School Magazine Evaluation
Front Cover
Contents
What did I learn?
This preliminary task helped me to improve and practice all the skills I had learnt. It also opened my eyes up to how a magazine needs to be thoroughly planned. I had to take a medium - close up shot of a student in any background I wished. I learnt a couple of things from just this shot. Firstly as it isnt a full close up you can see more of what the student is wearing, so mise en scene came into play as I had to dress my model. Also with it being a medium - close up, the camera doesn't have to be right infront of their faces. For example, if I put the camera onto the manual setting, I could adjust the zoom lense and the focus lense till I got the shot I wanted without having to be physically close to the student. I used natural light for my photographs because this is a school magazine not a professional magazine, therefore a common convention of school magazine was to have natual light instead of articficle light.
I constructed my magazine using a program called photoshop. In this I was able to adjust and modify my photos and create my magazine pages. I was able to layer my magazine, which made it capable of changing a small detail without messing the rest of the page up. Eg moving a picture. I also used effect such as a Gaussian Blur, which created a shadow behind a word, making it stand out from the page. I used the effect alot as I thought it created a nice look to my writing. The tools I used included one called the 'magic wand'. This allowed me to be able to remove an unwanted background colour from my logo, so it left just the logo outline. I also used a tool called the 'healing tool' which allowed me to get rid of a few spots from my models face, as it takes the pixels from the area surrounding the blemish and copies and pastes them over the top of the spot.
- 3 Colour Scheme - orange,white,blue
- Large title
- Large Photograph
- What's Inside
- School Logo in Top Corner
- Issue
- Imformal Language
Contents
- Large Title
- Small Photos
- Page Numbers and their Contents
- 3 Colour Scheme - orange, white, blue
What did I learn?
This preliminary task helped me to improve and practice all the skills I had learnt. It also opened my eyes up to how a magazine needs to be thoroughly planned. I had to take a medium - close up shot of a student in any background I wished. I learnt a couple of things from just this shot. Firstly as it isnt a full close up you can see more of what the student is wearing, so mise en scene came into play as I had to dress my model. Also with it being a medium - close up, the camera doesn't have to be right infront of their faces. For example, if I put the camera onto the manual setting, I could adjust the zoom lense and the focus lense till I got the shot I wanted without having to be physically close to the student. I used natural light for my photographs because this is a school magazine not a professional magazine, therefore a common convention of school magazine was to have natual light instead of articficle light.
I constructed my magazine using a program called photoshop. In this I was able to adjust and modify my photos and create my magazine pages. I was able to layer my magazine, which made it capable of changing a small detail without messing the rest of the page up. Eg moving a picture. I also used effect such as a Gaussian Blur, which created a shadow behind a word, making it stand out from the page. I used the effect alot as I thought it created a nice look to my writing. The tools I used included one called the 'magic wand'. This allowed me to be able to remove an unwanted background colour from my logo, so it left just the logo outline. I also used a tool called the 'healing tool' which allowed me to get rid of a few spots from my models face, as it takes the pixels from the area surrounding the blemish and copies and pastes them over the top of the spot.
Diary Entry, Week 1
11th February
This week my task was to create my preliminary task; school magazine. As a far as practice goes it came in very useful to help me become more at home with using photoshop. I learnt when and where to use certain tools eg. opacity tool and how to create a shadow behind certain pieces of writing to make them stand out. This is called gaussian blur. I have only used photoshop a couple of times, so this was excellent practice for me. Having a deadline to meet was also a good taster. It showed me how much, and which pace I'd have to work at in future. The pressure that is put on us however is something I'll have to deal with, as I get stressed very easily.
At the beginning of the week, I started out by planning exactly how my magazine would look eg. a rough draft. Then I moved on to taking the photos I would need for my magazine. In this I learnt that you need to adjust the shutter speed in certain lights. Making my magazine, was pretty easily after that as I had my plan and a rough picture in my head. I found that this preliminary task was very helpful, and a good starter for me.
