6th December 2011

I have now moved on to do the double page spread of my magazine. After looking at examples of double page spreads in existing magazines I found there was two common styles, question and answer interviews and an article on the person being interviewed. I decided I wanted to do an article of when I met Cassidy when she came to do a photo shoot for the magazine, featuring quotes from her in relevant places. I looked at other magazines to get ideas for the layout of my double page spread. I noticed that most of them commonly have a large photo covering the whole of one page and then text on the opposite page. Featuring a quote in bolder bigger font and the speech marks in a colour that corresponds with the photo and colour scheme and complements it, linking the two pages together so it is clear they are both on the same person. It also makes the page look more interesting and the quote gives you an idea of what type of person the interviewee is. When there is more than one photo on the two pages there is usually a variety of different type of shots to make the page more interesting and appeal to different audiences. The background is often the same colour across both pages to again show that the are linked and is also often white so that the text and the photo both stand out.

The first letter of the first word of the article is sometimes in a larger size font, this is so it entices the reader to read it and draws you in. It also makes it clear where the article begins as to avoid confusion. The photo of the artist portrays what type of person the artist is, and in all the double page spreads I have looked at, the artist appears to be having fun and is smiling and happy. This would suggest that this is the type of image the magazine wants to give off of the artist to the reader, so she appears fun loving and likable, and to be having a good time. The text size of the actual article is quite small as it looks more sophisticated and I think if it was larger it would look more like it was aimed at a younger audience as the font in there magazines is usually larger so it looks more fun and readable, there is usually a lot less text on pages aimed at younger audiences too. By using a lot of text in a smaller size I made sure I was catering it for my target audience. On the Rihanna double page spread there is also a quote in big bold font going diagonally across the two pages. I really like this and the effect it gives, making a statement and bringing the two pages together. There is sometimes also smaller photos on the second page of double page spreads, alongside the text to link the pages together even more and keep the reader's interest sustained across both pages. All these codes and conventions have influenced the way I have produced my double page spread and the way I have made it look.

         My double page spread is on my cover star Cassidy Wilde. I have given the page the title 'Go Wilde'. which is a play on words as her name is spelt Wilde but is said the same as wild, as to mean go crazy or mad. This is what I meant by 'Go Wilde'. I have positioned the title across the page as after looking at the Rihanna pages I think it is really effective and it inspired me to do something similar. The font is in a large bold white font to show that it is the title and that it is important. It is in the same font as what I have used previously in the magazine and I have added a white glow around it to make it look brighter and stand out off the page more and so that is definitely noticed. The remainder of the title is done in smaller text as although her name is important I did not want it to steal focus, and there is a large photo of Cassidy on the page anyway so you would still be able to tell who it was even if the font isn't as large. It still stands out on the page never the less as it is in a contrasting colour of black which stand out clearly on the grey background and apposing the white text above it. The main text of the article begins with a larger capital A so it is clear where the article starts. The rest is smaller and goes across both pages although it fills up the majority of the second page of the spread. It is in a small yet readable sized font which an educated reader with a longer attention span an interest for the article would be happy reading. It fits around the smaller photos of Cassidy on the second page, which show different sides of Cassidy. The real Cassidy sitting and playing her music, which matters the most to her, and then smashing her bass guitar and showing the tough rock star image that she gives off to the world. The photos are full length to show her image and what she is wearing, the purple tights again complementing the colour of the font for the quote. The converse and tight short skirt showing that she is not afraid to show herself off and that she doesn't have the perfect body but it is one that others will admire and want to be like. It shows she has confidence and is a good role model despite being a rock star. Her converse are a bit worn and scruffy which shows she is not afraid to get her hands dirty and get messy, this could mean that she is also not afraid to do this when it comes to music and she is quite happy to do things for herself in a non-diva type manner. The main photo on the left hand side page shows another side to her again as she looks coyly away from the camera whilst hugging her guitar, as if she is in a daydream. This is the side of Cassidy that I particularly want to show the reader as it is the one that they have never seen before, and will only see here in the exclusive interview. It shows a softer side, and a more relatable angle as every girl has a dream and she is just following hers like all girls aspire too.

