DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

After taking a thorough look at my magazine and understanding why I added specific images and text to my contents page, I felt that the image previously of a pair of Doc Marten rose shoes in the bottom left corner didn't add anything to my magazine. I felt that it didn't portray my magazine to be hip-hop/rap enough and rather a bit more punk rock and that wasn't the vibe I wanted to create and give off to my reader. I felt that a better image could have been used to fill the space.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

Next I added in an image of a microphone to the bottom middle column of my contents page. At first I felt it should be an image of a person or concert however I felt that by adding in a picture of a microphone helped the ratio between people and objects. I also wanted to relate the picture to the page number and description in the middle column "Departments" section as it mentions of winning tickets to a concert and I felt that the image of a microphone was relevant.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

After filling the first column I filled the wrest of the column beneath in "Departments" doing the same thing as above. I used the same tools and continued to make the artists names in a dark grey to make them stand out.
Originally I placed an image here however I felt that by adding more text in comparison to pictures makes it more informative for the reader and also makes it appear more professional.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

I then used the slice tool to divide the page into three equal columns. I then used the text tool to add page numbers and a description beneath into the "Features" section. I selected a dark grey to highlight words like names of big artists to make them stand out to the reader in hope that they will navigate to that page to read the article. I kept the page numbers in the same font size and style as my previous column in "Departments". Originally I kept the description section all the same colour, but I felt that adding in a dark grey which also sticks to my colour scheme made the key artist jump off the page and makes it also look more exciting.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

 I then added in an image of Doc Marten shoes to the bottom hand corner of my contents page. I took a picture specifically of these shoes as they stick to my colour scheme as they have a black base, and hints of gold and dark red. They were an image of one of the artist featured on my double page spread and I felt that it made the page look a bit more different in comparison to my competitor magazines. I felt that by going against convention it made my magazine more unique and quirky.

I  also added another image in the bottom right corner. I used the magnetic lasso tool to cut out the image and I neatened up the edges to make it look more professional like my competitor magazines. I chose for my artist to wear a gold necklace to look like a stereotypical hip-hop/rap artist and the gold sticks to my colour scheme. I also chose for her to wear a black bomber jacket because that too sticks to my colour scheme. I chose a mid shot of my artist because I felt that it made her more direct than a long shot.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

I then added page numbers to go with the images on my contents page to help my reader to navigate easily through my magazine. By increasing the font size it helps the reader to see it easier and the quirky font helps to make it jump off the page more and appear more exciting and make you want to read it more. I then added in a couple of page numbers to go into my "Departments" section with a bit of description beneath to give the reader a bit more of an insight than just the page number in hope they would want to read the article or page more. I also stuck to my colour scheme in this section of dark red and white. Originally I had the numbers white and the description in red but I decided to swap the colours around as I felt that it made the page look more professional and clean.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

I then wanted to add social media addresses for my readers to be able to follow my magazine with frequent updates 24/7. There is also the website address added at the bottom of the page as there would be further information on their as the site is bigger. I stuck to my colour scheme of black, white, grey, gold and dark grey to fit what my audience would like to see. Adding smaller images of the social media logo's simply helps my reader to know which the names of the accounts belong to. The black and white play button helps to make the page look more exciting as well as sticking to convention which my competitor magazines followed.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY CONTENTS PAGE

Using my sketches from my design period, I formed my layout on my contents page. Sticking to my colour scheme I first created two long rectangles; the first at the top of the page and stopped before the logo and the second I duplicated the layer so that they were the same height and I then dragged it across to the edge of the page to break it up into sections. Afterwards I filled these boxes with text of what that section would involve helping the reader to navigate across the page. I then added a dark red text box to the bottom of the page to make the text I am later placing on top visible to read.
After creating the basic layout, I added a mid-close up shot of my front cover artist to the top right corner of the page. I used the magnetic eraser tool to cut out my image and completed finishing touches using the eraser tool. I chose this image because I felt it was quite intriguing for the reader to have my artist looking up and out of the magazine. Originally I chose to have a front on image but I didn't feel it had as much impact as the image that I chose for my final image.