This week my task was to create my preliminary task; school magazine. As a far as practice goes it came in very useful to help me become more at home with using photoshop. I learnt when and where to use certain tools eg. opacity tool and how to create a shadow behind certain pieces of writing to make them stand out. This is called gaussian blur. I have only used photoshop a couple of times, so this was excellent practice for me. Having a deadline to meet was also a good taster. It showed me how much, and which pace I'd have to work at in future. The pressure that is put on us however is something I'll have to deal with, as I get stressed very easily.
At the beginning of the week, I started out by planning exactly how my magazine would look eg. a rough draft. Then I moved on to taking the photos I would need for my magazine. In this I learnt that you need to adjust the shutter speed in certain lights. Making my magazine, was pretty easily after that as I had my plan and a rough picture in my head. I found that this preliminary task was very helpful, and a good starter for me.
Magazine Analysis of 5 Front Covers
NME
Looking at this front cover for the first time I noticed that a lot was going on on the page. There is a lot happening which makes it quite interesting. The first thing I noticed was 'Paramore' written in a bold font, capitals and a bight colour to capture your attention.The pink colour doesnt tie in with the colour scheme of black, white and red. This makes it clash with the front cover, emphasising that this band is featuring in this issue. The Capitals symbolises how important this band are in this issue, showing us that this is the feature band this week. The title 'NME' is the next thing you notice. Being in the top left hand corner it is automatically the first thing you read. The red stands out from the page, however it doesn't stand out more than 'Paramore'. The editor may have done this to make sure that his reader know it is the magazine they are looking for but the feature band is what makes his readers pick up and buy the magazine. This feature of using a sans serif font runs throughout the whole of the front cover. It is quite a modern font indicating what the target audience for this magazine is. In my magazine I will try incorporate the large band name over the bottom 3rd, going across all 3 3rds vertically.
The image of the band allows you to see who is the frontman of the band.. in this case Hayley Williams. The structure of image is in order of importance. Also with Hayley being the only female in the band, having her in the front of the picture balances it out.
Q
I really like this Q magazine front cover, regarding what they have done the magazine logo. The way they have made it look like the lead singer of MUSE is smashing the magazine logo with his guitar, portrays just have much this band can get away with anything. The bold, white 'MUSE' stands out from the grey background making it clear this 'MUSE' is the feature band in this issue. The magazine logo 'Q'is written in white with a red background, although these two colours do go together in the context the class allowing the captial 'Q' to be seen from a distance. The feature articles that are inside this issue are written on either side of the magazine. This isnt something that every music magzine does, however as it is inkeeping with the rule of 3rds, it works. The banner at the top of the magazine fills in what would be an empty space. This is filled with some comment which make the magazine sound grand and popular. This is a selling point for the magazine. The barcode is on the other side of the page from the NME front cover. This adds abit of difference to this front cover.
The Mojo magazine is aimed at a slightly older audience. For instance the feature band for this issue is 'The Beatles' which are an older band. This magazine has used the image to hide the magazine logo, which is common in alot of magazines not just music magazines. It is very inkeeping with the sterotypical magazine. The title is in white and capitals, this is purely to catch the readers eye. The colour scheme is also in keeping for what is traditional for a magazine. Only using three colours (White, black, grey) adds a variation but not to the extent where the magazine begins to look messy. The magzine maybe design for an older reader however this front still shows signs of the modern day. The font style is sans serif which is commonly used on mordern magazines. The editor may have used this as he could be looking for a newer audience which is younger .The magazine still satisfys the older readers, but by having a modern font, invites a younger reader to the magazine. Again like previous magazines, the feature band in this case 'The Beatles' takes up all three 3rds vertically. This front cover also contains in the top left hand corner a 'free' inside bubble. I may use this in my magazine as in the corner it is out of the way but still has the sterotypical 'free inside' part which most magazines have on their front covers.
