Questionnaire

I created a questionnaire with some of my idea's to ask people what they thought would look best. I asked an even number of males and females as I am planning to aim at both, and they were all between the ages of 16 and 25, because that is my magazines main target audience.

Here are the questions I used:

1. Which of these colour schemes do you prefer?

A. (Red, Black, White)
B. (Yellow, Blue, Black)
C. (Green, Black, Yellow)

2. Do you prefer to see a single image taking up the whole cover, or do you like to see lots of images on the cover?

A. Full Cover Image
B. Many Images

3. Do you prefer to see the whole magazine title, or have part of it covered by the main image?

A. See full title
B. Partially Covered Title

4. Do you like to see lots of text on the front cover or just a few main coverlines?

A. Lots of Text
B. Main coverlines

5. On the contents page of a magazine, which of these do you prefer?

A. Lots of text, no images
B. Lots of text, one main image
C. Lots of text, lots of images
D. Little text, lots of images
E. Little text, a few images

6. If a magazine has something free with it, like a CD or posters, are you more likely to buy it?

A. Yes
B. No

7. When reading an interview, which of these do you prefer?

A. Lots of text, one main image
B. Lots of images, lots of text
C. More images than text

8. How much would you be willing to pay for a monthly music magazine?

A. £1.50 - £2.00
B. £2.10 - £3.00
C. £3.10 - £3.99
D. £4.00 - £4.99

Editing the images

This is the original image of 'Dakota' (left) and 'Delilah' (right) from the band. I decided though that 'Dakota' looked a bit dull and darker than 'Delilah' so I used the 'quick select' tool in photoshop and cut her from the image and pasted her onto a new layer. I then played around with the contrast and brightness until I was happy with it.






This is the image after I've edited 'Dakota' and layed her back over the other layer. I may still play around with the contrast and brightness as she now looks too bright compared to the other girl and you can tell the image has been photoshopped. I also edited the contrast of the original image ever so slightly to make it slightly lighter.

Images of my band WIP

This is one of the images I took of my 'band'.

They are pulling faces because they are in a 'pop-punk' band and this is the standard sort of thing seen when this kind of band are in magazines. Also there are references to riots and parties so, the faces are meant to be slightly intimidating.

Here is an image of the whole band taken together. This is also quite a standard photo, seen in many magazines. I will either use this on the cover of the magazine or as the main image on my double page spread

WIP

Rocksound Contents Page Analysis WIP

This is the contents page from Rocksound magazine.

I am analysing this as Rocksound has a very similar target audience to the Audience that I am aiming my magazine at so it is most relevent.

This isn't a particularly good example of effective use of space as the image takes up most of the page. Also there is barely any text on the page, which means that the person is going to have to look through the magazine to find what they are actually looking for.

This, I feel, is a flaw in the design, and I think that they should have used the space far more effectively than they have done. The picture is definitely the biggest problem in my eyes. It wastes alot of space that could have been used for more information about what's in the magazine.

That aside, it is well layed out, with the information in white, which stands out against the black background, and the main heading is in red, along with the page numbers. Apart from the skin, the only 3 colours used on the page are black, white and red. These are very simples colours that work well together.

Black can be used to connote a very serious and conventional mood, or it can be used to portray a very sophisticated, mysterious and sexy mood.

Red can connote danger and anger, or it can connote passion and love, either way it conjurs up strong emotion.

White connotes peace, cleanliness, innocence and purity. It creates a peaceful emotion, quite subtle and relaxed.

To look at the colour's different connotations shows that even though they work together well, they are clashing in meanings, and creating a messy mood, with passion, purity and sophistication all in one place. But they work well together.

School Magazine

This is the final screen print of my school magazine.

It is made in Microsoft publsher and I used a primary image for the main image.

The logo in the corner of the page is a magazine logo design, in the colours of the school uniform.

I have a picture of a sixth form student coming out of the main entrance because I felt it was important to have something related to the school on the front cover of the magazine. And it fits with the main headline and strapline which is about students getting their results.

All of the writing is white because it stands out the most above the background. Plus if I had tried to use too many font colours to make each thing stand apart from everything else, it would've looked too cluttered and unprfessional.

I have things related to the school in the coverlines, things that I think would be important in the eyes of the students, as they are obviously the target audience for this magazine, they are the majority of the school, so directing it at the teachers would make it less appealing for the students to be reading.

