Completed Front Cover

Here is my completed front cover. I used paint shop pro to edit my photos and InDesign to create the cover. Overall, I think it has worked very well. However, I would have made some changes that I will go over in my evaluation once I have completed my contents page and double page spread.

Evidence of Image Manipulation - Cover image

I used a programme called paint shop pro to edit my image before moving it in to InDesign to create my cover. I started by cropping my chosen image to the size I wanted it.

I then used the smart photo fix tool to adjust the brightness, shadows, highlights and colours.

I then used the airbrush tool to erase any imperfections.

I then adjusted the brightness and contrast of the image.

Here is my edited image I will use on my cover.

Front Cover Mood-board

I've created a mood-board to show my general ideas for my front cover. I have included colour choice, font choice, use of flashes, mode of address and images that I may use as main images or smaller ones.

Front Cover Mock-ups

I have created two front cover mock ups to give me an idea of what I want my front cover to look like. Here is my first mock up...

And my second...

I like my first mock-up more than the second because I think the overall composition works better. The image fits well with the text and I think the masthead will work better smaller in the corner rather than large. I think I will base my front cover on my first mock up.

Reflection on Planning Progress

I think my planning progress has helped me to develop my ideas for creating my magazine. I have come up with a name and masthead that I think works very well for a music magazine. I also have a good idea of what I want my front cover, contents page and double page spread to look like. By doing a flat plan for two magazines I could think about what my magazine would be like and I thought of some good articles that could be on the cover and contents page. Before creating my front cover, contents page and double page spread I will do some mock-ups to put my ideas together that I got from my planning.

Flat Planning for my Magazine

I have created a flat plan for my magazine to show how I would structure the articles if I were to actually make the magazine. I have also shown how my front cover may be structured. I will only include some of these articles on my front cover and contents page, because from my research I saw in most contents pages like Vibe and Rolling Stone only the feature articles were included. However this flat plan shows what articles might be in my magazine if it were actually made.

Flat plan for play magazine

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Flat Planning for two existing magazines

I have created a flat plan for two music magazines, Kerrang and NME. I look at each page and what was on it, like articles, adverts and so on. I also looked at how the front cover of the magazines were laid out. Here is my flat plan for Kerrang Magazine...

Flat plan for kerrang magazine

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And my flat plan for NME magazine...

Flat plan for nme magazine

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By doing a flat plan for two existing magazines I could see what sort of articles and adverts are included in music magazine, as well as how the articles are set out and how the front cover is composed. I noticed that Kerrang and NME had a similar layout of articles. They started with a contents page, then general music news updates, then a long main article, then posters and photos, reviews, gig and clothing adverts, gig guide, a quiz and then what will be in the next issue.

Designing My Masthead

After reflecting on my artist research, I have chosen the genre pop/mainstream music for my magazine. I chose this because I found that in my questionnaire the artists people said they liked were in the charts and the most popular tribe in the UK from "find your tribe" was Townies which seemed to be a group that was interested in mainstream, popular music. I have decided to call my magazine "play" because I think it is a catchy name that relates well to modern music. I like the idea of making the "a" a play button to give it an interesting twist. After choosing this genre and name I started to draft up some ideas for my masthead.

I then designed a masthead using the idea and colour scheme I thought would work best.

But I decided I didn't like this masthead because of the font and the colour scheme didn't look as good as I hoped. I then created another masthead using a different font and colour scheme. I used black with green because I liked how Billboard's masthead was black with hints of colour. I think this masthead worked very well and I will use it on my cover of my magazine. Here is my final masthead.

Colour Schemes

After putting some colours I thought worked well together in my mood board, I decided to use a website that created colour schemes for you. These are some colour schemes I looked at...

I thought this colour scheme worked very well. It didn't consist of too many colours and I think the pink and green are fun and vibrant.

This is the same colour scheme with yellow added. I think some hints of yellow could work well, but I think just the pink and green would work better.

I also think this colour scheme works well. I think the blue and orange compliment each other and could appeal to both sexes easily.