The Word
The Word magazine is designed for a much older audience. For older indie/rock fans from the 60's/70's. You can tell this just by looking at the image used on this front cover. The black and white image implies that the whole aura around this magazine is old. The bands featured in this magazine are also of an older generation. For example 'Maddness' and 'The Beatles'. I do however like this magazine. The font of the title is in serif which gives it an old, worn out look. However with it being the only splash of colour on this front cover, it stands out from what could be seen as a bland photo. This magazine does comply with connotations of a magazine. For instance, part of the photo is obscuring the magazine title and the feature singer is in a larger font to show the importance of them to this issue. There is no writing in the bottom thid of the front cover. This could of been done because when you first look at a magazine you look at the title and the head of the image. All the writing is around these to features meaning the reader will read them straight away. I however don't like this on a front cover because it makes all the writing look clumped together and cluttered.
The Rolling
Looking at this front cover for the first time I noticed that a lot was going on on the page. There is a lot happening which makes it quite interesting. The first thing I noticed was 'Paramore' written in a bold font, capitals and a bight colour to capture your attention.The pink colour doesnt tie in with the colour scheme of black, white and red. This makes it clash with the front cover, emphasising that this band is featuring in this issue. The Capitals symbolises how important this band are in this issue, showing us that this is the feature band this week. The title 'NME' is the next thing you notice. Being in the top left hand corner it is automatically the first thing you read. The red stands out from the page, however it doesn't stand out more than 'Paramore'. The editor may have done this to make sure that his reader know it is the magazine they are looking for but the feature band is what makes his readers pick up and buy the magazine. This feature of using a sans serif font runs throughout the whole of the front cover. It is quite a modern font indicating what the target audience for this magazine is. In my magazine I will try incorporate the large band name over the bottom 3rd, going across all 3 3rds vertically. The image of the band allows you to see who is the frontman of the band.. in this case Hayley Williams. The structure of image is in order of importance. Also with Hayley being the only female in the band, having her in the front of the picture balances it out.
I really like this Q magazine front cover, regarding what they have done the magazine logo. The way they have made it look like the lead singer of MUSE is smashing the magazine logo with his guitar, portrays just have much this band can get away with anything. The bold, white 'MUSE' stands out from the grey background making it clear this 'MUSE' is the feature band in this issue. The magazine logo 'Q'is written in white with a red background, although these two colours do go together in the context the class allowing the captial 'Q' to be seen from a distance. The feature articles that are inside this issue are written on either side of the magazine. This isnt something that every music magzine does, however as it is inkeeping with the rule of 3rds, it works. The banner at the top of the magazine fills in what would be an empty space. This is filled with some comment which make the magazine sound grand and popular. This is a selling point for the magazine. The barcode is on the other side of the page from the NME front cover. This adds abit of difference to this front cover.Mojo
The Mojo magazine is aimed at a slightly older audience. For instance the feature band for this issue is 'The Beatles' which are an older band. This magazine has used the image to hide the magazine logo, which is common in alot of magazines not just music magazines. It is very inkeeping with the sterotypical magazine. The title is in white and capitals, this is purely to catch the readers eye. The colour scheme is also in keeping for what is traditional for a magazine. Only using three colours (White, black, grey) adds a variation but not to the extent where the magazine begins to look messy. The magzine maybe design for an older reader however this front still shows signs of the modern day. The font style is sans serif which is commonly used on mordern magazines. The editor may have used this as he could be looking for a newer audience which is younger .The magazine still satisfys the older readers, but by having a modern font, invites a younger reader to the magazine. Again like previous magazines, the feature band in this case 'The Beatles' takes up all three 3rds vertically. This front cover also contains in the top left hand corner a 'free' inside bubble. I may use this in my magazine as in the corner it is out of the way but still has the sterotypical 'free inside' part which most magazines have on their front covers.The Word
The Word magazine is designed for a much older audience. For older indie/rock fans from the 60's/70's. You can tell this just by looking at the image used on this front cover. The black and white image implies that the whole aura around this magazine is old. The bands featured in this magazine are also of an older generation. For example 'Maddness' and 'The Beatles'. I do however like this magazine. The font of the title is in serif which gives it an old, worn out look. However with it being the only splash of colour on this front cover, it stands out from what could be seen as a bland photo. This magazine does comply with connotations of a magazine. For instance, part of the photo is obscuring the magazine title and the feature singer is in a larger font to show the importance of them to this issue. There is no writing in the bottom thid of the front cover. This could of been done because when you first look at a magazine you look at the title and the head of the image. All the writing is around these to features meaning the reader will read them straight away. I however don't like this on a front cover because it makes all the writing look clumped together and cluttered.The Rolling
The title of this magazine is a pun on the band 'The Rolling Stones'. However it is very inkeeping with the genre of music they publish inside. 'The Rolling Stones' are quite an older band but this magazine isnt. They're featuring band is the 'Kings of Leon' which are a very current band. This indicated towards the sort of articles that maybe inside. Current and up to date.
