Final Front Page

construction of my front page

I decided to remove the outer white space next to my model around the V festival logo in order to make it look more professional. I did this my selecting the clone tool which is shown here. I then pressed 'ctrl alt' and selected the background colour to place around what I wanted to clone.

Here I am showing how the V festival sign has changed.

I then decided to do the same with the plus sign as it was resembling more of a christian cross and this could come across as religious which could be alienating some people from my magazine.

This is my plus sign after I had cloned it. The cloning tool was a main element in my construction of the front cover as I also used it for parts of my magazine such as the models hair that looked untidy and out of place.

Front page first draft

This is the first draft of my front page. I have used colours that co-ordinate with the costume of my model and the title of my magazine as I found this technique was used in my researched magazines. I have made my model look current and edgy as this is the look that will entice a customer. I have positioned her so that she is looking directly into the camera as this captures the person viewing the magazine and makes her look dominant and strong, which was evident in my research. However, I know that there are many improvements I can make as the 'twitter' and 'Facebook' symbols are too large, along with 'KELI COLE' being too close to my model. This appears with other parts of the text as well with orphan words and some overlapping the model. These are changes I need to make along with around the v festival logo and the plus sign they both have a white box so I need to get rid of this using Photoshop.

Front cover hand drawn designs

These were my first hand drawn designs for my front cover, I divided my page into four and sketched out different designs that I could try. I have decided to position the model to the middle of the page so that she looks stronger as the bottom left picture with the model to the side is not as strong and looks like more of an article than a front page. From these sketches I decided to do another set of hand drawn designs but this time using my picture and designing the text lay out around it.

This is my second set of hand drawn designs. From this I have decided to layout my front cover as shown on the left hand side as the title will make more of an impact being situated at the top and the text sits better spread across the two sides having more room as it looks squashed on the left hand side of the right hand side drawing. However, there are still some improvements to be made as the title is still rather small and I will enlarge it to make it bolder.

Photoshoots for front cover.

For my first photo shoot I did not take many pictures and I feel this made them of low quality and then there was not many to chose from, below are the pictures that I had taken. I used Photoshop to edit the pictures in order to see if I was able to make any of them suitable for my front cover.

However, after doing more research into my magazine I realised not only was my model not suitable for my media product as I feel she had more of a 'pop' look rather than the Hip Hop and R&B look I was going for.

For my second shoot I decided to use a different model and use different lighting. Last time I used natural lighting and this second time I have used the photo shoot set with specialized lighting. I feel this worked better as it sits on my model better and I found myself with less shadow. I also decided to take more photos this time and use a range of outfits which gave me more choice and allowed me to find a photo that I was happy with.

Chosen Photo for front cover:

mood board

My mood board features hip hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Chris Brown. All artists that show attitude and some sort of rebellion, which is the mood of the board. It is meant to look dangerous which I feel my mood board does, however I have used the cover of FHM magazine and Billboard magazine with quite provocative covers as it is also a risky magazine and this shows that risque side of the magazine as Hip Hop/R&B is the risky type of music and that is the vibe that you get from these types of magazines. Through these pictures I have decided on exactly the mood my magazine will use and I feel that my mood board shows this well with the men looking dangerous, one even smoking drugs showing rebellion. All women show attitude and risk whether it be in clothing or their facial expressions they are strong women and I will pursue this look on my magazine with an overall danger/attitude look of the magazine. With this it has helped me to decide that my magazine should have a fiery title to compliment it and I have now been able to paint a clearer picture as to what I would like my magazine to be like.

Title of my music magazine

 This was my first page of trying to find a suitable text and colour for my title of my magazine. I tried out different colours, sizes and fonts. I also used different attributes such as slanting the letters and tried out different spacing's next to the letters. By trying lots of different texts it helps me to find the most suitable.

 This was my second page of texts. I decided that I wanted it large and to be snappy, without curling edges or any lines. I wanted it to stand out as fiery so tried colours that I would relate with fire such as a gold yellow and red then I used black as it is a dominant colour and I used navy blue to try something different but still kept it as a strong colour I did not try pinks and purples because that is not the image I am going for as that conveys a sweet image and these colours show a dark dominant colour and title. I then tried thin and thick texts even adding the outline to one in order to decide what would be best.

 Next i decided to try the different colours and sizes as I had decided to use the first numb on the page but I decided to make it slightly thicker to stand out more. I then tried it in larger text sizes and narrowed it down to two colours as I thought that the red and black stood out the most and they are the dark, dangerous colours as they have that relation and it will compliment the attitude to my magazine and adds to the vibe.



















