Finished Contents page

Finished Contents page

 

This is my finished contents page for my magazine cover; I have left the 'Altora Sequarmur' and 'Aim High' in black writing as I feel that it stands out better like this. I made the Mast head bold, which I have found makes it stand out alot better than it did before; allowing me to keep the colours, red and white. I have made the background blue and kept the stars on it; I find that this makes the contents link to my cover because of the stars and I also feel that the blue along with the stars makes the background seem interesting, yet do not take the viewers eyes away from the text. I have the text centred in the middle of the page; making it the main focus of the page and I have also included a small sentence under each page heading, this sentence is in italic so that the viewers realise it is a description. I have included the page number that the articles are on next to the name of the articles, so that the viewer does not have to read the sub heading if they do not want to, it also makes it alot easier for the viewer to get to the page they want.

I included some more articles in the contents as I felt that there was not enough and that the magazine would be to small with only six articles. I added; 'Games', 'Goodbye', 'Welcome' and 'New clubs for next term'- these articles would bulk the magazine out and I also feel that they would also be supported by my audience; as I had input from a few sixth formers who suggested the 'Welcome'

 and 'Goodbye' articles.

 

Overall I feel that my contents page is successful, however I feel that it still looks quite student made and when doing my music magazine I am going to make sure that I go for and get the more professional look.

Contents page (Part 1)

Contents page (Part 1)

I have begun adding my photographs to my plain mock contents page. I have also added an image of the Bevaerwood school badge to the top of the Page, however I was faced with some difficulties of the badge having a white background. To resolve this I opened the image in photo shop, removed the background and saved it a a .png, this allowed me to add the image to my contents page without it having the white background behind it;

 

This is the badge before I removed the background and the text that was underneath it, I have given it a blue border so that you can see the badge has a white background.

 

 This shows the badge with the background removed on photo shop, the image below shows what it now looks like on my contents page; however the edges of the beaver wood badge are quite fuzzy where I have removed it from the background, I cannot do anything about this so when I do my music magazine I will make sure that I use images where the background is already removed.

 

I now have to change the colour of the font, the main background and also have to think about how I am going to have my articles on the page; they will go in the middle but I need to think about centring them etc.

 

 

 

 

 

This is my contents masthead in the colours; red and white, I like how the red stands out but I feel that the white is a little to light and does blend in to the background quite a bit so I am going to also try having the white letters green; to try and make the mast head stand out alot better.
I also feel that if I changed the style of font this would make the mast head stand out and also make the entire page more eye catching.

 

 

Background Ideas:

 

I have gone on to Google.com and have been looking for different background images I could use. I have decided on this snow-y one which I feel may make the page more eye catching and interesting;

I do not like how the background looks on this page as I feel that there is to much blue on the page and it draws away the viewers attention.

 

I have had the idea that I could put gold stars, like the ones on the front cover, in the background instead of the blue snow flakes. I would only have three I think, so that it is not over-whelming, they would behind the list of articles and would also overlap the photographs to make the page flow better.

 

 

I quite like the use of the stars on the page as I feel that it really links to my cover- however now I feel that it is still a little plain in the background and I have decided that maybe I should make the background a lighter blue than the border.

I also think that once I put the articles on the background it`ll make the background look less bare;

I feel that the background is better looking now and that it doesn`t look as bare; all I have to do now is change the colour of the mast head and the school`s motto. I also have to add my articles in to the page and my contents will be completed.

I still feel at this stage that my cover and contents are looking more like student created magazines and are lacking the professionalism needed, so when creating my music magazine I am going to thoroughly look in to the layout of the magazines so that the magazine I create will actually look like it is one of the top branded magazines, I feel that this would also help it 'sell' better on the shop shelves.

 

 My next post should include the finishing touches applied to my contents and also the finished contents itself; I will then underneath the finsihed contents write a little summary of what I like/ dislike about it. After this I will post both my contents and my cover together.

