Flat Plan Feedback

I have emailed my magazine flat plan to a few friends. Now I am just waiting for them to reply so I can see what they think:

I have emailed it too a few more people; I will update this post when I have their replies.

Front Cover Target Audience Research

I linked my magazine to my target audience, by listening to what people said about colours; they like bright colours, and lots of features on the magazine cover to tell them what is in it. So far, this is what I've got:

Front Cover Linked to Research

I have linked my front cover to my research by including artists from that genre. I've also looked at the bright colours and angle of gaze, as well as the image of the model, as the model that I chose has an interest in Pop-Rock Music anyway.

Front Cover features

I included a mention of the Reading and Leeds Festival 2014 on my magazine. I did this because I want my magazine to appeal to young people, and the Reading/Leeds Festival is a place that a lot of young people attend. I want the magazine to be up to date with what's happening in the music industry as well, so that is why I included it as a feature. Furthermore, Reading and Leeds is a very Pop-Rock inspired festival.

As well as this, I'm going to include references on my front cover to artists like The Killers, who recently released their greatest hits album, which was highly successful, and a lot of people like at least a few of their songs.

Masthead and Font Designs

When choosing fonts, there was some debate as to which one I would use. Originally, I started designing a masthead in the style of the NME masthead, by making the text bold and red and outlining it in white and then black:

However, it was then thought that it didn't look very Pop-Rock, and so I changed it. Initially I went this this text:

It was bold, and the colour of it was taken from the model's lips. It looked ok on the magazine, but I thought that it could look better, and so I changed it again to this:

It seemed a little edgier, and I liked the way that it combined the boldness of the Chaos font I used before, but the sharp edges of the NME text that I used on my first magazine cover. This is the masthead text that I have decided to go with.

I also changed my text to this bolder one when doing my artist name:

I used Photoshop to make the text transparent, because I thought it would be a nice contrast to the bolder font that I'd used in my masthead. I also wanted to use a different for my pull quote, making it a fancy handwritten font, as I feel that emphasizes the fact it's a person saying it.

Photograph Manipulation

I enjoyed editing the picture (although please note; this was on the old front cover I designed before the data went corrupt). By editing this picture, I managed to make my models skin look clearer, as well as her eyes more defined and her hair look darker. I had to use a Youtube video to find out how to edit the picture, but once I'd learned (it involved putting a duplicate layer over the original image) how to edit the image, I preferred the image that it became.  I think it looks more professional and more suited to a music magazine.

Cover Layout

I began by taking the picture that I'd chosen and uploading it onto a canvas on Photoshop. I played around with the canvas for a while, out the background, when I realized that it'd probably be easier and faster if I just left the background as it was, because it'd white and that way it makes my model look a lot more natural, instead that she is just floating on a blank canvas. I had to stretch the picture, but kept everything in proportion. This meant that a gap was created at the top, but I have overcome this problem by adding a black box across the top, which I can then put a feature in my magazine on.

Shots Taken

These were the three shots that I initially liked the most. I decided overall to use the first picture that I took, as it has an angle of gaze and it is a medium close up. I also thought about using the red on her T-shirt for my masthead. I will, however. need to use Photoshop to make some touch ups to the photo, because there is a little natural light shining on her face that I don't particularly want there. I also want to brighten up her eyes a little and make them a little more defined to really assure that the angle of gaze is there.

I didn't use this photo, because I didn't feel that the angle was right, and it would have been hard to create a layout around the model at this angle. Also, having the background in there where I had her sitting on the floor would result in me having to do a lot of editing and cutting on Photoshop

It is very much the same with this image as the one above it, as I'm not very fond of the angle and her eyes don't hold the angle of gaze that I would want. Right now, I definitely prefer my first image, as it holds the angle of gaze that I think is crucial for my magazine

Flat Plan Draft

I created my flat plan based on two NME magazine covers, combining the two of them together. I kept the bright red in my masthead that is shown in the Lily Allen magazine cover, because I felt it was important to have a bright colour on the magazine cover. I used the same blue background that is used on the My Chemical Romance cover, because I think the blue makes the image stand out a lot more. I also wanted to have a stripe running across the top of the magazine, in which I could add features of what could be included in the magazine. I also had other features of the magazine all around the edge of the picture, because I wanted to fill up that space, as it was important for the magazine not to look to plain. It's not clear in the flat plan, but I also want an angle of gaze in the picture, because I think having an angle of gaze will attract people towards a magazine cover.

Exploring Artists of the Genre

I created this mod board of some of the artists that I think represent the genre of my magazine. From looking at the artists (P!ink, The Killers, Oasis Green Day and The Veronicas), I can get a clear image in my head of what my model should look like in my magazine; for example, black and grey are a common colour featured here. All the females

Tests Shots

I took some photos of my model for my magazine. I wanted to base the images on the Lily Allen picture on the NME magazine. There were a few rather unsuccessful shots:

However, after that, I showed my model the picture that I wanted and she managed to pull it off. It was important to have the model looking right at the camera when taking the pictures, as when I was looking at other magazine covers, a key feature was that they all had an angle of gaze. I will also crop out any backgrounds on Photoshop, and add a shadow to my model to give her more depth, and not make it look as though she is floating in the middle of a page.

Artist Profile

 I created an artist profile, using words and images that I think will some up my artist. For example, I've included a picture of Billie Joe Armstrong's guitar, which is very brightly coloured and looks like it is done with graffiti. Pop-Rock is a genre that will catch your eye, like this guitar. I have also included some music videos of songs that fit into the Pop-Rock category, including So What? by P!nk, and Mr Brightside by the Killers. These songs are very different but both fall into the Pop-Rock genre, and I think that it is good to show this, because Pop-Rock does cover such a broad spectrum of artists. Designing my artists profile was useful, because it has allowed me to analyse the images of people based in this genre, which I will be basing the outfit my model wears around. Also, it allowed me to analyse the bright colours that I will need for a magazine of this genre.

Shot list (Front cover/contents page)

I've created a list of the shots that I am going to need for my magazine of my model. First of all, I will need a shot of my model for the front cover of my magazine.

I will be using a medium close up shot for my front cover, which I have decided from studying the two magazine covers above. I like the way that each image fills up all the space on the page, which I think it important, but there is enough room for text around the edge to be added in. Each magazine also has an angle of gaze as well, so I will be including that on my front cover. 

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I will be using a medium long shot for my contents page, the image of which is based on this picture:

Therefore, I want my model to be standing in the same stance as the man in the picture. I will have the text for the contents page appear in the same place as on the image as well.