Double Page Spread Number 5

Q Double Page Lilly Allen 

The first thing you see when you look at this is the crazy font going from capitals to non capitals. I think they've done this to try and mimic Lilly Allens broad cockney accent and her quite rowdy behavior. It has been done really well because it gives off a message about what the story is going to be about straight away! 

Likewise Lilly is dressed in a quite 'rebellious' check shirt which also follows the red Q colour scheme. This has been done to stand out and contrast against the white back ground and the dark black lettering. This double page spread is quite different to the previous Q ones that I have studied as the title and the picture take up most of the double page and they even over lap over the center line. When I do my magazine I might try and achieve this look because I think it looks really good and it looks like the two pages are completely together when the pictures and headings spill onto the next page. Another thing that I like and that I want to do to mine is I really like the red colour scheme that runs through Q as it is Q's 'house' colour and style and I would like to achieve the same effect. 

Double Page Spread Number 4

Double Page Alex Turner & Miles Kane

This double page spread from MOJO gives off a very cool feel about it. Firstly the models are both posing in a very confident unfazed way and the way Alex Turner has his arms folded gives off a laid back feel. There is a classic 3 colour scheme used of yellow black and white and they contrast against each other well. Like wise the fonts that are used seem really appropriate for this Indie music as they are quite contempary and are not 'serif'. Also the lighting is bright on the faces of the models which makes them stand out against the dark background, however even though their clothing is dark the lighting has been done really well to make them actually stand out. For my double page spread I am going to have the models dressed in more bright clothing however still have the lighting bright as well so they strand out from the page as well as the bright white text. However I think I am only going to have one model featuring on my double page spread as I think it looks more professional.

Double Page Spread Number 3

NME Double Page The Teenagers 

This double page spread from the NME magazine, it designed completely differently than the Q double page spreads that I have been looking at. For example the colours used are a lot more masculine and male based, as blue and black seem to be the most common colours used, Also the font used is a 'serif' font and looks quite old school and rather unmodern. However the use of the large master shot photo is effective as it keeps all the players in the field and really shows the band off. However the back drop that the band are against once again gives off a really masculine messy feel as they aren't against a plain background like most of the photos that I have seen. However even though this doesn't match my ideal taste is matches the style and type of music that they are trying to potray! It would look odd if it was all quirky and modern like Q. For my magazine I want it to have a similar layout to this however I would like it to reflect my more feminine personality and show a fashionably pop/indie look. Likewise I would like the colours to be more subtle and classy and not so bright like this, I think that the blue is too child like and tacky. However I do like the use of the different text sizes throughout the article. 

Double Page Spread Number 2

Q Double Page Florence

This bold and bright double page spread catches your attention straight away with the vibrant red hair and the black old text. The contrast of these colours is really effective as they aren't dull and they really stand out on the page. Likewise the title is really quirky and effective as it is the start of the sentence but just in size 48 font instead of 8, straight away it draws the reader in to the story. Likewise the drop letter T in the 3rd column looks great as it breaks up a large chunk of text that may look daunting to the reader. The use of the orange and blue on the model gives off a stylish feel because orange and blue are opposite contrasting colours on the colour wheel and they really go well together as it is subtle and quite unique. This is a great use of Mise En Scene and makeup which has been well executed. For my magazine I want to make my model stand out and match the text like what has happened here. You can really tell that the text belongs to this picture just purely down to the style. I would also like my text to be bold and catchy like this, so when the reader is flicking through they wont just flick past the page they will stop and read it or at least take some interest. I am going to achieve this by having my model make eye contact with the camera like Florence is here similarly I am going to have vibrant bright clothing on the model so he/she stands out against the background.          

Double Page Spread Number 1

Q Double Page Lady GaGa

This is a classic double page spread where there is a large photo usually of the whole model on the first page then the article on the second page. It is simple and effective and easy to navigate. Also the use of the drop letter 'L' is really effective as it brings in the colour red from the Q title and adds colour. This is so the magazine follows the same theme through and red is Q's trademark colour so they have used it wisely however still making it look classy. I have seen the front cover that corresponds with this and the colouring and the lighting of the model is exactly the same which also gives an insight of the story. I would like my double page spread to be a lot like this one as I think that it is the most conventional double page spread I have seen. Similarly I like the use of the model on one page and the writing on the next, even though it looks simple I think that it looks the most classy. If there was too many pictures within the text I think it would just confuse the reader and it would look like a less professional article and more like something you would see in 'Smash Hits' or 'Top Of The Pops' magazines that children read.