The rule of 3rd is visable with this front cover. The image is set out in 3rds, making it appeal to the target audience. The writing is also set out in 3rds. The title takes up the top 3rd while 'Kings of Leon' takes up the bottom 3rd. What's inside is in the last 3rd vertically. This means the image takes up alot of the page. This is a good selling point because if your audience can see the band they love on the front cover, they will be more willing to buy your magazine. I like the way they have structured this front cover. Everything has its own 3rd and it works. The front cover doesnt look too cluttered or messy. I will try to use this in my front cover.
Magazine Analysis of 5 Contents Pages
NME
Even though this contents page doesnt look like the front cover, just by the style of the page you can tell that this contents page belongs to an NME magazine. This magazine is very cluttered however there is a structure to it. What is inside the magazine is all over the page, however it is broken up by little separating lines giving the page a structure. The only title is 'inside this week', this allows the reader to acknowledge that is is the contents page and then to browse at their own will. Their page numbers arent in order and not everything has a page number either. The featuring band is in the middle of the page with a large image to support the text. It is common on a contents page to be able to suscribe to the magazine from this page. However NME havn't included that on this contents page. Something I may possibly change on my contents page. I really like the way the have broken up the page and still managed to get alot of information on the page. I will use this in my contents page.
Compared to NME, Q has changed the structure of their contents page. They have put their biggest image on the right hand side, which takes up most of that side. Compared to the colour scheme of the magazine, this image is quite dull and full of pastel colours. This contrasts with the magazine. I like the banner at the top of the page which includes the page title, the magazine logo and the issue date. This look very nice on this page and could be something I could incorporate in my magazine. For the actual contents page this used only two colours: red and black. The page numbers are in red. This is to add abit of contrast the the black writing used throughout this page. All this contrasts with the very plain white background. This gives a simplistic look to the page, however as there is so much going on regarding writing, the page doesnt look too simple. It is quite a modern look that Q have gone for. This is to target the audience this magazine is aimed at. The caption on the image is in a white box, which can be easily seen from the dull green background. This is something I will use in my contents page. It makes this image look all the more professional which all adds up to how professional the page looks.
Mojo
The Word magazine sort of change their style for their contents page. There is a recuring colour scheme from the title of the magazine; red. Most of the page is taken up by a review of a critique or editor of the magazine. This means that there isn't alot room for the actual contents page. There is a small column on the right-hand side of the page, this is for what is inside this issue. The part that readers will want to know about are in bold making them stand out, so the reader can flick straight to that page. There isn't alot of photos on this page which isn't a common thing. However the audience of this magazine is slightly older than the others I am analysising so they could be going for a minimalist look as the reader will not want to look at pretty pictures. Even though this contents page is effect for its target audience, I myself don't really like it and no features stand out from it that I could use in my contents page.