Finished Cover...

Finished Cover

 

 

This cover shows how I have resolved the issue of the article text not showing up against the background by putting gold stars behind it, this makes the text stand out more and also draws the readers eye to the articles. I have also used the 'Z' rule when designing this cover. I have also kept the red and white 'Christmas Edition' writing, I was going to change the colours of this font but found that it did not work as well as the white and red and made the text look out of place. I feel that my cover is a success as it shows off my theme well whilst still looking like a school magazine.  

 

The colours I have used represent Christmas well, however it was harder to make the text stand out on my cover because the colours are quite light. I had to change my colour theme from red, gold and green to Red and white, I also managed to incorporate some green in to the text colours so that I was meeting my audiences expectations. I also found myself using alot more blue in the cover than I first planned, this is because when I edited the photograph I had to give it a blue tint to make it appear colder in the image. I then also found that using a gold border with the blue tint didn`t go very well and I ended up also using a light blue border which I feel connotes the coldness of a winters day.

I used the font style 'Century Gothic' for the articles and mast head, I feel that I should have used a different font to make it seem more professional, although I feel that the font style does work with the overall magazine cover.

 

If I were to re-do the magazine I would have included an image of the school logo in one of the top corners because I feel that although it is an internal school magazine I feel that it would look alot better and more professional with the school`s logo in the top corner. I also feel that the overall look of the magazine is quite unprofessional, I feel that this is because of the colours used and also because of the border. I feel that I could have made it look more professional if I had used different fonts and also instead of using the gold stars I had used a white coloured text box, however this would also be taking away from my theme and would make the cover look less like a Christmas Edition.

 

Overall I feel that my magazine is a success in meeting my targets expectations and connoting the theme of Christmas, However I, myself, feel that it doesn`t look like a professional magazine and I am going to take what I have learnt from doing this task in to the making of my Music magazine. I am also going to make sure that my music magazine looks more professional when finished and I will also be double checking it against real life music brand magazines (e.g. Kerrang) to make sure I am on the right track.

 

Finishing the Cover (Part 1)

Finishing the Cover (Part 1)

 

These are the finishing stages of the cover; I have started to add all the small details to the magazine.
Here are the two different photographs that I used to create covers with, I have decided that I am using the top cover as I feel that the image works best.

I like how this cover has the border around it; I feel that this helps the image stand out more. I also like the composition of the cover- I like how the date and masthead look on the cover, however I feel that the 'Christmas Edition' text is a little hard to see because its red on red - I think I will change this slightly so that it stands out more. I like how the articles are arranged, however the green is very hard to see, so I will need to think about changing the colour of the text so that it stands out. I have tried to use the 'Z' rule, drawing the eye in a 'Z' like pattern down the page. I have also realised that I have not exactly stuck to my audience`s feedback; they wanted a colour scheme of Red, Green and Gold, however I have used Blue, Green and Red so I have changed it slightly, But I have done this so that the text stands out on the page. I feel that I need to change the font style that the text is in as I feel that it still looks like a student magazine and I want mine to look as professional as possible.

I also need to change the size of the mast head, as at the moment the 'Free' at the bottom is larger than it and although in a way this is good that it is drawing attention to the fact it is free, its also bad because its drawing attention away from the rest of the cover; making the photograph and masthead seem pointless.

This is the cover that I do not want to use, I do not like the colour of the border as I feel that it draws attention away from the image as it is quite a bright gold colour. I also do not like how the 'Christmas Edition' blends in to my models hat, however I like how the mast head stands out against the background. I also feel that the gold border makes the photograph seem more summer themed than Christmas.

 

 

I am now going to take my First cover I made (top of post) and I am going to make a few more changes to make the text really stand out of the page.

