Poses from magazine covers

I have found some poses from music magazine front covers, mainly indie magazines, that will help me when I take the pictures for my final magazine.

Main image conventions

All of the subjects in the main images above have used direct mode of address. They have done this to engage with the audience and make them feel welcome.

The background colour differs because of the different issues but they are all plain and simple using both light and dark colours. They have used these colours to make the subject and masthead stand out and ensure that the magazine isn't overcrowded.

All of the magazine covers use a medium close up shot so that the emotion of the subject is captured but also so that the audience can still see some of the clothing the model is wearing.

All but one of the models' expressions are very serious and stern to create a sense of mystery that could intrigue the audience. The model that is smiling does seem more inviting though.

4 of the covers use high key lighting to make the cover well lit with few shadows. this is used to make the model seem friendlier. However, the other 4 covers use low key lighting to create a dangerous and sultry atmosphere because of the dim lighting and shadows.

The audience can only see part of the models' costumes due to the type of shot used but all of the tops seem very neutral, some quite formal.

The angle of all of the covers is eye level to make the reader feel as though they are at the same level as the main subject. 

Photo planning

I have filled in a table to help me decide the style of my photos. I have talked about various different looks, lighting and poses which I will try when I take my draft photos.

Main image research

Here I have made a collage of styles of makeup, hair and clothes that I think would be appropriate for my model and magazine genre.

Lighting:
The lighting of images can heavily influence how an image looks and whether it is appropriate for the audience and genre or even if it is appealing or not. Because of this I will try different types of lighting when taking photos for my main image and decide which is best based on my opinion, my model's opinion and my audience's opinion.

High key lighting - this will appropriate for my magazine because my colour scheme is light, pastel colours so the lighting will be consistent and will match the rest of my magazine due to the white background. However, this lighting can make the model of my magazine looked washed out which affects the quality of the image.

Low key lighting - this lighting contrasts the light, pastel colours of my magazine but can also make the magazine too dark or look quite grungy which would suit a rock or alternative music genre rather than an indie magazine.

Chiaroscuro lighting - this will add a dramatic effect to my front cover but can add a horror-like tone because of the drastic shadows and darkness. 

Treatment plan

I have completed this document explaining the contents of my magazine to give a brief overview of what my final magazine will be like. I have talked about representations, content, design, etc.

Hand drawn designs

I have drawn 2 front covers and 2 contents pages based on my layout designs and survey results. I have taken into account the style of the model and how appropriate this will be for my genre and target audience.

Front cover 1
This design is based on my third layout. When I create my final magazine the background for my front cover will most likely be a light colour instead of white and the model will be different. The masthead was chosen based on my survey results and I have decided that my magazine will be called BLUR based on further questioning and my own opinion. The text of the front cover is on a different side than what I originally designed for my layouts due to the model's position.

























Front cover 2
This design is based on my second layout which I think is my favourite. The background of the cover will be a light colour instead of white when I design my final magazine. I have chosen not to use UNLEASHED as my magazine's name based on further questioning and my own opinion. I have kept the layout exactly the same as my design.

Contents page 1

My first contents page is a combination of my second and third layout. This design makes the feature artists stand out a lot but does not leave a lot of room for other content so I might not use as many feature artists. The background colour will be a pastel colour that is different to that of the front cover. 

Contents page 2

My second contents page is based on my first layout but has been adapted slightly to fit the layout of the page. I will use the same font for the title as I did for my magazine's masthead my house style font for the rest of the content. I have included 4 feature artists on this page but depending on the space on the page I may use more or left. The front cover artist will be the boldest feature on the page as this is who my article will be about. There will be content all the way down the page that fits across the diameter of the contents page.

Layouts of my magazine

Articles:

Contents pages:



Front covers:

Audience research - results

9 people completed my survey and I have analysed the results and decided what style, name and colour scheme I will use based on the results.

You can view my results here

Audience research - masthead ideas and designs

I have created a survey for my target market to create where they can answer questions about my mastheads. I have done this so that I can choose my masthead based on what my audience thinks.

Survey Creator

October feedbackof blog

House style of my magazine

I have chosen these colours because I feel that they suit my genre of music really well because they are similar to other indie magazines' colour schemes and each colour complements the other, this will make organizing my magazine and it's layout much easier.  

Each colour will be assigned a section of the magazine or a certain feature to make it easier to use for the audience but also keep the magazine organised. Purple will be used for advertisement pages, pink for interviews, blue for information articles and green for reviews. Any extras will have a yellow tab on them so that they are easy to find and all writing will be in different shades of grey. 

This font for my masthead  would suit my genre very well as it is simple and sophisticated but still quite fun and informal.This style could appeal more to a younger target audience because of the handwritten feel to it. The masthead is also quite bold and clear so would stand out from any background.

