1. AS Media Studies
OCR G321: Foundation Portfolio
Brief:
Create the front cover, contents and double page spread for a new music
magazine
2.
3. People Involved in music
People that use:
People who have
diverse taste
I aimed my
magazine at..
People that read:
Males and Females
17-28 year olds
4. My magazine would be similar to other music magazines such as
NME and Kerrang and share a similar target audience. However
my magazine would focus more of a wider taste of music and not
on a single genre. The magazine would be for people trying to
discover new music this would be one of my unique selling
points. The magazine would target both genders and anyone
involved with music and not just listeners of music. For example
there would be a small section of the magazine what would review
and advertise instruments which will also attract musicians,
another unique selling point.
5. Based on my audience research I discovered by using surveys that that
there was a massive amount of people that did not play any instrument.
As a musician I found that there was a large gap in the market for a Music
magazine that would review and advertise instruments. The reason
why there is a large gap for this magazine is because there isn't a big
enough audience that would buy the magazine. My media product would
fill this gap, in each issue there will be a small section dedicated to
reviews of certain makes of instrument that mainstream guitar bands
use. In the interviews with bands there will also be a small section for each
band member to share their favourite instrument and make. With small
features like in music magazine it would help inspire more people to pick
up instruments increasing the audience size and popularity of the
magazine.
6. The sub genre of my media product would
be Indie rock music. Based on my
audience research I discovered there was a
massive gap in the market for a magazine
that advertises and reviews instruments
as well as indie music. My magazine would
be aimed at a primary audience of middle
class musicians and musical lovers of
both genders.
7. In this issue of NME the main
image is of the lead singer and
guitarist from the indie band
MUSE. This Issue is the “Guitar
issue” that includes interviews,
tip and chords from famous
indie bands. This is similar to
what my media product features
will include in every issue. This
magazine appeals to the same
audience that my media product
will. This special edition that
shows that NME is trying to
expand their audience and
encourage young musicians to buy
the magazine.
8. The primary audience for my media product would be
mostly Males between the ages of 16 and 30 however,
this magazine is not just for males it also attracts
females because either gender can enjoy the indie
genre. However from my audience research I found that
male readers are more interested by interviews and
reviews of indie bands than females. The majority of the
features I would use in my media product would be
related to new and interesting genres that wound
attract a young audience looking to listen to new music.
9. My secondary audience would be young or beginning
musicians looking for somewhere to start. This
audience may not particularly buy the magazine just for
the guitar content but could read the magazine that
another family member brought. My magazine would be
aimed at a demographic who are open minded and
willing to listen to new and interesting music. My
product is more to help readers discover new music that
reviewing the same genre of music. There may be other
readers that are not interested in the music or guitar
tutorials and read it simply because is available to
them such as friends, family members etc.
10. The demographic for my media product
would be people who are open minded
and willing to discover new and
interesting music and are not set on
one specific genre. Such as people who
want to be different and are not
overwhelmed by mainstream music.
11.
12. MODE OF ADRESS:
The of Intertexuality within my text and features
of my media product create a code that the
audience would understand.
IDEAL READER:
The two cover stars in the main image are suppose to
represent the ideal reader. They are both wearing casual
clothes with normal haircuts, this is so the reader can relate to
the stars. The Black and white make it so the reader can’t tell
what colour the stars are wearing, or what colour hair their
have so the reader can create their own image of the stars. The
black and white connotes some class and style to the
magazine and to the stars. This follows the usual conventions
of indie rock band members meaning from the first look
readers will know what my media product is about.
13. To appeal to my chosen Target Audience the band
member on my main image would have to represent
what the reader will aspire to be. To appeal to a wider
audience the star must seem mainstream and from the
Indie genre.
On the following slides I will show how Alex Turner the
lead singer/ rhythm guitarist of one of the largest indie
bands in the world, The Arctic Monkeys and how he
filters his appearances and performances depending on
his audience.
14.
15. Smart slicked back
hair, well kept, shows
that he cares about his
public image and puts
effort in to look good.
Not wearing tie with
shirt so this suggest he
is going for a semi
formal look.
Overall “Clean cut
look”
Wearing black and
grey colours and
playing a black guitar,
this connotes class.
