Final Magazine (Second Version)

Improved Magazine

I have made some changes to the magazine in an attempt to make it look even better. The front page and the contents page are going to remain untouched but the double-page spread is going to be chanegd a bit. The L shaped pattern that I was going to place my image in did'nt look as good as inticipated so I have decided to change it and try to imrpove it. Instead of having three boring images and then one fun image, I am going to have two images of my chosen pop artists in different posses.
Here is the final design of my magazine...



Front Cover



Contents Page

Improved Double-Page Spread

Improving my Double-Page Spread

I have improved my Double-Page Spread because the idea of using four boring image and then the one cool image did'nt turn out as planned. To make my magazine look better I have changed the images to teo cool pictures both of me trying to look like a real pop artist. Thes images suite the criteria a lot better and appeal a lot more to my target audience as they are more exciting to look at. The fact that two images have very different posses makes them look more effective than just having
three images that basically look the same. The feedback that I received before I had changed the Double-Page Spread was all about how boring they thought it looked and that I should get some better images, so following this feedback I have changed the images. The Feedback I received now was all positive, they said things like how it looked a lot better than before and how effect it was in appealing to my target audience of young teans.

Overall

This is the very final design for my magazine and thanks to the improvements and feedback given it looks a lot better than before and will be worth higher marks. My magazine has a lot of detailing information in it as well as the required four otiginal images. The colour scheme is like no other, as very little magazine brands use these types of colours. The house style adds extra effect and makes it easy to read all the text, people can see easily where everything is places on the page.

Feedback
After I have received some more feedback it is likely that I am going to be making some changes to my magazine to see if I can imrpove on it even more and get some more marks. This is the final magazine for the moment but it is very likely that this could change after some feedback is given and I have made the changes.

 

Final Magazine Images- Images I cannot use

Magazine Images

As part of the criteria, I must take four original images and place them suitably around my magazine. The set of pictures below do not meet the criteria required so I cannot use them
Here are the pcitures I have taken but cannot be used...

Front Cover Image



Contents Page Image



Double-Page Spread Image



Second Double-Page Spread Image

Even though they are original images as required they are basically all the same apart from a minor changes in positions, to get higher marks I would have to get different images of either other people or me doing different posses and wearing different clothes. The date on the pictures was eddited out befor it went on my magazine as it is automatically placed on their, the date on the pictures is also wrong which could confuse people and make my magazine look unproffesional if left on there. The location where each of the images was going top go was a bad choice as well making it look unproffesional and quite boring to look at, I have overcame this issue in the new and improved magazine by not only taking different and more exciting pictures but also putting them in different locations that suit my house style.

The pictures that I said could'nt be used are in fact going to be used to improve the look of my magazine. Three of the images above are going to be used as part of a callauge type of effect on the left side of my Double-Page Spread. The three images will look good in a backwards "L" shape, I am going to put a cool and exciting image in the top left of the page.m The more effective image is going to stick out better and is going to be noticeably bigger than the other images. As the three smaller less exciting images are all looking pretty much the same then my target audience of young teens are going top see the main image first and then can look at three other images of me.
Here is a diagram to show you were the images on my Double-Page spread are going to be placed...

Images I have used

Here is an example of a good image I have used in my magazine...

 

 

 

 

The reason why this image is so good at reaching the criteria is because he looks like a real celebrity instead of someone looking as if they are going to a party like in my images, he is also wearing very stylish and what looks to be expensive clothing which makes him look even more like a pop artist or a celebrity. The hat and glasses add an extra effect, of making him look very hip and handsome which is what most people like to see in a pop magazine. This person is portraying a cool image that other younger people will want to copy and would want to be seen with. The picture used is an original and I have not retreived it off the internet. This example ticks all the boxes required for a very effective original image. 

