IMPROVEMENTS

After receiving various feedback, I went onto improving the negative aspects of all three pages:


Cover

Here I changed the puffs style to the 'Impact' font as the previous one was too dull. I also left the puffs plain black as no other colours were necessary but in order to make them readable against all the grey/black, I used the 'glow' text effect which is found in Microsoft PowerPoint. This glow effect created a hazy border around the text, illuminating it against the background and made it much more readable than the previous cover where the text was half black and white. 
Another thing I added was a quote made by model. The reason I did this was because I had been following the NME special edition cover styles and producing my magazine around that and one thing I noticed was that these special edition covers featured a quote from the artists and so I thought it would be an interesting idea to include in mine. I kept the quote short and sweet as I feared that although the glow on the text may have helped it become more readable, I did not want to over do it.




Contents

My contents page received a whole new makeover as I decided to mimic a different NME contents style. In the NME I looked at, all the contents in the magazine was put into listed but not defined into 'features' or 'regulars'. I did this in order to make the page look more fuller and tidy. I also used a red and black colour scheme to separate each feature. 
I was also told to include more pictures rather than my main feature photo.
All the images on here are mine aside from the ones I used for the makeshift magazines at the bottom. The reason for making extra little magazines for the subscription was again from the NME contents and rather than putting the same cover I thought it would be more interesting to add different ones as then it makes my magazines seem like real and ongoing. 
For the caption of the larger photo, I chose to use the Impact font again. I kept the other text plain as I needed it to be clear as the contents are all pushed together and to make them Impact font as well would make it difficult to read and untidy. Although the section concerning the magazine subscription has been changed to the 'Adobe Caslon Pro' font to separate it from the other text.
I also used a orangey fill colour for the 'WIN' section to make it eye-catching.




Double Page

For the quote, I decided to re-colour it using the 'washout' effect which changed the bright red to a pinker/champagne colour that I approved off as it matched the dress in the second image. I chose to colour the middle section of the quote a darker colour as it helped break up the continuity of the colour which I found dull and so by doing this, I though it made the page more interesting.

I was also advised to do something about the second image as the top of the head was a little bit flat from where the image was cut off. So I has to round off the edges 

Overall I didn't need to change the double page as much as personally, everything seemed to work nicely.

Double Page

[Rough draft]
Origonally I had the main image in colour and had it overlapping on to the other side of the page. I also used my origonal article and quotes but I ensured I made the font smaller as it was too large when printed out. I tried to make my second image black and white but picking out the blue shirt and red lips. However I decided that this is not effective.



[Editied from previous]

Here I've decided to apply my house style to the main image by making the background black and white as I though it was too busy. I coloured in my model to establish that she is the main focus. I then used a different second image which is a bit more bolder and different.
Then for my article title I kept my pun 'Sens Asian' and retained the white and red colour scheme with 'Asian' being in red to highlight the pun and focus.
I then included a quote which I made the same font and colour red to ensure it stands out but does not overpower the main article. I made the article text smaller to about a size 8 as it will be made into A3 and so the size will hopefully even out.
The length of the article had to be limited due to space and so I inserted a small triangle after the last line to indicate that the article continues on the next page. This technique is quite conventional in most magazines.

FEEDBACK ON EDIT

#1 " I think the red and the blue clashes too much and leaves the blue out of place. The interviewer and interview-ee are not distinguished clearly and again, the font is too basic. I would rather the main image to be just black and white although I like the second image and the arrow indicator which is quite professional"

#2 " I really like it. I do think that the text is easy to read and has clear focus. I love the pun! The red and white in the title balances out the dramatic effect and I like the use of the black and white. I just think that the quote could be done in a different colour as you've already got red. I would suggest white to go with your house style"



Cover #2 and contents

Cover

After recieveing the feedback from my previous cover, I decided to change the wold thing once again. The image I used was one that my teacher thought was strong and when I asked if I could do a black and white cover, I was advised that I pick up one colour from her bracelet or lips and use it i my colour scheme. I then made my image black and white and then had the bracelet and lips coloured in. From theer I went on to title and anchoring text which I also made red to link it with my main image. Again I've kept the puffs on the side, however in further development I may include some on the other side.

I have established my colour scheme of red, white and black in which I will aim to run  this through my other pages.

