As you can see the magazine on the right is my preliminary task which was a school magazine. In this magazine I used very basic skills. The colours scheme I used for my preliminary task was very simple. I used purple, red and white. Looking back I do not think these colours work well together and will not catch my audience attention. Also the purple looked to dark on the black so I should have used a brighter purple to stand out. The colour scheme I used on my music magazine was much more eye catching. I used black, purple and grey as these colours attracted my audience and would catch their attention. The colours I used worked well together to make my magazine stand out more. The layout of my preliminary task is very plain and looks empty. I feel there is not enough cover lines as there is only two and there is a lot of empty space, not standing out. Also as white is the background it makes it look empty as it makes it looked very plain. The layout of the title is very unique but I feel it some readers may get confused as it is not in a straight line so the may not think this is the title. Also I have a cover line at the top of page so some people may think this is the title and it makes it look very unprofessional. Whereas in my music magazine I have used many cover lines which tells you more information what will be in the magazine so this will attract the audience to want to read the magazine. Also my title is at the top of the page straight so the audience understand this it the title. I have a cover line above the title but I have made the title much bigger and stand out. The reason I wanted a cover line above the title is because I wanted the audience to see the ‘Exclusive’ first in the route of the eye so they would want to read about the magazine. I have also made the cover lines much catchier so they stand out and you will want to read about them. My main cover line is in the middle of the page and much bigger than the other cover lines so the audience can see this is the main cover line and will want to read about this the most. The fonts I have used on the preliminary task are very plain and basic. I use word art for these fonts so the no look effective at all. Also the fonts are mainly the same so this does not make it stand out. For my music magazine I used a website that you could get effective fonts from. As you can see I used many different fonts so the magazine stood out. The title and the main cover line are much more unique fonts that I got from the website. This was to show my skills and they would stand out on the page. The image on my preliminary task there is two people in. I felt this may put some readers off as they would only want to read about one, unless that it is a band. I feel it makes the page look to cramped with two people on the front. I wiped the background out to make it white I feel this was a good idea not having the background so I carried on this skill in my music magazine. This photo is also not edited so it does not stand out. For my music magazine I downloaded a photo editor so I could make my images look much more professional and stand out. Also instead of rubbing the background out to make it white I used a tool on the photo editor so I could have any background I want. This made it look much more effective. I also edited all my images so it should the skills I developed. Therefore this shows I have gained more skills such as an eye catching colour scheme, more unique fonts, using the space given, editing photos and thinking about the route of the eye.
My preliminary task helped me gain skills in many different ways. I also learned how to make my magazine fit into the genre and catch my audience attention. By thinking of the route of the eye it helped me as I knew where to but my text and images.
Skills used.
The main skill I used was camera work. I took many photos but to show my camera skills I took different types of photos. For example I took a mid shot for my front cover this was the model had eye contact with the audience making it look more effective. I also had a close up picture of a different model on my front cover again to show my skills of camera work. For my contents page I took a long shot. This was because this was the fashion icon so the audience would want to see her whole outfit. For my double page spread I took another long shot but again to show my skills I made it a low angle. The reason I made it a low angle was because I wanted my model to dominate the page so this would be the first thing you notice. The reason I used a long shot was because they would want to see the whole of the model whereas on the front cover they only saw part of them.
The main skill I used was editing the pictures. To edit my pictures I downloaded a photo editor software called gimp. This allowed you to edit your photo how you would want.
I feel this was the photo that was edited the best to fit in with the convention. The first thing I done was crop the image so it was easier to handle. I then used a tool that cut the image out so I could put it onto and background I wanted. This was this hardest part and you had to go round the part of the image you wanted. The reason I wanted to without a background was because this show my skills and also make it look more effective towards my audience. Once I had the image I wanted to work with I then used a brightness tool so you can see my model and for it to look more effective. As in the first image it looks very dark and dull and the audience would have not been apple to connect as well with the image. After using the brightness tool I used the contrast, which I think it gave it more of an effect making the image look more professional. I then airbrushed the photo making the model look more tanned and any marks that could be seen to be removed. The reason I used this was because the fashion industry now wants everyone to look perfect and as my model was a fashion icon my audience would want them to look perfect and they would want to look exactly like them. The final thing I edited was the models make up. I still felt that the eyes were to dark so I edited this by making the sclera whiter, and making the pupil a lighter blue I felt this made a lot of difference to the image as the eyes are the most important part of the image because it is more effective with eye contact. The last this I edited was the models lips. I made them a brighter red making the model look like she had the latest make up.
My magazine compare to real ones.