Final Magazine (First Version)

Final Magazine

My first design drawn on paper and then made on the computer was not very good and did'nt meet much of the criteria, meaning that there were a lot of changes to be made. There are no original images put onto it not to mention the colurs used make it look too plain and simple instead of looking like a real magazine which is what I am aiming at. The colour of the text was black which made it look rather boring putting off people from reading it if it was a real magazine. Because it looked so boring and plain it would not of appealed to my target audience of young teans, they would like brighter colours and easier to read text as well as looking better in general. The location where I had chosen to place things were a bit of as well so for the new magazine I looked at my inspiration which was the Billboard magazine, gathering ideas from this magazine which helped me a lot whilst I was improving it.

After looking at the results I got from my questionaire I understood a lot better of what people would like there to be in a magazine. I have there for improved my magazine to make it a lot better plus I have put the original images in as well which helps it to reach the criteria.

Here is my final magazine below...

Front Cover

Contents Page

Double-Page Spread

Front Cover
I have got rid of the old title and put a brighter and more effective one to the front cover. The old title was'nt good enough and did'nt stand out very well or portray what I wanted to get accross to people. The new title is more hip and in a better font making it more appealing to younger people that come accross it, it is the first thing they see and if it looks interesting then they will be engaged by it. The old colour scheme was black and white but now it's black and red which gives a better overall effect, and stands out from the page. I have used the Billboard magazine for ideas of where would be the best place to put my images, tect and headings which would make it look like a real magazine. The main image used on the front cover is a lot better than my original magazine which did'nt even have an image, it is a lot more exciting and looks very good where it is currently possitioned. The billboard has given me a better house style compared to my original house style for the old version of my magazine, it involves a main image with bits of information, texts and heading going along the sides not fully covering the image which is what I have tried to do with my magazine.

For extra effect, I have added a bar code at the bottom right of the page which gives the overall effect of a real proffessional magazine. I have kept the text white therefor making it very easy to read and sticks out a lot better on the red background or in this case in front of the image, using white text is one of the best colours for the job as it can be quite easily read on different coloured backgrounds.

Contents Page
The main colours used are going to be black, white and red which is of course part of the chosen colour scheme, these colours work very well with each other and fit together very nicely. The main heading is going to go accross the page just like the Billboard and is going to be in white over a thick red strip making it stand out a lot, the page is clear and percise with the different stories on the contents page being easily read and numbered accordinly. The main background is going to be black with the red sections on top followed by the white texts, I have placed an original image near the top left of the magazine because of the required 4 original pcitures needed. The image is a picture of somebody looking very smart and stylish looking straight forward at the camera, because he is doing this it creates an effect and makes people like it better as they feel like he is connecting with the reader.

The top stories including the one I have wrote about is displayed in a section near the top of the page in a red section  so they stick out very well. The text will remain white on top of the red background as part of my chosen house style and so it matches with the colour scheme. The size of the text is 18 which makes it big enough and clear enough  to allows a good clear view of the information and is easy to read, yet it is also small enough for a lot of information to be put down making my magazine very well detailed and easy to read at the same time.

Double-Page Spread 

On the right side of the page is where all my written information is going to be like my article about my chosen pop star and the question and answer colum. The text is going to be white with a red back ground as part of the house style and colour scheme and will fit in nicely with the rest of the page. On the left side of the page is going to be were I placed the pattern of images to add effect and get viewer more interested. The heading is going to be in a bigger sized font like the rest of the heading which is 60, this allows the heading to be viewed very easily and easily understood. The main background behind the text and  the images is going to remain black and will also have the red background on top of that. The idea to use the three images that don't quite fit the criteria as well  as the primary cooler and better image was really there for effect and to give my magazine that little something to make it look more effective towards my target audience.

Using black as a colour scheme is not a colour that is used often in a music magazine, as the colours normally used are pinks and light blues. I decided to go for black, red and white as my colour scheme because they all go together very well and look there best when these three colours are used at the same time. I also wanted to make my magazine an original and use colours that other magazine may not use. Even though the results from the survey said bright colors, the colour I have chosen do the job just fine and look just as good as any other colour.