How do Front Covers, Contents Page and Double Page Spreads work as a set?

Today we were told to research how front covers, contents pages and double page spreads work together as a set. I annotated them with their codes and conventions and even when they subverted the conventions i mentioned it. For example the front covers of Q are usually a close up of the models profile not usually a long shot of the model like on here, that is usually left for the contents page or the double page spread. I noticed that all of the way through the contents and to double page spread the colour scheme is exactly the same as it is quite dull and black and white which contrasts with the Q logo and some of the red text. I also said that the models have been used throughout but just in different positions and in different places so the readers know who they are reading about, because it is the same people throughout. However front covers usually have plugs or a second photo of someone else to show what another story is going to be!

NME Contents Page Number 5

Analysis Of MOJO

This contents page is very simple and easy to navigate, this is good because it makes it easy for the reader. Similarly the colour scheme is simple and calming which matches the style of music, I know this because of the model used in the magazine and her facial expression that she is pulling. Like most of the magazines I have looked at there is a three colour scheme used and the red which is the brightest colour is used to make the important pieces of information stand out. Eg. the features and the page numbers. Likewise it has the classic large bold title to advertise the magazine. I would like my magazine to be a lot brighter and more colourful because I feel that having colour attracts people to read the magazine and makes people pick it up off the shelf. Likewise I feel like the contents page is the second thing that people see when they read a magazine and it needs to be attractive and interesting so I would change its layout to blocky instead of image based because there is more to see and more information to take in making it more interesting instead of just one picture on the whole page like this one.

NME Contents Page Number 4

Analysis of NME

This contents page uses bold and dark colouring to portray the type of music that the magazine is showing, in this case it is Arctic Monkeys and it link in with their 'indie' look. It wouldn't have the same effect if it was pink and purple for example. Like the other contents pages I have studied this also has a clear colour scheme of red, white and black which is obviously used and the only other colour used for a plug is yellow. This contents page is slightly more messy and 'boyish' than the Q ones that I have analysed. This is because a different genre of music is is shown in both these magazines. However it does follow the codes and conventions as it is a classic 'blocky' contents and the writing and story information is around the outsides. Likewise the headings are bold and masculine to match the style of the music shown in the magazine. For my magazine I don't want it to be masculine I want it to be feminine like Q, even though I am having a male model on the front I still want the general magazine to be feminine because it attracts a feminine readership. For example I think I want to have Alex Turner on the front of my magazine but attracting female readers not male due to the style of the magazine.

Q Contents Page Number 3

Analysis Of Q

This contents page is again blocky however the photo being used takes up a lot of the page for a blocky layout so it is bordering on a picture based contents page because the photo is one of the main focus' of the page. 
I like that way that the text is separated by the red lines, these lines make it look there is less text than there is so it doesn't look too plain. Also these lines are really simple but they look professional in a sense that they are only separating text apart. Another thing that is a typical convention is the photo at the left side captioned 'featuring' I really like this because it tells the reader exactly what they are about to read and gives them an insight to what it will be about by the action present in the photo. For my magazine I am definitely going to include 'featuring' photos because I think it makes the contents page more exciting than just having one large photo covering the whole page. Similarly I love the use of the read line to separate stories and text and I am going to use these because it is an easy and simple way to make the writing look less boring. Also I really like it because it links in with the colour scheme and it is a simple way to pull the colour scheme through the magazine. 

Q Contents Page Number 2

Analysis of Q

Yet again this contents page is 'blocky', however it is slightly more image based than the previous one that I have just analysed as the picture is the focal point of the page. Whereas before there was several smaller images that were dotted around the page with small snippets of stories next to them and under them. I like this layout as it is still clear and easy to navigate  however I think it is slightly too simple as just one photo is dominating the page. On the other hand the text and colour scheme is still conventional to Q as large and small fonts are used along side the classic red, white and black colour scheme. Also under each story heading there is a small snippet of the story to entice the reader, this seems to be a common theme on all of the contents pages that I have looked at. I would like my contents page to look slightly more interesting than this with some more smaller photos, likewise I don't want my text to just be in one column at the side I want it to be in 3/4 across the page to break up the compactness of the pictures. However I do love the classic colour scheme that is always used and I would like to follow up upon that because I think it looks classy and neat.