DEVELOPMENT TO MY CONTENTS PAGE

I chose to have a single paged contents page. I used the same image of gold as on my front cover to create a house style for my magazine and used the magic eraser tool to individually cut each letter out to create my headline. I wanted to create a stronger hip-hop vibe by having a dollar sign rather than a normal "s". Giving the issue number at the top of the page with a combination of colours (sticking to my chosen colour scheme) gives the reader a bit of detail about my magazine.
I then wanted to add my magazines logo to my contents page to re-mention my magazines name in hope it will be remembered. I used the magic eraser too again to cut out the gold and fill it into my letters to heighten its brand identity. Using a dark red background of my logo sticks to my colour scheme and makes it jump off the page.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

My last edit to my front cover, I was originally going to leave. However, I decided to do it at the end of my project as a final touch. I used the paint brush tool and reduced the opacity to erase the white line on the edge of my featured artists face from lighting. I felt that by removing this, it made my artist appear more mysterious. I used the colour of black to do this and I increased the size of my paint brush so that it was a subtle but effective change.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

I then chose to add a pull quote to the right hand side of my page. I decided to start this with a drop cap and added more depth by having a choice of two colours; dark red and grey.
I wanted to use a range of text sizes to add variety to my front cover to make it more exciting for the reader to view.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

Next I added names of artists to the top right-hand corner of the page. I wanted to include very popular and well known artists in hope to increase my magazines popularity. I added the two colours of light grey and a medium-toned grey. By doing this alternatively between artists I felt that it added more depth to the page.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

Adding the writing to go with the "25" was following a similar vibe to a competitor magazine. I wanted to do this in an even column going downwards to make the page seem organised as well as professional. I wanted to have different fonts within this column so that it had more depth. I used the text tool to do this. I then added in long rectangle boxes to split up the text to make it intensify the depth of the front cover. I decided to place this layer of text in front of my featured artist so that it was visible to the reader.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

I then used ideas from a competitor magazine to help give me inspiration so I added the number "25" with a bold outline of white to stick to my chosen colour scheme. I wanted the "25" to make a statement in itself so I enlarged it to have a large impact.
Originally I chose to have a yellow outline to link to the colour of gold, however I felt it looked bland and wasn't as eye catching. So I changed it to a white outline and felt that it created more depth and also looked more appealing.

DEVELOPING MY FRONT COVER

Next I chose to add a bit of description about my featured artist. Although my colour scheme chosen was just black, white and gold I felt it was missing something so I decided to add different shades of grey into my work to give it a bit more depth. I chose to do the next two lines in two different shades of grey to make them stand out a bit more and I also used different sizes in fonts to draw the reader in to see what his article will be about. I placed it beneath the name of the artist so that it was clear to the reader what it was referring to and also it stuck to the grid like layout of a typical magazine.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

I felt that the next addition to my magazine should be the barcode to help me picture where I could add specific sections of text and to lay them around the image. I then added the name of the artist to the bottom of the page however using a grid form to stick to convention. By doing so it allows the reader information on the featured artist e.g. their name.

DEVELOPMENT OF MY FRONT COVER

I chose to add my photo next to my front cover along with my stand first.

Firstly, I added my photo because I felt it helped to shape the page and allow me to see what needs to be added next. By doing this it allowed me to picture all the things I needed to make it appear like a professional magazine. The position chosen for my model with his arms folded and a slight tilt to the right with his head makes him appear to the reader like a stereotypical rap/hip-hop artist. However, it is also evident that his look isn't like an ordinary rapper - a typical rapper would be black, gold chains, sunglasses, baseball cap and distressed baggy jeans. therefore I chose to do this to show that anyone can be a rapper.

Secondly, I chose to add my stand first next. Originally I chose to place it beneath the masthead, however I felt it wasn't visible enough and was hidden by the featured artist so I decided to move it above. I chose the colour of dark red for this section if text to match my survey's chosen colour scheme and following the scheme throughout my magazine would create a professional vibe and a strong mise-on-scene.

ADDING MY ARTIST TO MY FRONT COVER

    

                                             
I added my artist in before adding any other sections of text so that I could picture where to place the text and to fit it around the photo. I chose this mid close up shot as I felt that it was more intriguing for the reader and I wanted my model to directly look into the camera to look like he is looking directly at the reader to draw them in. The pose chosen of folded arms with a slight tilt to the head related to the typical 'bad boy' from the rap industry and I wanted to keep the style the same. By doing so it makes him appear more thug like and more like a stereotypical rap artist. However, choosing an artist who doesn't typically look like a rap/hip-hop artist goes against convention as I wanted my magazine to be different to the norm and to send the message to the audience that you can be anyone you want to be there are no limits in life.
I also added in a standfirst keeping to my colour scheme of dark red and placed it above my headline. Originally I placed it beneath, however it wasn't visible to the reader because the image was in front and placing it in front of his face didn't give off a professional vibe so instead I placed it above the headline.  