Even though this contents page doesnt look like the front cover, just by the style of the page you can tell that this contents page belongs to an NME magazine. This magazine is very cluttered however there is a structure to it. What is inside the magazine is all over the page, however it is broken up by little separating lines giving the page a structure. The only title is 'inside this week', this allows the reader to acknowledge that is is the contents page and then to browse at their own will. Their page numbers arent in order and not everything has a page number either. The featuring band is in the middle of the page with a large image to support the text. It is common on a contents page to be able to suscribe to the magazine from this page. However NME havn't included that on this contents page. Something I may possibly change on my contents page. I really like the way the have broken up the page and still managed to get alot of information on the page. I will use this in my contents page.Q
Compared to NME, Q has changed the structure of their contents page. They have put their biggest image on the right hand side, which takes up most of that side. Compared to the colour scheme of the magazine, this image is quite dull and full of pastel colours. This contrasts with the magazine. I like the banner at the top of the page which includes the page title, the magazine logo and the issue date. This look very nice on this page and could be something I could incorporate in my magazine. For the actual contents page this used only two colours: red and black. The page numbers are in red. This is to add abit of contrast the the black writing used throughout this page. All this contrasts with the very plain white background. This gives a simplistic look to the page, however as there is so much going on regarding writing, the page doesnt look too simple. It is quite a modern look that Q have gone for. This is to target the audience this magazine is aimed at. The caption on the image is in a white box, which can be easily seen from the dull green background. This is something I will use in my contents page. It makes this image look all the more professional which all adds up to how professional the page looks.Mojo
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I really like this contents page, it seems minimalistic but cluttered at the same time. I don't originally like having reviews of the magazine from the reader at the bottom of the page but it somehow works for this magazine. The contents part is well organised and evenly spaces making it look minimalistic however crossing over the middle of the page to the image side, everything seems in disarray. It again however works for this magazine. There is a structure top the pictures as they all contain similar colours. I like how this magazine hasnt gone for a 'Contents' title but has instead used the title of the magazine again. This little feature sets it apart from other contents pages as not many magazines use this technique. However I feel for my magazine I will stick to the tradition 'contents' title. It is a common feature of a contents page and as long as you make it look different, unique and stylish occurding to your style of magazine, it can really work on the page.
The Word
The Word magazine sort of change their style for their contents page. There is a recuring colour scheme from the title of the magazine; red. Most of the page is taken up by a review of a critique or editor of the magazine. This means that there isn't alot room for the actual contents page. There is a small column on the right-hand side of the page, this is for what is inside this issue. The part that readers will want to know about are in bold making them stand out, so the reader can flick straight to that page. There isn't alot of photos on this page which isn't a common thing. However the audience of this magazine is slightly older than the others I am analysising so they could be going for a minimalist look as the reader will not want to look at pretty pictures. Even though this contents page is effect for its target audience, I myself don't really like it and no features stand out from it that I could use in my contents page.The Rolling Stone
Again you can tell straight away that this is a magazine meant for an older (or an older taste in music) target audience. The main feature of this page is the image on the right hand side. It is very large, therefore eye catching. You can tell that this is meant for an older audience due to the contrast of the image. Being in black and white, it symbloise and age where colour photos werent as common. The posture of the models in the image are also relevent to the time the image was meant to be taken in. I like how the title of this page is the initals of the title of the magazine and then the issue number of the magazine. The issue number is about the only colour on the page, allowing the number to stand out. This maybe to brag how long the magazine has actually been going and how well they are doing. The rest of the page is quite simplistic. Black and white being the main colour scheme. However if it is an older audience they are aiming for with this magazine, they wont be expecting anything flashy on a magazine contents page. Just what's inside. I do however like the simplistic look they have pulled off. It doesnt make the page cluttered.
