Evaluation: Using and challenging media conventions

Evaluation: The combination of all my texts

Evaluation: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

PREZI  

Evaluation: Use of media technologies

PRESENTATION 

MY WEBSITE

AMPLE

THE FIRST FOUR/FIVE PAGES OF MY MAGAZINE

COVER (TWEAKED)

Here my cover has been slightly tweaked through the added brightness, a couple of my fellow suggested that I find a way to make the image stand out more, by adding some brightness, I was able to make it look more studio shot and in turn giving it a more professional appearance.  

CONTENTS PAGE

The contents page is the second part of the first four pages of my magazine, I was inspired by Apparently magazine's simplicity, however it did not feature the contents of the magazine, so I had to find a way to implement the contents page and maintain the simple layout. This layout by Mint magazine greatly inspired my layout, however instead of dedicating one page to an image and contents whilst the other page to images from the magazine, I spread the image across the first page and on to the half of the second page, with the contents beside it. 

COVER: FINAL

By drawing inspiration from Fantastic Man, I decided to place the headlines at the bottom of my image and at the same time making the image and its background smaller. I wanted to keep the white background as white as possible so I placed the bar-code on the inner background, I also changed the colour of the title and theme to black so it stands out more against the light, pale backgrounds. I thought a different font for the headlines was more aesthetically pleasing, the font I used here was Orator std, this font reminded me of Wire magazine, it would not be seen in global magazines such as Vogue, but it is more accepted in independent magazines as it is appealing to a smaller, more local crowd. With the image I increased the exposure on her face and then increased the contrast, this added a yellowish tone to the model's face, giving the image a much brighter appearance. 

FANTASTIC MAN/ COVER INSPIRATION

Fantastic's man's cover is quite simple, yet distinctive, also the layout is similar to that of bullet a magazine that helped me steer my magazine in the direction I wanted. The main dilemma with my current cover is that I am trying to figure out how to place the headlines without it losing the minimal look I am trying to achieve. Fantastic Man is a great example of how this could be done, headlines are small but in capitals. The masthead is in a simple, general font, but it is large and sharp adding to the masculinity of the magazine. 

WEBSITE/ HYPERLINKS

I used Oh Comely magazine as inspiration for ideas of what other hyper links I could add, I added a page where I could talk about the contents of the current issue, similar to Oh comely the magazine on left, the blurb next to it with a divider in the middle.

WEBSITE: THE HOMEPAGE

From my research I have decided to keep my website simple, I chose the edgy theme on Wix. This is the homepage, I didn't want it to be too cluttered, it features two of my main stories with a description underneath. I added a scroll bar to the description, so I am able to include as much information as I want without taking up too much space.

I also added a hyperlink to my 'Rise of La Jeunese' story, this hyperlink wuld lead to the 'culture' page on my website, where I featured a gallery.

WWW: The swiftness of the transition from image to image gives the website a more professional look.

EBI: I may need to add some description below as it could risk looking empty instead of minimal 
               The pictures need to be all either black and white or colour, so there is more consistency.

These theme was really flexible, I was able to lay the images out the way wanted. I also made all the Fonts match, in order to make it look more professional. 

AMPLE COVER: DRAFT

This is just the rough copy of my magazine cover, evidently the difference this cover and my old  cover is quite distinctive, I have changed the background and the model on the cover. My previous inspirations were Bullet, Mono and Aesthetica magazine, but now I have tailored my magazine to the style of Wire and Wonderland magazine. 

For this cover, I intend to add to cover stories , the issue number, price and a bar code. I also intend to improve the vibrancy of the main image, so it stands out more against the background. 

CREATING A COVER

I intially made a cover for my magazine as part of my experimentation process. I personally wanted to add a few changes to that cover, for instance I wanted a clear background, as the background I had was to busy, it was also a mostly background, therefore it would appeal to a more limited audience. 

So for my second shoot I made sure that the background was clear, although not completely white, I made sure that it was transferable unto a clear, even background. By using the Lasso tool I selected the section of the image I wanted and copy and pasted it onto the clear background,  I then blended the remaining background from the image unto the background behind. I also enlarged the image and added The Masthead and the theme of the issue. 