Q Contents Page Number 1

Analysis Of Q

This contents page has a 'blocky' layout which means that it is partly pictures and text which are separated by coloured lines and even dotted lines to distinguish the pictures from the stories. This type of contents page is easy to navigate and is quick and simple it doesn't bore you at all either.  
This contents also follows the classic colour scheme that Q follows with the red text to separate the headlines from the stories and the bold colour blocks for headings. Likewise thsi contents page follows the classic conventions as it has mini snippets of stories then pictures of action next to them to attract people to read on. I would like my contents page to be blocky as I think it looks clearer and it is easy for my reader to navigate. Similarly I think it looks more professional than an image based contents page as it actually looks like a contents page. Where as some image based contents pages look too much like front covers to me and I don't want my magazine to be confusing and to look samey all the way through I would like some diversity. Finally I think its better to have more than one picture because it gives more of an insight to what is going to be inside. 

Codes and Conventions Progress

Last few days

Over the past few days I have been spending a lot of time researching about the codes and conventions of music magazine front covers, contents pages and double page spreads. 

I have been mainly looking at Q magazine because that is the genre that I have chosen. However I have done some wider research and and looked at NME magazines and MOJO also to look at different codes and conventions that I could adapt to mine. But overall I have gathered that they all follow similar trends like colour schemes and have large titles and headings. 

Today I am going to draft some ideas down on paper for what I want my magazine to be like so I can start looking for my model.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

School Magazine

Today I have just received the results for my preliminary task and thankfully I have past the task. The feedback was that my front cover was good! However my contents page wasn't so good because I didn't feature any pictures and there was missing capital letters etc...

From this feedback I have learned that for my music magazine I need to heavily focus on the contents page and make sure that it meets the codes and conventions of a typical Q contents page!

My school magazine followed the typical codes and conventions of a school magazine as it has a school child on the front who looked happy at a medium close up, similarly it had an inside story on the front page to 'advertise' what is inside. Likewise it had a colour scheme and the colour scheme had a link with the school logo.

From doing this I have learnt that I need to take my photos more seriously and that I need to take a lot more then I did, I only took about 10 photos instead of 50. I learnt that for a medium close up you need to use the camera portrait not landscape, also I learnt about how the apature and the shutter speed effect the lightness and crispness of the photo, for example the larger the aperture the more light is let in so the photo its self is a lot lighter. 
I used Photoshop to edit my model and make his skin clearer and remove his spots, I also used it to edit the contrast of the photo to make him look brighter. I also used Photoshop to cut my model out by using the lasso tool. 

NME Magazine Number 5

Alex Turner and Miles Kane

This NME magazine follows the typical codes and codes and conventions of most music magazines. Just like the other NME magazine this follows a colour scheme which in this case is black red and white which matches the photo well because the photo is black and white based. Both Q and NME use these colour schemes throughout their magazines because it makes them look professional. However this magazine uses two people on the front cover which goes against the classic codes and conventions of magazine front covers. This is because most magazine front covers just have one person featuring on the front, this is even more apparent with Q magazines as they commonly feature one person and its either a close up or a medium close up. Whereas NME vary it up and even feature two people and even bands on the front. For my magazine I want one model on the front cover, this is because I think you can add more detail to images that are more close up. Likewise I am going to have detailed makeup on my model and I am going to match the makeup with the magazines colour scheme. I think this will look more professional than having more than one person on the front.

NME Magazine Number 4

Florence

This NME magazine has similar codes and conventions to the Q magazine covers. For example a large font for the title is used and it is in the left corner like the Q magazine. It looks classy and professional because the title stands out as it is the first thing that catches your eye on the magazine. This is used because it makes sure that the title isn't going to cover much of the pictures detail and just covers the hair. Similarly there is a colour scheme used however on the Q magazines it is the same colours through out all issues where as with the NME magazines the colour scheme changes for each magazine to match the theme and to contrast the picture. For example here the colour scheme is mainly black and white, with the contrast of the red hair. For my magazine I would like my colour scheme to be consistent all the way through the contents and to the double page spread, this is because i think it looks more professional when the colour scheme is obvious all the way through the magazine. Similarly I think it is more presentable when there is a house theme running through the magazine, like most NME magazines with their house logo.

Q Magazine Number 3

Arctic Monkeys

The main colours of this front cover are red, white and black, this is the 3 colour scheme and it is used really effectively and in the correct places because all the text jumps out at you and none of it just blends into the background. This is really important because you want people to be interested in your plugs and your stories that you will be featuring inside. For example on this is used really well here because most of the text is around the outside of Alex' head and shoulders and some on top of this green jacket to contrast against it. I think the colour scheme is one of the main things to a successful front cover and it makes the magazine look presentable and professional. Likewise different size fonts are used across the whole front cover for example Arctic is double the size of Monkeys, I think this is used for dramatic effect and to make the magazine look indie like the band its featuring.  For my magazine I am definitely going to use a 3 colour scheme and I am going to contrast the text with the background that it is against. Like the green and white here. My magazine is also going to consist of a variety of font sizes like this because I think it really sets the scene and shows the differant styles of music.

