JAREDS "COOL" BLOG

Our brief was to use the skills we had learnt in both photo shop and in the class to create a front cover, contents page and double page spread. We had to research codes and conventions and use them in our magazine to make it look professional and then meet a deadline for when the work was in.

I researched the codes and conventions of a magazine thoroughly, I researched a series of contents pages, covers and double page spreads, I looked at the different mass heads on different magazines and see how they fitted with the image, for instance I found that some main images would cover a part of the title which is the approach I took with my magazine, I also found that the main story of the magazine should stand out on the cover so that the audience know what to find inside, researching double pages spreads helped too, I realised that often double page spreads didn’t start until at least around 20 pages depending on the size of the magazine, I also found that a lot of magazines where supported by adverts to keep them going, this was a big factor for me as I had created a free magazine so it would need to be supported in some way, advertising/donations/volunteers/youth groups.
Contents pages were also a good thing to look at as they helped me plan the lay out for the magazine.

First thing I did was research the different covers, contents and double page spreads between different magazines, comparing mast heads or sub headings to main images etc. I compared throughout a range of different magazines from fashion to gaming to Music to get a understanding for the different types of codes and conventions used. I took a series of photos around 15-20 so I had a vast range to use in my magazine on different pages. I also experimented with the different tools on photo shop so that when it came to making the magazine I could use the ttols to create a good magazine.

Photoshop was a great way to make the magazine, it allowed me to manipulate the image how I wanted, I could enlarge the image crop it down and merge it with other images to create what I wanted. I could warp the image to stretch it to the left or to the right. It also allowed me to change the colour of the whole image and the appearance, completely changing it from the original, using the cut out tool I transformed the image, using saturation/hue I changed the colours from his black jacket and top into a blue and white image matching the colour scheme of my magazine. I took a series of images on the camera, getting my actor to do different poses some aggressive some not, I didn’t want my bad to seem like aggressive characters despite the posture used in the double page spread which could make him seem quite aggressive or moody which I could have maybe changed if I had had more time.

I had made a series of drafts before I decided to use my final one, the first one was quite early on and wasn’t very well made, slightly rushed, the second one has influenced my final one greatly, the image used, the colour scheme, titles, stories. The only thing that really changed between the second one and the final piece was the main image and the layout of the cover. The final contents page was also adapted from my first contents page, keeping the same colour scheme I just re arranged the images and text to make it more effective, the only thing that I would really change is that the contents and cover are fairly similar and I should maybe think about changing the two.

My magazine has been developed and re developed numerous times, the first draft we handed in earlier in the year was a start to my final magazine, I developed the way it looked, the main image and changed the way my magazine followed the codes and conventions of a Music Magazine. I think my main image stands out well on the front of the magazine, I allowed myself to stay within a range of colours for the scheme which were blue, grey and white. My main image was effective in the way that the image should was what the magazine addressed in terms of a main story. I also had a list of stories on my front cover, but the main story the “Disco Chronicles Interview” is bigger font to stand out on the page so it catches the audiences eye.

My magazine being a music one would attract musical lovers, the idea of the magazine is to promote dance/electro/rave/ techno music, so my magazine would be to hook people who like to go out clubbing in the towns who are likely to hear the music found in this magazine.

The magazines subheading ‘London’s most electric freebie’ would narrow down the type of people willing to invest into it. The magazine is one of the better freebies in London so I would think that the magazine would be supported by a lot of advertisements within the magazine, if you see the contents page it also would be supported by donations to keep the magazine alive. Maybe a youth group could be involved in creating a regular issue of the magazine.

My magazine being a music one would attract musical lovers, I in particular looked at a younger market around 15-30 or 15-25, the type of music in the magazine is a factor being a electric/dance type magazine it would be different to a lot of rock/indie music magazines on the market today. You can tell what kind of magazine mine is from the cover “Disco Buzz” is obviously going to be some kind of dance music and not a rock and roll type magazine. Also I created the image of static electricity which is to emphasise the vibrant upbeat ‘Electric’ magazine.

I attracted my audience with a big main image that was bright and quite unique. I also think that the idea of it being a free magazine and ‘London’s most electric freebie’ would also factor in it, I would also want to hook them in with my stories within the magazine and free give away. The only downside to this would be that because it would be free there are going to be a lot of advertisement within it, therefore maybe putting people off it.

I have had to use a range of different tools to create the magazine, especially on photo shot I wanted the image to be big bold and stand out , I think I achieved this through use of the main image and the heading, all off which follow a similar colour scheme and stand out. I used the cut out tool to create the image into the style it is in, then I changed the saturation/hue of the image and set it to a colour scheme I wanted this matched the rest of the magazine and didn’t look to out of place against the rest of the magazine. On the double page spread I had a strong blue glow emitting around the image, I did this by layering the same image over the other, then selecting the lower layer I coloured it in blue and the area around it, dragging the upper layer over the colour blue we can see a faint glow around the image.

I think my skills in photo shop have dramatically improved since the preliminary task at the start of the year, I think this is evident in my recent magazine the quality between the two. I developed my skills in PS to be able to use all the different tools PS has, whilst at the start of the year I was new to photo shop and had not much idea what I was doing within the programme. I also think the layout of my newer magazine has improved, the main image on the front for example and keeping the images and colour scheme similar and the idea of the magazine.