Contents textual information

With the information to include in my contents, I found it really difficult. I looked at other published Rock magazines, but they were all to vaguley about things. Whereas as my magazine is Festival based, they had to surround that environment. I made my pages involve other festivals aka interviews with Readings creator, review of last years V festival. But to engage the reader to read them more,I used purswasive language techniques such as slogans, exclamation marks to add emphasis.

double page spread edits

When I printed them out I realised that the full length group shoot, the group were not central in the image which resulted in throwing the whole page off. Therefore I cut and cropped the image at the sides but to still keep the longer width of the image then had to crop more of th top and bottom of the picture. After copy and pasting it on the page, I altered the brightness and contrast of the image to make the greenary of the setting stand out more.

contents development.

My double page spread is completed, im just waiting for it to be printed to see whether it needs any changes or works. So i have started on my contents; my design breif for the page is to continue the theme from the front cover. When creating a black and white background, I used the gradient tool to disperse the blackness from black, grey to white. Although it didnt really look visually that striking. With the fonts, I wanted to created an eluminous effect. So I added an outer glow and stroke effect to the words which makes them seem glowing. Then I added double layers to the worlds, to make them all seem 3d. The text looks really good but really wasn't working with the background. So I added a plain black background colour and the page seems much bolder.

Front cover deadline

I completed it on the deadline, printed it out and realised that there wasn't enough information of the page. It looked to bare compared to other magazines how full they are. So I added more cover lines and plugs to the right, although it covers the feature article photo they are an unseen band so I am able to and it encourages the urge to turn over more aswell.

Also, from adding small black and white images of reggae rooster under there information.Makes the page in whole look more buzzing and the boarder around the images highlights them and gives a postcard effect which works well with it being focused on festivals where your away from home.

Interview decisions.

I already chose to do a informal tone, so really pushed it by including explitive swear words and making the band seem quite rude at times towards the interviewer. As the background was black, and the band is about reggae, I chose the font colours to alternate the rustaferien colour scheme of red,green and yellow. As before it was all yellow, but you couldn't differ clearly enough the question and answer. Also it didn't look as visually effective. My font size was orgianally 12 but when it was printed I saw too much blank space. So I looked at Q magazine again there interviews all had very small font, so i changed it to size 10 which enabled me to add more information to the interview.

double page spread images

On my interview page, I edited the top mid close up group shot with the saturation tool. Making it look brighter to add energy and a vibrancy to the page. Then with the pictures of the roosters at the bottom, I resized 3 images; one to be largest, then another middle and the last smallest. I then cut round it with the magnetic lasso tool and positioned them traveling across the bottom of the page in order of size.

Editing feature article photo

I had to resize the image to make it background size so it doesnt appear stretched. I then removed the colour and played with the the brightness/contrast levels to not loose definition. I then on adjustments equalised the image to highlight the black and white effect. It looks much more dramatic for the front cover image to be eye catching.

Colour scheme

I have stuck to my original design of having black and white background with vibrant aluminous fonts. Instead have developed it through only working with yellow, green, and red. The iconic reggae colours. Except trying out different tones of the colours is difficult making it all work together and not clash on the page.

Final front cover image selection

My feature article photo I am sticking with is a full long shot of 3 artists walking along in a field, except it breaks conventions as the person looking to the camera is standing to the side whereas normally there are front on showing authority. This works as creates a festival feel from the field environment and an informal friendly tone by him being side on and smirking.

I tried a extreme close up of one of the artist face but it was difficult to have their face taking up the whole pages background. It also lost the "off the wall edgy" look I was aiming for; as it made it look like a general magazine. Whereas my image shows my intended purpose of a festival magazine. Yet due to it breaking coventions I now have to make sure my plugs, coverlines and especially masthead really works and stick to the conventions.

choosing feature article photo

At the weekend I took all my pictures for my double page spread and feature article photo. The location was brilliant;at my friends farm. I dressed them in different looks and named them reggae rooster, their looks and the pictures really encapsulate the off the wall edgy tone. Today I have been experimenting with titles and deciding on what feature article photo to have, I think visually the ones where cameron is smiling to the side look great but they break to many coventions with him not making eye contact to the camera.

