Production process

I came up with a selection of title ideas for my school magazine but found that I liked "Inspire" the most effective. The title needed to be sort and catchy, whilst relevant to the school magazine. 

Then I used a program called, "Adobe InDesign" where I designed a range of titles using different fonts, colors and design. From this I chose the best font which makes the design more interesting. I started with choosing the type of font which is sans serif as it is the most appropriate for the title. Once experimenting with style I made some designs which were more spaced out or outlined with two colors. 

After experimenting with different fonts, colors and designs I came to the decision that my final title should be from the black to grey gradient with the words being narrow and fading slightly with a shadow. After this was created I decided that the colors should be highlighted from a colors relevant to the picture used. For this I took the red from the models hair and pasted it into the title.  

Once taking my photographs, I used Photoshop to improve the quality of the image whilst making the overall appearance of the model better. Here is some evidence of how I done this with the program. This first screen shot shows the photo I wanted to use before I edited it. I opened a new file and place the image into a new document. Which I titled "Abigail Front cover"

Here I used the clone stamp tool to remove and spots and blemishes. I done this by setting the mode to normal then selecting an area of her face which with a similar tone to the area I wanted to change. I pressed on the area holding alt then re pasted it over the spot or dark line continuously until it covered it up. 

















  






The next print screen shows how I was able to add text onto the image.
Although, I didn't use this in the end as I designed my font from InDesign which I then copied and pasted into my final document.













 

Another tool I used was the Blur tool used to fade an area. Once I cropped the background I found this tool useful for taking attention of anything that stands out behind the model. I used the tool by by selecting the "master diameter" for how much of the area I was selecting then I increased the "hardness" of the brush so that I could change the blurriness to suit me.

The tool I used the most is the wand tool which I used to select the areas I wanted to change. I preferred this to the lasso tool as it was faster and more effective. One way I used this was for the model's teeth. With the wand tool I carefully selected all the teeth by holding control and using a suitable tolerance. After I done this I was able to change the saturation which made her teeth brighter, ultimately improving her appearance. 

     Before photo-shop                             After Photo-shop

                                        

                                       Final front cover

                                       

Then I was able to construct my Front cover using a program called "InDesign" using the improved photograph as my background then adding in my other components like the title.

First photoshoot

After I researched into other school magazines, I done my first photo shoot thinking about the model's appearance and the location. My aim was to capture a portrait image which was placed in the right location to avoid distraction from the model. It was important to take the picture at an appropriate time so that the lighting worked well with the models face. 

Evidence:

I took more than 67 photos at different angles and compositions suiting the lighting. I tried to use her voluminousness red curly hair to penetrate the sunlight to contrast light and dark on her face to give her a complexion. However, one thing I need to improve is the mise en scene so that everything within the frame is relevant. 

For example, in this image although she is placed so the sun is hitting her, the things behind her such as the railings and part of the flowers are irrelevant. They take focus away from the model and don't suit the theme however if this was cropped so there is only part of the wood showing the overall image would be more suitable. 

In the same way, behind the protagonist there is unwanted items such as a clock, window and a painting. However, if this shot was taken exactly the same in a more isolated area in portrait it would be successful through the light and the angle that the medium close up is shown at. 

school magazine examples

This title on this magazine is similar to the layout that I am trying to achieve. In my magazine the heading will be big and bold and placed at the top of the page. This is useful so that it immediately grabs the readers attention.

                                                                                                                                                           



What I liked the most about this example magazine is how the title fits the page. Although, the title imprinted into the background it is still clear and effective as it stands out. I might design my title with a similar font with the stretched out style but make it more relateable to the younger demographic. 

Furthermore, the colour scheme on this magazine presents the idea of organisation within the layout. By using mostly white and yellow the magazine cover seems more eye catching and vibrant instead of using dull colours such as black and grey. 

In addition to this, the sub headings have been displayed through different sizes but consistent fonts.  I think this is important as it shows which topics are more important or interesting so it is made bigger in order to hook the readers. 

Another interesting font is found on this "graduate" magazine cover. I like how the letters are not close together as it emphasizes the boldness of the title. 

Although, on this cover the title is not faded into the background but instead stands out in front of the model. However, the font is too dull along with the colour which makes it less appealing. 

However, I prefer a title which uses vibrant colours or a more interesting design which catches the reader's attention. 

preliminary - planning and research

Images I will use to integrate aspects into my own cover.

In this image the colors have been chosen specifically to contrast the protagonist to the people around her. Even though it is a medium long shot she seems to be the main focus through the lighting hitting her face more. It is interesting that they have used a black female but purposely made the person behind to wear orange to contrast with her purple clothes. This makes her seem more vibrant whilst giving her a clearer complexion. 

Also, the arrangement is interesting as it shows that the mise en scene has been carefully constructed as camera shot, lighting and costume all emphasize the overall frame.  However, this image will not be useful for me as my image for my magazine cover will work better when portrait. 

Next, I found these two images which I thought are very similar but have different characteristics which makes them individually valuable. 

In this image the lighting hits the top of her face which displays the protagonist's face brighter with the different shade of darkness. 

The portrait image is  composed at the centre which dominates the frame. Moreover, in both of these pictures they use people with similar skin tones and  hair. 

For this next image, I will position my protagonist in a similar way with a white background behind. I will try to focus the light on one side of the face whilst using natural light on the other to contrast the colours.

Initial planning

preliminary Task:

For my initial research into the school magazine, I decided to look into other school related covers and see what caught my attention the most. Firstly, I started with the images used and what made them interesting. 

I think the magazine cover of "First eleven" is effective because of the students grouped together showing happiness and a sense of achievement. Not only does promote the school but it draws in the audience's attention. 

One thing I would improve with this cover is the composition of the people, so that everyone's faces are clear and not being hidden. 

However, I like that it is a medium long shot as I can see some of the location and have a clear view of what the girls are trying to show.

There is not much writing on the page, although the title and subheading are big and bold to show their importance.  

Another cover I found interesting is from the "choosing a school" magazine. 

Next, I found this magazine for "Westchester high school" and particularly liked the close up shot of the protagonist who dominates the cover. I can clearly see her facial expressions and this type of shot would be useful to show a smart uniform off. 

On the other had, this cover has more writing then the other two example covers. In addition to this, the layout has been organised neatly to avoid cluster but still display a lot of information of what's inside. 

Again, the title is found in bold at the top of the page which a variety of vibrant colours instead of a specific colour scheme. Furthermore, the text have been sized in order of relevance so the more important or interesting topics reach the audience's attention more. Without drawing attention away from the title and the female protagonist. 

Introduction to my blog

I have created this blog for my AS media, where I will be creating both a school and a music magazine. Whilst showing all my planning areas and evaluating the finishing product. 

I have taken media since it fascinates me and I very much enjoyed it at GCSE's. I would love to expand my knowledge and learn more about different industries of media and the importance of it in everyday life. 

Media is way to present information which can then be communicated through different ways including television, radio, newspapers, and internet Etc.