideas about the image.

Big Close-Up                         Extreme Close-Up

These shot types are good for showing the significance of a character, or for showing them as powerful. Both BCU and ECU's are also extremely useful in drawing attention to characters emotions.

Medium Close-Up                                Close-Up             

MCU and CU shots are effective for portraiture of a single person or for moving image interviews.

                Medium Shot                           Medium Long Shot      

For a an image which is showing movement or for a balanced tracking of characters featured and their environments, both MS and MLS's are good shot types to use.

Long Shot                          Extreme Long Shot       

These shot types are good for showing the insignificance of a character, or for connoting a character as powerless within an empowering environment. LS and ELS's are also good for establishing location.







I would like to use a variety of these images in my own work for a number of different effects. For my front cover I plan to use a medium close-up as this is conventional of a front cover image and draws emphasis on my models facial features and expressions, and as I said this is an effective shot for portraiture. For my double page spread image I am considering using either a medium long shot, or a long shot to show my models whole body and therefore her clothing, stance and props however unlike these examples do not plan to have a detailed background so rather than looking powerless in an empowering environment, my model will look dominating. For my other images on the contents page I will use a number of these shot types to make the page look more varying and interesting to look at, but mainly medium long shots I think as this allows some more details of the mise-en-scene to be established than close ups. 



Colour and tone are also important aspects of a photograph and taking control of the way these are used is a key way of improving images. Tone control can be used to emphasise the shapes of the most important elements in the image, and also to emphasise important parts of the image and colour, helping to set the mood of the photograph. This includes variations of light and dark.

Vivid and vibrant coloured subjects are effective, as well as delicate coloured subjects and ones with muted tones.







Bright and bold colours such as primary colours are used on magazine covers, so these are important to consider when taking the image for the magazine front cover as colour sells.






Within a picture the use of just one or two colours can work well as this gives the shot intensity and a sense of harmony. The only thing to be careful of when using monochromatic colours is that when writing over the image, the typography often doesn't stand out very well.





I think that combining these colours and tones in my images will be very effective, as for example using monochromatic colours on my models with bright, bold primary coloured text overlaying it will make my magazine very eye-catching and will stand out on the shelf, ensuring more sales. I may also experiment with the lighting on my photos to try and incorporate some different tones rather than basic bright lighting as this will make my images more diverse and unique.




Shot composition is something that need to be thought about carefully, as a dull image is often caused by the subject being placed in the middle of the photograph, something many photographs seem to do. An effective focal point can be created by the use of off centre composition. Another important consideration is to keep in mind both the action in the foreground, and in the background, when composing a shot. 

I am going to try and experiment with this in my own photography as before this research I would immediately have just placed my model in the centre of the image however now I may try and use a prop or unusual pose as the focal point of the image to make it look more dynamic and less dull or boring.




Lines and framing are useful for emphasising and leading the viewer towards the main area of the subject. The picture space may also be divided into segments which can vary in size and shape, these shapes of the lines and their general patterns can strongly influence the mood of the photograph. The appearance of lines in a picture can be easily controlled by camera viewpoint. The rule of thirds is important to keep in mind when designing a show as the viewer's eye is drawn to the cross-sections of a frame; the action should be taking place here.

I will take notice of the direction of lines in my images where possible however if it is just a straight forward image of my model I will try to ensure this line of focus is her eyes by using a pose with a direct gaze and very bold eye make up so the attention is drawn straight here, I think this will make my image and model seem more relatable and appealing to the audience.



Texture and hints on creating texture are another way of approaching picture-taking as most of the time we think about the subject, this involves thinking beyond the subject and looking at it in terms of textures and patterns. Photography is especially effective at conveying the impression of texture, through its quality which can be extremely close up. Aspects which make a big difference to the appearance of textures are the direction, height and the quality of lighting.


Texture is definitely something I will try to focus on with my images particularly through the models clothing, perhaps leather or fur would be effective in making the image more aesthetically appealing and by using an extremely good camera and studio lighting, this high quality will make the textures even more effective and highlighted.



Use of tilt can be used to effectively manipulate the connotations of the subject of the image.






A tilt up shot, is from a low angle and is used to convey power or dominance.








A tilt down shot, is from a high angle and is used to convey vulnerability or weakness of the person in shot, to demonstrate the dominance of point of view.







Although I am not sure using tilt will fit in with my fairly simplistic and professional looking plan for my magazine, I may experiment with this when taking my photos as I would like my main model to look dominating and important so could use a slight tilt up shot, however nothing as dramatic as the example I have used here. I may also use a tilt down shot to make my model look more innocent rather than the weakness this type of shot tends to connote. 

Font Research

I have done some research into possible fonts I could use on my magazine front cover, for both the masthead, sell lines and for the main copy of the article inside. This has helped give me an idea of the fonts I would like to use and what would look effective or not. 

