Thursday 3 April 2014

Evaluation

For my evaluation, I wrote out all of my questions on a PowerPoint and then uploaded that onto slide share. I attempted to use different software's in order to show off my media skills. I used PowerPoint, slide share, Prezi and YouTube
 
Here are all of my 7 questions and added photographs: on slide share:


Front Cover

Contents Page

Double Page Spread

My Prezi questions 5:

 


 
My YouTube videos:
Question 4
 
Question 5
Question 7




















 
<iframe src="http://prezi.com/embed/ekrkdviymuvv/?bgcolor=ffffff&amp;lock_to_path=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;autohide_ctrls=0&amp;features=undefined&amp;disabled_features=undefined" width="550" height="400" frameBorder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozAllowFullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>

Friday 14 March 2014

Music Magazine: Software and Equipment and Peer Feedback

 I made all three parts of my music magazine on Adobe Photoshop. I used this software as I was familiar with it and had even used it for my previous college magazine and had been successful. There are a wider range of tools on Photoshop, that helped me edit all my photos, that aren't on any other appropriate and available software.
 For the photo shoots, I used a digital slr. After making my college magazine with photographs that had only been taken on a regular camera, I realised that I needed to use a slr in order to get better quality photographs. SO baring this in mind, I went out and took my photographs on an slr. I found that I got a much better and clearer photograph that was also easier to edit.
 
I asked a peer to look at my production and then make some notes for feedback and then later on, record them for me. Here is the outcome:
 
 

Friday 7 March 2014

Music Magazine: Finished Double Page Spread

This is my finished double page spread:



I had never done a double page spread before so doing this piece has the hardest of them all. I wasn't set on the outcome, instead I thought I'd use my rough idea and then experiment with that. I knew I wanted to include a large picture on the left, the text and an extra picture on the right and the masthead going across both pages. I also knew I wanted to keep to my black, white and red colour scheme.

Music Magazine: Making Double Page Spread


 The first thing I did was crop the meeting the fans photograph down to an appropriate size in order to focus on the band members:



To start of making this magazine, I edited the background out of the selected picture of Sam. I then put him onto my appropriately sized page which I had added in a grey line in the middle to separate it into two pages.I made the image large enough to fill up most the page but with some space beside his head for the masthead.


The next thing I did was insert the other photo. I tucked this away in the bottom right hand corner. I made it around half the size of the left page so it would fit under the bottom, second column of text that will be added. I then added a caption on top. I put this in the same font as I had used for the sell lines for this page as to keep with the theme: white with black stroke.



I then decided to add the text in as I could then go back and add in the masthead to fit around it. However, I did leave some room above the text for it. I put the text in white as it contrasts the black background the best. I also added a drop capital as I had seen this done in many other magazines. This required me making another text layer and then positioning it with the text, as there is no drop cap option in Photoshop. I put the text in the same formal font as I had briefly used on the other pages as all the other more adventurous fonts didn't look right on a big block of text and were hard to read.


I then added in my masthead. I thought this looked best in the same font as I had used for the other two pages and it also continues the theme and connects the pages together. I put this in red as it makes the page look more interesting and gives it more colour. It is also more eye-catching this way.


The final step was adding in a quote from the text into the area of space underneath the title. I went with what I thought sounded good and would make the readers want to find out more. I also used the same font as I had used on the caption for the picture in the corner. I put it in white as if iut were red then it would look too much.


Friday 28 February 2014

Music Magazine: Double Page Spread Ideas

In order to get some inspiration for my music magazine double page spread, I looked at other music magazine double page spreads for ideas.


Kerrang:



http://miaspicerx.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/kerrang_double_page_spread_1.jpg



This magazine was the one that I like the most. I like how it has additional pictures as well as the front man of the band in large on the left hand side. I like how the text is put neatly into two columns strictly on the right hand side. I also like how the masthead of this page spreads over both pages and is slightly slanted. Another aspect of this magazine that I like is the colours. There is a plain black background with white text overlaid and then there is a splash of red in the title.

NME:


http://stuartjohnstonemusicmagazine.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/florence-nme1.png
What I like about this double page spread is the main image. I like how there isn't a background - it's either been edited out or shot in a white studio. I like how they have kept the fairly large quantity of red in the image to give the page colour.

__________________________________________________________________________________

I looked back at my photographs and picked out one of the interview ones. I think this will look good if I edit everything around Sam out and then put him in large on the left. The photo I have chosen is below:



 I also want to add in one of the meeting and greeting fan pictures to show the readers the other band member: Luke. I will crop this down to make it look better as to direct the attention to the band members.






