Brief

The brief I received for this task was to create a front cover, double page spread,
and contents page for a music magazine which will be based in the UK.

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

Evaluation

The following is my evaluation for my media magazine project.


New Images


















Production Log- Entry 13

After recieving my audience feedback, and making the various changes in my productions, I double checked to ensure everything was as it should be, and that my magazine showed the right degree of finish. I had to take more photos, as there seemed to be too much of my one model, which is what I did today. I also edited them applying the correct photoshop changes to make them appear better, and more suited for my magazine. I had some issues with the feathering tool, I was finding it difficult to apply the change onto the photograph, however after various attempts I managed to get the image feathered (edges faded/ blurred) the way I wanted them to be.

Photo's and Photo Choices

I have taken a variety of photos, however I do not believe all them are suitable for my magazine, or that some of them do not look professional enough to be in an established magazine.


The following are the pictures I WILL be using:


This image with a bit off editing and cropping, I believed it would make a good choice, as it follows the common connotations of (female especially) pop singers. I will use this on my front cover.

This image also appears to be a good image I can use. Again after some editing and cropping, I believe it will make a good choice.


I felt like this image went really well with my magazine, I will be cropping it, editing it and improving its vivacity and brightness, and hopefully to make it appear more attractive for my magazine.

The following are the photos I will NOT  be using.

                                  


The top images I have decided to scrap as I believe they are of a quality that is too low. The location also seems to be an issue, as it appears to be TOO bright to pleasantly look at. I will retake more shots as I have found that these are all of medium or close up shots and I would like to find a variety of image choices rather than restricting myself to simply these.

This photo was too bright, the model herself seems to be squinting due to the brightness of the sun. I discarded this image as I did not find it of good enough quality to be in my magazine.

Likewise, this image is similar to the one above, also her hair is positioned over her face blocking the view of it and making it seem less professional.

The angle of the image does not seem to make the image appear better, I feel like it makes the model look uncomfortable and slightly strange. This image was scrapped and I will not be using it.

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 12

Having received plenty of audience feed back I found that in order to gain maximum marks, and produce a high quality music magazine, I had to make some changes, some subtle, and some drastic.
For one, my music magazine had too much text, on the front page, in the contents page, and the double page spread. I began filtering through everything I believed wasn't needed, and even then I found that I was still left with too much.
Further work on this ensured my magazine did not seem to busy and was overall a lot more successful.
Adding to that, in my contents page, I had too much pictures of my one female model and main artist. I removed three of the smaller unnecessary ones, enlarging the main image and focal point, and inserted an alternative model (male) in the bottom corner to add some variety to it all. Again I also reduced the amount of text in my magazine making it appear generally better, and not as crowded.
Finally, I decided to change my main image on my front page, I went with another similar image from the same photo shoot, however, I found that the new image had better lighting, and looked more 'proffessional' giving the magazine a high degree of finish.

Production Log- Entry 11

Today I aimed to add some additional features and edit my front cover, double page spread and contents page. However I faced some technical problems, when going to open my front cover, the file that came up on Photoshop was just a blank black document, my work was all lost. Instead I worked on reconstructing my front cover again.

Monday, 25 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 10

Today I took some more photos of varying shots. They will soon be uploaded on to my blog as I am currently working on editing them and making them suitable for my magazine.
I have also continued work on my contents page as my focus for the grand majority of this project was based on the front cover and double page spread, and I am adapting my contents page to fit consistently with my overall theme (colour scheme, fonts etc).


Fonts I am using

Letter Gothic Std- The Best For The Best
                          - Artist Name header and footers.
Century Gothic- An Interview with the Rising Star
Birth Of A Hero- Apryl Milano
                           Heart Attack.....


Saturday, 23 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 9

These are the main stories and artists I am intending to use in my magazine. This is merely a mindmap where I have mapped out what I may use depending on its suitability and how well I think it goes with my magazine.