He is preforming on a
stage and playing the
guitar. This shows he is
appealing to a young
audience as a talented
musician.
Smart clothing, wearing
a suite jacket and shirt.
Wants to look smart in
the public eye.
Appealing to a young
male audience as a
positive role model.
16. Direct address (Direct
eye contact with
audience)
Neutral facial
expression not positive,
not negative.
Elvis inspired hair cut,
greasy quiff.
Lazy posture, not
posing for photograph.
Casual clothing. Not
putting much effort in.
Cigarette connotes how
the star is rebellious.
Leather jacket, 70s look
Goes against
conventions of typical
indie/rock star meaning
readers will aspire to be
like him.
He is trying to appeal to
a young male audience
with a typical “Bad Ass”
look making him seem
tough.
17. Costume:
Both of the images represent and show
different public images of Alex Turner.
The Smart outfit on the left symbolises
a smart clean cut musician making
himself a career, and is a positive role
model to his audience. However the
outfit on the right shows a more
rebellious side of Alex, with a leather
jacket and a cigarette in his hand
which breaks the conventions of the
typical indie rock stars. This shows a
negative role model that people want
aspire to. Both outfits appeal to
different audiences
Turner would usually wear this while
preforming at formal events, and while he
is in the public eye, as this gives his a good
reputation in front of people who don’t
follow the band closely.
Alex Turner wears this kind of clothing when
he isn't preforming, to give him a reputation
as a rebel and this appeals more to the
audience that follows Alex and the Arctic
Monkeys closely.
18. COVER STARS:
The Cover stars I used in my Front Cover, Contents Page and Double Page Spread were suppose to cover
the usual conventions of an Indie rock band, that would appeal to the target audience as good role
models. The Stars are slightly younger than the Target audience, but are in the genre and profession that
the target audience enjoys, which is usually dominated by people over 20. This is unusual and would
create allot of attention in the Indie Genre. There is noting exaggerated about my main image. The Stars I
have used are ordinary people, which means the reader can connect with the starts and be inspired by
what they have achieved.
19.
20. UpBeat would be a weekly magazine priced at £2.10 per issue. This price is
slightly cheaper than NME which is also released weekly. UpBeat is cheaper
than most music magazines published weekly this is due to the more
advertisement in the magazine such as instrument advertisement. Each
issue of Upbeat will contain a code, used to download one piece of music
featured in the magazine each week. These two points are unique selling
points and will help the magazine sell.
21. I would publish my magazine with IPC Media. This is because IPC media
are a renown for publishing great music magazines such an NME. I
believe that using IPC Media to publish the magazine would instantly give
UpBeat recognition, publicity and popularity as ‘NMEs little brother.’
Once people know that the magazine is Published by IPC Media, a well
respected publisher everyone will be interested to see how it compares to
The ‘New Music Express.’
22. Online distribution:
There will be many different ways that UpBeat will be
distributed. One of the biggest mediums for magazines is
the Internet. I will be using social media such as Facebook
and Twitter to advertise Upbeat magazine. Upbeat magazine
will have a Facebook page and a Twitter account which will be
posting teasers and information on a daily basis. UpBeat
magazine will also have its own web page that will have
information about the magazine such as Special offers,
Forums, Q+A, Pictures, Music videos, Interviews,
Instrumental tutorial videos, UpBeat Merchandise and
somewhere to redeem your weekly code for the free music in
each issue. The following slides will show how I will
represent my Website and merchandise.
23. The first thing you see when
you look at the website is the
‘UpBeat’ Masthead so the
viewer instantly knows what
Magazine is associated with
the website.
This is the Log in and
Register buttons. Readers
must have to have a
Website account to
redeem their Free song
code.
One way UpBeat is distributed is
on the internet so at the top of
the webpage there is a link to
subscribe to get the digital
edition as well as the hard copy.
This is an image of the
most recent issue of
‘UpBeat’ Magazine with a
subscription link next to
the image as well as a
search bar.
This section of the
webpage shows video
interviews and reviews by
music critics. There is also
a link to view all the
websites videos and
media.
This section is dedicated to
news in the music world as
well as a Q+A section and
Forums
The main image of the page is for
exclusive content such as
Interviews, reviews and music
videos that were advertised and
teased in the most recent issue of
UpBeat magazine.