I have given my puffs a combination of black and white to estabish my scheme further. Also it helped make the words readable.

With my anchoring text, I have played it with the image. The model has her finger on her lips and I wanted to create a pun form it by using 'SHH' in to 'SPECIAL'. The reason why I made the words 'special edition' was to show it was like the NME covers where they had the simple grey background and the main colour.

FEEDBACK 

#1 "I like the use of one colour and red is very eye-catching and bold. However, I think the font is too boring and the puffs are slightly difficult to read."

#2 " This has an interesting layout and seems to target a female audience. I like the use of 'SHH' in the text because I find it interesting and provokes mystery" 

Contents

I keep with the house style I made the background grey also and used the red to highlight different sections of the contents. I used another magazine as a template and they had two images only, one main image and the other for subscriptions whcih I have done here.

I used the colour scheme of red and black in my text. I used red to highlight 'NW' for new wave and made 'this Week' in black to break up the similarity and make it stand out more.

FEEDBACK

#1 "Again text is too basic and I dont think the blue goes well with the red and black colour scheme"

#2 "It would be preferable if the only colour in the image was the blue shirt so the style would match the one shown on the cover. I also think the colour scheme is very neutral. I like it"

Researching for house styles

I had a look at a selection of NME special edition covers to see what they've done and how they altered their house style.

Here they have used a grey background and used a pink colour scheme which is highlighted from her pink lips. Blue is used in her outfit as a contrasting colour.

 This cover is more edgy. The blue in her jacket is faded into the background however they have estabished their usual colour scheme of red from picking it off her lips and t-shirt. The other text is a combination of white and black
 This is a very interesting idea. The have an extreame close up which fills the entire page. The colour scheme in here is again, red, white and black however, the house style colour on the title is replaced to white suggesting her red hair has taken the rest of the colour away from the text. The white could also match the paleness in her face and the plain, white t-shirt.
 Finally we have another similar cover in terms of how they establish a house style. Again the grey background is very popular for special edition covers and use of black and white text. The main text (title and anchoring) is coloured to match the blue cup. This is a very effective use of props. Her clothes are also grey and seem to fade into background so the main focus is on the strong blue colours.

What I've learnt from here is that NME heavily relies on the use of mis-en-scene/props to establish their house style. In thier special edition covers they have only the one main colour and then black and white for puffs.



Cover #1

I used one of my old photoshoot images for this one as I thought that the pose and mis-en-scene was appropriate for the theme I had going. I still wanted to keep the blue colour scheme and also decided to add red to clash the colour and make it more eye catching. I also kept my magazine slogan 'your splash of music news'.

I used one of my own magazines as a template for puffs and ideas. I also took the idea of the yellow price sticker on the top corner as from personal experience, the large display of pricing encourages me to buy the magazine and so I hope that my magazine would have the same effect.

I decided to keep the puffs on one side of the page and a banner at the bottom as banners are conventional in most magazines.

I've kept the blue colour scheme in the puffs but added the odd red colour to relate to the main image. The reason I have used red in my anchoring text is because I have picked the colour from my models lips and design from her jacket. I then made her name in red as i have placed it away from the anchoring text but I wanted to keep that connection between the two texts.

FEEDBACK

"I like the images however, I don't quite get the house style of your magazine yet. It needs to be clearer. Also the colours and style must run through in both contents and double page spread. The yellow price sticker is also un necessary. The puffs also need to be better and go around the image rather than sticking to just one side.But main focus of improvement must be the house style."

PHOTOSHOOT IMAGES

Here I've taken new images where I can experiment photographing different positions and scenery. I've mainly taken these images around our sixth form area and the playground area near by. I tried various sitting positions whist thinking about what I can put in my double page spread as I think it looks more indie, thoughtful and innocent looking.

I have also looked at how the lighting can be used to highing certain features such as hair, face and her clothes. As well as these images, I will be using the images from my old photoshoot so my model looks different in terms of mis-en-scene and poses that I didn't achieve in this one.

Trying out different fonts and styles

My main source for fonts comes from myfonts.com in which I enter a key word such as 'indie' or 'pop' and the fonts that match those descriptions will be listed. I have tried various fonts to see if they suited my magazine style and genre well. I was looking for a style that was not too basic but at the same time wont look too out of place. 