CREATING MY FRONT COVER MASTHEAD

I used the magic eraser tool and a saved image of gold foil from google to create my masthead. I had to individually cut each letter however I felt it was worth it because it created a strong hip-hop vibe for my magazine. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER

 I chose to add a barcode to the bottom left of my page to finally make it look like a magazine front cover. This is not the final addition to my front cover however I wanted to add it now to make it look more like a magazine and to help me see what else is missing. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER

I chose to add an option to win through a competition to the front cover as it would increase the chances of my audience purchasing my magazine. I decided to keep the font the same as in the title, inside the masthead and the quote as it kept the tone of the magazine chilled. I chose to use a competition within my magazine as from my survey it became apparent that they would like to see a free giveaway/gift/competition option. 

I decided to keep the text in a column as it created the tone of organisation and is very conventional to do so. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER

I chose to add a quote to the front cover as I felt that it would increase the chances of the reader actually reading the information presented rather than skipping to the inside. By adding this to my draft I feel that the addition of a quote to my final front cover would be a positive addition as it tells the reader what is going to be included in the magazine. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER

I added the title of Drake's album as from my survey, my audience decided they would prefer to see a review of a recent album or single. I wanted to use a similar font to the one used on his actual album cover, this happened to be the same as the title and writing inside the masthead. Therefore this intensifies the idea that the magazine has a chilled tone. There is also a nice contrast of the meaning behind the words and the font used as it is a serious matter that is toned down with the type of font. On the actual album cover, the font is more jagged and almost destroyed. Therefore by changing the font, it makes the magazine look more organised.  

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER

I decided to add Drake's name above his image in a large font allowing the reader to relate the image to the artists name above. I wanted to use the same font as the masthead's inside writing as I felt that it created the tone that Drake is very chilled like my magazine. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER IMAGE AND ADAPTATION OF MASTHEAD

I used google to find an image of Drake. I chose this image as I liked the link of the gold printing on his jacket and the gold of the masthead.
I used the quick selection tool in a small size and in small sections to carefully and precisely cut out Drake without removing any of the image itself. By doing this it meant that there wasn't much more to cut out using the lasso tool and that it was just for final touches. I used the lasso tool to cut out the smaller areas that I previously missed beforehand as a final touches tool. I wanted to ensure he blended realistically into the black background like this was the original image of him at his concert. 

I decided to change the font used inside my "P" and "G" as I felt it was a nice contrast from sharp to smoother from the outer shape. I originally was set on the old font, however after fiddling around with the fonts to ensure my certainty, I decided it was a better fit to my magazine to change the font to a smoother one as I want to create the tone of calmness and chilled rather than angry and violent tone. It therefore expresses the idea that not all rap music is violent, it has smooth underlying tones. 
I also decided to cut down the masthead in height as I felt it took up too much of the page as conventionally masthead's take up 1/3 of a front cover. 

DRAFTING OF MY FRONT COVER MASTHEAD

I chose to use gold for my background of my masthead as i feel it signifies the chains worn by hip-hop artists. The effect upon this simply states that this is a hip-hop magazine and the stereotypical artist would wear gold chains and rings etc. The use of a enlarged P and G, was purposely done to look similar to the "PG" symbol in cinemas as a warning. I chose to do this is represent that hip-hop music has explicit language used which younger readers may not know about therefore it is a pre-warning that this is what the music they write includes.

AUDIENCE PROFILE

AUDIENCE PROFILE FOR HIP-HOP/RAP MUSIC MAGAZINE from keshialavallsmith

DESIGN BRIEF

From competitor research and my own research, I have concluded that my magazine will include the following:

• I will use a solo male artist for my front cover
• My front cover will include the colour scheme of Black, White and Gold which will continue onto my Contents Page
• Within my Contents Page I aim to include 50:50 image to text ratio and ensuring that they of various sizes
• My main focus when making my magazine is to ensure it is a magazine that someone would actually want to buy
• Within the Contents Page I want to ensure that it can navigate the reader throughout my magazine and fulfill its purpose
• On my Double Page Spread, I want to make sure that the colour scheme is different when compared to my Front Cover and Contents Page but to ensure it still creates the vibe of a Hip-Hop magazine
•  I will include a free gift/giveaway in my magazine as it was a preference when carrying out my own survey towards my Hip-Hop magazine. 
• My Double Page Spread will be of a review of a recent single/album and will be informative and informal as well as chatty
• My Front Cover shot will be a medium close up and will allow me to capture more detail for the reader as well as make it more personal for the reader
• I think that my colour scheme for the Double Page Spread will be Black, White and one other colour to ensure it continues the theme of informing the reader, keeping the magazine professional looking and also clean and tidy
• I will use a group shot within my magazine however not for the front cover, I feel that it will be featured in my Contents Page and I will do this because I feel that by including this shot it includes the opinion of my audience
• The general mode of address for my magazine is informal as well as chatty as it makes the magazine more fun and more modern

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION TEN

I had a clear response for what my audience wanted in terms of their preference towards the mode of address of my magazine. They chose to opt for Informal. I agree with the response given and i will make this priority when writing the text towards my magazine. I also would like to make priority to making my text chatty as this was the second preference to the magazines mode of address. I want to include both of these within my magazines text as i feel that by doing both, it makes it more personal and also fun for the reader. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION NINE

My audience had preference over two titles for my magazine. The first option was "concrete culture" and the second was "Parental Guidance". I like both of these title options, I lean more towards "Parental Guidance" as it expresses more innocence than the other options. It also expresses the idea that all Hip-Hop and Rap music should involve Parental Guidance as it isn't innocent what they speak about. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION EIGHT

The prefered option to how many images my audience would like to see on the double page spread is 5-6. I agree with my audience's response however I feel that a mix of large and small images would be more effective is it would be more pleasing to the readers eye and appear more professional. I will aim to make them more small than big to ensure that I can still ensure that my magazine will fufil its purpose to inform the reader. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION SEVEN

The most common response within the first choice was that the front cover and whether there is a famous person featured makes them interested in buying a magazine. The most common response within the second choice was that the featured article/double page spread is also important when buying a magazine. The most common response within the third choice was whether the magazine included a free gift or giveaway. Therefore I feel that because my audience finds this important, I also find this important and will use this as a guide of priority when completing my Hip-Hop magazine. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION SIX

There was also a mutual response for whether the colour scheme should be continued onto both the contents page and the double page spread. I gave the options of "YES", "NO", "YES FOR THE CONTENTS PAGE AND NO FOR THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD" and "YES FOR THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD AND NO FOR THE CONTENTS PAGE". It was shown from my results that "YES" and "YES FOR THE CONTENTS PAGE AND NO FOR THE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD" were the most popular options. I feel that the better option between the two would be for only the contents page purely because I feel the continued colour scheme onto just the contents page makes the magazine look more professional and smart looking. I feel that by not continuing the colour scheme onto the double page spread it shows the reader that the magazine has individuality. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION FIVE

There was a mutual response with the image:text on the contents page being either 25:75 or 50:50. I feel that it would be more appropriate to have 50:50 as it balances the page, it makes it look more professional and would help to show to the reader what kind of artists would be included within the magazine to be combined with the text so they have a greater insight into what the magazine involves. I feel that by these two options being the most opted for, my readership is more interested in reading informative language than visual learners therefore they would prefer a balance or have preference over text. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION FOUR

The voters opted more for a group image for who they would prefer to be in the feature article photo. No one voted for a shot of a solo female artist. Only a couple of votes were for a solo male artist shot. However, I feel that for my feature article photo, I would rather use a male solo artist as I feel it captures the idea of a Hip-Hop magazine more clearly. I will use multiple small group shots within the contents page, as I liked the idea of having a group included. I feel that this would make the magazine look more serious if it was only one artist on the cover. A group shot would make the magazine appear more friendly and would create a tone of a less professional magazine which isn't what the tone wanted. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION THREE

The most common vote was towards having a review of a recent single/album for what would be their preference on what they want to read on a double page spread for a Hip-Hop magazine. I like the idea of doing a review as it means there is more opportunities for photos of the cover artist. This allows greater detail to be expressed about the artist to the reader than if it was to be general information of the artist. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS - QUESTION TWO

The majority of voters went for a medium close up shot for the feature article photo. I agree with the choice of the voters as I find it more personal to the reader and allows greater detail to be captured than with a more distant shot. I feel this was more commonly voted for because readers of the magazine want to see detail of the artist as it makes the image more informative. 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANAYLSIS - QUESTION ONE

The majority voted for Black, White and Gold as the colour scheme. I lean more towards these colours myself than towards the other colour schemes, therefore the results helped me to clarify my opinion. With the majority of people answering to this colour scheme, it suggests that they would prefer to see a glamourous colour scheme which fits the "hip-hop" theme with gold representing chains and "bling". 