28. Gender, Age and Artist
Gender:
If The magazine had to have a primary audience, male or female,
UpBeat would be more directed towards a male audience. Only
because Indie music stars are mostly male, and is followed more by
males than females. However my magazine can also appeal to
females, because Indie Music is a very unisex, and is followed by
both genders. The Colour scheme is neutral with no gender
specific colours and the Main image is in Black and White to avoid
being associated with a specific gender.
Age:
The target audience for my magazine is mostly aimed at young
adults between (17-28) this is because the Indie Genre is more
popular with young adults that early teens because of the era of
indie bands. The stars are at the beginning of the Age range and
are very young for to be in a successful Indie Band this will
attract the reader because it is unusual in the Indie genre.
Genre:
The Genre of my magazine is Indie. This is portrayed through the
main image. The Cover stars are particularly typical of indie bands,
wearing normal clothing, with unusual haircuts, this means they
are easy to relate to. The Indie characteristic is particularly
obvious because of the other bands in the rest of the magazine.
29. FRONT COVER
Both banners on the page are in a
bright ‘Yellow’ this catches the eye of
passers by and potential readers in
shops, and news stands. Each banner
has a point of interest that will
instantly interest the potential reader.
Being the largest text on the entire
front cover in a bright red, the
masthead draws attention allowing
passers by to identify the Brand of
magazine instantly.
The Cover Line is one of the largest
text of the page surrounded by a
bright read box with white text and
a pull quote. This makes the Cover
line eye catching as it occupies a
considerable amount of space on
the cover it will attract passers by
eyes’
When people are looking for a
good magazine or when reading
something quickly, they tend to
skim read over the cover, so
words like “WIN” will attract
their eye and encourage them to
read the rest of the front cover.
This might lead to them buying
the magazine.
30. Colour:
The colour scheme of my magazine is simple. Red, White and Black
all compliment each other well. The Black and White stand out
against the bright red which helps ‘UpBeat’ to stand out against other
competing magazines. The main image is in Black and White
meaning it also follows the colour scheme. The Bright Yellow banners
are very eye catching, and have interesting information on them
about what the magazine has inside. This will help the sale of the
magazine.
Festivals:
Mentioning and advertising different music festival and reviews,
will help attract younger readers. This is because many festival
tickets are recently going on sale, so if a potential reader sees
reviews of festivals on front cover, they will be interested to discover
which festival have the best reviews, and because festival tickets are
so expensive, people want to make the right decision about which
festival to attend. This will greatly increase the sale of the magazine
because this is what my target audience is interested in.
Main Feature:
The main feature of my magazine is in the centre of the front
cover, in large bold text, in a large red box which means it is
very eye catching. This is important because when people look
at a magazine, the first thing they look at is the Main image and
cover line to see if it will interest them.
31. CONTENTS PAGE
The heading for the contents page uses the
same font and house style of ‘UpBeat’
magazine. The white text stands out well
against the red background so the reader will
quickly know that this is an important page
of the magazine, and allows the reader to
discover what sort of features are in the
magazine.
It always helps the magazine
sell if the magazine has a
free offer inside. For my
magazine this is one of my
unique selling points, a
free song download of the
readers choice with every
issue. I believe this alone will
encourage some people to
purchase the magazine.
People will see the offer on
the front cover and turn to
the contents page to find out
more about the offer.
Advertisement is very important in
magazines and helps raise the total
outcome of the magazine. It is important
not to use too much advertisement, as
this could stop the reader from buying the
magazine. That is why the advertisement in
my magazine has a dedicated page to
‘Gibson guitars’ this makes the
advertisement seem like a feature of the
magazine.
It is important to link what is
in your contents page, with
what is on your front cover. If
people are interested in the
Leeds Festival reviews that are
shown on the front cover, they
will then turn to the contents
page to find out more about
the feature. This is why I have
white bold text surrounded
by red so it stand out to the
consumer. This means the
reader can then quickly look
at the page with festival
reviews and if interested, buy
the magazine.
32. DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD
For my double page spread I used a
different colour scheme of white, Blue
and brown to change from the house style
on the magazine, to surprise and interest
the reader. The white text stands out
against the blue box behind the pull
quote. The pull quote is at the top of the
page and is the first thing that draws the
attention of the reader. The words
“WORLD DOMINATION” stands out
against the blue rectangle behind the pull
quote. This create a dramatic effect and
intrigues the reader to read on into the
article.
The Main image of the band occupies
about 2/3 of the page. This is because
when a potential reader is flipping
through the pages of the magazine this
image will attract the readers
attention and make them turn back to
the page to skim read the title and pull
quote, then they will be hooked by the
other feature which will lead to them
purchase the magazine.
The Title of the magazine stands out to the reader, this title is the largest text on the page
this is similar to the bands name and cover line on the front cover which means when the
buyer sees the name of the band on the front cover and in the magazine they will know that
the double page spread is the main feature in the magazine. When people pick up a
magazine it is usual because of the main image or about the main feature when people see
this double page spread they will defiantly read through it quickly since it is the main
feature.
33. -For my Front Cover and Contents Page I kept the colour scheme consistent, because this is the house style of the
magazine. Red, White and Black are all classic colours which are not put under a specific gender. Meaning this colour
scheme attracts multiple audiences.
-However I changed the colour scheme when it comes to the double page spread. The colours I used were Blue, White,
and Brown. I used these colours because they contrast with the colour scheme of the magazine’s house style, The red
contrasts with the blue. This is because I believe that the main feature of the magazine should not share the house style.
The common theme I used throughout the magazine, is white bold text surrounded by a bright colour. I used this
because it is a good way to attract the readers eye.
36. Original Image
I couldn’t fit four
stars so I had to
delete the two stars
on the left and right.
I used the polygonal
lasso tool to cut the
other two stars out
Then I touched up
the edges of the
picture with the
eraser tool
First I wanted to get
rid of the green
background that
was in the studio
where the photo was
shot, as well as the
Lights in the back
ground. I put the
photo into Adobe
Photoshop and used
the Magic eraser
tool.
I experimented with using
four cover stars but I found
this difficult to fit four people
into the design on my front
cover. I could not fit in any
features at the side of the
magazine with out covering
the stars faces or other
important details. So I
decided to delete the two stars
on the left and right and kept
the two middle stars. I put the
Photo into Adobe Photoshop
and used the lasso tool and
eraser tool to manually
remove the two stars.
(Continues on next slide)
37. I had already chosen my
colour scheme and
designed my front cover
before taking the photo. I
didn’t want to have to redo
the entire Front cover, so
instead I converted the
photo into Black and white
which fits in well with my
magazine colour scheme,
and with the Indie genre. I
use the black and white
layer tool to make the
picture black and white and
then used a Brightness and
Contrast tool to slightly
Alter how the picture
looked.
After I was happy with
the effects used on the
picture, I zoomed in on
the picture so the photo
was now a mid shot of
the two stars. Then I
applied a white back
ground to the photo and
touched up any small
details.
Then I added the photo
to my Front Cover
design I had created to
get the finished
product
Finished Photo
Finished product
39. For my contents I wanted to
have a simple layout with
clean, crisp pictures and text. I
created a simple but good
looking template, by using 9
red squares to create a grid
with several boxes to put
features and information in.
I then placed my Masthead
and the title at the top of the
page in a red box. Then I
placed the photos I took over
the summer along with a
picture of a guitar, and the
photos of the cover stars in to
the boxed off sections of
the template. It took me a
while to find which pictures
to use and where to put them
in relation to each other. I
wasn’t happy with some of
the lighting on the photos so
I edited some of them by
adding a
‘Brightness/contrast’ layer
over all of the photos
Then I wrote in all the
captions and pull quotes
beneath all the photos,
explaining what each photo
was. I had to use anchorage
to link each piece of text with
all of the images. I also wrote
the editors letter and put a
picture of the front cover in
the bottom red box. However
I didn’t know what to put in
two of the boxed areas so I
left then until I had an idea
what to put in them.
I then decided I needed
something in the two boxed
spaces. In the first one I put a
review of the most recent
Headliners of Leeds Festival
2014. In the second one I put
the page numbers of the pages
that didn't have a designated
picture on the contents page.
Finally I placed page numbers
on each image so the reader
knows where to find that page
in the magazine if they were
interested in the image.