This font is similar to the one above but is more polished and formal - similar to calligraphy. This could appeal more to an older target audience because of the italic, joined up writing.

This font would definitely stand out from any background and would suit my genre of music because it is different to what most magazines use as a masthead. The style would appeal to a wide target audience.

This style is very bold so would pop out from a patterned or plain background. However, I think that this font would suit an alternative magazine better because it is quite harsh and edgy.

This font is fun and bubbly which is the opposite of the one above. However, I don't think it is suitable for an indie magazine because it may appeal more to younger girls (e.g. a pop magazine) rather than adults of both genders.

This font is very playful and fun and could appeal to a younger target audience. The style is quite crowded so could be difficult to read, however it is different to a conventional mastheads which would make it perfect for the genre of music. 

This masthead style is similar to that of the Wire magazine I analysed. The font is clear and easy to read and is also bold so would stand out well. 

I think that this font would be perfect for my magazine since it is clear but not too simple and is suitable for all ages and genders.

This font is fun and different but still very legible. The soft edges make it suitable for my chosen audience and genre of music whilst still being different to other magazine mastheads.  

CRAZE - 'An enthusiasm for a particular activity or thing'. This name is very suitable for my magazine because it what I want the audience of my magazine to feel when the hear or read about music from my product. The name is short and snappy making it perfect for a masthead since it will attract my audience's attention and stay in their memory. 

UNLEASHED - 'To set something free, unrestrained'. This name is appropriate for my magazine because it refers to something that is untethered, just like the genre of indie music. Instead of writing or performing songs that are shackled to a certain genre or style, indie music artists perform songs that express their feelings through many different genres merged together, not tethered to on label. 

BLUR - 'To make something less dinstinct'. This name suits the genre of my magazine very well because it relates to blurring the boundaries and rules of music. Indie music does not follow the conventions of genres and single types of music because it is a mixture of all the different styles of music. This masthead would be great for a magazine because it will appeal to my target audience since it is catchy and easy to understand. 

INDIGO - This word is acoustically similar to the term indie which is the genre of music I have chosen for my magazine. My audience will hear or see this masthead and it will remind them of indie music, this means that the audience will instantly know what the magazine is about. 

!NDIE - An exclamation mark can be used to 'express admiration or excitement' which is what I want my audience to feel when hey read my magazine. The punctuation acts as an I and although it may be inclear to a very young target audience, it is easy to understand for most people. This masthead is simple and effective since it emphasises the genre of music and the admiration myself and my audience may have for it. 

RESURRECTION - 'To revive of restore something that may have been forgotten'. This masthead relates to how indie music has been brought back from the 80s (when it was at its high point) and getting more and more popular due to the media and other factors. 

UNDISCOVERED - This masthead could be linked to how indie music was not discovered until much later than other music genres but still became popular and loved by many people. It also relates to the purpose of the music magazine: to promote indie music and make it more we'll know to a wider variety of people. 

WIRE magazine analysis

I have analysed the front cover, a double-page spread, the contents page and the advertisement of an indie magazine to help me decide what will be in my magazine and the style of it.
 

Indie music research

Here is a Zoho presentation about Indie music and its history:

Front cover examples - house style

I have been researching Indie magazines and music and have found a series of front cover pages which I found interesting and they stood out to me when I was thinking about the model and subject of my front cover.

The house style of the models are quite similar but the colour scheme of each front cover is slightly different. Many indie magazines are black and white, mono-tonal or pastel which is why I found these covers interesting, especially the first two, because they differ from stereotypical indie covers. All of the expressions are very serious which creates a certain mood for the magazine and represents the sultry, independent genre of music and again, differs from pop or rock music magazines. The house style of the layouts are very similar to each other and to other indie magazines because of their simplicity. The mastheads are also the same because of the brand of magazine. The font and size is kept the same so the audience knows how to identify the magazine immediately.

Music artists

On this mindmap I have given examples of artists from main music genres of different cultures.

Evaluation part 4

4. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation part 3

3. How did you attract/address your audience?

Evaluation part 2

2. Who is the audience for your media product?

Evaluation part 1

 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of a magazine?

Improved Final Magazine Front Cover and final Contents Page

I have evaluated my final magazine front cover by using different technologies to answer the following questions:

 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of magazines?
2. Who is the audience for your media product?
3. How did you attract/address your audience?
4. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Self Assessment and Improvements

September feedback of blog

Draft of magazine front cover

After analyzing the results of my survey, I have created a draft for my final school magazine front cover - as shown below. As this is a draft, based on the feedback I am given, I will create a second and final school magazine front cover and evaluate it appropriately.