The background of the photo was of a grey colour and this was plain enough that all my text would stand out on it, so I decided to keep that colour instead of making the background white. This also make the double page spread different from the front page and contents pages which is what I want, as often when you open a magazine on a double page it looks quite different from the single pages, and it makes more of an impact. But I still wanted it to be clear that it was part of the same magazine so I branded the page with the little AG -standing for AlternativeGirl- in a purple box in the bottom corners of the pages, as I had done on my contents pages. Before adding page numbers in the same way I had also done on my contents pages and would have done on all pages of the magazine. To get my background the same colour on the second page I made a box and then used the colour picker tool on serif to select a tone of grey that would link the two pages together, it was quite difficult to get a match because of the lighting of the photo and the colour of the background. I then added a gradient so the background looks purposely tonal and fades from left to right.

    Also in the top right corner of the pages there is a quote from Cassidy in larger font, this is an effective way of giving the reader an insight on what the article will be like before they've read it as it is in quite noticeable purple font and stands out on the page. At the end of the text on the page, it says 'continued over page' with a small arrow pointing over the page, as the article is too long to fit on one page, and in magazine they often span several double pages so by doing this it makes my article seem more realistic as it would continue on the next page.



2nd December 2011

After speaking to my teacher about my front cover he pointed out that the quality of the main photo wasn't as good as it was originally before I cut it out and edited it. I agreed with him, as it did look a bit blury and the colours wern't as sharp as they should be. So after re-evaluating my page, I think perhaps I'd over edited it slightly when brightening it and lost some of the definition in the photo. I decided to amend this to get the best result possible. 
  So I used picnik on picassa to firstly increase the contrast of the photo and then sharpened it to make it clearer as the original was a little blury.

Then I used the black and white tool to make the background black and white, and then used the boost tool before going over the background to make it brighter and a more crisp white, I did this a couple of times to get the brightest white. I then had to go around the edges carefully being sure not to cover parts of the photo I didnt want cuting out. Then I was left with just her and the bass guitar on a white background which is what I wanted. I then positioned her on my magazine front cover, replacing the first version of the photo so that the plugs still fitted around her. I feel by making these adjustments the photo looks a lot better and I have improved the overall look of my magazine. I am glad I have made these changes.

27th November 2011

After producing the front cover for my magazine 'AlternativeGirl' I started straight away on my contents page. I originally wanted to do my contents on just one page, but after looking at a few existing contents pages I decided to do it across two, as this way I could have the photos as big as I liked and still fit in all the information about what's on what page. 

 So I drew out a very rough plan of what type of layout I wanted my magazine to have. This shows that I will have space for the photos of four different artists that are featured in my magazine all the page numbers and their content, a space for a section explaining how to obtain the free download that you get with the magazine, and another section explaining about an offer to subscribe to the magazine. I have found these are common codes and conventions of a contents page, after looking at a few different existing magazine contents pages. I decided images definitely make the page look more interesting rather than just a block of text which would look more like a boring index page than a contents page of a music magazine. They often have everything in blocks with photos in separate blocks alongside them, although this is a good orderly way to set it out I decided I didn't want to follow this exactly and preferred the layout of the contents from the summer 2001 issue of Q as all the page numbers and the description of what is on the pages is not in boxes, and the photos are more creatively spread out with their corresponding page numbers next to them. Although I felt it necessary to use boxes to separate certain parts of the page, for example the 'SUBSCRIBE' section and the 'How to get your FREE download' section, this needed to be put in boxes as otherwise it looked a little messy and wasn't clear which text went with which part. They also have branding on the page so that it links into the theme of the magazine and the front cover. Taking this all into consideration when creating my contents page I decided to take inspiration from both the different style of contents pages above and just make it more relevant to the style of my own magazine.

    On my contents page I have kept to the same colour scheme as on my front cover, and also used the same fonts to show a clear link between the two. 'This Month' is written across the two pages in big bold font so that it is noticeable as the title of the page, then 'Contents' is written slightly smaller but still in a bold font above where the contents starts so that it is obvious that it is the contents if it wasn't clear already.