Mindmap

Artist Names:
Apryl Milano
Violette
Rachel Greene
Hope Thorne
Jamie
Hayleigh Dobriev
Aimee Anderson
Mia Shires
Kyle Thompson
Hannah Marie
The Cross Roads
Melinda Thomas
Josh Lavigne

Story Ideas:
-Just how awkward is it working with an ex?
-Hayleigh Dobriev debut album reaches #1 on pop charts
-Melinda Thompson takes a break from fame at residential rehab facility
-The Cross Roads, and the women behind the biggest boy band success
-Kyle Thompson caught with mystery girl... cheating?
-The PMA's who won what
-Top 10 Music Charts
- Hottest gigs of the season
-This months top 50 music must have's!

Friday, 22 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 8

I have completed my front cover and double page spread, leaving gaps for the images that i wil be adding later on once I take new ones.
I have done a considerable amount of work on my contents page, Which I found to be alot less challenging than the front cover and double page spread. Although it took alot of time and attention to detail as there were plenty of text boxes and boxes which have been edited to be more opaque, I found the task quite straight forward.
My only real issue with the contents page is that I need to take various new images which I will be doing in the next few days due to issues with the model.

Thursday, 21 March 2013

List of equipment I will be using:

1) Camera
2) Memory Card
3) Memory Card Reader/ USB cable
4) Green Screen
5) Plain White Untextured Wall
6) A model
7) Laptop/ School Computer
8) Photoshop

Production Log- Entry 7

After facing a dilemma with font choices previously, I have thankfully managed to find and identify the fonts that I believe work best with my magazine. Today I am trying to find the perfect image for my front cover. I am stuck between the issue of having a cropped out image of a female model with purple and maroon gradient background, or simply having the original image of the model without cropping around her as the backgroung seems to work quite well. After completing additional research into the issue, in order to find weather or not mainstream well established magazines which I aim for mine to be like have plain coloured backgrounds or images. I concluded from my research that both were acceptable, and after experimenting with both types I came to the conclusion that I should use the full image is a background as it gave a more proffesional theme to the magazine and cropping neatly around my models hair proved to be a difficult issue.
My issue now is I need to take more pictures as I am really not happy with the narrow variety I have from before. Due to issues using the green screen I feel as if all my images are really similar to each other and repetitive, so I hope and intend to use new ones  that will provide an even more proffesional look in my magazine and double page spread.

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 6

I have continued my work on the front cover and double page spread. All though a grand majority of the work I needed to complete is done, I still feel there are some minor things I need to edit to ensure my magazine is up to the highest standards. I am currently working on the typography, choosing which fonts are appropriate in which areas. I don't want to over do the different styles and fonts as I fear that may create a sense of inconsistency however if I do not vary my fonts and colours I will also risk not having enough creativity in my work , and also creating a rather unrealistic looking magazine. I am working hard trying to find the balance between the two extremes, and with some more time I believe I will get there.

Monday, 18 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 5

Today I am continuing my work on my front cover and double page spread. By the end of today I hope to have completed the majority of the work so that all I will need to do is to just insert my chosen images in the required places.

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Strap Line- Mindmapping and Ideas

This is the mindmap of all the values that I will be trying to communicate through my title and strapline, I then used these ideas to brainstorm the different straplines I might use, and finally deciding on using the strapline:
The Best for The Best
Below is a powerpoint of my values mindmap.

Tuesday, 12 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 4

Today I took the pictures which I will be using on my magazine. After organising it with the female model, we arranged to use the green screen, however due to another class bieng present in the room we were unable to do so. As an alternative, we went outside and took the photos there instead, I have not decided yet wether I will be using these on the cover or not however I have kept some for use inside the magazine rather than as the main cover photos.
I also narrowed down the images I was considering using, putting aside the shots I didn't think would be suitable for the magazine.

Friday, 8 March 2013

Photography Strategy


Above is my photography strategy. This is what I intend to do regarding my photographs and the models involved.

Thursday, 7 March 2013

Student Peer Evaluation Research



Today I carried out research from a focus group regarding my chosen design for the title/ masthead. Above is the research I have gathered and feedback from the focus group. I will now be applying the feedback in order to ensure my title is at the best it can be.

Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 3

Today I finished working on my masthead. I found it a bit challenging at first as I was somewhat indecisive as to what colour schemes and fonts I wanted to use. However, after hours of experimenting, I found the right combination which I think is suitable for my magazine.

Tomorrow, I intend to plan my photography schedule, and pick out which models I would like to use. I also need to identify all the locations my shoots will be held at.