These were my final choices of title. I will decide on the colour in the creation of the magazine.

further detailed magazine research

I have decided to further research vibe magazine as through the research of front covers for my hip hop magazine the covers were most suitable made by this magazine. I have decided to look at another cover of Vibe that I have not yet researched and look into the magazine and analyse it some more. Through this analysis I can see that to make a successful hip hop magazine I need to target it towards the teenage generation as it is not appropriate for young children as a pop magazine would but It has not got the element of sophistication and education that adults would look for. The main image on the front is of a major hip hop star, Drake which any fan of hip hop would recognise straight away, immediately enticing people to the magazine. In order to entice people I need to make my model look current and edgy, like Drake does. The colour scheme of black, white and yellow which runs through the cover is eye catchy and each part in yellow is emphasised as if these are the specific points that the magazine would like to draw upon. The banner along the top of famous names contributes nicely as the colour switches from each name and it draws people in showing what will be featured in the magazine. The masthead for Vibe magazine is also the logo and is bodern, bold font in the colour white making it stand out sharply from the background. 'New' is featured on the word vibe to either show it is a new magazine or new logo or layout appealing to the younger generation as it is more modern and current. Anchorage text for the Chris Brown interview in bold font and yellow and white colour which stands out drawing people into the story. The barcode pug is placed in a box which also advertises the website as they know people will check the price they are more likely to see the advert for the website by placing it here. There are many tags throughout this cover to advertise different things, one being in the shape of a circle which immediately draws attention, another tag is advertising twitter which is current to young people and is the like the 'new' facebook so this is also in yellow to stand out and it makes the magazine seem current. The tagline is linked to the main image on the cover the font varies in size and colour with the artists name in the biggest size because people will be more focused on his name than anything else as he is a big star. again the colours yellow and white are used. Overall I feel that by researching into vibe magazine, this is the definite magazine I shall base mine upon, however I will use one of my earlier covers either being the Beyonce cover or Kesha as the base as I will be using a female model. By researching on the internet and using Wikipedia It is evident that this magazine is created to appeal to young urban hip hop followers as this is specified on here. It also has close competitors The source and XXL which I will also do research into to see what they implement into their magazines which Vibe might not necessarily use and the features that make them similiar. ‘Vibe Magazine is known for the creative direction of their covers’ knowing this I will use this as inspiration to make my cover as imaginative and risky as I can in order to create a perfect magazine cover.

music magazine research

I decided to research into this magazine because it fits into my hip hop genre. I also like the way they have used the contrast in a large red title with the white background which makes it stands out. It also uses black text which again being a bold colour manages to pull the text out of the page and make it stand out, this is repeated in two other of my magazines that I have researched into. Although the model in this one is very different to the rest of my researched magazines the layout of the magazine is very similar and I like the colour used within this magazine as the bright colours in the hair and the clothes make the magazine more eye catchy, they have also matched the hair colour to her skirt which is at the bottom of the page. You can tell straight away from this magazine the genre of hip hop and R&B which makes it evident from the front cover what you would expect and I would like to implement this into my magazine myself.

This was my second researched magazine cover and the use of another black model I feel that the tone of her skin stands out from the background and works well. Again this magazine uses the red writing on the white background and black text along the sides, which again makes it stand out. However in this one the model is in front of the title instead of the title coming over the picture, this makes the model in the picture come to life and Beyonce appears to be coming out of the magazine which makes the front cover seem more interesting, her clothes also match the colour of the text and the background showing that each aspect of the magazine has been considered and I will think about that with my magazine, they have also thought about the colour of the outfits, although the outfits have no relation the colouring does. I do not like the orange text on the bottom right as it takes away the consistency which was evident throughout the rest of the magazine. The text on this magazine goes around the model on the picture rather than overlap like in the previous one and this draws more attention to the model. Again this magazine is evidently the genre I was doing, with a racy image it can attract both males and females, the seductive woman on the front draws in the attention of boys but girls are usually fans of this music and would also purchase this magazine.

This magazine has the same model pose as the previous researched magazine with the body cut off by the tops of the legs, although now she is slightly turned to the side making her seem slightly more vulnerable. This Hip Hop magazine is very eye catching as it has a well-known hip hop singer on the cover so it catches the audience’s attention because they think there might be an article in the magazine containing information about the singer, so want to buy the magazine. The use of the little amount of colours, black and pink make the magazine stand out and make it look professional and also it targets a girly audience which is good because more girls read magazines than boys. The glimpse of pink in the outfit makes the pink stand out even more and also the use of different font styles is eye catching. I think hip hop would be a good magazine to do because it is music I can relate to and music that most people listen to so targets a mass audience which is evident through these magazines. Again the model is in front of the title and the text is around her bringing her to life on the front of the magazine.