    The page numbers are in a larger font than the text that tells you what is on each page, this is because the page numbers is the main information that you look for on a contents page. Although what's on the page is also important so that is in bold text and then below in a smaller font is a little teaser giving you a little bit more information about what the page contains, whether it be an interview or an article or review. I have used all my own photos on the page, all in different sizes to add some variety to the page, including a photo of Cassidy my cover star that I have cut out. I did this because this way all my photos are not square, and also on the contents page from Q the photos are cut out and all different shapes and I like the look this gives.

   I have simply put the most important words in alternating blue and purple in the boxes concerning subscription and the free download as this matches the colour scheme and is also the most important information and therefore needs to be eye catching. I have also added page numbers to the bottom corners of both pages, alongside a little icon saying 'AG' which stands for AlternativeGirl. This is presented in a little purple box the same colour as the purple of the masthead font on the front cover. I did this to make it clear that the pages belong to the same magazine and link the whole thing together as I feel it is important that everything follows the same style to make the magazine look more professional.

26th November 2011

 I am now moving on to look at which photos to use on my contents page. I have taken them all myself, some are of my friends and others of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry I have taken when I have been to concerts to see them. There is a variety of different type of shots that I could choose from, including long shots and medium close up shots. I think I will chose the photos that best represent the artists as who they are, give off the image I want for my magazine and that will also look interesting on my contents page. Also I have to consider the quality of the photos as some were taken at concerts and then go for the best quality photos also.

19th November 2011

I have now chose which photo to use on my front cover and have started putting it together. I chose this photo because I think it is quite strong and will stand out on the page. Also she looks like she has a bit of attitude and has a bit of an edgy side but she is still quite cool and likeable.

    I wasn't too keen on the lighting in the photo though, so I edited it and made it brighter so the colour of her tights and on the bass guitar really stand out. I also cropped it and cut the background out, before cutting the floor out too so I had her on just a plain white background which I've found is quite common on magazines as it puts all the focus on the photo which is what I want.

 I then started placing the plugs around the photo, carefully as to not draw too much attention away from it. I decided on the font for my masthead as I found it complemented the theme of the magazine, and matched it to the girl's tights which are of the colour purple. I placed the name of my magazine across the top of my front cover as that way it is the first thing people will read when they see it, and it makes it obvious that it is the name of the magazine. Below it there is a tagline which reads 'A different take on music.' this sums up the magazine in a sentence, makes it clear what it's about and reinforces the fact that it's a music magazine. The font of this is black and bold so it is noticable as a tagline, but not so bold that it steals focus from the masthead.

The main plug 'CASSIDY WILDE' is in upper case and in larger size copy than the other plugs as well as being the same colour as the masthead. These features show the importance of the plug and make it the main selling point of the magazine. Below it is carried on with a quote from her " I'm more than just your average rock star" this is not in upper case as I feel this would overpower the page and be too much. I still feel the plug does it's job though and entices the buyer to read inside and find out why.

There are smaller plugs positioned around the photo also trying to entice the target audience to buy the magazine and want to look inside. 'COLDPLAY MYLO XYLOTO' is in upper case to catch the reader's eye and then the rest of the plug is below in lower case as not to take too much attention away from the first line of the plug as it is just adding a little extra information onto it. The plug is more specifically aimed at fans of Coldplay as they would know that 'MYLO XYLOTO' is the name of their latest album. Whilst other readers may not know this but still perhaps be intrigued to read inside and find out what it does mean. There are similar style plugs down the right hand side of the page. There's a quote from Ed Sheeran and his name below in upper case, blue font to complement the colour scheme. This style of plug is quite common in magazines and also quite effective. I looked at a few magazine front covers and found that they looked quite busy with lots of plugs around the main photo, this is the format I have tried to follow with my magazine. The plug 'THE SCRIPT on their massive world tour' has the name of the band written in black bold upper case letters, to draw attention to it, whilst the additional information is in lower case. I feel that if you saw a band's name on the front of a magazine that you liked, you would pick it up to have a read either way to find out what it features. Therefore the text written in lower case is not as important but still needs to be there as not all readers will do this. There is also another plug 'KATY PERRY and the meaning behind her new single' fans of Katy Perry would know what her new single was and be interested to know where it came from. Again the most important part of the plug, the artist's name, Katy Perry is written in larger upper case letters in purple for the same reason why the other plugs are done in similar ways. By featuring plugs of certain artists and having them say things that only someone who liked the artist would understand is a clever way of attracting my target audience.