Title/Masthead


Niche front cover from MaryamNaguib
This is the design I have chosen for my front cover. As my work progresses, I will probably make a few changes however for the time bieng out of all the other designs for the title, I believe this is the  most ideal for my target audience and genre.
The font used here is: Abode (niche) and Letter Gothic Std (the magazine for the elites) 

Title Masthead Brainstorming



Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 2

Today, I managed to successfully update and upload a grand majority of my Research and Planning Work.
During lesson time, I organised my work, tweeking and editing it slightly to ensure no mistakes. I will be going over and ensuring everything is in place before the deadline again , however I gave all my work a once over before uploading it on to my blog.

At home, I have been working on my final drafts for my design of the front cover, contents page, and double page spread of my magazine.
Unlike the sketches I have already uploaded onto my blog, these sketches are much more detailed and will also include colour. The front page, for example, will now include detailed stories and artists names, and will represent the colour scheme which I intend to use.

I plan to have this all completed and uploaded within the next two days.

My Audience Profile


This is a screen shot of my audience profile. It summarises my genre, and the group of girls which I want to target.
The various images represent items that would interest my readers, and the text is a more in depth analysis of who I will be targeting and what they enjoy etc.

Monday, 4 March 2013

Production Log- Entry 1

This is my first official production log entry, however my previous research and planning work also acts as an ongoing log as it ensures that all my work is all here for you- the examiner- to see.

Today I planned to update my blog with any missing work and ensure everything was up to date, however there was a problem with the schools network so instead, as a way to make use of any given time, I worked on finalising my drafts for my front cover and double page spread as these are the two I will be working on for the duration of this week in school.

I also planned what my main images were going to be, and began thinking on what models I will be using and their positioning in my music magazine. I have narrowed down my list of potential models slightly however I still need to look into if they will agree on being used as models for this task or not, and when they will be available to help me so that I can begin to schedule the photo shoots and so that I know when to book the camera.

Tomorrow I intend to finalise work on my masthead, choosing between the two different designs and typography that I have managed to narrow down and finalise according to suitability and my original sketches for the magazine. Unfortunately due to the schools network being down, I do not currently have access to the designs, but during my free period tomorrow I intend to upload them too on to this blog.

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Double Page Spread Interview Rough Draft.

Double page spread- Music Magazine Rough Draft

Apryl- Rising above the stars! EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The new rising teen pop sensation Apryl Milano is the latest big thing! But no other magazine has managed to scoop up an exclusive interview with this rising star, which is of course until we came a long! Read on for the exclusives regarding; the new album, being in the spotlight and the big celebrity do’s and don’ts!

Us: So then Apryl! It must take some getting used to; becoming an overnight pop sensation like you must be tough. Has everything changed in your life following the record deal? And just by how much?

A: Yes! It is taking quite a lot of getting used to! It’s crazy; my life has just completely changed. I don’t even know how to express the overwhelming feeling I get every day, and I am so so thankful for it all. I’ve never imagined that I would be able to one day sit here and talk about my success story, or my latest album release dates, or the awards I’ve managed to collect. I mean, I've always aspired to be a pop star. Ever since I was a little girl, you’d just see me there with my fake little high school musical microphone belting out all the random pop songs that I’d heard. And then I started writing my own music and belting that out instead. I’m sure my mum still has the various embarrassing videos of the little ‘concerts’ I’d hold at home for every one!

Us: Well I’m sure you were just as talented then as you are now! We’ve heard there’s going to be a new album coming soon? Tell us what it’s about; we’ve all been really hyped up since it was announced!

A: Yes, I have been recently working on an album- ‘Heart Attack’-, especially after the success of my single before; we thought we’d expand our horizons and release a whole album. It’s taken a lot of work, but I know that everyone will love it! What I really like about this album is that I was given the total freedom to choose the songs that were going to appear on the album, which is fantastic, because what usually happens is my manager; Rob, goes through and picks out his favourites and those are what get released but this time he’s given me the choice of whatever I like the most! It’s really great!

Us: Some of your fans seem to think that this album is mainly going to be focused on the break up between you and Adam. Is this true, or are these simply rumours?