Magazine Analysis of 5 Double Page Spreads
NME
This double page spread by NME, really shows us how modern and up to date with their artists they are. The double page spread really expresses which audience they are targeting and like the name of this band, they are targeting teenagers mainly. The structure of this page is set out like any other double page spread. The picture crosses over slightly onto the other side of the page. This is because in printing you wouldn't be able to see text right in the crease of the page. So putting the image over the centre line you can avoid text being hidden. They have a column for the article itself, however they have gone for 2 columns of writing, unlike the commonly used 3. In my magazine I will use 3 columns as it is nicer to look at and is more attractive to your reader. What NME have used which isn't common is the last column on the right-hand side. This column is for the readers view of the magazine or the featuring article. I like this idea as it sells the band more. It gives an insight (to people who may of not heard of the band before) into exactly what this band is like, and what other peoples views of them are. The colour scheme on this page is slightly different to the rest of the magazine. This could of been done however on purpose, to catch the readers eye as they are flicking through the magazine. The blue on this page is really quite striking and is a definite eye catcher. All the important features on this page have a blue background. For instance, the band name 'The Teenagers', important info on the band and quotes taken from the text. The quote taken from the text is a nice trick to split up the text on the right-hand side. It draws your eye to the quote and the if it is an interesting quote, it gets the reader involved with the story there making them read it. As far as the image goes, it is very typical of an indie magazine. In the background there a load of posters of other bands and concerts and the models or band are relaxed like the don't care. This attitude is very stereotypical of this genre of music.
The double page spread shares the same features as NME but the editors of Q have changed some connotations of a double page spread. For example, they have used 4 columns for their feature writing. This gives it the appearance that there is more writing and therefore more to this band. However like I said before I am going to try to stick to 3 columns worth of writing. I do however like the image that has been put in the middle of the article. Like the quotation, this image breaks up the writing, giving the reader a break. The title 'Born to run' is an eye catching title and is probably a pun from a song made by the featuring band. This is commonly all over the media, newspapers use it as well as magazines. It is simply to add humour to the page. Being in capitals as well it stands out and it more eye catching.
I like it how they have carried on their colour scheme showing consitinty throughout the magazine. The small attention to detail this magazine has is important. The 'T' being in blue, showing the colour scheme off. I really like this technique, it adds a differency to the page. It isnt something every magazine uses hwoever.
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The theme that Mojo seem to have created for themselves is continued onto their double page spreads. The theme of black and white photo reoccurs here again. This really works for this page as there isn't alot of colour and the dark tones of the photo allows us to image the colour that could possibly be behind the photo. There is a rather large quote on the right-hand side of the page. This contents what looks like two different fonts but in fact some words are simply put into bold. They have used a drop letter at the beginning of the actual article. This is a common feature of a double page spread article and I do plan on using it in my magazine. There is only two columns for text which like I have said previously is uncommon for a double page spread as it just doesnt look appealing to the reader. I plan on using 3 columns for my article. In the middle of the page there is a readers view of this artist. I however do not like the positiong of this feature. It invades the page and text too much. Even though I dont actually like the feature itself, if I had to position it anywhere it would be on the photo side of the page and the bottom. So readers can make a connection between the artist and what the fan of the artist has said.
The Word
The colour scheme of red titles continues again on The Words double page spread. This magazine has yet again for a minimalist look. The black and white photos relates to the front cover of the magazine. I really like the small photo they have used as it makes look older than it probably is. The torn edged of the main photo ties into the location of the photo. The location of the photo appears to be an amausement on a pier, a place where people normally go on holiday. Therefore the torn edge of the photo could represent how it was torn to be put in a scrap book. The thing that lets this double page spread down is the lack of text. I know they're going for a minimalist look but only on column of text doesn't really appeal to the reader. The thing I like the most about this page is their small attention to detail. The issue number and date of the magazine is put in the top left hand corner. I quite like the positioning of this as it is common to fins these features at the bottom of the page. Therefore this is something I will try in my magazine.
The Rolling Stone
This magazine is also aimed at a slightly older audience than just teenagers. You can tell this from the presentional devices the editor had used. For example a slightly discoloured photo that almost looks black and white but still contains a bit of colour. However you can tell that the audience isn't actually that oold due to the use of sans serif font used for 'scarface'.This is another magazine that yet again only uses two columns for text. I have now begun to think whether the audience is dependant on the amount of columns a magazine uses.
One feature I really feature I really like about this double page spread is how the title and the sub text has a fitted box around them, highlighting them on the page. This is something I'd really like incoparate in my double page spread even if I just use it around a quote as a quote should be something that stands out.
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