Final Cut

Final Cut

 

This is the Final Cuts of my magazine and I feel I have accomplished the goals and image I wanted to create with the magazine.

Front Cover

This is the final cut of my front cover and as you can see I have made a considerable amount of changes. Like mentioned previously I had to change my model due to my photos being too bright, no vary of camera shots and the fact she was not suitable for this genre of music. Because of my new photo I had to change text colour to white so that it would stand out, as well as adding a bright pink to add more colour than just blue. I particularly like this picture because it reflects the fun feel to pop music and shows my preparation into mise en scene.

Contents Page

The final draft of my contents page is completley different to my first draft, due to the fact I changed the layout vertically rather than horizontally. I found that this worked better as it allowed me to add a variety of pictures and allowed the text to flow in chronalogical order. I still kept the blue stripes to break up the text and keep to my house style. I like the layout much better then before however I think if I had more time I would still adjust my photos.

Double Page Spread

The article on my double page spread was basically kept the same from my rough cut despite a few added changes, from audience feedback I found it was still suitable. I enjoyed writing the article and was happy with the turn out.  The photo I chose for my double page spread has a fun kind of feel to it and again refelects my preperation into mise en scene - hair, makeup, nails, clothes and lighting. I also decided to add a couple more features to my double page spread so that it fitted in with the conventions of my magazine analysis, eg. imbedded quote, photo credits, web address. 

Photos #3 - Second Featured Artist

Second Featured Artist

The second set of featured shots were for my Contents Page to add a change and interest to my layout. My final choice was a close up photograph with careful considered mise en scene. Although the photo was slightly out of focus it was my favourite of the pictures and the one that was easily manipulated into a album cover. Some of my shots, such as Picture 2 had unbalanced light and came out too dark despite the otherwise good mise en scene eg. Hair, Makeup, Pose.

Final Choice

Extra Shots

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Photos #2 - Main Featured Artist

Main Featured  Artist

 These photographs were my second shots of the main featured artist. Replacing my first shots of photographs of 'Rosi Q' I concentrated on enhancing colour and shadow so made sure the photos had a good light/dark balance. On photo shop I enhanced the hue/saturation of the the photos I was using: see following. In preparation for the shoot I planned two sets of outfits and hair and makeup. Bright coloured clothes, makeup and styled hair made my model glamorous enough to fit in the pop genre. The poses used also had a fun relaxed feel to them, especially the front cover photo which is my favourite shot.

Front Cover

                                                                        

Double Page Spread

Contents Picture

 Bad Photos

These photos were my worst shots with Picture 1 being to close to the face and giving more of a moody vibe better suited to rock rather than pop. Picture 2 was okay for the costume and pose however was slightly aligned to the left and the shadow from  my finger added darkness to the picture. Picture 3 was the worst of all my pictures with the light balance completely off and turning red.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Photos #1 - Live Photos

Live Photos

I took these photos at a live concert and decided that Picture 1 would be most appropriate as you couldn't tell who was performing and give a full view of the stage and ligets. The bright lighting added to the excitement of the photo and the distance between me and the stage does not give away who is performing, enticing the reader to read the article and find out. i then went on to cut out the rest of the audiences head and changed the performing acts name. The concert starred 90's band Steps however they did not seem appropriate to my magazine genre as they were too 'cheesy' in music style. In the contents page of my magazine I stated the concert was Lady Gaga's as she is a large credited singer in the pop genre. The live photos added continuity to my contents page and allowed a range of camera angles rather than close ups and mid shots.

Picture 1

Picture 2 seemed innappopriate in my magazine as it was at a bad angle and the artists were visible but not clear in the picture.

Picture 2

Diary 10

Diary 10

I have completed taking one set of photos, a second feature story for my contents page and put effort in to make sure they were better than last. After changing the model I decided my  sisters would be the perfect fit, as although they were a bit young I was comfortable to tell them what I wanted and how I wnated them to act without disagreement. I took the pictures again in a white studio based setting, however this time I made sure the lighting wasn't as bright by bringing in a different lamp I felt confident in using. I feel happy with this set of pcitures as they express the image I want the magazine to have. I also plan in turning one of these pictures into an album cover for a singer interviewed ion my magazine. In the next few days I need to finish taking my pictures as well as editing them.