This is the same colour scheme as before with added green and purple. I don't think this colour scheme works well because it has too many colours. I prefer colour schemes 1 and 3 because they only have two colours in different shades that work well together.

Initial Ideas Mood-board

I have created a mood-board to show my initial ideas for my magazine. I have included colours, font types, use of language, layout, framing of shots for Photoshoot.

Plan For Photo Shoots

Plan For Shoot 1
For this shoot I will be taking photos of two models. I want tem to wear casual, fashionable clothing so have picked out some suitable outfits. I have chosen jeans, pink top and a cardigan for the first outfit, and for the second a black, blue top and black cardigan. As I mentioned before, I will take this shoot in a empty room which will act as a studio. The equipment I will need for this shoot is my Canon 60D Camera and some lamps that will give correct lighting in the room.
Plan For Shoot 2
I will be on a photography trip for this shoot so I think I will get some good shots. Obviously I can't look at the location until I get there, but as I mentioned before I will go back to my previous post to create a location recce. It would probably be best to take this shoot at the hotel where there wont be alot of people but interesting veiws, so I will look around for where lighting and enviroment is best. For this shoot I again want to use casual fashionable clothing so have picked out a black skirt and orange top for my model to wear. The equipment I will need is my Canon 60D camera and I should think the lighting will be good so might not need any lamps for extra lighting. However I will consider that I might need extra lighting before taking my shoots.

Organisations of Locations

I have created two location recces to organise and explain why the places I have chosen to shoot are appropriate. My location of an empty room at my house (which I will convert in to a short of studio) is perfect for my front cover shoot because I wanted a blank background that wouldn't distract from the text. I will do two shoots here of two models and decide which photos are most suitable for the front cover. Location Recce - Empty room (studio)
I am also planning to do a shoot when I am in Italy over half term on a photography trip. I will have to create a location recce once I am in Italy so I can give a proper analysis. I will edit this post once I have visited the location...
This is my location recce I made in Italy. I chose to take the photos of the balcony because the lighting was very good. The background was also interesting and worked very well. Loacation Recce- Italy

Timeline

This is a timeline to help me plan what I need to do and when. I have included photoshoots, time to create my magazine and deadlines.

Table Showing Organisation

I have also created a table including dates, when my shoots with the models will be and their contact details. I have also included the location of the shoots.

Research in to Magazine Institutions

Research in to magazine institutions

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Uses and Gratifications Theory

The Uses and Gratifications Theory on mass media consumption. It focuses more on the consumer and what they do with media, rather than the actual content and what it does to people. Unlike some other theories, it assumes that the audience are active rather than passive and decide how they use and interpret media products in to their lives. It also suggests that the audience is responsible for the media they choose and how they decide to use it in order to meet their needs.

This theory follows a basic model that the audience actively seek out media products in order to gratify a need. For example, they may watch a weather forecast in order to find out the weather for the day. Why people consume media is divided in to four sections:

1. Surveillance - acquiring information, knowledge and understanding
2. Personal Identity/Individual Psychology - reassurance, self-understanding, reality exploration
4. Personal Relationships - information in conversation, media for companionship
5. Diversion - Escape, release from everyday life

After researching this theory I thought about how it applies to magazines. I feel that people read music magazines for all these reasons. For example, someone may read an article on an artist in a music magazine gaining information, which is surveillance. They then may also use this information in conversation with friends, which is personal relationships. They may have read this article due to the artist representing a particular social group which they feel they fit in to, giving them reassurance and self understanding, which is personal identity. Finally they may have read the article just to relax, which is diversion.

I will keep this theory in mind when creating my magazine in order to make it suitable to satisfy my audience's needs.

Research

Here is my research for my media foundation portfolio. In this slideshow I have looked at magazine front covers, contents pages and double page spreads from various magazines and analysed each one individually. I have also included my results from my target market questionnaire and my "find your tribe" results. I evaluated my research to show my reflection and how it will help me with further development.

Media foundation portfolio research

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