MAIN IMAGE: SHOOT

I recently did a shoot for the main image of my magazine. Although my moodboard included shots from varied angles and in various locations. Through inspirations form magazines such as wire and Wonderland, I have chosen keep the background clean, and focus solely on producing close up, portrait shots. 

WWW:

•  I was able to acquire a variety of emotions through the close-ups, so I am able to pick and choose, as the emotion on the cover will reflect the atmosphere of the rest of the magazine. 
• Using a DSLR, where i was able to control the focus of the shot, so clear and crisp shots were easily achieved. 
• The look of the model in these shots are familiar to that of my first shoot, hence maintaining a certain aesthetic.   

EBI: 

• The lighting of the shots could have been improved, maybe through the addition of artificial lighting or by simply shooting under more intense sunlight. 
• In some of the shots, the background's creamy surface is more prominent, therefore the lack of a clear white background is more distinctive. However this can all corrected and re-adjusted with photoshop. 

MAIN ARTICLE PAGE (DRAFT)

As I feel that my article is coming to a conclusion, I decided to create the layout of the page in which it will feature in. My preferences for the layout were that the image would be on one page, yet it would not fill the page, for this decision I was highly inspired by Wire's article layout. However I faced difficulty when making the image more portrait because it meant cutting out the model. I also decided to add a different layer for each word of my title in order to allow more flexibility. Creating a text box over the image also aloud me to include an introduction for the article that would not disturb the layout of the article, and by increasing the opacity of the text box, the whole image was still in sight. 

Due to my previous problem with the image, I changed it to a similar image but with a longer shot, I also stretched it enough so as to go over on to the next page. I experimented with the font of my title but decided to stick with the original font, but with this font I experimented with the opacity and the placement of each word on the page. I also made each word of the title overlay, almost giving it a logo-like effect. By adding some parts of my main article, and placing it as the traditional column-like structure, I was able to get an idea of how every aspect of this article would look on the page, main articles are usually two pages, so this also showed me the amount of content I need to write. In order make it look more youth- inspired and less serious I changed the font of the main text to Courier, this font added some graphic elements to the page, which coordinated with the style of the title. 

MAGAZINE COVER: FURTHER INSPIRATIONS

I am mainly inspired by the thick, yet simple font that goes across the top of the page. The font colour is white hence why it compliments the pastel coloured background. The cover photo is close up shot, very central and direct, almost as it is introducing us to the this character. 

Billboard: Final

 This is the final copy of my Billboard advert, I decided to keep the 'may issue out now' text as white, because it stands out more. I am happy with the result because the layout is balanced, in terms of placement of text. Also, every aspect of the billboard is made clearly visible to the audience. 

BILLBOARD: FINALISING

Here I decided to experiment with some colour, since I am already using yellow on my website, i think it would be best for me to extend it onto my billboard, as it not only compliments the models skin tone and the background but it is also makes the words out even more. I also decided to place the name and description on the lefthand side so the yellow does not get lost in the lightness of the fur coat. I am mostly experimenting with various fonts and different areas of placements for the 'may issue out now' text. I decided to stick to whites and yellows so as to coincide with the other text. 

MAIN ARTICLE: LAYOUT

I am still considering how I should layout my aricle page. I have been looking at other magazines for inspiration. One layout that I especially like is that of Wire magazines, the placement of text and images looks quite graphic and patchy. Unlike mainstream magazines such as Elle, where an image would usually fill one page, whilst the text in placed on the next page, Wire usually makes the text more prominent, whilst placing the images around the text. What attracted it to me was its lack of professionalism, and it is through this professionalism that it is relatable to local people and more specifically young people.



RESEARCH: BILLBOARD FONTS

 Hugo Boss have used a big bold font immedetley drawing attention to the name of the brand. It is placed diagonally across the bottom of the image, making it look  quite unconventional and playful. It doesn't intend to be professional or serious. This playful attitude is also emphasised by the colour pink, this colour makes the billboard seem more youthful, although this perfume is aimed at men, it seems that they also want women to be attracted to the perfume, the pink may be saying that  if men were to wear this perfume, women would be attracted to them.