This hip hop magazine is again eye catchy like the other three and the model is in a face on pose looking seductive and in shock as if she has a secret to tell which entices people into the magazine. She again uses the colours of red black and white and her black dress also implements into those colours, yet the colour of a hair is making a bold statement being a different colour to the rest of the magazine cover. Text is featured around her but her name is overlapping, as this is the only piece of text that does this is draws attention to it but also makes it look professional and gives that word a form of importance compared to the rest. This works as a good hip hop magazine as it is alike the rest and Kesha is a worldwide star that attracts the attention of girls and boys, not only appealing to the boys with sexuality and girls are more likely to purchase magazines. As this magazine has many similarities with the other three it has helped me in the process of deciding my magazine as I can now see what works and to do a good R&B or hip hop magazine I know what the text should look like as it is very hard and stands out as well as the model. As it is a risky genre of music it also shows the model in provocative ways and the text is also scattered and bold as if making a statement.

Introduction to music magazine

I am going to create an R&B/hip hop magazine that will be aimed towards teenagers of both male and female. It will feature celebrities such as Lil Wayne, Eminem and Rihanna. I chose this because it can be vibrant and fun as well as sexy so it can appear to different age ranges and both boys and girls. . I think hip hop would be a good magazine to do because it is music I can relate to and music that most people listen to so targets a mass audience

final contents page school magazine

I have chosen to set my contents page in this way and chose this as my final design as I based it upon my third contents page that I had chosen to research but with some elements from the first page also. I have kept the colours to black and white to keep it consistent and professional, this was featured on the third contents page that I researched and I feel this has worked well as it keeps the text clear and the border stands out giving it a more professional look. I also used 4 pictures which they had decided to do in both of my first and second page of research but I decided to use the pictures along the side rather than along the bottom, I feel this has worked well as it is more effective, the pictures have the ability to be larger and more prominent on the page. The black border is now also able to be featured on both the top and bottom of the page so that it is constant and highlights the page as a whole more effectively.

contents page research school magazine

I have decided to research this contents page as it is set out neatly and looks professional with the colours also linking together. I like that the pictures are set out together on the side in a line, acting as a border with the text to the side. The text is consistent with one solid type of text over the page and the pictures having the grey border underneath each to keep it consistent and to link the pictures in with the text. Although I believe this contents page is formal and professional the colours do not coordinate with my front cover of my magazine so if I was to use this layout I will need to rethink the colours as the rest of the layout is very good and would help my magazine to look professional.

This contents page is very different to my first piece of research but opens the option of having a picture as my whole background and using the text on top of it. I like the way the word ‘contents’ appears along the side, this makes it stand out more than in my previous research and clearly marks what this page is. The text is also consistent keeping it white and of the same text font. However the pink box at the bottom of the page looks as though it is not meant to be there and out of place so I would make sure my contents page keeps to one colour scheme as the drifting from the blue and white scheme onto pink and yellow makes the page seem disorganised. I also do not think I will use this one as on my front cover I have a picture as the whole background and if I do it again for my contents page it will be too overpowering. But I do like the use of light colours such as blue and white, which I may interpret into my magazine contents page.

I also picked this contents page to research as it is much like my first one that I had chosen but slightly different, in this one we see the pictures on the bottom of the page rather than the side but still using a number of 4 pictures, so when creating my page I shall think of using this number of pictures so that I am sticking to a number that I have seen used twice in my research and work well as it is not too few so that the pictures are to large but it is not too many so that it looks busy. It is also very consistent with the colouring as we see the bold black statement at the top with white writing so we have the contrast of light and dark so that the text stands out. Overall this contents page is simple and elegant and is giving me an idea of what I would like to use, using basic colours and implementing a few pictures makes it professional and not too overwhelming to go with my busy front cover. Going forward I will use this and my first researched page in order to design my contents page.

Final front cover school magazine

I have finalised my page to look like this as it obeys the rule of thirds and also closely connects with my researched work. My chosen research featured the picture as the whole background and I have kept to that, on one of my researched front covers which I decided to base my front cover upon had two children reading a book and smiling, I decided to change this by using just one child and featuring the kindle, a tablet which my school has decided to use instead of books. This has worked well as you can see the child smiling and attention is paid to all details of the child rather than the focus be spread out between many so less attention would be paid. I also took the idea of borders on the title and the bottom section of writing as this is used in the page I researched and this highlights the light colours that I have used throughout my page. I have kept to one font which is very fine so for the words 'decrease your workload and maximise your concentration.' I have added a border to make it thicker and make it stand out from the background. Finally I chose the colours in the background to be very natural and not too harsh so it makes my model stand out from the page.

Chosen photograph for front cover school magazine

first photographs school magazine

Closer photo research school magazine

This image portrays a single child learning using a new tablet rather than books, the idea of my school is that its modern and we use technology showing the ‘future’ and this picture portrays this. By zooming into one shot focusing on a child that is face on it emphasises the picture with the child looking well concentrated and as though it is a successful school but also a new idea which can draw people in as they are curious.