 This font is called 'Candy Script'. When I first saw it I thought it was creative and looked very casual however I though it was too bubble-gum pop style for my genre.

 Now this seemed interesting and unique however it seemed to 'comic book' to me and did not fir in with the images I had taken.

 I liked this as it was not the standard Ariel or Times New Roman font but stays quite simplistic although as I would be laying my image over the title, I would need a font that is a bit more thicker in order to stay visible. It is a 'handwritten' style font and I though it would look more individual and give the cover a personal touch to it. 

 This appealed to me more than the other three even though the font is standard but I liked the worn, vein effect going through it. It would be suitable sitting behind my image and I believe reflects my genre well. To me it can suggest the flow of sound waves in the letters or the  'careless' look which I think has a bit more attitude to it and seem more indie. 

Flat Plan: Cover, contents and double page

I have produced a rough sketch of what the layout of my magazine will look like using a current magazine as a template...

Here I have decided that I shall have my model in the center of the page with the anchoring text at the bottom in a larger text than the puffs will be. I will be aiming to place puffs on both sides of the page, ideally 7 at least with a second image at the bottom. 

I intend to have a slogan above the title on the far left hand side with the issue date on the far right. Rather than including the price near the bar code or the date, I want to put it as a label so it's eye catching and clear to see.

I have also decided to keep my original magazine name 'New Wave' as it is still relevant to the genre.  I think this is the perfect name choice for my magazine. The 'New' relates to my upcoming artist for the feature article, and the 'wave' suggests music/sound waves indicating new singers and their new music styles.

Contents page analysis

Here I have an example of NME's contents page. They've kept to their colour scheme of red, white and black with the odd use of yellow as a high-lighter. They've also used at least three different images with two portrait images on the top side by side and a smaller landscape image at the bottom to illustrate the subscription box.

There is also a caption about the size of  a paragraph underneath the two main images giving the reader a snipet of this event.

The actual contents is straight down the right hand side with multiple headings ie. Features, Reviews, News, etc.

The words 'This Week' have been made large and bold which suggests that this is a weekly distribution

Double page analysis

I've taken a look at the NME Jimi Hendrix edition double page spread. I've noticed that in double pages that the images are the main concern and the text is focused more in a lower corner with a photo of Jimi Hendrix taking up the majority of the double pages with a large mid shot. A quote of his is also splashed across the top to fill in the blank spaces. Due to the large image and the position of the article, the text is therefore published in a very small font. By looking through other issue of NME I notice that is common as the images are the main priority. Every page of the magazine has a photo of some sort whether it's an album cover or gig pictures

Here I have another example of a double page spread from NME magazine featuring artist, Florence and the machine. Unlike the Jimi Hendrix page, this one is very basic in terms of colour  and text font, however I feel this is also a strong page as the red pops out against the black and grey and also helps to bring attention to her hair as well.

This is also a full body shoot and conventional in a way that the image is on the left hand side whist the text is placed on the right.

Just like the Jimi Hendrix page, the image does not stick to the left side of the page as the drapes of cloth seep to the other side. 

Models on Magazine covers

For this type of research, I wanted to see the style and poses that have been expressed on magazines. 

I like this cover brought to us by NME. It's quite imposing and confident which is the kind of image I'd like to have representing my magazine.

This is quite a nice cover as a head and shoulder shot is quite different in my opinion as usually covers consist of mid shots just like the Rihanna shot above. For this picture to work however, volume of hair is needed to help fill the space as there is not body to focus on. 

This is another head/shoulder cover but involves props this time. Again hair is used as a main interest for the shoot. 

Now this cover shot is very unconventional as it consists of the model sitting down and still covers quite a large area on the page. This shot could work on a music magazine especially for an indie genre

Indie fashion/style

Here I will be taking a look at the fashion and style of indie. This type of dressing is reflected by an indie artist and most likely their listeners. The audience for my magazine will also relate to this style.

 

Here I've chosen these three images. One is of model, Alexa Chung, who happens to have a very indie yet elegant sort of style. Slim fitting trousers/jeans, baggy top, stripes, blazer and smart looking, lace-up, boyish shoes.

Indie fashion is all about having an individual style and learning how to mix and match. Also wearing bold colours is conventional. I will try to inappropriate this when it comes to dressing my model.