The front cover I compared with mine was the Vibe magazine I analysed. The main reason I chose this magazine is because the genre is the same and I felt this magazine stood out the best. Another reason was because my artist was a rapper the same as Kanye West so it helped me with my cover lines. The thing I thought that stood out on the vibe magazine was the grey background. This was because most magazines either have a white background or nothing. I also felt it showed of my skills in photo editing. It makes the page look fuller as by having a white back ground makes the page look empty. Another thing I kept the same was an exclusive at the top of the page. The reason I kept this was because I felt it would attract the audience in more as they would want to know to about the new film. I felt that the Vibe magazine did not have many cover lines so I added more so it would again attract the audience in more as they would want to read about them. I also made my cover line a different font and much larger than the rest. The reason for this was because I wanted it to stand out more as this was what I would want my audience to read. I have chosen the colour scheme of mainly purple and grey. This is because I wanted to attract both genders and I felt this colour would. Unlike the Vibe magazine I decided to have another image on my front cover. This was because I felt it was more effective and also showed off my photography skills.
Contents page
I compared my contents page to the ‘Rap Up’ contents page I analysed. The reason I chose this contents page was because i felt it fitted in best with my genre. Also I feel this page is very eye catching and stands out from competition. Most magazines have more than one image on but I used this magazine as I felt one person taken up most of the page look very unique. I made the background the same sort of colours as I felt this made it look more effective and would stand out. By having two colours as a background makes the page look very effective. The reason I have chosen the colour of the text to be purple and then white as I feel black would not stand out and much as the background is dark. I have used the same sub headings, features and Fashion because I felt this was very unique and would attract both male and female. Another thing I done the same was have the fashion icon on the same page so they would want to read about them. By making the model wear fashionable clothes it would make the audience want to read about it. I did not want a lot of text but I felt the ‘Rap Up’ contents page had not much text so I added more text than what they had. This was because I felt by having more text it gives more information about what’s inside the magazine. I did not have my model laying down as I thought by having her stand up it take more of the page up. As in the ‘Rap Up’ contents page there is a corner of empty space I used this up by having my model standing up. I made my title different. Although I thought this title was very unique and different I felt it was harder to read so I made it straight. Also it would fit in with the rest of my magazine as all the other pages have straight titles, this makes my magazine look more professional.
Double page spread.
I compared my double page spread with the ‘Rap Up’ magazine I analysed. The reason I chose this was because I felt this fitted best with my genre and was also unique. The main thing that inspired me was that the image was in the middle of the page. The reason I wanted my image in the middle of the page as I thought this made it look unique and make it stand out, as most articles have the image on the right hand side of the page. Also by having it in the middle I felt it could have more text. Another thing that I felt worked well was having the interviewers writing in bold to stand out and so then reader could tell the difference. Not only did I decide that I wanted it bold I made it a different colour and this would also make the page look more colourful and stand out more. As my contents page had to colours as the background I decided to keep it going but I changed the colours. The reason I had it white and sliver was because I didn’t want the background to dark as then you would not be able to read the text. Also the image would not stand out as much. The main difference between the articles is the fact that I had a long shot of the image. But as I already have a mid shot of the model on the front page I decided to have a long shot so you could see the whole of the model. I kept the model in casual clothes as I felt this was what would catch the audience attention more as they could connect with it more. I used an ipod and headphones as my prop. The reason I used this as a prop was because it fitted in with my genre as it was a music magazine, and by using a music prop this would make it stand out. I have kept the same font and colour for my title throughout. The reason I chose to do this was because this made it look much more professional as it keeps the same scheme throughout. Another thing I also done with my title was make the artists name larger than the rest of the title. The reason I done this was so this would be the first word that the reader would see and notice. The reason I wanted his name was because this was who the article was about. The title was also the same as the main cover line on the front cover as the audience would then notice it if this was what they were looking for.
Progress made.
The first image was again just a layout without any images and text. I had put the colours I wanted to use and the fonts I wanted to use. My second draft I did not follow my layout so I could compare to see which of the magazines fitted best with my genre. I felt that my first layout fitted in best as with my genre and also stood out the most. My third draft I stuck with my original plan to see if it would work well once everything was on and I felt it fitted in with my genre.
I created my magazine on publisher. The first contents page I done was just a layout. I have the colours I was going to use but no text or images. The second contents page I created I did not follow my original plan because I felt I should try something different so I could compare. The reason I stuck with my original idea was because I felt the white background made it look to empty. The third contents page I created I stuck to my original layout. I felt this looked a lot better than my second draft. I feel it fitted in with my genre much more then my scone draft. On my final draft I only made a few changes as I felt it did not have to be changed much. The two thing I changes was making the headings bolder and changing the fashion to purple. The reason I changed it to purple as purple was in my colour scheme and black was not.