A: My fans know me too well! I don’t really like to talk about things so… personal … to me and my private life, you know? But I have seen these rumours spreading and I suppose this would be a good time to clear the air and just come out with it! This album is going to be featuring a lot of ‘heartbroken’ songs. I was going through a bit of a rough time when I was writing all these songs, one thing happened after another and then when Adam and I split, I suppose I turned to music the way I always do for comfort. I can tell you though, Adam and I didn’t split because he was doing drugs, nor am I out for any kind of revenge against him! Those are simply rumours that need to be dismissed, completely false.

Us: Well, we do have to say it is such a shame that you and Adam are over; you two were such a cute couple! But you know what they say- there are other fish in the sea. Talk to us about work though, is it awkward? Is it strange? I mean your both represented by the same record label aren’t you? How do you get over working with your ex?

A: It is pretty tough at times, there are a lot of déjà vu moments but, work is work and we just have to suck it up and get on with it, you know what I mean? I suppose we do always have that huge air of awkwardness around but we tend to just push it aside and work on getting the music recorded first. We actually worked on a duet together recently, there’s not much I can say other than that without my manager killing me, but, when the record is released in April, you can listen to it for yourself. It was a pretty intense song to record, and it dug really deep into our personal lives, so do check it out!

Us: Ahh, you really shouldn’t do that you know, you’ve got us all on our toes now. But, I mean, it’s going to be released in April! That’s just two months away! The release date is said to be special, yet another thing we need you to clear the air for us about, what’s so special about the 5th?

A: April the 5th is the day my best friend and older sister managed to kick cancers back side! Amy is probably the most important person in my life, and always has been. She gave us quite the scare when she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia- which is cancer of the blood- and she’s living proof that even when everybody else is determined to put you down and say you can’t make it, you can prove them wrong. We were told that she was going to die within the first month of diagnosis but she surprised us, and well, here she is today! That’s why April the 5th is a very important date for me, she’s the one who is single headedly responsible for my success. It was through her that I found my strength and determination. Hundreds of people have laughed and mocked me saying I’d never be able to make it anywhere, but she would always be there for me and remind me that if I really wanted to, I could achieve anything.

Us: Wow, we’re glad she’s a lot better now! Let’s talk about touring though? Will there be a ‘Heart Attack’ tour any time soon?

A: Yes! Hopefully after I finish work on the clothing line, we’re going to be touring America, visiting various parts of the country and just having a fun time in general! The tour is going to start on the 15th June and any details can be found on the official website. I’m so pumped up for this tour it’s unbelievable, I’ve never been so excited for something before in my life. There will be a competition held, and two lucky fans will be able to come tour with me, details are not definite though but just stay tuned and I’m sure you’ll find out!

Us: Wow, sounds amazing and you’re getting us pumped up for it all with you! It’s been a pleasure talking with Apryl Milano, thank you for the exclusive interview, and we hope to see many more success stories! All the best with your album, clothing line and tour, we might even hopefully see you again!

Be sure to visit the official Apryl Milano website: www.risingaprylstar.com for all the tour details and latest news!

Friday, 8 February 2013

Double Page Spread Textual Analysis


This is some of the research I have carried out regarding the textual analysis of double paged spreads in Pop magazines.

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Sunday, 3 February 2013

Contents Page Research



This is the research I have completed regarding the contents pages of various other magazines that relate to my target audience or genre.

Monday, 28 January 2013

Teachers Comments No.1 – 28th January 2013

Well done Maryam, good to see a healthy amount of work posted already! 

Targets:

  1. Flick through your PPT for your Preliminary Tasks, are you missing some sketches?
  2. Do you have your audience research completed?  If not complete your audience research and post.

Keep it up!

Friday, 25 January 2013

Music Magazine Textual Analysis


In preparation for my controlled assessment, I researched different magazine covers and analysed them in order to find out what the common connotations are and what would be expected to appear on my own front cover. The slideshow below shows this research. I will continue to carry out similar research, this time with the contents pages and a double page spread to fully understand what will be expected of me regarding my controlled assessment.



Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Production Schedule




This is my production Schedule which I intend to stick to. Here I have planned all the work I will be completing, there are some things I have missed out, these we will be working on mainly in school however this schedule is mainly for during my study periods or free time, and does not necessarily relate to my school media work.