Finished product
41. Originally I wanted to take the
photo of the stars on a white
back ground and then added a
filter to create a great looking
image. However as you can see
from the original photo there
was not enough space for all four
band members on the white
back drop so I had to process the
photo through Photoshop. This
is how I transformed the photo
First I got rid of the
green and white
background from
the original photo
using the magic
eraser tool.
I found that the four band
members were standing too far
away from each other. They would
take up too much space on the
double page spread and there
would be no space for text. That
meant that I would have to cut out
each member individually and put
them on separate layers so I
could move the members closer
together. I used the polygonal
lasso tool to cut each member
out.
(Continues on next slide)
42. Comparison
Before
After separating each
member on to differently
layers I dragged each layer
closer together to make it
look like the members are
standing closer together.
Then I wanted
to put the
photo through
a filter so I put
a grey
background
behind the
band members
After
I couldn’t find a
filter I liked on
Photoshop so I
uploaded the
photo of the band
members with the
grey background
to a photo editing
website called
picmonkey.com,
and picked a filter
I liked.
http://www.picmonkey.com/
(Continues on next slide)
43. After choosing a filter
I liked, I placed the
photo on a landscape
A3 document in
Photoshop. I moved
the photo to the left
and added a grey
rectangle next to the
photo for text and blue
decorative boxes that
will be used for the
Headline of the article
and pull quote.
Then I added the
name of the band
as the Title of the
article as well as a
pull quote from
the band and the
page number.
Finished product
Finally I added two
columns of text about
the band its self and all
the information the
reader needs to know.
After some small
finishing touches my
double page spread is
complete.
44.
45.
46.
47. Through out the entire Unit I
feel like I have improved greatly
from my practice work. I had
never used Photoshop before
taking the course and found it
very daunting, and complicated
so for the practice front cover
and contents page I didn’t use
Photoshop, and used Microsoft
publisher. Since then I am
confident using Photoshop and
feel that my skill have
improved massively over the
unit. I have learnt more about
the conventions of music
magazines which can be seen
from the difference between the
college magazine and the music
magazine.
48. I was very pleased with my first front
cover however I didn’t not completely
understand the uses of all front cover
conventions at the time. This front
cover is allot less detailed than my final
front cover. I hardly edited the main
image and the magazine looks very
simple and plain. I have a simple
colour scheme of white and blue
based on what the cover star was
wearing at the time. I do not have any
banners or text surrounded by a bright
colour making it hard to read in places.
The points of interest do not stand
out unlike my final magazine. The text
overlapping the cover star is hard to
read, I should of put a bright colour
behind the text to help it stand out to
the reader. I learn from this and use this
technique in my final front cover.
49. I found my first contents hard to
create because I had a lack of
knowledge on contents page
conventions. This can be seen on
the actual contents page. The page is
quite boring compared to my final
contents page. I only used one font
on the entire page making it
unappealing to the eye. None of the
picture have been edited and the
entire page was created in Microsoft
Publisher, this limited the amount
of creativity I could put into the
page. The index does not attract the
eye. I make sure to improve this on
this in my final contents page.
50. I believe that Colour schemes are very
important when it comes to a magazine. The
colour scheme and main image need to link
with the target audience, genre and style of
the magazine. My practice magazine has the
main image of a student because it is a
student magazine. The colour scheme is
simple, using a common colour that
students would wear around collage. I have
linked the main image and the colour
scheme to the target audience, genre and
style. Similarly I have done the same with my
final magazine. The Colour scheme is bright
and vibrant with out losing class. The Bright
red, links with dangerous and new ideas in
music. The main image is of two Indie band
members and is in black and white linking
back to the colour scheme and the classic
style of indie music. This is what the target
audience wants to see in a music magazine.
51. I feel like my final Contents
page is a huge improvement
from my first Contents page. It
has the convention and fits the
target audience of young
adults looking for new
music. The colour scheme
follows the house style of the
magazine and has allot more
interest on the page. I feel that
using a grid like layout has
helped me structure the page
allot better.
My Photoshop skills have
improved massively from the
start of the unit and I can use
many new techniques with
confidence to create my desired
design.