Overall

In the end my new and improved magazine looks great and meets the criteria a lot better than the old one. The images used are a lot better and are no longer seen as plain or boring, I have also used different posses and more accessories to make the picture look even better. The text is white instead of black due to the fact that the black writing could be hard to read at times, but the white text over the red background makes it a lot more readable. The locations to different componets like the images and the text is in a much better place compared to the original magazine making it look really good. The improved magazine is not only better at meeting the criteria but is better at my target audience as they would like this magazine a lot better than the original.

Production Schedule

Dates of images upload

Date: 20/11/2013
Where the images were took: Around the school against a wall
Any problems: The images were not exciting enough and so were not suitable for my magazine
Props that I used: I tried to dress up in cool clothes and look like a pop star but it was'nt up to standard
Who took the photos: I took the photos myself
 Picture description: I positioned the camera so it was pointing at me and I stood in front of  wall making it easy to be eddited out. I tried to look like a pop star for a magazine. I am wearing a blue shirt and combat trousers lookingn straight at the camera.

Date: 01/12/2013
Where the images were took: At my house in front of wall
Any problems: I had no problems with these images at all
Props that I have used: I have tried to look more like a pop star by adding some more props. I am wearing a hat, some sunglasses, more fashionable clothing.
Who took the photos: I positioned my camera to face me where I have taken some photos
Picture discription: I am trying out different poses to try and look more like a pop star, I am stood against a wall with all of my props taking a lot of pictures so I have a range to choose from. I am wearing all my props so it can be used in my magazine.

Creating a layout of my magazine in Photoshop using boxes and other shapes

Draft copy of what my magazine could look like and the location of all the components
At present

I have created a basic layout for the four pages in my magazine using only shapes to show where I am planning to place imgaes and different texts. This is only a draft that I may try to improve the design to make the criteria more and make it more effective.
Here is the pages that I have created for my magazine...

 

After looking at my original diagram I am going to change my idea accordinly to my chosen inspiration which is the Billboard magazine. Here is a list of things I have decided to change...

- I am going to get rid of the bar code
- I am going to remove the slanted harding and put it horizontally like the Billboard for all te pages
- I am also going to have the main title to the story going accross the main image
- I am going to get rid or maybe change the selling point

The rest of the magazine like the conetents page and the double page spread are going to be left unchanged
Here is the "Billboard" magazine front cover below...

After I have looked at some of the magazines I have gathered for ideas I have chosen one in particular which I think is very good and suites the criteria. The magazine I have to help create my magazine is the Billboard which is a famous and well known magazine and normally has very good and interesting articles and information inside. I am going to relate back to this magazine for ideas as I belive it will be very useful, this could also help me make a great magazine.  I have then decided to make a better diagram of my magazine following the layout of the Billboard as this is my chosen inspiration. I will also be looking at my mood board for inspiration about the choice of images and what angle should they be taken at.

The reson why I have chosen this particular magazine is because it is a perfect example of what a pop magazine should look like, but also it is nice and relatively simple to get ideas from. It is not bambared with information and images like other magazines which is anothe reason why it woulkd be very suitable to use, and the colour scheme is very good with a good choice of colours that are suitable for this type of magazine. The image on the front is a picture of Miley Cyrus followed by an interesting header which gives me ideas for my own header, I can keep relating back to this magazine for ideas and where I should place all the components to my magazine.

While using the "Billboard" as inspiration I have made the changes to my magazine which has made it look a lot better and more effective towards my target audience. The colours may not be normally found in a pop magazine as my research tells me but the colours chosen still look very effective so I have made an exception.

Questionaire- (Asking my target audience what they would like to see in a pop magazine)

I have created a Question as one of the task's to ask people what they would like to see in a Magazine.
Below are the responses from some of the people that have completed my questionaire and have sent teh results back to me.