Double Page Spread background design

This is the design for my background of my double page spread.

It is fairly simple, I set the dimensions on photoshop to A3 size (but edited them to landscape rather than portrait)

I then 'imported' the 'ROCK LEGION' logo in from my front cover and resized it, then added in some page numbers in the same font.









I used the 'brush' tool on photoshop, and '2500' pixels and clicked over the page, originally intending the whole background to be block black, but it came out like an actual paint bursh print. I did this all over the page and decided that I actually prefer this effect to my original plan.







It looks smokey and it looks abit like Zebra print, which is a style of print quite commonly worn by my 'target audience'.










But this caused a problem, I could no longer see my text against the black. Originally I was going to resolve this by making the text white but I found that it was still partially illegible, so I decided to add a white 'glow' around the text.









I did this my right clicking on my layer in photoshop and going into the 'blending options'. I chose the 'Stroke' option and added a white stroke, size: 10px.


This made the writing stand out against the background.



The last problem I think I will have with this layout is the actual text itself, but I think I will use either a pink or red font to make it stand out from the background and make sure it is leggible. This would be because Black, White and Red work together very well as an effective colour scheme. I will either use this idea or I will put the text into boxes over the background, and have the boxes in block black so I can use white font. But I will decide this at the time.

Magazine cover mock up (photoshop)

This is a very basic first draft of my music magazine front cover. Obviously, I need to add some cover lines, a strap line for the main article and an image but this is the basic composition.

The black band at the top of the page is for 'exclusive' information that will make people want to buy the magazine.

The wHore writing is the name of my cover band, the writing being what I have decided is their band logo.

FINISH THIS LATER.

Planning of magazine layout 3

This is basically the first layout I created but I have tweaked it according to advice given to me by a fellow student

FINISH THIS LATER

Interview content for DPS

Three's a crowd...
...Four's a RIOT!

Following the massive success of their debut album ‘They Call Us Pretenders’, wHore are back with a brand new album, and new member Delilah to rip up the scene once again...

“Guys, could we get down to business now please?” After stepping onto wHore’s tour-bus fifteen minutes ago, I finally got the attention of the band for long enough to get them to sit down. After a couple more pillows are thrown, we begin.
Since forming in late 2006, wHore have made a massive impact on the music scene, in more ways than one. They smashed up the stage at the Kerrang! Awards when their debut album ‘They Call Us Pretenders’ won ‘Best Album’, and they also scooped the ‘Best British Band’ and ‘Best Newcomer’ awards, and caused controversy with their video’s for ‘Lady-Man’ and ‘In Her Heart’. After disappearing off the scene for a year (apart from popping up at the odd raucous party) they have returned with their second album and a new member. “Delilah is a brilliant addition to the band, now that we have her in the band I can’t see how we coped before, she’s like a councellor, best friend and sister to me, as well as being one of the best guitarists I think I’ve ever come across.” Dakota is slouched right back on the largest sofa in the tourbus surrounded by the rest of the band. Despite the childish game being played when we arrived, the band have definitely matured since I last interviewed them.
RL: So Delilah, what’s it like being in one of the most Raucous live bands on the scene?
Delilah: “Oh my gosh, where do I begin! Haha, these guys are amazing. I love the live shows, going out in front of a crowd and playing the music I love to our fans. What could be better than having fun for a living? They are all absolutely mental, and definitely some of the best friends I have EVER had.”
RL: Awesome, so guys, how’s life on the tour going?
Dakota: “It’s a riot! Haha. Every night is completely different and the crowd are always incredible, we love our fans because without them, our gigs wouldn’t happen.”
Josh: “I love touring, because apart from actually recording the songs, the gigs are the most rewarding things. The thousands of different faces we see every night is amazing, to think that so many people want to listen to our music. I remember thinking when I was younger that I wanted to be in a band one day, and here I am, it’s great.”
De: “When we first started touring it was amazing, I couldn’t believe how many people were there. I mean as a fan of the band before I’d been to see them but it’s just not the same. Standing on the stage in front of so many people... it really is the best feeling.”
RL: So, what do you crazy lot get up to when you aren’t on stage, because obviously you’re well known for your party lifestyle...
Da: “HA! I love that. We’re actually incredibly normal when we come offstage... we have a few odd before show rituals and of course we LOVE to party, but we’re young, who doesn’t love partying when they’re young. When we’re at home we just play on the xbox and stuff...”
De: “Yeah, and the wii. When I joined the band I’d never even heard of this game ‘Monster Hunter’ but now it’s like, my favourite game of all time, except guitar hero of course!”
Ryan: “She LOVES Monster Hunter... and Just Dance actually... that is ALL those two ever play on!”, he gestures at Delilah and Dakota, both reclined on the sofa.
So the band have matured a little it would seem, but there is still much to be discussed. Josh has gone to grab us all drinks and is singing ‘Hallelujah’ over in the kitchen, so while he’s busy I decided to ask about the rumors of relationships that have been floating around about the band.
RL: Dakota, we’ve heard that you and Josh have been seen out in restaurants together and were also spotted holding hands at Download this year… Is there any depth to this closeness?