 

Contents page Photographs

Contents page Photographs

These are the photographs that I took for my contents page;

 

These are the photographs that I took for the 'photography and art competition' article;

 

This is the first Image that I took; I planned to take this image before hand; however now that I have seen the results I feel that the photograph is way to busy; taking away the main focus from the models within the photograph. I feel that I should have used a white or black backdrop instead of a class room setting for this photo shoot. I also find that the models are to far apart and it is hard to see them both, I also feel that it doesn`t promote the theme of Christmas even though my models are wearing the Santa hat and the tinsel; I feel this is because the photograph is to busy and it is hard to make out the models.

 

As I felt that the photograph above was to busy, I then took this one;

 

 This photograph is of one of my models looking through a camera at the viewer; I feel that this photograph is alot better than the image above because the viewer can clearly see that she is wearing a Santa hat and tinsel; promoting the tinsel theme. I also feel that this connotes more of a 'Photography' as the viewer can see that my model is holding a camera. However I feel that this only connotes the photography part of the competition and doesn't seem to speak 'Art' so I feel that I will have to adapt my article to just a 'Photography' competition.
 Overall I feel that I will be using the bottom photograph on my contents page as I feel that this is the better composed one of the two.

Photographs of a Group of friends:

 

These are three of the photographs that I took for my contents page, I feel that these were the best out of the lot that I took. I am now going to narrow it down to one photograph to put on to my contents page. I took the photographs as an action shot;

 

 I like this photograph as I have captured all my models smiling. I also like how my models are interacting with the books and also each other.  I feel that even though the background is quite busy, it sums up what they are doing; they are in one of the art rooms looking at each other`s art sketch books. I also have used the tinsel and Santa hat in the photographs to again present the theme Christmas.

 This is my favourite of the three photographs, this is because I feel that the angle I have taken the image at makes the viewer feel that they are actually there, sitting next to the girl on the right. I also  have used a shallow depth of field and I feel that this keeps the focus of the photograph on my models. I also like how the viewer can see some of the art work in the background and I feel that this further connotes that my models are studying together. I also like how I have captured my models smiling, I feel that this really represents the mood of happiness and creates a good impression of the school for the viewer.



This is my least favourite of the three photographs, this is because of the angle and distance I have taken he photograph at- the viewers attention is drawn straight to the back of the class room, where they can see the sink and the bin in the class room. I also do not like the way one of my models is behind another; making it difficult for the viewer to see her.

Overall I feel that the photograph I am going to use is the middle image; this is because I feel that it is the best composed and also best connotes the ideas of the school I am trying to get across. I also like the way the props are positioned in that certain image and feel that it best presents my theme of Christmas.

 

I am now going to start completing my cover and contents page and put them all together; I will be uploading print screens of how I am completing the Cover first; before moving on to finish the contents page. I will then post the finished peices on here.

 

Beaverwood In the snow

Beaverwood In the snow

These photographs I took last year are of Beaverwood in the snow, I think that I would like to use a couple on my contents page. I feel that this would also surport that my magazine is themed around Christmas.

 

The photographs;

 I feel that this photograph is the best out of all the four that I have taken. This is because in this photograph the viewer can clearly see the art block with the snow falling from the sky; I feel that this connotes a feel of peace and also beauty for the school and may make it appeal to the viewers more.
I also feel that this photograph is composed better; this is because there is no bin in the shot.
I would like to use this on my contents page in one of the corners, however I feel that the viewers may miss this photograph as the background of my contents page is going to be white or a light colour, so I may need to outline the photograph with a dark blue border to make it stand out better.

 I like this photograph as I feel it would stand out against the background of my contents page however I feel that the quality of the photo is not very good and I feel that this takes away the dramtic and beautiful affect of seeing the school in the snow.

This is the last of my photographs that I took, I like this one because it is a wide range shot, where the viewer can see alot of the shcool covered in a blanket of snow, I feel that this connotes beauty and will make the school appeal more to the readers as they may not have ever seen the school in the snow.  I feel that the bins in the picture partly takes away the dramatic affect, however I could remove the bins by cropping them out. 