     Another very important plug on my front cover is the black circle shape which has inside it ' FREE DOWNLOAD' in white font. This font is different to the other fonts on the page which are all the same, other than the masthead and the web adress. This makes it stand out more, as well as it being in a black circle which makes it stand out massively on the page. This is because I wanted to emphasise the plug as I think a free download is a big selling point of the magazine so showing it in this way highlights its importance as well as making it more eyecatching and noticable. The word 'free' is even typed in a larger font than the 'download' this emphasises even more that it's free and to get the target audience to buy the magazine and read inside to find out how to get the download. The format of a plug in a circular shape has also been seen in magazines before and is an effective way of attracting attention to a specific plug.

      For the final plugs there is a rather large + sign in the bottom left hand corner, this is supposed to link to the bar on the bottom which features more plugs, as if to say 'plus all these bands too'. I decided to use the plus sign as I had seen it used on a few other magazines such a Q and I liked the effect it had. The bar along the bottom of the page is also another common method of showcasing plugs. Mine is black with white font to make it stand out, with the names of different bands and music artists that feature inside the magazine. These are in the same font as most of the other plugs on the page to ensure that although they are in a seperate bar, they are not seperated from the magazine and there is still a link. There is also a link with the colour scheme which still follows the same colours, with a dot in the same colour blue as used before on the cover seperating the different artists to show they are all individual artists and it is not one long word. This avoids any confusion and again I feel entices the target audience to look inside and find out what there is to read about the artists that they like.

     Finally I have placed a copyright free barcode in the bottom right hand corner as I feel it fits in well here and gets noticed without stealing focus from any other features on the front cover. Alongside the barcode I have put the magazine's issue number and price so that the target audience can tell how much it is. I priced my magazine at £2.60 as I feel this is an approriate prize for a magazine  like this and after asking a few of my target audience they agreed that it was worth that and they would happily pay that price. I have also put the web address for the magazine's website next to the barcode so that if the readers want any more information they can see that there is a website they can go on to get this. It is written in the same colour and font as the masthead to show the link between the two and distinguish the fact that it is in fact the website for this magazine.

13th November 2011

   I have now done a rough design of what my front page and contents page will look like. They are not precise and I may end up adjusting them slightly when I produce them on serif to improve them.

  I have decided on a colour scheme of purple, black and blue as these are not ultra girly colours but still can pass as feminine. It also gives it a bit of a different or 'alternative' look from normal pop magazines as it is not pink, and the colours do not nescesserily resemble pop which was what I wanted as it is not a just a pop music magazine. The main plug will be in the same colour as the masthead to show it's importantance and the rest in the other complementing colours.

   I then did a brainstorm and came up with a lexical field of music to help me think of ideas for the name for my magazine. I eventually came up with the name 'Alternative Girl' as alternative means something different, or a different option and I think this is what my magazine is. It's an alternative option for girls who don't want to read more masculine music based magazines or extremely girly gossip-y music magazines that don't actually feature much information on music. Therefore I feel the slogan 'A different take on music' is quite fitting. Alternative is also a genre of music which my magazine could possibly feature in my magazine, although I thought about it I do not want to make it specific to this genre. Once I have made up my front page and contents page I will do a full evaluation of them both.

9th November 2011

For the photos for my magazine I decided I wanted a full length shot of my artist on the front cover. So I asked one of my friends who I thought had the right look for my magazine to do a photoshoot for me. I asked her to wear particular clothes which would complement the colour scheme of the front page and took a few photos of her in different poses. I will use one image for the front page, one for the contents and a few different ones for my double page spread.