This is the first question to my questionaire and is followed up by a total of 3 respeonses so I get a bit of an idea on what people would like to see in a Pop Music Magazine. They have answered every question so their is an answer for every question that was on the questionaire making the results more accurate and I get their opinion on every question that was asked.




Q1. Somebody that completed my questionaire has told me that I needed to put some images of pop stars on my magazines as that is what they would like to see when reading a pop magazine. This answer is what I was expecting to see in my results, I knew that people reading a pop music magazine would like to see images of the people they are reading about and this answer has confirmed it. So taking this information on board I have decided to place imags of my chosen pop artisrt when I create my magazine. Another answer was an in deph article about my chosen pop artist, taking this answer on board I am going to write at least one in deph article about the life of my chosen pop artists as that is what people would like in a magazine.



Q2. I have to agree 100% with the answers given for this question as I feel as well that they would not be good for a magazine either. People would loose interest in a magazine that is full of people that they don't know or care about, so to avoid this I am going to put images of my chosen pop artist which is going to be myself. I am going to make it out like I am very famous in the music industry and that a lot of people like me an listen to my music, therefor listening to the answers given and putting somebody famous in my magazine that people like. Another answer says that I should have information and images relating only to genre which is pop music and information about my chosen pop artist. I am going to listen to this answer and keep that in mind while making my magazine.

 

Q3. As for the answers to this question I have actually decided not to listen to them, I do see where they are comming from as you are supposed to use bright colours in a music magazine as to keep people engaged and interested in the magazine. I am planning to use colours that normally you would'nt see in a pop magazine as I am trying to make my magazine look different to other magazines and have a positive effect on people that read it. The colours I am planning on using are black and red along with white, these colours look their best when they are used together and make things stand out better.




 

Q4. I agree for the answers for this question as well. I was planning on using images of pop artists in the magzine and the answers to this question has just told me that I was right doing so. I am just going to get some images of the main artist doing diferent posses and not doing their favourate activity as I feel that I would drift away from the genre and would not suite my house style I am creating. So while analysing the results I am going to include the pictures that they want in the magazine. Somebody has put that they would like a competition of some sort to be included as well, I am going to put a a competition or two on the contents pages and show what pages tey can be on to try and make it look more realistic like a real magazine.



Q5. The people that have taken part in the questionaire have said that the magazine should not just be aimed at boys or girls but both. I have came to te decision to make my magazine for both girls and boys and I am going to try and make my magazine appeal to both of them. My chosen pop artist is going to be a boy which makes it appeal to girls as this is what they would like to see in a magazine, the pop artist is going to be in nice and stylish clothing which is what they boys would like to see. The colours I am going to use should appeal to both girls and boys instead of just pink for girls and blue for boys. The articles are going to be on a subject that girls and boys will like instead of an article aimed at a specific geneder, the article will be about the life of a pop artist which is going to appeal to both genders.

Original Magazine (Planning)- Initial Ideas for my Front Cover, Contents Page and Double-Page Spread

Front Cover and Contents Page draft

For my Initial Ideas I have created a draft copy of my Front Cover, my Contents Page and my Double Page Spread. I have tried to make it as realistic as I can by adding things  pooplike selling points a bar code, this seems to work quite nicely as so far it's looking very good.

Below are the designs I came up with...



Here is my Front Cover and Contents Page draft

Front Cover

My Front cover is relatively simple or I have tried to make like that at least, as it involves the main image to by my chosen pop star surrounded by othe rcomponents I have put in to make it look like a real magazine. To try and make it look more realistic I have put a selling point at the top left that can either be to try and sell something or it can advertise something inside the magazine. Around the main image I am going to put some headings that can tell people what they can find inside the magazine plus made up headings that can fill up excess space.The main Heading is going to be placed at a slant at the top of the page, this is primarily for decoration and it looks a lot better then if I just put it landscape at the top.