SURVEY MONKEY QUESTION ANALYSIS

DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY QUESTIONS

XXL MAGAZINE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

XXL MAGAZINE DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS from keshialavallsmith

XXL MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS

XXL MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS from keshialavallsmith

XXL FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

XXL MAGAZINE FRONT COVER ANALYSIS from keshialavallsmith

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ANALYSIS

Mixmag has a large image of the featured person making it clear to the reader of who the artist is if they didn’t already recognise their name. The name of the featured artist is in small font at the top of the page which means that if the magazine spread attracted your attention you would then have to search for the artist’s name which keeps the reader’s attention.

It is very clean and sticks to white and black front to create the tone of organisation. Sections of the text are in columns to keep the magazine looking professional. The font of “all that she wants” and “helena hauff” are all in lower case letters and aren’t following the conventions of a typical magazine. By doing this it suggests to the reader that the magazine is well-known and doesn’t need to follow convention in order for people to buy the magazine and to then ensure that they make a profit.

All the negative space creates a laid back chilled vibe like the contents page and front cover. The negative space on the double page spread also is very unconventional as a typical double page spread aims to fill as much of the two pages as possible to ensure that it is full of information and fulfils its purpose of informing the reader with “gossip” about the feature article.

The feature article photo is very contemporary and also unconventional as the top of Helena’s head has been cut off. This creates the impression to the reader that she is famous enough to not need the whole image to be included but also suggests to the reader that the magazine doesn’t follow convention and therefore is well-known enough to do so. The photo also continues onto the second page rather than sticking to the conventional one page feature article photograph. It also doesn’t start at the edge of the page on the first page and instead included lots of negative space in columns on either side of the image. This keeps the tone of organisation but also that it again doesn’t follow convention.

The stand first is very plain and fairly big font for extra text to attract the audience. In the stand first the artists name is in bold to show the reader literally who the article is about. It is typically placed beneath the heading of the article, however it has been placed on top of the feature article photograph to make it stand out, to make the reader be drawn to it before beginning the passage itself but also it is underlined in light blue to simply express to the reader that this magazine doesn’t follow convention and they are different giving the reader more opportunities and more reasons to buy the magazine as they are so different.

Generally this double page spread doesn’t follow convention and this can relate back to featured artist and what it suggests about her. By not follow the typical rules of a double page spread helps to express to the reader that she isn’t a typical artist, and that she is very different in terms of her music and personality. This is shown through the use of lower case letters for the heading and her name being in small lower case letters. Firstly the heading suggests that she is a very chilled and laid back artist that too like the magazine doesn’t follow the conventions of the music industry. Secondly the use of her name being in small lower case letters suggests to the reader that she doesn’t consider herself to be a big and famous artist and therefore has requested this to be written in the way it has. This article is different to the other articles in the magazine suggesting that it isn’t the magazine itself but actually the writer of the article and the artist featured.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD

MIXMAG CONTENTS PAGE ANALYSIS

MixMag actually states “CONTENTS” within the actual page directly at the top suggesting to the reader that it is easy to navigate. It is set up in columns to keep it looking tidy and to create the tone of organisation and cleanliness. It has images with page numbers to attract the reader to those pages. However it doesn’t contain much negative space suggesting that it includes a large amount of information.

The contents page follows a colour scheme which is the basic black and white scheme, creating a laid back and chilled tone. The only bright colours used are within the images which grabs the reader’s attention and attracts them to those pages rather than the actual contents. It also gives a vibe of excitement and fun to the reader, suggesting that this magazine is energetic and colourful exactly how a festival would be.

Beneath every title of each page there is a very minimal description of what the page includes. This allows the reader to know specifically what that page informs you off and therefore they know exactly where to navigate to.

Within the page there are images of both genders which doesn’t limit the audience of who would buy the magazine. By doing this they attract both genders and therefore both men and women know it is acceptable for them to buy this magazine.