The first double page spread was just a layout that I could follow without any images or text. Even though I added the colours I would use and the title font. The second draft I created I did not follow my layout as I could again compare to see which one I would prefer. My final draft again I decided to sick with my original plan. The reason I stuck with my original plan was because I felt my 2nd draft again looked to empty with a white background. Also it fits more with my genre and would attract my target audience more.
Following Conventions.
There are many conventions in a R&B music magazines. I followed the conventions by using an R&B magazine that I would want my magazine to look like. I chose two magazines. The two magazines I chose were Vibe and Rap Up. I felt by having two I could mix them together to make a unique R&B magazine. Even though I wanted a unique magazine I still followed most of the conventions.
The conventions I used for my front cover are:
• A celebrity on the front cover
• Mid shot image
• Cover line at the side of the image
• The main cover line large
• Hotspots on the important parts on the magazine
• Title at the top of the page
• Short & snappy title
• Colour scheme to stand out
The conventions I used for my contents page are:
• Contents page to be at top of the page
• Dominate image
• Information about magazine
• Different model from my front cover
• A fashion part
The conventions I used for my double page spread:
• Large dominate image of celebrity
• Artists name largest part of text
• Stand first before the interview
• Interviewers questions text different to the answers
• Title large and dominate
Front cover conventions.
I felt the biggest convention I should follow was having a celebrity on the front cover. The reason for this was because it would attract more readers as they will want to know about this celebrity. Whereas if you had a non celebrity no one would notice and it would not appeal to my target audience. I used a mid shot of my celebrity as it then makes eye contact with my audience making it more effective. You can also see the emotion in their face. A mid shot on the front cover also allows the readers to notice the celebrity straight away. I had many cover lines at each side of my image, this was so it attracted the people to read my magazine. Having cover lines on the front cover teases the audience what’s in the magazine, so they will want to read about them. I have mentioned different celebrities on my front cover as this will also attract my audience as they will want to know about celebrities and their lives. I have made my main cover line a lot larger than the rest so my audience know what my main article is going to be about. I also have it in the middle so it is away form the other cover lines, this also makes it stand out. My four hot spots are on the title, price, my celebrity and my main cover line. I feel this is also a big convention as in the route of the eye I would want my audience to notice these things as I feel these are the most important things on my page that would attract people to read my magazine. I have my title at the top of the page as I would want it to be the first thing you see in the route of the eye as then they remember the title. It is not at the top of the page as I have a cover line above this so this could also attract my audience. I have made my title short and snappy so it sticks in the readers head so they could tell other people abut my magazine. The final convention I followed on my front cover is a colour scheme that stands out. The colour scheme I have chosen is purple, sliver and black. The reason I chose these colours was because it would attract my target audience which was both genders. As these colours are unisex colours it would attract my target audience. Overall I feel that my front cover has worked very well and by following the conventions it has helped me attract my target audience.
Contents page conventions.
The biggest convention I found on the Contents page is having the title at the top of the page. The reason this is important is because this is the first thing you want your readers to see in the route of the eye. The reason you want this to be the first thing is because the readers then know what page it is and then can read what’s in the magazine. Another convention I found for all magazines is having information about the magazine. R&B genre magazines usually have a short title and then a little bit of information about this. I have chosen to follow this convention as I felt this was the best way to attract my target audience. The reason they have information about the magazine is because they can see if it is interesting before purchasing it. This gives the designer the chance to tease the audience to buy the magazine. So it the information is normally short and snappy. Another convention I found R&B music magazines have is a fashion part on the contents page. The reason I decided to follow this convention as my readers then know they will be other things not just music, but by keeping the genre the fashion will be about a music artist. The image on a R&B music contents page is normally dominate and takes up the whole page. This is because it makes it stand out as there is not a lot of writing so the image takes up space. Also the model is mainly different to what will be on the front cover. This is because the readers then know there will be other celebrities in the magazine not just the one with the main article.
Double page spread conventions
The main convention I feel for an R&B music magazine is to have the title large and dominate. The reason I feel this is important because I wanted this to be the first thing my audience to see in the route of the eye, as then the readers know who and what the page is going to be about. The title should also be catchy as this will then stick in the readers head. Also the artists name should be the largest part of the title as this is who the page is about. As this is the main cover line this is what the readers will want to read about so making the artists name the largest it will stand out. The image is also large and dominate as this would also stand out to the reader as this is the celebrity they are reading about. It also makes the page look more interesting rather than just having text. I decided to have a stand first before the interview as this encourages the reader to read the magazine as it explains the interview in a short way so the reader will ant to carry on. The last convention I followed was having the interviewers text different to the interviewee so the audience no who is asking the questions and who is answering them. If they were in the same text I feel it would confuse them. Overall I feel my double page spread stands out and by following the conventions it help me to get my target audience attention.