Design brief

· It’s going to have a large masthead at the top
· A close up portrait of the artists face on front cover
· A specific style in my case “off the wall” “edgy”
· A continuing theme and layout look from the front cover to contents page
· Price to be from 2-4 pounds, no more
· Informal mode of address to have a friendly impression and appeal to the youthful target audience
· Colour scheme, black and white background with aluminous colours for the text
· Double page spread needs to include an interview
· More image based than textual
· Follow convention of having perhaps plugs leaning to right hand side to engage the reader to turn over.
· Make sure purpose of magazine is clear all the way through i.e. that it’s a festival one

Graphs from questionair

1) What sex are you?
2) What name appeals to you more?
3) What colour scheme would you find most eye catching?



4) What masthead title would you prefer?

5) What genre of music would you wish the main article to be focused on?
6) What pose for the front cover feature article photo stands out to you more?

7) What overall tone from the front cover would you wish to receive?
8)Would you like the theme and look of the front cover to continue into the contents page


9) How much would you be willing to pay for a festival magazine?
10)When would you prefer to purchase a festival magazine?

11)What information would you wish a festival magazine to withhold?

sketches

Notes on second drawings

Front cover:
-Made the feature article photo centered which alowed me more room around the outside for coverlines but it looks less edgy than breaking the convention with half the face.
-The mastehead instead of having the first two F letters in bigger sizes they are all the same.
-The mini collage of pictures is now on the right hand side to engage the reader to turn over.
-The plug in under the masthead over laping the portrait face.

Contents page:
-Seems more off the wall tone as the bottom bar is a close up line of peoples faces screaming live at a gig.
-The title is in all the same size as its front cover except it has footprint trail coming off its full stop leading to the page reference which looks visually fun and quirky.
-Also added as there was room an image of a performer and quotes near

Notes and opinions on my first drawings

My first drawing of the front cover consist of:
-A puff in bright yellow at the top saying "your own VIP access to the latest and hotest festivals coming up" however I think it could be stronger.
-I have broken traditional conventions as I have the close up portrait of the head only halfway on the page to engage the reader to turn over. But im unsure whether it will be as powerfull as having the whole face in center page.
-I like the idea of pollaroid snap collage in the bottom left hand corner with varied shots in them. It will enhance the idea of a festival magazine.
-The colour scheme is black and white with aluminous colours like the results wanted.
-I still have to work out my cover lines.

Contents page:
-A full long shot candid shot of a girl on someones shoulders rocking out will be coming in the right hand side of the page length size.
-Close up posed image of excess hands in the rock sign fingers at the bottom of the page
-The title is the same as my front page to continue the theme
-I have a quirky survival kit guide and images of sunglasses,water all going down the left hand side vertically.
-Again colour scheme is black and white but perhaps not aluminous colours.

Double page spread:
-The pages layout at the moment consist of a three shot,close up, low angle, midshot. To make them seem inferior except I havn't decided whether they will be pulling serious faces or funny smiles etc.
-The interview is placed along the width of the bottom so it doesn't seem to formal.
-A picture is centered between the text and its from a high angle shot of them posing in a different environment.
-Around the space of the main picture of them there is quotes, full long shot solo images of one of the memberes performing live. A picture of the outside of a bar where they were discovered.
-The title is placed at the top left but im not sure it looks very eye catching there but I dont want the focus to be taken away from the feature article photo.

Concluding results from my graphs

Overall, there was a slightly higher percentage of males that took my questionnaire, but it didn’t affect my results in its objectivity towards gender. I feel really assured on the title of my magazine now as 44% of people chose my favorite title of “festival first” so as it got the highest results I will most definitely use it. A pretty much unanimous 72% of people choose black and white with aluminous colours for the colour scheme, which I feel is most eye catching out of the options and links well to my idea of having a reggae or other music genre for the main article as the colour themes of that style is bold and bright; the graph also conveys how 56% of people wanted the option of another music genre like reggae for instance. The size and design of the masthead style and pose for the feature article photo both portrays fairly level results for each option. So therefore I have the ability to pick the one I most prefer or think work as there is no defining favorite from the graph. However, in the graph that shows what tone they wish the front cover to be and whether the theme and tone should continue into the next page they similarly both have over 76% of people that choose the off the wall edgy tone and for the theme to continue so I now have a basis look to work for. Graph number 9 presented to me that 60% of people wished the magazine to be £3.50 and that price contributes nicely to graph 10’s results showing that 68% people would want it to be released as a monthly edition. Graph 11, the public were able to choose two of the 5 options; Information about dates of various festivals coming up got the highest data with 48% but the survival kit was close behind with 40%. Therefore graph 11 showed me how I will definitely include those two options in my contents as the public appreciate the more quirky items like the survival kit, so I now have a basis for the style of information my magazine will include.