Contents Page

The Contents Page is going to tell people what is going to be in my magazine as well as some made up things that are just their for effect and decoration. The Main Heading is at a slant just like the Front Cover as part of my house style. I have got all the writing and page numbers at the bottom in three colums depending on how space I am going to have. The Main story is going to be a Double Page Spread of my top story which is going to be about my chosen pop artist.

Double Page Spread Draft

Here is my Double page Spread draft



Double Page Spread (Main Story)

 

At the top of the left hand page is where I am going to place the main heading and underneath in three colums is where the writing and information is going to go. On this double page spread I am going to have...

 

- An intro into what the page is all about

- A question and answer colum

- My life which is a story about my pop artist (This will last for the remainder of the double page spread unless I extend the question and answer section)

 

I am also going to place some image about the page where they look best and fit in well with the rest of the page. So far I am going to place an image at the start for the introduction and then one at the start of My Life, I am not sure whether to add an image of two people or just one in the middle of the My Life colum.

 

 



Mood Board



Mood Board to give me good ideas for my magazine
This Mood Board has got a series of famous Pop artists that should help me get ideas


My mood baord can tell me things like what type of pictures I shoud be using, what are the best posses to do and the different styles of clothing the artist's are giving us.

School Magazine (The Oblivion)

Task 2- Front Page (For "The Oblivion")

Task 2- Contents Page (For "The Oblivion")






















Information
For Task 2 the school Magazine, we had to create our own magazine for the school while using
images that I took myself using my camera. The images used on the Front Cover are images that I have taken myself making them original, this was also part of the exam board criteria. We were not allowed to get any images from the internet with a couple of exceptions, I got the Armthorpe Accademy Logo of the internet which was allowed. The name I gave to my Magazine was "The Oblivion" simply because I thought it was a very good and effective name that would engage the readers and has no problem with copywright, as I have thought of the name myself which makes it original. I tried to keep the house style as simple as possible becauase if it was to complicated then it would'nt look as good, it could confuse most of the people that read it and even myself when I look back over what I have done.

Front Cover
 I have placed the main heading at the top in the middle of the page so it is the first thing that people will see when they read it, at either side I have put some selling points to in an attempt to make it look more like a real magazine. I have even came up with my own catchy slogan which is "Bringing You the News", this is an original slogan as I thought of it myself also I beleive it's a very good and effective slogan which people will like. I put the Slogan there mainly for effect as it made it look a lot more like a real Magazine At the very top I have included the Date, the name of the school and what issue, these were added as decoration just to fill up exxcess space and see how I can improve it. Colours remain the same for both of the pages as I am keeping to a colour scheme of mainly blacks and whatever coloys the images are. The text is black as it is the best colour for standing out especially on a white background making it easy to read. For effect I have added some selling points advertising school ties on for sale and new chicken tikka wraps are also on sale.

Contents Page
The style for the Contents page is very much the same as the front cover which is what I was trying to do, as part of the house style. I have only used one original image for the contents page as I have got 3 original imgaes on the Front Cover so I decided to use one. I also had to get images related to the story which would be hard if I was taking the pictures myself so to save time and make sure that the imgaes are very good quality I gathered the images of the internet which was a better solution. On this page I have a total of 4 headlines for 4 diferent stories. These were New School Dining Menu, Armthorpe Wages War with Bullies, New school Production Comming Soon and the last one which is the main story was New construction in operation. Under the main story I have added a brief description about what's going on is and a little about why this is happening. The 1 original image
sits on the top right of the page where I thought it looked best and would'nt get in the way with the house style, I have then placed the rest of the contents around the page where it looked the best.

Multi-task Powerpoint

Coursework powerpoint task 1,2,3 and 4 


The Pop and Rock magazine can be viewed below...
 (Task done on paper)


                                             Pop and Rock Magazine comparison

This is the comparisoon between a Rock magazine and a Pop magazine, I have also stated what they have in common.
All together there are about 8 differences and 4 similarities between the two magazines.