Diary 9

Diary 9

I am now around half way through completing my final draft. I have perfected the layout however I still need to take my main feature pictures. I plan to take them in advance of the week beofre the deadline so that it will give me enough time to photoshop, edit and even re-take them if nesscary.  I have also completed the changes I wanted to make to my article after realising it was aout a paragraph too short. I aimed to keep it light-hearted and entertaining however still have side of factual information. I am confident that I will finish within the deadline and that I have used my audience feedback to my advantage, by taking everything said into consideration as well as double-checking to get an overall opinion of certain features. For example, I was told that the white stripes on my contents page 'looked out of place' however when  it came to a majority vote people agreed it was a good part of my house style that distinguished my magazine.

Adjustments

From my first draft I have begun to make the following adjustments to make my front cover better:

-          Changing the model and photo’s

-          Making the title fill the width of the page.

-          Changing the artist name and font

-     Swapping position of feature stories

-          Adding more colour and added features.




Rough Draft 

Final Draft Adjustments

-         

Diary 8

Diary 8

After handing in my rough draft and receiving audience feedback, I found that I could process the changes I needed to make easier, as I had evidence from my audience to rely on. As I began making changes to my magazine I decided that a series of different photo shoots featuring different subjects would be necessary in making my magazine more interesting. As mentioned in previous posts I decided that I will put a lot more preparation into the mise en scene of photos. I also plan to add a bit more to my article to make it fit on one page but in a smaller font.

Original Photos

In my rough draft my photos were not up to the level that I wanted them to be. Originally I had taken inspiration from a shoot of pop singer Justin Bieber for one of his magazine interviews. I found that the black and white photographs worked effectively in relating to the reader; however my own attempt did not work as well. This was mainly due to lack of preparation of the mise en scene.

Edited                                                                                              

Original

Edited

 

 Original

Inspiration

Rough Draft Feedback

Today I received helpful feedback on my first draft of the music magazine, which will be useful in making my final cut. From the advice given I found that one of the biggest concerns was the photos. In my next draft I will have to prepare the mise-en-scene so that the lighting is not too bright and the overall effect of the images is interesting for the reader. As well as this, I will photograph more models to increase the diversity in my magazine.  

The next area of concern is the columns within my double page spread. As a standard within many magazines the expected three columns were used in my own magazine; however I made my columns too wide and placed them over two pages. In my next draft, I will change this, so that text is on one side and the images are on the other.

However, from the feedback, I also found that the blue stripes I used throughout the magazine worked well in adding a house style. As well as this my article is suitable for my audience and the artist it is about. This will save time when making my final cut, as i will be able to put more time towards my photos.

Overall, the feedback will be very useful as it not only gives me tips to improve upon, but also gives me an insight into what the reader wants.

Rough Draft of Music Magazine - Evaluation

Rough Draft Evaluation

The last two weeks have been dedicated to making the rough cut of my magazine - front cover, contents and double page spread. After researching professional versions of these, (see previous posts) and creating a paper draft of my magazine, I have made my first computerised version. Obviously at this stage there is still flaws that will need to be adjusted at a later date. From my rough draft, I have learnt that is is extremely important that I always plan every detail that goes into the mise en scene of a picture. After having my first attempt at the photo shoot with my model, it was clear that I needed to be more prepared with how I wanted the model to act, dress and look. The first photo shoot was not as organised as I had hoped, however from this I have learnt to think about what I want at the end of taking the photos and plan everything thoroughly.

Diary 7

Diary 7

This week I finished my article and although I am not quite happy with my photos I am leaving them to do again on a later date when finishing my final draft. Presently I do not have enough time to change my photos without missing key codes and conventions that are needed to make my magazine professional. These small features such as bar code, date and photo credits are what will draw the finishing touches to my magazine.