Above the text, there is a shot of the male model in a very active motion, which further supports the elements of youth and vibrancy. He is looking directly at the camera, which suggests that he has, power, confidence and assurance in himself. This image may be aiming to be a reflection of what man wants to feel when he wears this perfume, ''It's just a fragrance. The rest is up to you'' is further indication that it aims to give the costumer power, becasue it is giving them a choice on how they would want to feel once they put the perfume on. 

RESEARCH: BILLBAORD FONTS



I showed my teacher and my peers the draft of my billboard, so they could give me some advice on ways to improve,one of the comments were that it was very similar to a Marks and Spencer billboard, especially with the banner placed across the image. So I decided to source some images of Marks and Spencer billboard adverts, and I could see some resemblances. I do not intend for my magazine to hold a similar theme to that of Marks and Spencer because we are both targeting very different audiences and are advertising dissimilar products. Yet I hope that through me dissembling this billboard ad on Marks and Spencer coats, I am able to determine what makes it so similar to mine and possibly alter my billboard to suit the style of my magazine.

The overlay box here is quite similar to the one I placed over my billboard, as with mine, it is set in the middle of the image and from the side. On the this box we see Marks and Spencer's trademark logo and font. The colour of the box itself is a dark, almost black colours instead of bright highly feminine colours, this is probably expected, as they are trying to reach out to a more mature audience. However the audience I am appealling to is much smaller and younger, hence why I plan to experiment with colours and fonts. Yet as a way to specify the gender and to avoid making the billboard look to masculine, the bright pink scarf was added.

Just as my poster the title of the image is placed across the image, in a very simplistic way, again we know they are trying to reach to a more mature audience. This title is also very functional, as it is big enough to see and tells the reader what they need to know. 

The background hosts a detailed photo, which more focuses on the garment than the model wearing it, this is another way of being more direct and communicative with their audience, because they are showing them exactly what they are selling.  as in my image I wanted to draw more attention to the body language and the clothes, however I still want my audience the know that I am selling a magazine instead not the clothes. 

BILLBAORD: TESTING

After looking at various billbaords, I decided to commence with the making of mine by doing some very simple experiments. After using the rectangular Marguee tool to draw around my chosen image, I then copied and pasted it onto a white background, by using apple+ctrl+T, I was able to resize the image to fill the background. From here I used the Horizontal type tool to create the wording. I was very pleased with how the billbaord turned out the first time, it looked clean and almost professional. The only problem here was that it was quite difficult to distuinguish the lettering because the background it was placed on was also quite light. So as a way of establishing a solution, I decided to use the rectangle tool to draw a shape across the image, I filled it with black paint, then used the opacity tool to make it more transperant. By placing the words of the opaque rectangle it is able to stand out more without completely covering part of the image. From this, I experimented with different compositions and placements, hoping to find a layout that is both visually appealling and functional. I especially liked the first fourth and seventh layout because I felt they both looked the most professional. I plan to continue experimenting and now probably with different fonts and colours. I also need to think about how I plan to make it clear that I am advertising a magazine.

BASIC VIDEO EDITING: LONDON FASHION WEEK

I decided to visit Somerset house to see whether I could gather some images for my website, because as with my magazine, it is also about art, fashion and culture. Whilst I was taking pictures, and as a way to improve my interview skills, I decided to do vox pops of the some of the attendants. This here is a simply edited compilation of these vox pops. 

BILLBOARD RESEARCH: SHOT TYPE PT 2

Here Rita Ora is promoting a campaign for DKNY. 

Like in previous post, the composition of this shot is very important to me, yet unlike Tom Ford, the setting consists of a a busy road most likely in New York.  Although the model and the car are on the side of the picture indicating that she is part this busy and fast paced, yet they are still the main focal point, also this composition gives space for lettering. The use of the yellow cab as a prop gives the shot a more realistic quality and emphasises concept of life in the city. The model is sitting of the car, with her hands in her pockets, giving a sense youth and exuberance. Evidently the main themes here are blue, yellow and red. We the frequent use of these colours in the model's double denim attire and red lipstick, the yellow cabs and the red and blue tings in the background, this is to create consistency throughout the shot. 