Masthead

I really like this font, as because it is sans serif, it is very simple but is clear to read and would stand out well on the page at is is really rounded and bold. It also looks very professional like many existing magazines I have seen.
The down side of this font is that it is fairly thin and rounded letters so if it is covered a lot by the image it might be too hard to read. It is also quite a standard font for a masthead and I don't want my magazine to just look like every existing magazine which is already available.

I think this font is effective as it is very bold and eye-catching, it is also quite unique and unusual as no existing magazines use a font like this.
I am not as keen on this font as it is quite futuristic and may appeal more to males whereas this doesn't relate to my magazine which is gender neutral.

I really like this font because again it is simple and bold due to the sans serif style, and is a taller shape rather than wide like the font 'Code'. This reminds me of font used on a fashion magazine which looks sophisticated and luxurious.
The negative aspects of this font is that because my magazine name 'Beat' is a short word, the narrow font might not take up very much of the page therefore won't be as eye-catching as it should be.

This is a very similar font to 'Code' however is a bit thicker and less rounded so it would possibly stand out more on the page and look bolder against the main image and other sell lines.

However, this font is quite standard and simple therefore may look a bit boring and less striking as a masthead.

This font is very similar to some others that I have chosen however I think the subtly different shape of the letters is effective as it looks a bit more unusual and unique.

The think I don't like about this is the shape of the letter 'E' as it is not very even and as this letter is featured in my magazine name it will put me off choosing this font.

This is another very similar sans serif font which would look effective as the shape of the letters are distinctive, they are taller which will look neat and professional on the page.

Although it is also a positive aspect, the fact that the letters are tall could also be a negative because my magazine name is only 4 letters long so this might not look very bold and dominant as the masthead.

Sell-Lines

This serif font is appealing to look at because it is so decorative, and would look quite professional to be used for a sell line, enticing the reader to look inside as it gives the impression that the whole magazine will be as appealing to the eye.
On the other hand, some of the letters become very thin at points which may be difficult to distinguish on a front cover against the image.

I like how narrow and unusual this font is, and will contrast quite drastically from the text on the masthead. It is not too old fashioned but also not extremely modern which relates to the main image of my front cover and double page spread so this may be an effective font to use.

This font might be a bit too narrow and tall to stand out on my front cover as it is a serif font again the thin sections of the letters might be drowned out by the image it is anchoring.

I think that this would be a really effective font for a pull quote sell-line as it looks personal and hand written because it is such a decorative, script font. It is also very appealing to the eye.

The downside of this font is that because it is so fancy it might not look as professional, and the joined up writing might be difficult to read if it is a full sentence, it is not as simple as I would like.

I like this font as it is very unusual and vintage looking, and is a bit more cartoon like and eye-catching than the other fonts I have found, it will give my magazine a vintage twist and the thickness of the lettering on the left is striking.

The negative of this font is that it might look too old fashioned and not tie in with my masthead very well, as well as looking less sophisticated because of the cartoony edge to it. It is also quite stereotypical of a vintage look and I would prefer my magazine to be unique and stand out.

I really like this font because it is very simple and professional looking, as well as quite mature and expensive. It is tall and thin so will be clear and very easy to read due to the large spacing between each letter. A sans serif font is definitely easier to read I have found.

As the lettering is so thin this will not look very bold for a front cover, so instead I think I could possibly use this font for the heading of my double page spread where the background is more simple as I will be able to position it away from the main image, and it will not be competing to stand out and catch the eye of a potential buyer.

Although this is a serif font, I really like it because it is appealing to the eye and will be clear to read the text however is not too unusual that it would put someone off reading it - this font will appeal to all types of people as it is not too distinctive.

The downside of this is that as I have said previously a serif font may be less likely to stand out as well against the background image and is not very unique to my individual magazine.

Main Article Copy

This font is modern and attractive, and extremely appealing to the eye. It is quite rounded which looks youthful and simple to look at therefore would be an easy read for the audience.

The problem with this font is that it might be too spaced out to look effective in dense copy, and will look spacious on the page therefore less professional.

This font is much more simple and mature looking, it is professional as it reminds me of the typical font used in existing magazines. This would appeal to any reader as it is not too fussy and is readable at a small font size like it will be in my article.
The only downside of this font is that it is very plain and not as appealing to the eye of the reader, it might also make the text look quite sparse as it is not bold at all.

I really like this font style because it is simplistic and very similar to 'Linux Libertine' however it is better in the sense that is is thicker and bolder, therefore easy to read and looks like the realistic copy found in a double page spread article.

The downside of this font is that it is not very unique and is quite infitting with existing publications whereas I would like my magazine to be a bit different. Hopefully the boldness of this font would not make the writing look too messy and overly dense.

The unusual shape of this font appeals to me as it would to any reader - it is narrower and although it is also a serif font, it is a slightly different style and this could look a bit more unique. It is a very attractive and sophisticated looking font.

The negative aspect of this font is that it may look too tall because of how narrow it is, and this would not look professional or realistic in my article.