7th November 2011

      After making a mind map and researching music magazines I moved on to planning my own magazine. I decided that I wanted to do a magazine for young but educated and mature girls, who are actually interested in the music. As I feel there is no middle ground for females between the childish pop-gossip magazines such as 'We love pop'. And the supposedly 'unisex' (I feel they are more aimed at males, in the tone they are written and way they are presented) but more informative music magazines such as Rolling Stone and Q. My magazine will appeal to girls, and feature bands and music artists that perhaps do not always make the front of magazines, particularly girl's ones. It will consist of interviews, music and more music related articles, rather than being full of gossip about the artists and posters of topless boybands which I feel is stereotypical of female music magazines.

I knew what I wanted my magazine to look like so I started drawing a mock up design of the front cover. Choosing a colour scheme of purple, black, white and blue as I feel these are slightly rocky, indie type colours but can also pass as pop without being too cheesey and girly. I also knew I wanted a long shot of a girl on the front, wearing purple tights to complement the colour scheme. The advantage of having a full length shot is that the reader gets to see the whole of the artist's outfit and a certain specific image is given off from this. The tricky part was coming up with a name for my magazine, as I wanted it to be something that made it clear the magazine was aimed at girls, but also something that wasn't cheesey and cliche. I have still yet to come up with a name and hope that this will come as I start production of my magazine.

21st October 2011

After looking at Rolling Stone magazine, I have decided to continue my research further by analysing an issue of Q magazine to find the differences and similarites between the two. Of course by doing this it is helping me come up with ideas for my own magazine, which I have yet to come up with a name for as of yet.

The name of the magazine is Q and it is set as a masthead title which is quite bold so it is very clear that it is the name of the magazine. The name 'Q' has the connotation of a cue, which is a part of a record player, this is an instant link to music. The masthead is in iconic rock colours of red and white. Also there is a slogan underneath it which says 'A different take on music' this sums up the magazine and tells us what its about. 

   There is a barcode in the bottom right corner which also has the issue number and price on it. There are plugs along the bottom of the cover, telling us names of the artists and articles featured inside the magazine, these are to entice the reader to make them want to read and buy it. They are in simple colours of black and white with hints of blue and red which all complement the colour scheme of the cover and the sleek look of it. The other plugs are in the top corner in a block carefully arranged around the main image as to not overlap it and steal focus. They are again in simple but contrasting colours which works really well. One of the plugs is 'I AM A TIGER!' which goes with the images of the panthers which I think is hardly done by accident.

    The plugs are of the type of bands that the target audience would like. But there still seems to be a variety of music in the magazine as the main plug is of Lily Allen but there is also a plug for 'The 25 Greatest Rock Movies'. This suggests there is a wide audience for the magazine, but it would consist of more mature young people with an interest in music and it could also appeal to an older audience too. I think this issue in particular is aimed more at males than females because of the fact Lily is topless on the cover and described as a 'Sexy Beast'. I can not imagine her female fans describing her that way, although they may still buy the magazine. The image is very sophisticated and sleek using the black of the panthers and her pants, teamed with her jet black hair to add to the sophistication of it. Her name LILY ALLEN is in a big clear font across the page to show her importance and that she is the main feature. It is also in two different colours, with the white font contrasting against her black pants and the black against the plain grey background. There is alliteration and repitition in 'her wicked, wicked ways' this is to emphasise the fact that she is wicked, as she is so wicked it has to be said twice. These key words are in red and match the colour of the title. The panthers are symbolism of Lily being a 'Sexy Beast' and that she can't be tamed, alike the beasts which is very clever.

  

19th October 2011

I have now started my main task of producing the front page, contents page and a double page spread of a music magazine. For starters I am doing my research and analysing other music magazines, also looking at how they market themselves towards specific audiences.