Billbaord research: shot type

I was mainly attracted to the composition of this shot, the similar dress means they are identified as being part of one campaign. Yet their varied poses, prohibits them from looking exactly the same, hence creating a variety of shapes, which gives the advert more dimension. Although I only plan to use one model in by campaign, I like how the models are at the forefront of the shot, they fill most of the page and are what make the picture distinguishable. The models prominence and the clothes that are being advertised are further emphasised by the white background, giving the ad a more classic and traditional quality. I also like the font because of it simplicity yet strength, it is placed across the top behind the models, almost reflecting the the strength and assertiveness portrayed by the models. Its strong, yet simple and professional logo coupled with the plain white background is a format, I would like to emulate on my billboard. 

RESEARCH: PIGEONS AND PEACOCKS

Pigeons and Peacocks s magazine is a magazine I have been very interested in recently, and like the magazine I am creating, it is an art, culture and fashion magazine. What i liked about their website, is that their it is not traditional the navbar is placed at the side, when you click on one of the navigations a line crosses over it to indicate that you are on that page. The header is static, whilst the contents on the page slide down. Also the website and magazine is partly made by students which could contribute to it looking quite unpolished, but I think that this is what makes it accessible to younger people. I would like my magazine to influence students especially, hence why I would want it to have a similar appeal and concept to Pigeons and Peacocks.

SHOOT 2: INSPIRATION GATHERING

Here I have looked at the styling  of Miranda Almond and the photography of  Annemarieke Van Drimmelen for sources of inspiration. For this shoot, I wanted to create a more relaxed vibe through my photos, so often I am looking at photography that has been shot in a homelike setting. I want the shoot to feature an ordinary everyday girl, whom is still trying to figure things out. 

Research: Billboard Ads

These are a collection of images from billboards, advertising products/ brands and stores. i tried to gather more fashion related billboards as my magazine is mostly fashion/ style related.

Juicy Couture: This billboard is quite long and rectangular, in this advert we see three girls in different positions, two of them are laying on what seems to be a chair, whilst one is sitting on the floor beside them. There are a lot of props used, such as the cushions, the guitar, pieces of light fabric hanging in the background. The lighting is also quite bright, we see indications that this is set during the day and that they are outside, also that is may be a hot summers day. The guitar and lightness of the colour and prints give the image indie, bohemian vibe, also the fact that they are all in very close proximity, suggests that they are all very familiar with each-other  there is some closeness and intimacy between them. The billboard is then finished of with the brand name Juicy Couture in their classic and signature font, placed across the image in white.

Zara: The colour pallet of their billboard is quite simple, containing the colours black, white and grey. The layout is also simple with the board being divided, one side being the photo, whilst the other side is the typography. The photo consists of a model walking down some steps dressed in all black, she seems fairly ordinary and is made to resemble the everyday working girl. This is may be a way to reach across and relate to real women on the street.  The image being in black and white gives a sense of nostalgia, making the photo seem like a memory. The right side of the image is painted black with the name of the brand written in the middle, their website, and an external piece of writing telling the public that they are 'coming soon'. Zara's layout is more simplistic and professional, their billboard is more concentrated on minimal art and getting across information, in turn reflecting the concept of the store itself.

Westfield: This is a billboard advertising and introducing the new Westfield shopping centre in Stratford. The advert itself is quite dramatic, and theatre- like, it showcases a woman in a screening room in the cinema, she seems captivated by the movie being played, whilst drinking from her cup one hand and holding the popcorn in the other. All of these movements are all part of day-to-day activity, yet irony is created by the way the model looks. Her hair is manoeuvred into thick voluminous waves, reflecting the 50's/60's era, she is wearing red lipstick, which emphasises her femininity and sex appeal, more attention drawn to her lips as she drinks from the straw. The theatrical hair, and make-up, relates to the concept of costume and styling hence in-cooperating the fashion element. Even her 3D glasses have two different coloured lenses, giving her outfit that pop of colour, hence making it more fashionable. This advert seems to have taken a real situation and dramatised it, it almost as she is the movie, therefore giving it a sense of hype-realism, It is almost as if she is telling the public that if you shop at Westfield, you would look and feel the way she is feeling.