By spreading the contents across two pages it gives it a more defined vibe and as a typical magazine would have their contents limited to one page, it is unconventional. By doing this it suggests to the reader that this magazine is well-known and they are typically rule breakers giving it a higher status.

There are four images within the contents page, but only two of these are more eye-catching. This is because they are both full of colour.

The first image is of a girl holding a drink looking in an area which appears to be a festival. She is smiling which tells the reader that she is having a good time and is enjoying the music played the same way that the author of the magazine would want the reader to feel about the magazine. She is in focus and the others within the image aren’t suggesting that she is the main focus, by using a girl in minimal clothing (some kind of bikini) attracts the male reader stereotypically being a straight man. Her eyes are directly looking to the camera and it is shot at eye angle. This suggests to the reader that she is not threatening with the camera being beneath her and that she therefore has no power, it is also not shot above her to make her look weak and vulnerable. Therefore it suggests that she is just a normal girl and that festivals can be for anyone. When looking at the page “116” it is only listings of night clubs to go to therefore this image emphasises the fact that this magazine is for people who typically want to enjoy themselves. The use of “116” being in block and in a large font at the bottom of the screen and to the right simply tell the reader where to navigate to in order to find what the article or page will be talking about.

The second image is full of bright colours as it contains fireworks and is of a packed dance festival. It implies to the reader who is presumably of a young age that festivals are fun and that it is typically energetic and full-on. In the bottom right corner it says “Dave Clarke at Tomorrowland”. This simply tells the reader exactly where this shot had been taken and informs them of the type of music being played at this festival. In the bottom left corner “74” is in big block font simply to tell the reader where to navigate to. This is common on a contents page as it is involved in a magazine simply to tell the reader where to navigate to and summarises what each page involves. When viewing this page it is an actual interview with Dave Clarke and is on a double page spread with one being an image and the other images and writing. Therefore the image of his set at Tomorrowland simply emphasises the fact that festivals were created to have fun and enjoy life the same reason for this magazine existing and informing young people that this is what they should go out and to do enjoy themselves.

The language used in the contents page is very informal and is written to a reader of young age typically below the age of 30. However it is also fairly informative language. For example “What’s it like to be a dancer?” and “Three top club nights reviewed”. Therefore this relates back to the idea that a contents page exists to inform the reader of what is included in the magazine.

MIXMAG CONTENTS PAGE

MIXMAG FRONT COVER ANALYSIS

MixMag is a short and snappy title which is catchy to the reader and memorable. The word “Mix” has connotations of the magazine being available for anyone regardless of race, class, income, gender or age. This means that its target audience is very broad and means the magazine would going more recognition. As it does this, it doesn’t limit the buyers which means that MixMag could gain a high profit. The alliteration of “M” has resemblance of a DJ’s turn table so this tells the reader the genre of the music magazine if not explicitly stated. The bubble-writing type of font used contrasts the connotations of being clean and chic as it creates an impression of relaxation and a chilled vibe, therefore the reader wouldn’t take the magazine as serious as others. The roundness of the font heightens the chilled vibe and that it shouldn’t be taken as a statement professional magazine but more of a fun and ranged magazine.

MixMag uses the colour of bright purple for its masthead. The colour of the masthead is also used within the plugs to make it eye-catching for the reader, but also gives it a professional look increasing the chances of the magazine being bought. The colour scheme of grey, purple and black across the front cover keeps the magazine looking fresh, smart and clean, giving across a professional well-known vibe. As the plugs do not include much information it tells the reader that this is a famous magazine that is going to be bought regardless of what information is on the front cover due to its publicity. The minimalistic use of plugs creates lots of negative space across the entire front cover making it very unconventional when comparing to a typical magazine. The front is in block and then beneath where there is extra information it is not in block but is underlined. By using both block and underlining on the text, it makes the reader directly look at all plugs rather than the negative space as it entices the reader. The language used isn’t very highbrow and sophisticated, it is very chilled and relatable language for the main audience it wants to attract of a youthful person of either gender. This article is in purple, however last month the masthead was pink. Both are pastel colours and this typically would attract the reader of MixMag. They create a fun and enthusiastic vibe which a magazine like Q wouldn't do.

The puff of “THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DANCE MUSIC & CLUB CULTURE MAGAZINE” explicitly states what music is featured within the issue. It is in block capitals to make it look punchy and clean. By doing so, it catches the readers’ eye after reading the title because of the use of black and block font. As it says the “WORLD’S BIGGEST” it tells the reader that it is a well-publicised magazine with lots of recognition in all countries as well as races and cultures.

