Front Cover Development 6

I have tweaked the design of my cover just a bit to make it look, in my opinion, more aesthetically pleasing. I will ask my target audience when I get back which they prefer and I'll use that one.

Front Cover Development 5

The cover is basically done it just needs the main photo behind all the text. I may then have to add a drop shadow to some of the text or change it to another contrasting colour to make it stand out from the light and dark areas of the photo.

Front Cover Development 4

I have added this skyline which includes another story/article represented by an eye-catching red quote. It is left vague to entice the reader into buying the magazine to read it and find out what it's about. There was a lot of black space on the right and I thought since it's a vital convention of a magazine to have the price, date and barcode on the cover and/or back I put it here, it also stands out against the black. There is still some black space where I may put a photo but probably not as the space is to small to accommodate a good photo.

Front Cover Development 3

I based the cover lines off the NME cover also as I think they look quirky with their alternating fonts and also having bits in bold or a different colour highlights the important info to the reader which is useful and aesthetically pleasing. I also like the block with the artist names as it displays the rest of the information in a compact way which allows for more photo space.

Front Cover Development 2

As always I started with a guide layout to make sure everything is lined up and looks professional. I think I will put my masthead and main cover line on the left in line to make that side look fuller as I don't have that many stories/features to fill it.

Like that. Notice that I've used the same contrasting black and red colour palette to stand out from the white background. I have based the cover line off the NME one as its very large font size of the name I think captures the readers eye and it's obvious that it is the main feature. I have also put the issue number and date under the masthead as it looks neat, compact and the info is easy to find for the reader as it is next to something eye-catching.

Front Cover Development

I have decided to make a start on my front cover even though I do not have a main image for it yet, this is due to my wanted model Ellis always being busy or not being free when I am. When I have Ellis I would like to take a close up or medium close up photo and put this in black and white as on the NME cover as it looks moody. This is due to the model not looking directly into the camera which takes away the personal connection and creates an air of mystery and this suits the indie style well.

Front Cover Design

I have decided to alter my previous flat plans and base my front cover off the NME style as I feel it is closest to the style I want for my magazine because it manages to be slightly quirky with its alternating fonts yet still looks neat on the page and is eye catching to the audience with the contrasting red, black and white colour palette- which in fairness I was already using so this just reinforces my use of it as I have evidence of it being a common convention of a magazine front cover of a well established publisher.

My new flat plan looks like this:

Photo Edit Change

I have recently decided that for my contents page I do not want the photos to be in complete black and white as the page itself is already very minimal in terms of colour so I don't want to further this. Instead I will only drop about 50% colour and leave some parts of the image very vibrant and saturated to attract the audience's eye.

Photo Analysis 2

What is in the centre of the image?

In the centre of the image is once again the model's torso, which again I don't think is meant to be the focus of the image as this would be unusual, especially as there are no outstanding characteristics of her torso.

What is on the periphery?

Behind the model there is a white backdrop which looks to be from a studio photo shoot, there was probably a background in the original photo such as a white sheet but this would have been edited out on Photoshop so that the image doesn’t look amateur or messy.

Has the photo been staged?

The photo has obviously been staged as she is looking directly into the camera, proving she knows she is in front of it, her hands are also on her hips which is not a natural position. This implies she has been posed this way purposely for the photo.

What do you think that happened directly before the image was taken?

The lighting may have been checked or refined and then the model was positioned in that way and asked to look directly into the camera.

What do you think happened directly after the image was taken?

The photographer will probably have the model pose in a different position and take another photo, this will continue until they have enough shots to work with.

Is the entire photo in focus?

The entire photo is in focus, no part of the model is blurred or unclear, and this makes the image look professional and crisp and shows that all parts of the image are equally important.

Is the lighting bright, dim or shadowy?

Generally the lighting is bright which creates a happy almost shining atmosphere; the lighting also accentuates the sequins of her top. This represents the model nicely. There are some areas such as the very side of her face, chest and leg which creates contrast and outlines her silhouette.

Is there any cropping?

The bottom of her legs are cropped as it is a medium-long shot.

What age, gender and ethnicity does the model appear to be?

The model appears to be a female of about 20-30, she is white.

What can you tell about them from their dress?

The bright sequin top and pink lipstick shows the audience that this is a Pop singer.

Are they looking directly to the camera or looking away signifying distance?

She is looking directly into the camera which gives the audience a connection to her and the image, it entices them in as it feels personal.