55. Pug at the top of the
magazine is eye
catching, and 20%
offer encourages
reader to look
through/buy the
magazine.
The first letter of the Font is Blue to go
with the colour scheme. The letter is
highlighted to attract attention to the
Masthead. This is part of the brand
identity and helps the reader remember
the magazine.
To attract more potential
readers the features on the front
cover must attract the target
audience. The target audience of
the college magazine was
students, so that is why I created
this design using different social
media and apps.
56. The first letters of each word on the cover line
are highlighted in blue just like the masthead,
helping establish a brand identity in the
readers head. I anchored the strap line and
pull quote to the chest of the cover star, so
people link the cover line to the main
image, this is an example of anchorage.
My secondary images are
images from the summer
at festivals. These photos
are what the target
audience are interested
in so they will more likely
want to read the
magazine.
57. The cover star’s photo was taken
with a digital camera against a
white background. The cover star is
looking directly at the camera,
(‘The Gaze’) this is known as a
direct address and allows the
audience to connect with the cover
star.
I used Adobe Photoshop and
adjusted the brightness because
the image was too dark to begin
with.
I experimented with removing
the background completely but I
found that the original white
background looked better. I used
the negative space around the
cover star to place features and
other conventions.
58. We took many different photos but I
found it difficult to pick one. To find
which photo I wanted to put on my
front cover I made a contact sheet
with all of the photos I would
considered. I didn’t want to use any
photos with a funny angle or with the
cover star looking away from the
camera. This is because I find a
magazine that has the cover star
looking directly at the reader more
appealing than other magazines
where the star is looking away.
61. I used the masthead from the
front cover in the contents page
to continue Brand Identity.
The Title has the first letter
highlighted blue just like the
masthead, this makes both the
title and masthead interesting
to look at.
The first two words
‘Thank You’ are in
bold text so they
stand out. This is
accustom in editors
letters. I also put a
photo of myself in the
editors letter as this is
also accustom in
editors letter
Using logos from
mainstream companies that
are extremely popular with
the target audience will attract
allot of attention from
readers. The reader will then
follow the page number to find
the offer within the magazine
62. I used a blue box to
surround the white text
and help the text stand
out. Using the boxes
helps me to structure
the page. The Blue and
White text follows the
colour scheme and
brand identity of the
magazine.
I used captions on the
photos so it is clear what
the photo is about if the
reader is interested in the
photo. I used black
rectangles that I made
45% opaque, to put the
text on. This allows the
audience to read the
caption and still see the
image beneath
63. I only used two photos on the
contents page, this was because I
wanted the reader to be more focused
on the information and text. The
first image is a photo I took from the
summer while at a festival.
The second image is one of my
classmates. The image and caption
link to the strapline on the front
cover. Showing two different people
that are in the same article tells the
reader that their will be multiple
interview.
I didn’t use Photoshop or any
editing software on either photos,
because they both had good lighting
and were not being used as main
images.
66. I started by experimenting with
several different fonts on publisher
to find what fonts I preferred. I fount 7
different fonts of Microsoft
publisher that I liked and changed the
colour of each font to fit the colour
scheme of my magazine. After I used
each font as my masthead on my final
magazine design, I chose the font that
went well with the genre and style of
the magazine . The final font I chose
was the ‘Birth of a Hero’ font. I like
the ‘aged’ look of the front to show the
reader that it is an experienced
magazine.
67. Bright Red bold font on a white back ground
for the masthead stands out to the audience
as well as coordinating with the colour
scheme. The masthead looks ‘aged’ with parts
breaking off the font, this gives the masthead
a classic and experienced feel and goes well
with the main image that is in black and
white, which also connotes age, experience
and class. This draws attention to masthead
and makes it interesting to look at.
The Banner is a bright yellow which is eye catching. Bold black
text contrasts with the yellow. Names of different festivals are
in different colours to attract the eye. Readers are more likely to
buy a magazine if there is a competition for something the
audience cares about. In this case the word ‘WIN’ attracts the
reader
68. White bold text surrounded by red goes
with the colour scheme and stand
out to the reader. The bands name is
the most important text on the cover
line so it is in the largest front and in
a different colour from the rest of the
text.
I anchored the
information and
pull quote about
the exclusive
interview feature
to cover stars body.