Q front cover number 2

Tine Tempah

This front cover is mainly dominated by Tine Tempah the photo is a medium closeup. It attracts audiences that are a fan of Tine Tempah and people who like his music. Likewise the photo completely stands out because it contrasts the the light background and catches your attention over the rest of the magazine, I think this is important because the magazines main focus is Tine Tempah and that is the audience they are trying to attract for this specific edition of the magazine. Likewise the writing that his name is in a hand written font to make it look like he has actually signed the magazine. I think this is a really good detail because it adds a quirky original touch to the front cover and i think it will really attract people to this magazine its self, likewise it is in white against a dark background so it stands out quite considerably and even more that the text in black on the sides because it actually has a 3D effect. For my magazine I think I am going to add special touches because I think it makes the magazines more original and it makes them stand out more, I am also going to make my picture completely contrast the background like this one, as I feel that on the previous magazine Adele didn't really contrast the background very well. Also I don't think she looked as 3D as Tine does, it literally looks like hes coming out of the page at you.

Q front cover number 1

Adele

The magazine is mainly dominated by a large photo. In this case the cover is dominated by Adele's side profile and she is looking right at the camera to draw you into the magazine. Similarly her makeup has been done really professionally and quite simple to make Adele look innocent likewise the make up has been done in a subtle way to match the gold red and white colour scheme, this is show through the use of the browny red eye shadow and the pale nails which contrast the gold plug. This wouldn't be the same if the makeup was bright and the colours used were primary colours like blues and reds. Bright colours are used to attract your attention to the magazine so you would pick it up off the shelf over magazines that are less colourful like rock magazines. In this case there is a 3 scheme colour scheme which is red, white and black. However gold is used to make the '300th issue' stand out this is called a plug. The magazine is aimed at an audience that are quite young and current as Adele is very current herself. Similarly it is more aimed at a female audience as Adele herself is a very strong woman and a likable character. Similarly the stories around the outside of Adele are in contrasting colours to the background that they are against. For example 'Liam Gallagher' is in red writing and Liam stands out as it is in a large font. The magazine logo is a very prominent feature as it is bright red and it is in the left hand side corner. This magazine definitely reaches its target audience perfectly completely down to the design and layout of the front cover. For my magazine I am going to do a similar thing with the model by making the photo cover the majority of the page and I am going to be specific with the makeup and clothing that I use so that it doesn't go against my colour scheme.

Music Magazine Introduction

Introduction into music magazines!

Today we were introduced into music magazines. We were shown examples of magazines on the board for example 'Q' and 'MOJO' and we were asked to do a small starter activity where each person would go up to the music magazine and describe it and we had to draw it! Our magazine was MOJO and it had a lot of little details that we had to focus on! 
We are getting ideas for themes and designs that we aspire our magazines to look like. So far I like the look of Q magazine because I like the type of music that it shows and the styles that it portrays  For example I have just looked at a one with Madonna on the front cover and it really appealed to me!

Over the weekend I have researched about music magazines and looked at the codes and conventions for classic music magazines just like we did for the school magazines! 

School Magazine and Contents

Front cover and contents page

In today's lesson I have finally completed my magazine front cover and contents page!
For the magazine I changed the main image to be a lot bigger and to fill the page. I also added text boxes to give an insight to what will be inside my magazine, along with this i changed the colour scheme completely from grey and red to pale blue and maroon. I think my new colour scheme is more appropriate as it looks a lot classier and more professional. Likewise I changed my title from 'wacky Whitley welcomes you' to 'Just Whitley'; This was because Just Whitley is more catchy and shorter and much easier to say.






For my contents page I did it completely from scratch this lesson, I used a maroon background and blue boxes as a basic layout and I wrote the information about all 8 pages in the 8 boxes. Finally I changed the font so it matched the front cover and made it bold with the page numbers in a different colour so they stood out against the blue box.

Photo shop & school magazine

Photo shop & school magazine

During today's lesson I cut out a photo of a pupil from lower school on Photoshop to have on my magazine, however in the end I decided to keep the background because it looked more appropriate and school like. I also created the layout plan of my magazine using layers to create a basic outline of where I want things to be. Likewise I created a curved title for the magazine that says 'Whitley Bay High School News' this looks like the conventional headline for a school because its quite cheesy and the colour scheme matches the school uniform.