Main Construction- Third Draft

This is my third draft for my magazine, the changes I have made from my last draft are vey dramatic. I took my teachers advice changed my cover photo for one where my artist is looking at the camera, making eye contact with the reader. I have also changed the background on my other two page to a block colour as I think it helps the reader focus more on the text, on my contents page I have rearranged the images in a more jumbled way as it adds a more authentic look for my magazine. On my double page spread I have made the image smaller and the amount of text on the page significantly bigger. I think that this was a good decision as the interview will need to be quite long as it is the feature interview of this issue of the magazine. I am not completely satisfied with how this draft has turned out and still think that there are things I can change to make the magazine look more like a real magazine by using more forms and conventions of real media products.

Front Cover

Contents Page



Double Page Spread

Main Construction- Second Draft

After getting feedback on my first draft, I have changed my second for the better. The biggest change being the use use colour across the magazine, this is because it gives the magazine a more welcoming and bright look whereas my monochrome colour scheme I had planned to use was too dull and wouldn't encourage readers to notice and pick my magazine out from a range of others. For now I have used photos on the front cover that are not my own but if I move forward with this layout for the cover I will replace the images with my photos that I have taken myself. Another change that I have made has been the continuation of the brick wall pattern as a background. After completing this draft and looking at it as a whole I have decided to not move on with this design as I think that it is too distracting from the text on each page. 



Front Cover



Contents Page





Double Page Spread





Main Consrtuction- First Draft

This is the first draft of my front cover, contents page and double page spread, I used SerifPagePlusX6 to create this. As you can see below I followed the specifications of my plan for each page very closely allowing my final product to come out exactly as I had planned. I have decided that for the time being I am simply going to use 'VINYL MAGAZINE CONTENT' to fill the space where the text goes as it allows me to work faster through each of my drafts and I can add the actual text into the final draft.

Front cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

Final Images

Images

Once I had taken my images I had to sort through each one and decide on the final ones I would be using for my drafts. I managed to get a selection of my model in various different positions; some standing, leaning against walls, sitting, crouching, portrait shots and even some extreme close ups of the details of his clothing. After I had sorted through my many images I had to edit my images as  this allowed me to experiment with saturation, filters, tone, contrast and corrections. My process of editing each of my photos was to crop the images to the size I wanted them, then to edit the images to give them a more airbrushed and professional look and to then experiment with different filters. I cropped my images using the editing software built into my iPhone, I then used an app called 'You Cam' that allowed me to smooth the image, remove blemishes from my model's face and to change the saturation and sharpness of the image. I then put the images in monochrome filters to see how much they would fit into my vintage theme for my magazine. Below is a collection of the images I will be using for my magazine showing the process I used to create my final images.

Original image- unedited

'Airbrushed' image using app

Final image in black and white filter

Original image- unedited

Final image in black and white filter

Original image- unedited

'Airbrushed' image using app

Final image in black and white filter

Original Image

Final image in black and white filter

Dolby

Some thorough work here and nice ideas. Don't underestimate the importance of audience throughout the entire project. By profiling your intended audience in detail you have a clear idea of how to appeal to them. Get feedback as often as you can as you construct. Consider the evaluation questions you are required to answer at the end of the project now so they are in your mind.

Image Inspiration and Photoshoot plan

Image Inspiration and Photoshoot plan

When deciding on the kind of images I wanted to take and choose for my magazine I took inspiration from these images below. I have found from my research that black and white is the most popular colour scheme and so I plan to use monochrome filters on the images that I take. I also like the positions that these models are in and will use them as a guide for my 'model' when photographing them as it will help them have some direction when choosing poses. I also like the close-up shots of just the portrait of these models as it adds an intenseness to the image and the eye contact could add a connection between the reader of my magazine and the artist on the cover. 

To take my images I have booked out a photography studio at the school which had black and white backdrops I can use, studio lights and tripods for my camera. I plan to use both the black and white backgrounds to get a range of shots to choose from and even plan on going outside to get some images with brick walls in the background or natural settings. My 'model' is a male friend of mine who I believe suits the vibe and style of my magazine as they themselves are very into indie music and follow some of the style trends of some of their favourite indie artists. Below is my the plan I have created for my artists photo-shoot giving the details of the shoot.

Inspiration

Inspiration

To show my thought process while making decisions for the aesthetics of my music magazine, I created a 'mood board' style collection of images. Below is the collage of existing music magazines; their layouts for the front cover, contents page and double page spreads. I think that by looking at these images I can see what elements I want to have in my magazine and what styles I want to influence the finished product of my magazine.

I also decided to create to create another collection of images but this time of existing indie artists. I think that this will help me take good photos for the front cover of my magazine as I now have a clearer idea of what style photos many indie artists take. I can now see how indie artists choose to present themselves in the media, the kind of persona's some to choose to take on, what messages they like to put out into the industry and to their fans and the way they choose to style themselves. I can use this information to make decisions for how I want my artist to look for the cover of my magazine and even have a better idea of how I want to present them in the article I have to write about them.

Planning

Planning

For my planning I wanted to put the planning for the magazines name, font, colour scheme, articles, titles and layout all in one place so that it is easy for the moderator to navigate. It also allowed me to group the sections of planning that were affected by the results of my questionnaire together and show how each decision effected another. I chose to present these on a Prezi presentation as the graphics and animation are easy to work with and the animations allow me to show the flow of my thoughts throughout the planning process. Below is a link to my presentation:

How my research will help my planning

How my research will help my planning

The research that I have done will be helpful in the stage of planning for my music magazine as questioning my audience and analysing existing magazines will allow me to create a magazine more suited to my target audience. The results from some of the questions in my questionnaire have helped me generate an idea of what magazines are most popular in the market and who is most likely to purchase them. My research into product placement has allowed me to see a gap in the market for a specific type of magazine for an almost niche audience, meaning that I can cater my magazine for them and secure a strong place in the market.

My research has also shown me that my target audience needs to be for 14-17 year olds as this is the age that most people listen to indie music and are more likely to purchase an indie music magazine. By knowing my target audience I can more easily  make decisions that will aim to suit their preferences and create a finished product that is as equipped to target my audience to the best of my ability. 

In my research I also included analysis of already existing magazines in the market, this has allowed me to see what styles and content is popular. I have been able to make decisions on the aesthetics of my magazine cover and contents page due to this research as I have seen fonts, colour schemes and layouts that inspired me to come up with ideas for my first drafts whilst still incorporating what my target audience want.