Is the photo taken at a high or low angle?

The photo is neither a high nor a low angle.

What is their posture? Does the posture hint at other activities?

The hands on the hips looks almost playful and enticing, as if she’s saying “come on”.

Where was the photo taken?

The photo was obviously taken in a studio as the lighting looks to precise to be natural, implying the use of studio lights, the white background also suggests this was taken in studio conditions.

Is the setting real?

There is no setting, it is blank.

Why was this photo taken?

The photo was taken as part of a shoot for a magazine feature, it is part of a set.

Where could you see your picture appearing?

It would likely appear as a side image on a double page spread or as the main image on the cover.

Photo Analysis

What is in the centre of the image?
In the centre of the image is the model's torso which I don't think is meant to be the focus of the image as this would be unusual, especially as there are no outstanding characteristics of her torso, however slightly above centre on her t-shirt is the word 'FOXES'. This tells the audience who the model is.

What is on the periphery?
Behind the model there is a red backdrop which looks to be natural, perhaps pained red wood. However it is possible that the image was first taken on a neutral background and pasted onto the red using Photoshop.

Has the photo been staged?
The photo has obviously been staged as she is looking directly into the camera, proving she knows she is in front of it, her arm is also behind her head which is not a natural position. This implies she has been posed this way purposely for the photo.

What do you think that happened directly before the image was taken?
The lighting may have been checked or refined and then the model was positioned in that way and asked to look directly into the camera.

What do you think happened directly after the image was taken?
The photographer will probably have the model pose in a different position and take another photo, this will continue until they have enough shots to work with.

Is the entire photo in focus?
The entire photo is in focus, no part of the model is blurred or unclear, this makes the image look professional and crisp and shows that all parts of the image are equally important.

Is the lighting bright, dim or shadowy?
Generally the lighting is very bright which creates a happy almost shining atmosphere which represents the model nicely. There are some areas such as the very side of her face, chest and leg which creates contrast and outlines her silhouette.

Is there any cropping?
The bottom of her legs are cropped as it is a medium-long shot.

What age, gender and ethnicity does the model appear to be?
The model appears to be a female of about 20-30, she is white.

What can you tell about them from their dress?
The patterned shorts and large hat imply an artsy creative vibe which works as she is a Pop singer. The fact that her name is printed on her shirt enforces this to the reader as it is obviously important and famous.

Are they looking directly to the camera or looking away signifying distance?
She is looking directly into the camera which gives the audience a connection to her and the image, it entices them in as it feels personal.

Is the photo taken at a high or low angle?
The photo is neither a high nor a low angle.

What is their posture? Does the posture hint at other activities?
The arm behind the head looks casual and innocent.

Where was the photo taken?
The photo could have been taken in a studio with a makeshift portable red backdrop or outside against a natural red wall.

Is the setting real?
The setting appears to be real as the lighting on the model matches the colour of lighting that would come from the red wall however this can also be easily done in Photoshop with an imported image of a red backdrop.

Why was this photo taken?
The photo was taken as part of a shoot for a magazine feature, it is part of a set.

Where could you see your picture appearing?
It would likely appear as a side image on a double page spread.

Contents Page Development 3

Using the same guide layout tool as my previous design I constructed a grid to shape the layout of the contents on the contents page, the even amount of columns to allow for text one one side and images on the other.

Half of the features are on the left and half are on the right to add interest to the page. The red rectangles are where photos will go which may also have captions in and of themselves.

For my feature text I have the title in red this time against a white background for a bigger contrast. The info text and page number is then black to add further contrast. The title is in a slightly larger size font and in ultra weight to grab the readers attention. They are all in the same font as the masthead logo to maintain continuity and a strong recognisable style.

The feature titles are puns or references. Titles like "The Grass Is Greener" attract the reader because it's almost like a challenge to see if they can finish the saying. As the titles are somewhat vague this also entices the reader to read on so they can understand it.

I brought in the skyline with the page name and magazine date/issue as this is information that is vital to the reader, I put it on a black rectangle backdrop for contrast to the rest of the page so it is easily seen.

Complete view:

Contents Page Development 2

After consulting my target audience and peers I have decided that whilst my previous design for the contents page matched the artistic and different style of the indie genre and presented images in an aesthetically pleasing way, it wasn't the best when it came to displaying text as the spaces were too small.

I will come up with a different design and again ask my peers for their opinion.