Sticking with the theme of using a new tablet such as an IPad or nexus 7 this is also highlighting the new idea which will be in my school so I want this to be central to the front cover, however this picture is showing more than one student and the head teacher all embracing the new technology from a side shot.

These two images again portray just the children with the tablet but show them learning with it, I like the close up of the two children sharing the tablet as it shows effective team work and learning, however with the other shot as an over the shoulder shot it shows how the tablet is actually used.

School magazine title research

Final Design:

I chose this as my final design as I think it is a strong colour, dark blue being of a bold colour. Also the line adds consistency so that the title can take up the whole of the width of the page almost. Rather than it being just to one side, I have also made the S larger than the rest of the letters to draw attention and emphasise on this.

School Magazine front cover research

After researching on Google images I found this as a magazine which would fit my school. I like the way in which the picture dominates the front cover, giving a solid background. I have decided this is how I would like my front cover to be set with one main image as the background with the text on top. However I do not wish to use the red banner for text and have chosen a different inspiration for the title. The picture and text on the bottom of the cover will be used in my magazine as I feel that this is bold and effective in grabbing somebody’s attention. The image I will use will be of a child slightly older than these children and I am going to use just 1 child. However the format and layout will stay the same. I feel that the white large text appears bold in comparison to the dark colours of the sofa and this has to be thought about when creating mine, also the font type is clear and precise making the text easy to read, with this in mind I will use the same text font size and colour as this magazine. I also feel that the colours used are professional and I am going to stick to the same white, red and navy or black colour scheme as it appears rich and clear. As my school is a private school like the one that appears here I feel that the sense of rich from these colours is important, also it gives it a more mature feel as if using many different bright colours it could look unprofessional.

I have taken this image from a front cover as I felt although the rest of the front cover was poorly made this image resembles what I would like to use on my front cover, which will be set out like the previous front cover. This image will go where the two boys on the sofa are. I will take a picture myself of a child with instead of books a tablet such as an IPad or nexus 7 resting on their head as my school will be promoting using new technologies. I feel that the way this girl is presented resembles a sophisticated private school but also shows innocence through the child. I am going to also place my model in a pinafore and do her hair in two ponytails as I feel the way in which this child’s hair is styled brings innocence as well as a smart look to her as if the hair was down it looks more casual and scruffy, whereas my school is posh and a private school, representing clean cut people. Many private schools wear uniform such as chequered pinafores so this is the perfect uniform as it is fresh and looks ‘preppy.’

Also when researching I was looking for a magazine front cover with a suitable title. I liked the way this one was set out with a special name for the magazine plus the schools name slightly smaller next to it, I feel that this brings a more exciting element to the magazine as each issue has the ability to be different and makes it more interesting to the audience. I also like that there is one solid colour pattern which is highlighted in the pictures as well as throughout the border and title; this makes the page stand out making it brighter and bolder it also keeps one solid theme which makes it look professional, I am going to implement this into my magazine basing it on the colours that I feel dominate the picture as that will be my main background I will then create my title and side border on that. I would like to use a colour that is bold and stands out so that it draws attention to the audience.

I found this magazine cover to be effective as I like the way in which they have matched the colours of the title with the uniform, it gives it a professional, block, solidity which is something I have found in each of the magazines that I have been through so I am sure to add this in. The picture in this magazine also is of children around the same age as the other magazines in which has helped me to decide that this is the child age group that I will be using as my front cover because it brings innocence onto the front cover whereas using a teenager would not bring that sweetness into the magazine. I also like that they are showing off their work and I could use this and implement this into my magazine cover as if it is taking pride in the students' work.

School magazine front cover brief

I am going to create my school magazine for a school that holds 200 pupils. It will be a small, private school giving top education to students as small classes are offered for any subject including specialist’s subjects, not just the core subjects such as history, maths and science; using new methods of technology, ditching books and using modern ways of teaching children. The name of the school is ‘clover perk.’ The school has 40 teachers and 200 pupils, a large amount of teachers to pupil’s gives each child the ability to have more attention to paid to each child individually, also this gives us as a school the opportunity to supply with more varied options as each teacher supply different skills. The purpose of my magazine issue is to promote the school to encourage people to join, also to show parents what their children are achieving and how the school works as it is newly opened it is to raise an awareness of the school and to gain interest.

Introductory paragraph.

I am a student beginning to study AS level media and will be posting my coursework on here as I go along, showing my designs and pictures and what I intend on creating. I will use this blog to share ideas and different stages of my work to get feedback and see other peoples opinions on my work to help me create the best piece of work that I can. I will also use this blog to communicate with my teacher so that they can post comments and inform me on how to improve my work and achieve the best possible marks.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

NAME: REBECCA MARTIN

CANDIDATE NUMBER: 7577

CENTRE NUMBER: 61119