        The magazine is named Rolling Stone and this makes it clear that the magazine is music related as you automatically link it to the well known band The Rolling Stones. The name also has a connotation that a rolling stone is always moving onto new things, which means the magazine is always changing its content but staying on the same theme of music. The name is presented as a masthead title across the top of the page, as when the magazines are often stacked you will only see the top, so it is important that the title is at the top. It also has things in front of the title so that you can not see the whole word, but the magazine is so well known that you could tell what it is even if parts of the name were covered. The font is of an orange colour and is quite rocky which is also quite masculine. The magazine has the issue number and price in the top right corner, with also a website to encourage people to look on the Rolling Stone website. Then the barcode is in the bottom corner below. The background is white with flames in the background too, this is to perhaps give off a rock image or to symbolise that the band or the magazine is hot or of hot topic.

       There are plugs down the right hand side of the magazine, all in white and in the same font. These are the names of artists that are featured in the magazine and they are all of a particular genre that will appeal to the reader and entice them to buy and read the magazine. The main plug 'PINK FLOYD' is on the left of the page in a bigger size font, and in the same colour as the magazine title. This is to show that it is of the same importance as the magazine title. Also the fact that it is on the left whilst the other plugs are on the right show that it is more important than them, as we tend to read from left to right so it willl get read first. It also says below 'How Madness & Excess Destroyed the Legendary Band' this interests the reader and is a strong statement using the word 'legendary' to say that the band has a big reputation.

     The theory of audience for this issue of Rolling Stone would be the uses and gratifications theory. As I feel the target audience of this issue of the magazine would be older educated adults who are interested in the actual music and are not interested or brainwashed by gossip articles. Particulary the audience would be children of the 70s who would be Pink Floyd fans and therefore be interested in this issue. They would understand the random blow up pig being a reference to Pink Floyd and the animals tour, as on tour they had a giant blow up pig, also it is on the album cover floating above battersy power station. I personally would not know this but my dad is a big fan and has previously told me about it. Which shows maybe this issue is aimed more towards his generation. The picture of them is in the middle of the page and the plugs are lay out around it, not covering their faces. The picture is also edited in sepia to make it look old and of a previous era. It also fades at the bottom so the text can be seen clearly. The image is not glamorous and the band aren't portrayed glamorously at all, this is because you wouldn't expect this of Pink Floyd and the target reader wouldn't expect it because they are the type of person that isn't interested in the fame and glam side of music, they are just interested in the music itself.

     There is also a plug in the form of a skyline at the top of the cover, this is also another eye catching way of enticing the reader. The only other plug, is in a small square and refers to the conspiracy theory of JFK which suggests the magazine has other articles in other than just music. It also suggests that the magazine is aimed at the more educated reader who would be interested in this type of article, and also aimed towards males as they would be more interested in a conspiracy theory in particular.

30th September 2011

On the 30th I finished the front cover of my school magazine A STAR. I have put my photos in and am pleased with the overall look of my magzine. I think my magazine meets the brief and has the codes and conventions of a magazine.
   There is a strapline title and it has a medium close up photo as the main shot and all the text layed over the top like most magazines. There are teasers/plugs down the left hand side as this is where they tend to be. 'Revise, Pass and have a Social life' and 'Top 10 teachers chosen by you!' these are articles that I feel the target audience would like to read and that are the type of things that you would generally find in a school magazine. They help draw the reader in and tell them what's inside which makes them want to buy it and read it. It has a sky line with a slogan which sums up the magazine and puts it out there as 'The must have magazine for school' which also should entice the reader to buy the magazine. There is also a bar with photos and names of other articles featured in the magazine which is a common way of presenting them, as I found in my research.

This is the finished mock up of my contents page. It has a simple but easy to understand layout, which would include different sized images of what's featured, as well as the page names. It follows the same colour scheme as the front page so there is a clear link between the two. I am pleased with the overall result.

23rd September 2011

Today I took photos of my friends for the front cover of my magazine. For the main picture I wanted the girl to be wearing glasses to give the appearence that she was smart, to go with the academic image of school. I took two photos and made sure the shot was a medium close up as the brief specified. These are the photos that I've taken.

     These photos below are specifically the ones I've chosen to use on the front of my magazine. I found the photo of the girls jumping with their results wasn't quite working as it was hard to get a shot of them both in the air so, I have gone with another shot of them just holding their results in the air proudly and looking happy, to give the image that the school had good results.