Friday 21 February 2014

Music Magazine: Finished Contents Page

This is my finished music magazine contents page:



When making this I knew I wanted the article teaser teasers in a singular column on the left and Sam in the middle but I was open minded about the rest of it. When adding things in, the ideas to put the editors note, the front cover and the interview picture with sell line all came to mind so I put them in and experimented with placement. I am pleased with the outcome. I think it continues the theme of the front cover well. The peer feedback I got for this piece was that they love the title and that the layering works well.

Music Magazine: Making The Contents Page

I started off by putting in the title behind a black box that stretches across the page. I used the same font for the mast head on this page as I did for the masthead on the front cover. I also added in an issue number as I had noticed that many magazines include this on either their front cover or contents page and as I hadn't put it on my front cover, I thought I ought to put it on here as it makes the magazine that bit more realistic. 


I then added in the chosen picture of Sam. I edited out the brick background as it wouldn't of looked good on the page and as I had included it in the front cover, it would've been too much. So instead, I erased it. I positioned him in the middle so that I could add text one the left and photos on the right.


The next step was putting in the sub-headings for the article teasers. I put them in the black font that I used for the front cover sell lines to continue the theme. I then decided that this looked too plain for a sub-heading and would blend with the rest of the text so I put a red box behind it and I think this looks much better.


I then added in the article teasers. I started off by putting in lots of band names as to fill up space. I put the text in black but experimented with putting the page numbers in red and thought that looked good so I continued with that. I then added in one of my own photographs to go along with the last band in the list. I had to move the sub-title 'Regulars' down however so I could fit it all in.


I then added in the rest of the text. One being from the front cover and the others being under the 'Regulars' subtitle. I also added in two social network logos to give the page more authenticity.


The next thing I added was a photograph from the interview. I had already picked this out as it looks the most interesting and would make the reader want to turn to the page to find out more. I then added an article teaser to go along with it on top. I put this in white but then felt like it needed more in order to stand out against the pictures. In the end, I put a black stroke around it. I used the same colours for the text as I had the other article teasers so that the audience would know it was an article teaser.



I wanted to put in an editors note as I had seen them on many other magazines. So, I experimented with this. It needed a lot of experimenting with but in the end, I thought having a black box behind the text sectioned it of well but on top of the image of Sam  didn't so I put it behind him and the text on top of them both. I also put a black stroke on the text so it would stand out where it overlaps the image.



The final step was adding in a picture of the front cover. I think this ties up the two pages well. I added it in on a slant as it makes the page look a bit more edgy. Also, including this is something I had previously seen whilst researching magazines and had liked.




Friday 14 February 2014

Music Magazine: Contents Page Ideas

In order to get some inspiration for my music magazine contents page, I looked at other music magazine contents pages for ideas.




I like how all of the contents are in a list on the left hand side. Also, how all the colours are simple and work well with each other. This all looks neat and professional. I like how there is a 'Features' section and there is another one for the articles that appear in the magazine every month. I will think about splitting my text up like this.



I like how the front cover is of a close up shot and the contents is a full body, yet also takes center place. I like the usage of the front cover on the contents page. This all makes the page look interesting and relates the two pages together.

I have chosen a picture of the person who I used for my front cover to put onto my contents page in the same fashion as the Q magazine above. I have also picked a concert photo and a photo from the interview out to add to my contents page. They are:




Friday 7 February 2014

Music Magazine: Finished Front Cover

This is my finished music magazine front cover:


I had an idea of how my magazine would turn out and when actually making it, it all went to plan. I didn't experience any problems with this piece. It was all pretty straight forward and easy once I knew what I wanted.

Music Magazine: Making The Front Cover

After looking at my two potential front cover picture, I chose to go with Sam as not only is he the one who did the interview photo shoot but I think his picture will look best. I started off by cropping the chosen picture of Sam to be a head-shoot and then Photoshopped him to look better. This was essential as all main images of magazines look flawless and are most likely Photoshopped.


The beginning photo. ^


The cropped and edited photo. ^ (I edited the image so the brick background was a separate layer from Sam so that I could put the masthead behind Sam's head as this is something many established magazines do and I want mine to look authentic)

I then started off by adding in my title 'DIVERSE' to the top of the image. I left a small space above it so I could fit in text above. I also put it behind Sam's head, but you can still read what it says.


 I then put in a red box across the top to give the page some colour. Then I put text on top. I put this in white as it contrast the red nicely and stands out. I used the formal font from my research for this text.