Survey Results

Out of the 7 people who answered this question, 57% said that they preferred design 1, however about 45% said that they preferred design 3. This means that I will choose the overall layout of design 1 but I could incorporate some of design 3 because it was also popular. 

In this question most people commented on the masthead of the design. Because of this I will keep the masthead the same to please my target market.

In this question, 57% preferred masthead 1, 29% preferred masthead 2 and just 14% preferred masthead 3. As a result of this, I will try and include aspects of masthead 1 in my magazine cover, however because I will be using design 1 (based on question 1 results) I cannot use the same font since it does not fit in with the design.

All of the people who completed my quiz said that the colour scheme is appropriate for my design. I will keep the colour scheme the same because of the results and because it links to the school and appeals to my target audience.

The masthead of all of the designs, especially the target audiences preferred design (design 1), is legible and clear making it stand out and be appropriate for the magazine cover.

I asked my target audience whether there should be more focus on the main image or the text of the cover. 2 people said that the main image should be the main focus because of my chosen target audience. Based on these results, the main image will be the main focus of the cover.

My audience were asked if they thought the text of my designs was appropriate and 100% said yes. Because of this I will keep the font similar or the same.

71% of my target audience told me that the main image of my cover should be placed on the centre of the page. However, 29% told me that they would prefer it to be on the left. As a result of this, the main image of my cover will be placed in-between the middle and the left of the page. I have done this not only because it please my target audience but also because it fits in with my design.

71% of the people who answered my question said that the school musical should be the main topic of my magazine and 29% said that exams should be the main topic. because of these results I will make the school musical the main sub-heading on the front cover but still have exams as an anchorage text box. 

School Magazine Mock-Up

Survey

I have created a survey for people to complete so that I have feedback on which magazine cover my target audience prefers. Click the link below if you would like to complete my survey :)

School Magazine Questionnaire

Front Cover Layouts

This layout has the main image as the main focus which draws the reader in - especially if direct mode of access is used. Although the cover looks quite crowded, the space has been used effectively and everything has been included with balanced amounts of attention to each aspect. 

 Again, the main focus of this layout is the main image but the masthead has quite a lot of attention because there us nothing else around it making it stand out. On this design, nothing is overlapping making everything pop slightly more and because there are 4 anchorage text sections there is more room for important information.

 In this layout the main image is covered up quite a bit by other sections of the front cover, meaning that some of it's attention and focus has been lost. Everything is spaced out well making the cover look neat and tidy and not overcrowded at all.

 In this arrangement the masthead is the main focus because the main image is mostly covered. Because of the amount of obstruction, the main image couldn't be a person as you wouldn't be able to see them - this could make the magazine less appealing to the audience. Also, majority of the contents of the cover is at the bottom of the page meaning it won't stand out.

 The main image in this layout is smaller, as well as the cover-lines, flash and incentives, which makes them less eye-catching. However, the Plantsbrook badge and masthead are slightly bigger which makes it clearer that the magazine is about the school. Also there are 3 anchorage text sections which means there is lots of room for information.

This layout is very different to my other ones because the masthead is along the side of the page instead of being landscape and across the page. The main image is also much smaller meaning less attention is given to it. I think that the diversity of the masthead could appeal to my target audience but could also be quite hard to read. The slogan and cover-line is at the top of the page and the anchorage text is at the bottom meaning that more focus is on the slogan and cover-line rather than the anchorage text.

Photography Key Words

Rule of thirds:
A guideline which applies to the process of composing visual images. The rule of thirds states that an image is most appealing when it's subject are placed along imaginary lines which divide the image into thirds, both horizontally and vertically. 

Depth of field:

The amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear sharp in a photograph. The depth of field used will depend on the subject and what the photographer wants the final outcome of the image to look like. 

Lighting:

This is one of the most important part of any image. It can be used in a variety of different ways, such as soft light, hard light, high key or low key lighting and more. Lighting can also be synthetic or natural.

Visual lead-ins:

A lead-in line is any line your eye can follow into a main image. It could be the edge of something, the horizon, or an interesting pattern you observe. These lead-ins can draw the viewers eye to the subject in an image.

Model/subject position:

The position of the subject or model can help tell the story of an image. For example, a model looking at the camera can help lure the viewer in and include them in the photo (direct mode of address).

Movement:
Movement can bring an image to life. The blur within the photograph can give the idea of something happening. this can represent business, excitement, etc.

Photography

Me and my team went around the school to take pictures using different camera shots, angles and focus options. I learnt a lot about photography in the past few lessons, including how change focus points on my camera and what effect they have, how to use rule of thirds in photography (even though we didn't use it very often), what depth of field is and the impact it has on an image, how to create and use objects to act as visual lead ins and the different types of lighting that can have an affect on how a photo looks. 

My Masthead Analysis