The feature article photograph is of a man of Asian race, wearing a white jacket and has his hand in the shape of a triangle across is face with two silver rings on his fingers. His hair is slightly windswept to the right and his eyes are directly facing forwards looking at the reader. This intensifies his look as the clothing is very basic and plain so the direct contact to the reader is enticing the reader and drawing them in to read the front cover and see what the magazine involves. By doing this is catches the reader enough to increase the chance of it being bought. The right side of his face is shadowed heightening the direct focus to the reader on the left side. This creates a mysterious impression to the reader and could connote that it is unknown of what will be included in the magazine relating back to the plugs and how they include little information of the magazines content. He has a common haircut whereby the sides are short and the top is long and styled. With this being a popular and current haircut it tells the reader that this magazine is very common and well-known and is up to date with the current music as well as fashion and style. The way his rings and zipper upon his jacket are both silver increases the professional look to the magazine as it continues with the colour scheme linking to the grey background colour. The fact that they have used an Asian DJ for the feature article photograph gives the magazine a multi-cultural vibe which will help to attract a diverse audience. It is shot as a medium close-up and has been taken at eye level suggests that he is neither vulnerable (low angle) or empowering (high angle) which creates the impression to the reader that the magazine is available to everyone regardless of your position in social status. The fact that the man is covering almost half of his face makes him seem very mysterious and intriguing suggesting that the magazine contains mysterious information that you wouldn't have known before reading the magazine.

MIXMAG FRONT COVER

PRACTICING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

The image on the left was inspiration for those below. I found the way that the photographer styled, angled and lit the model captivating and suited the model as it showed off her facial features. The use of the background set being black allowed the model to stand out and made the picture come out clearer. The use of a bottom light helped to emphasise her facial structure. I imagine that the model was also lit from behind the photographer as her eyes are beaming with the reflection of light, helping to emphasise her dramatic eye look and desirability in her eyes.

I found that at the start whilst taking images, it was hard to determine where the model was lit from. After turning on the front lights and background lights, I decided that the model was lit from a low angle in front of the model. This helped to light her entire face whilst showing off her facial features which is how I take the photographer to have done this.

 

I then decided that the images I originally took were too lit from the front, I felt that it blurred her face slightly and made her look too pale in comparison to the model on the top left. Therefore I chose to move the light further back and therefore her face structure was more visual, her face returned to her natural skin colour and she appeared more like the model in the top left. I did find that giving the directions to the model more difficult than expected. Therefore, I know for the future that specific directions work best with allowing the model to understand exactly what is wanted of them for the ‘vision’ of the shot.

I took inspiration from this image as I felt it showed off her facial structure. I found the way that she was photographed very sophisticated and well lit. The way in which the model is positioned helps to convey a provocative but child-like in the way that her lips are slightly parted creating a playful vibe. The head angle being slightly tilted to the left adds to the playful vibe and the way that her chin is slightly pointing upwards makes her seem more sophisticated. I noticed that the model had a white/cream background making the vibe seem more chilled. I found that the photographer took the image with the flash enabled as her eyes have a reflective beam in them which they decided not to Photoshop out to make it appear more natural. I also believe that she may have been lit from the top left side but also in front of the model, this is evident in the reflection of the light upon her left shoulder.

In this shot I decided to use a black background rather than white/cream like the photographer did above as I found that it added more focus to the model, it allowed the camera to capture a better quality image and also made the model look more striking. Although the clothing worn is not similar to the image above, it is still visible that the lighting strikes the models left shoulder. I know for next time to ensure to use a jet black screen to ensure it is not see through, or to use Photoshop before uploading my shot publicly. 

LEARNING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

These images show myself testing out lighting and taking practice portrait images in preparation or my magazine project later on in the year. By doing this I learnt which lights to use and where they light the model, which background is best suited for taking portrait photos and also which lighting best shows the models features. I also learnt how to focus and use specific features on the camera itself.

When taking these images I also learnt how to direct a model, how to style the model and also using extras like a fan to better imitate the models image. By doing this, I feel I have the skills to take my images for my music magazine.

SCHOOL MAGAZINE EVALUATION

School magazine analysis from keshialavallsmith

SCHOOL MAGAZINE FRONT COVER

SCHOOL MAGAZINE CONTENTS PAGE