GLACEU Vitamin Water: Like the Billboard for Westfield, there are elements of exaggeration and flamboyance in this advert. Also just as in Westfield, colour coordination is key, The consistent colour in this advert is yellow. The model is dressed as a daisy, carrying on the theme of yellow, it also empahasised the season of summer suggesting that Glaceu is a form of hydration. The model's pose is really what gives that Billboard its flamboyance, they way she uses her body, especially her arms and the animated expression she makes really gives this advert a childlike, boisterous quality.  

EXPERIMENTATION

Bouncing of my post on main articles and fonts, I took inspiration from one of the images I gathered. This is one of the images i was planning to use for my main article, here I am experimenting with ways I could layout the image and the headline.  The left side of the image is darkened and fades out as a way to draw attention away from the people in the background. I was also inspired to type the headline across the image, I achieved this through use of the type tool. I felt that the headline across the image is what made it look professional. 

MAGAZINE RESEARCH: ONLINE WEBSITES

Along with my magazine I am also going to make a website for it using Wix, so I have collected various images of websites from magazines I admire. Here I have chosen websites for I-D, RUSSH, BULLET AND DAZED and CONFUSED magazine. 

General point: 

All websites more or less follow the same layout, which include the header being placed at the top and towards the left (except for rush), along with some links down the side of the website.

DAZEDDIGITAL.COM:  This website is very busy, and is infused with  lots of imagery and graphics, which definitely reflect the concept and style of the magazine. Out of all the websites I have chosen, it is the only one with black navigation bar, subsequently coordinating with the black bold DAZED. On the side there is a lot of feed from their social media platforms, especially from their twitter, hence emphasising the fact that they want to reach their audience on various platforms. 

RUSSH: Unlike the other websites, their header is placed in the middle, RUSSH although quite edgy, sometimes a little extravagant, it is can be very simplistic, again this style is reflected in their website. Their header's font is bold, yet quite sophisticated and not ad hard as the other header. Their website follows the standard blog layout, with the content on the left side and the adverts and links on the right side. What attracted me to the website was its basic yet professional style. 

I-D : This website retains the font style of the logo in the header, keeping its consistency and, and helping people recognise the brand name. Like rush it, follows the standard blogger layout, it is not as graphic and as eye-catching as DAZED, yet again it is trying to retain the style of the magazine. 

BULLET: Their layout is slightly different, as there is more than one column, Unlike DAZED magazine, there is more typography. The images are quite graphic and layer upon each-other as if in mid- transition of a slide. Yet like DAZED, there is feed from their social media platforms. The header font is quite bold, much longer than the other fonts. 

AMPLE: STORYBOARD

COVER:

CONTENTS PAGE: For my contents/contributors page I was mainly inspired by Apparently magazine, Their contents page was simple so it was easy to emulate and experiment with, I wanted to make it more personal to my magazine by adding one of the images from my shoot and my main article on the left.

TWO PAGE SPREAD: I always wanted to include some kind of spread, just to make the magazine look more in depth as-well as enriching the visual quality. 

ARTICLE: For the layout of this article, I was inspired by the layout of an article from Town magazine (view here). I thought it was a alternative choice to the traditional layout of an image one page whilst text on the other. I have also expressed in previous posts my preference for simple layouts, this is what I am trying to achieve here, but the image as the focal point of the page. 

INSPIRATION: PROCESS OF MAGAZINE MAKING

For some time, I have been researching the post production process of a magazine, the process of actually creating a publication. From using Google as my source of research I didn't get much information, so I resulted to Youtube, which is where I came across this video, which features the Black Swan edition of the film magazine Little White Lies. It is a short 2 minute video that skims over the process of magazine making without missing out the little details. 

ARTICLE CONTENT / IDEAS

googleimages

Based the images I have shot, I am considering doing a traditional article about 'the go getter', someone who highly ambitions and would anything to get far and climb society's ranks even if it means hurting someone else along the line.  I am considering making it an arguemental article, first of all stating why most people will obviously hold reservations against this kind of person. In turn creating a counter argument. 

The reason why I wanted to write an article because I have seen this character being portrayed many times in film and television and can be seen in music and film stars today. 

Another piece I was considering, is to shoot and write an interview about an up and coming designer, the article being written in an ELLE / VOGUE style way.