I then added a black box at the bottom of the page and then added the text on top. I made this unique by using the bands actual official fonts for their names. I also used the formal font for the 'PLUS!' so that it didn't take the attention away from the band fonts.



 The next step was adding in the bar code, date and website. I made a white box and then put an image of a bar code, then wrote the text in. I merged these layers together to create a compact, neat box and then put it vertical as I was inspired to from a magazine I had researched and also I think it looks better this way.


 I then added in my anchorage title and the sell line that went along with that. I placed these across Sam so that the audience would know that it was to go with the main image. I put the anchorage in red as to add more colour to the page as it seemed like it was lacking. When I tried the sell line in red, it looked too much. I also put a white outer glow on the anchorage title and a black stroke around the sell line to make them stand out even more.


The page looked a little bare so I added in another sell line in the empty space next to Sam's head. I typed this to fit well into the space so it wouldn't overlap Sam so that the audience know that that particular sell line isn't in relation to the main image. After I had done this, my magazine was complete.



Friday 31 January 2014

Music Magazine: Front Cover Ideas

For my music magazine front cover, I will go with the typical conventions such as using a medium shot, having a big, bold title at the top. Including all the necessities such as sell lines, a large anchorage title, bar code, price, date, etc. I came up with the idea of having a band of three called The Thieves who have recently became two, so for my front cover, I will be using a photograph of the band member that will be interviewed on the double page spread. I will also make the main sell line to go with the story. I also have decided to name the magazine 'DIVERSE' as it will include a diverse range of artists. I have looked at music magazine front covers for inspiration. Here are some things I have picked out:




[nme-front-cover-29308.jpg]


 What I like about this front cover is the bar code. Instead of being horizontal, it is vertical. I like this as it gives the magazine that extra edge and uniqueness. I think I will do the same for my magazine front cover. I also like the colour scheme: it's mainly black, white and red. This is a common colour scheme for a music magazine. There is also a hint of yellow, which is also common, but I think it can look too much if not used appropriately. I don't think I will use yellow on my front cover.

What I like about this magazine front cover is the coloured banner going along the top with text overlaying regarding a competition. It's placement at the top is obviously to grab peoples attention and I think it does a good job of this and will consider this idea when making my magazine. I also like the banner going along the bottom which includes some of the other artists that are in the magazine. I want to include something similar to this in my magazine but put my own spin on it so it separates my magazine from this one.


 

Friday 24 January 2014

Music Magazines: Font Research

I looked at a wide range of different fonts for my magazine masthead and sell lines. I wanted to see which suited the masthead first and then consider the other fonts for the sell lines so I tested them all through typing the title. Here are my favourite fonts out of the ones I have looked at:


 Buxton Sketch


Mesquite Std






Blood Crow



Birch Std




 Zombified




I really like all of these fonts but my favourite one that I think will be the most eye catching and look the best as a magazine mast head is the last one: zombified. However, I do want to incorporate the other fonts into my magazine. I will use a few of them for the sell lines. I think some will be more predominant that others. For example, Birch Std looks too formal to be used for any main piece of text as I want to keep the page looking interesting. I think I will use Blood Crow for my main sell line as it is my second favourite and I think it will help make the page appeal to the audience.

I then looked at band fonts. I managed to find three:

















I will use all three for my front cover as it helps the readers familiarize with the band as they may recognize the font. Also, it will make it look more professional as these are the fonts that the band themselves use.

Music Magazine: Logos


In order to make my magazine more realistic, I will add logos to it. I will use the following images:









If I was making this magazine for real, then I would need to get permission to use these logo images.

Friday 17 January 2014

Music Magazine: Concert Photographs

In order to give my magazine more diversity regarding artists, I will add in some concert photographs I have taken myself. These are the photographs that I can find and have to choose from:



One of the best pictures from a Beyonce concert.


This is the lineup for the photos that follow. 


















  This is quite a good picture as it had the artists name in big, at the back.








There are a few photos of artists in the stage at the middle. These pictures aren't as good as there is no establishing pictures behind them and the artists them self almost blend in with the crowd.




 By this point, my camera died so I had to switch to a camera phone so the pictures aren't as good quality.







They consist mostly of the Capital FM Summertime Ball as I couldn't find any other good photos and I took these photos using a DCLR so considering the distance I was sat, they are fairly good quality. The other photo in this lot is from a Beyonce concert I attended. I took photos using my phone so they didn't come out very well. I thought if I add this photo in small then it could look good. I will experiment with the photos and discard ones that don't look good or fit well.