This is the content of my main article interview. It finishes on a loose end because the interview would continue onto the next dps.

Planning - mock up of music magazine layout 2

This is the second mock up of my magazine front cover.

I have moved pretty much everything around from the first mock up. This one is 'inspired' by NME magazine front covers.

I have still got the black strip across the top of the page and the masthead is still at the top but I have moved it to one side rather than having it right across the page.

Also my main article title is on a slant right across the centre of the page so it instantly grabs your attention. The strapline is underneath at the same angle to show that the two are related. It would probably also be in the same font as the main article title to link the two more closely.

The main image takes up the whole page and there is no cluttering of other photos, it is simply one photo of the main band that the cover article is about. This links everything that is large together very well and because the main title goes across the image you can clearly see that the image is what the title is about.

The other 'coverlines' are at the bottom of the page in a thin coloured band, this is because they are less 'important' than the main article and therefore don't need as much space on the cover.

I have followed conventions pretty closely on this front cover, right down to the positioning of the barcode and other such information which has been kept nice and small in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

Magazine cover band

I am going to create a band that is of similar genre to Paramore, maybe even with a similar image.

I am doing this because they are a very popular band and are quite regularly featured in the sort of magazine that I read, and that I am trying to produce by the end of this project.

I like the style of music that they play and also the fact that the band is fronted by a woman which is something very uncommon throughout all genres of music, especially 'rock' music because it is a majoritively male dominated genre. This makes them stand out from some of the other bands around and it makes them different. Also, I like their image, they do have a collective band image but it doesn't particularly conform to a certain stereotype and neither do the people in the band.

So I have created a slightly 'pretentious' band called 'wHore'

They are Female fronted, like Paramore, and have 2 Male members. Female vocalist and guitarist, and a Male Bass Guitarist and Drummer. A very generic four piece white british band.

If this were a real magazine then I would be using this band as they have a good image, they are a popular, established band with a large fanbase and therefore people would want to read about them.

Planning - mock up of music magazine layout

Having researched other magazines and their front covers, I have made a few mock up layout for each part of the magazine that I have to make.

This is the first front cover mock up.

For this I have basically used the generic layout for the front cover of Rocksound magazine. I feel that it is a very good layout, and very effective in selling the magazine because it's so simple.

Unlike other magazines, the front cover isn't crammed full of information, but the space is still used effectively.

I feel that the fact that the main image takes up most of the page is quire effective as it catches the attention of the audience. Also I think that only one image on the cover, apart from possibly some VERY small other images, is most effective. Too many images becomes confusing to the eye and sometimes makes the cover look cluttered, messy and unprofessional (like top of the pops magazine for example)

Preliminary task - contents page

This is my contents page mock up for my preliminary task.

I have kept it very simple as it's onyl for a school magazine so it's not going to be some big expensive publication that needs to look completely professional

obviously it still needs to look professional, but it's not going to be sold in stores, it's going to be an internal magazine, so it can even have a more teenage, direct appeal to it as the students are all within a very close age range etc.

Logo Change

I have come to the decision that I don't like the original logo that I designed for my magazine on photoshop, therefore I am going to change it.
I found a font on the internet (on dafont.com) that I prefer to anything else I've seen and it is appropriate to the type of magazine I am using.

I don't like my original logo because it looks... unprofessional because of the colour scheme and the fact that there is quite a lot 'going on' in the logo. I feel it should be far more simple than it is and therefore I am going to change it.

I asked some of my friends what they thought of it and they agreed with me.

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