 

Overall I would like to use either the first or last photograph of Beaverwood in the snow, I feel that this is because I like the compostion more in these two particular photographs and I also feel their quality is better than the centre one. I am going to try the two photographs I have picked on my contents page, I will then ask my audience which photograph they feel is best within the magazine.

 

Contents page Photoshoot Plan

Contents page Photo shoot Plan

 

I am planning to do my photo shoot sometime this week, or next week. I have decided I want these particular photographs to be of groups of students, I feel that this will contrast with my cover photograph and also connote that the school is very good academically but is also an equally good place to meet new people and make friends. I am going to use my model that I used for my front cover in these group photographs, I feel this will further support what I want to get across to my audience.

 

However in one of my photographs I am going to use a different model, as it will be for the photography/ art competition,  and the model I am going to use for this photograph is a photography student so I feel that this will support the idea of the competition and inspire the readers who would potentially enter the competition, however I have also realised that this may also put readers off from entering the competition as they may not feel good enough or may think they need to be a photography student to enter the competition; to stop this idea from reaching my audience I think I am going to have the text 'Anyone Can Enter!' somewhere across the photograph. I will take this photograph in the photography room as this supports the 'photography and art' competition.

 

I have not decided where I am going to do the photo shoot, but I have a few ideas for

 Location;
-Sitting together on the steps by reception;
This would be a great place to do the photographs as it will show off more of the school, however as I would like to use close up shots of my models I will not actually get very much of the school in the background. I could layer photographs together to over come this difficulty but I feel that this will make the magazine appear more student-made as when I researched school magazines, I found that the student made ones tended to have layered photographs in.

-In the common room
This would be an exceptionally good place to take the photographs in, I find this because it is the sixth forms own personal space, so the magazine would appeal more to them. I also find that this place would work well in an action shot, as I could have bug group of students sitting together talking; however this may make the photograph look to busy and also take away the meaning of them studying with friends as it may just look like they are all just talking to one another. The common room is also always very busy, except from in the mornings before school and after period 7. This would mean that I would be unable to take the photographs because of how busy the room is and I would also have to find a day where everyone can come in either early, or stay later which would be an almost impossible task- for all my chosen models have extremely different time tables. I have thought about choosing new models but I feel that the ones I have chosen will work the best because they are a close group of friends and are always helping each other study or studying themselves, I also feel that they would connote what I am trying to get across in my magazine photographs and I feel they will also inspire others. I feel that the common room will be a hard place to get an image in; so I may have to use an empty class room instead, which I feel will give the impression they are studying together in one certain lesson.

-Out side sixth form block
This will also be a great place to take photographs from, However like I said before the common room is always very busy; meaning that students are likely to be in and out of the block all the time; making it hard to get a professional shot. On the other hand this would help if I would want to get an action-shot photograph as It would give the viewer the impression and feel that others are moving around the modelling group of people, I feel that this will also engage the readers more as they will get a real life shot of what was happening at that specific time in the common room.

Facial expressions and Gesture codes...
In my group photographs I would like them to be talking amongst themselves and/or looking down at their folders/ texts books or looking at each other; this is because I feel that, again, this would also further the meaning of the photographs (The school is a great place for study & friends) I would also like my main model to be in the image; I was thinking perhaps having her in the centre making it seem like she is the popular one of the group; however I don`t want to connote to outsiders of the magazine that they have to be popular or be in a big group of friends in sixth form.

Angles
I feel that the angle is very important in these photos, this is because I want the viewer to feel like they are part of the group in the image; So I want to take the photo from a straight-on point of view, capturing the models from waist up.

Evaluation of Ideas;
-One of my model`s will be looking through a camera taking a photograph- this will include my Christmas props, perhaps on a person that my model is taking a photograph of, this will be for my photography competition article.
-My models will be together around a table, studying and working and also interacting with each other and the Christmas props. This will be just be connoting the main feel I want to get across to my viewers/ readers.