A bright coloured banner at the
This is relevant
bottom of the cover with
because the
interesting images, that the target
interview and pull
audience will like will make
quote is about the
potential readers scan the entire
cover star that the
cover for more interesting
information is
details.
anchored to.
69. Original Photo
Finished Final
Photo
I found it difficult to fit the entire band on to a A4 sized document for the front cover. After
experimenting I decided to only have two members on the Front cover instead, The
Guitarist and Vocalist. The photo would have to go through allot of editing to edit out the
other two members. I put the photo into Photoshop and deleted the green background and
other objects using the magic eraser tool. Then I proceeded to manually cut out the two
other members using the Lasso tool.
I had then edited out the two band members but the two band cover stars I had chosen,
were wearing blue clothes which clashed with my colour scheme. To tackle this issue I
decided to convert the photo into black and white in Photoshop. This way the photo would
fit in with the colour scheme, and go well with the style of magazine, as well as the ‘aged’
font used for the masthead, giving a classic look and feel to the magazine. Finally I zoomed
in on the two cover stars so the image was a mid shot of the band members
72. Putting in a image of the two cover
stars and the rest of the band in
the middle of the contents page
allows readers to make a instant
connection between the front
cover image and the contents page
image. A pull quote that is not
very informative from the band
itself helps interest the reader
and make them want to
investigate further.
Using the ITunes Logo as
well as the word “Free” will
attract the reader to the
feature when the reader
glances at the page. The
target audience would be
very interested in a music
related offer.
Part of the magazines
unique selling point is
that it also advertises
and reviews
instruments to try and
get people even more
involved in music. I took
this picture from the
Gibson Guitar website
as well as the logo.
73. One of the main features shown throughout the
magazine is reviews of Festivals. In the contents page
this is continued. I reused the picture from my practice
contents page because I found the photo was very
effective. The other photo is of the festival grounds. I
edited this image in Photoshop because the picture
was dull and taken on a cloudy day so I increased the
brightness and saturation to make the photo look
like it was from summer.
To make my contents page look more
professional I used a photo of the issues
Front Cover as this is want most
mainstream magazines use in their
editor letters. I also used a real signature
at the bottom right of the editors letter at
the end of the text, to look like I had singed
the letter and make it look even more
professional.
74. I decided not to process the original studio images through
Adobe Photoshop and leave them with the green
background. I did this because this way the images look like
the band has done a exclusive Photo shoot with ‘UpBeat’
magazine, this will interest readers making them look for
more images within the magazine. Another reason I did not
edit the images was because they looked good without any
editing, and the images are not the main feature in the
contents page. I did not have one main image the contents
page focused on, so the photos did not need as much
editing as the main image on a DPS would need.
The Picture of the Festival Grounds was the only photo
that went through any editing. The original photo was quite
dull and gloomy because the photo was taken on a cloudy
day. To brighten up the picture I put the photo into
Photoshop, then added a Brightness and contrast filter
and raised the brightness and used colour correction on
the sky and clouds to make the picture look more summer
like.
77. This was my first time creating a double page spread so I wanted to
keep it simple on the. presentation features. I went for a colour
scheme that contrasts with the magazines house style. I used a
blue rectangle and put a pull quote in bold letter s across it so ir
stands out as the first thing seen when you look at the page.
I used several blue quadrilaterals around
the page for decorative effect. I did this in
Photoshop by making 3 squares and then
changed their dimensions and colours.
Then I put while bold text over some of the
blue shapes to make the text stand out to the
reader.
78. Original Photo
Edited Final Photo
This photo was taken in a professional
studio. I hoped to have the band stand next
to each other against a white background, and
then use the natural lighting and a filter to
create a great looking photo. However the
entire band would not fit on the white
background in the studio. To combat the
situation I decided to process the photo
through Photoshop.
First I removed the green background and
other objects in the shot using the magic
eraser tool. However I found that the band
was standing too far apart from each other,
and the picture would not fit on the double
page spread with out looking awkward. So I
had to cut out all the band members
individually and bring them closer together.
Then I added a grey background instead of
bright white, and put the picture through a
photo editing website called Picmonkey. I
found a filter I liked and then saved the photo.
This gave me my final photo.