Diary 6

Diary 6

This week I concentrated on photoshopping my photos as well as adding text to my magazine. After finishing the feature stories on my front page and contents I feel I am prepared enough to finish my first draft in time for the deadline. I have began writing my article for my magazine and feel it is looking promising as it fits the style of my magazine. Aftere analysing other magazines and the text they use to promote their image, I have included links to artists within my genre whilst also adding insult to other genres.

Diary 5

Diary 5

After taking my photos I have decided that I need to use photoshop to edit then and change the lighting. During the shoot I realsised that I had not prepared the mise en scene well enough for my magazine. The lighting was too bright and overexposed the model, as well as this I had not thought about the poses and position I wanted my model to do. In my second shoot I have planned the costume better as well as hair and makeup.

Diary 4

Diary 4

In this week I began taking my photos for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I plan to use one of my friends as the model. I intend to take my pictures in the studio where I can use the lighting equipment to create a soft lighting and also take black and white pictures to give my magazine a seriousness.

Diary 3

Diary 3 

This week I have almost completed the layout for both my front page, contents and double page spread. I plan to have only one picture on my contents page with a large heading and text to read in a horizontal layout. Inb my front page I plan to have around 2 feature stories and a plus feature as well as my main feature article.

General Questionnaire Template

I will use the questionnaire below to ask my readers a general overview of music magazines. After collecting my results and consolidating them, I will go onto create a more specific questionnaire, asking questions directly linked to my own magazine.

General Questionnaire

Please circle the appropriate answers below.

What age range are you in?

0-15       16-26       27-37       38-47       48+

What gender are you?

Female       Male

What type of music genre are you interested in?

Pop       Rock       Indie-Rock       Jazz      Country & Western      Rap       Hip-Hop     

If other, please state:

..................................................................................................................................................................

What type features attract you to a magazine?

Interviews       Upcoming Artists       Reviews       Real Life Stories       Competitions       Quizzes

If other, please state:

..................................................................................................................................................................

How often do you buy and read music magazines?

Never      Occasionally      A Regular Basis       Every Issue Released of One Magazine

What music artist would you like to see in a main interview?

.................................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................................

What kind of layout features attracts you to a music magazine on the front page?

.................................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................................

Thank you for your time.

First Draft Process

Towards the end of last week, I began the rough draft of my magazine. After analysing a host of music magazines and creating a paper draft of my own, I had the initial ideas to base my first draft upon. I concentrated on sorting out the layout of my magazine first and writing my feature articles for the magazine. I will now go on to take my photographs of my model early next week, so that I have time to Photoshop and tweak them. The process of editing and making final adjustments should happen towards after the photos are in place. During my drafting time I am also going to carry out audience research, in which I will create questionnaires to find out what is best for my consumer. See this in my later posts next week.

Diary 2

Diary 2

This week of drafting my magazine has been interesting as I have developed my skills on photoshop and indesign since making my school magazine. I have in my mind a basics idea of what I want my magazine to look like, particularly focusing on a simplistic, minimalistic layout. I have chosen blue to be in my hosue style and have developed a basic layout for my front age.

Double Page Spread Analysis 4

This issue of Q features Lane Del Rey in their double page spread, and stick to their house style of minimalistic colours – black, white and red. Although the photograph is in colour, it is washed out and quite dark. They have the Q logo in the bottom corner of each page, like NME, keeping their brand image in the readers mind constantly. This is also made more noticeable as the red stands out on the stark white background. Like the issue featuring Lady Gaga, the name of the artist is used as the title in the top right hand corner. The two thin black lines separate the artists name and add a bit of shape to the layout of the piece. I like this feature as it is very simple to achieve, yet is effective in adding something to empty space within the spread. The full page, close up image of Lana creates a lot of emotion and feeling within the piece and adds to the moody image she creates for herself through her music. Often perceived as mysterious and dark, the reader sees this emphasised through the photograph of her. The photograph captures the mood that surrounds the artist music and personality and the image she wants to present. Although we can’t see clothing, time and preparation has obviously went into the appearance of Lana. For example, her nails are decorated with gold adding to her glamorous, old Hollywood-inspired image. This is also seen through her simplistic, yet expensive looking jewellery and her rich coloured makeup. The enlarged letter ‘S’ is taken from the beginning of the first sentence.