Possible Mastheads

  After considering how I want my magazine to eventually become and ideas of costumes and shots for images, I stated creating a masthead. The first text I created is at the top and the last at the bottom therefore they get progressively better.
  At first I chose the name VIVA for my magazine, which is spanish for living. I also looked for other translations but came upon none suitable nor sounding right. I also realised I could face copyright issues as there is already a music channel called viva.
  I then opted for the name rehab. The connotations of the word represent what I want my magazine to represent. It is taboo and slightly rebelious, this is why I have chosen capital letters and an "elephant" font because my magazine will make a statement.
  The second font and colour I chose I felt was completely wrong for my magazine, the actual text and font holds the right connotations however it was not right for my magazine.
  The colours I chose, being oranges, red and pink are summer colours. As I have already stated many magazines adapt their housestyle seasonally. I thought the blue looked very suitable for winter however but I will not be using this in my magazine.
   I chose to change the name to REBEL, using an elephant, italic font with bright pink letters. I felt this more appropriate for the audience of teenage girls.

Preliminary Task - School Magazine

I decided after my first attempt of creating my school magazine that I would have another attempt. After learning more and having more experience using the different programmes I knew that I could definitely improve upon my work. Here is the mock up and eventual product below:

Photoshop - Practising Using Photoshop

       Before starting my preliminary task of actually creating the school magazine, I first practised using photoshop. Editing photos is extremely common, particularly in magazines and on covers. There has been much debate over young girls being too heavily influenced over perfect looking models on front covers and how image manipulation should be banned. However, the reality is that most magazine editors will never stop editing there images. As I've stated in previous posts, they will want to use a flawless person for their cover, they won't actually get these flawless images without image manipulation. In these pictures of Megan Fox, I will explain how I used image manipulation to modify the image.

Original Image:

Edit 1

As you can see from the first image, using photoshop I was able to remove all of the blemishes from Megan Fox's chin to make her skin look flawless as most people would not see spots as attractive or making someone classically beautiful.

 Edit 2:

In this image I was able to remove the shadow from under Megan's nose as this may have been a lighting error.I also made her hair look more smooth and sleek by removing stray hairs around her head, Megan would aim to have a flawless image without a hair out of place.

 Edit

Photoshop allowed me to make the image black and white as this makes the image very classical and connotates old film and classic hollywood beauty. I added a red lip on top to add a pop of colour, similar use has been used in Vibe magazine on the Kanye contents page I analysed. This use of a red lip draws the viewers eye and connotates sexuality which as previously stated sells magazines.

Music Magazine Mock-Ups

After analysing music magazines I was able to identify many conventions to therefore use in creating my own. Here are my mock ups below:
Front Cover:

Mood Board

After analysing music magazines of a similar genre to the one I have chosen, I created this mood board in order to give me a base to work from and refer to. It shows what to me represents hip-hop. I see natural and real people that have had fame and glamour thrust upon them. It is all very expensive looking and something I identified from analysing Vibe magazine was that neutral colours are often used with a pop of colour on important and relevant objects, it can also connotate and contrast the real people and their glamorous lifestyle, which is something most rappers and singers in the industry love to show for their brand image.

Analysing Magazines: Double Page Spread, Contents and Extras

Contents Page:

  Kanye West was the feature in this issue of Vibe. A large image of the rapper consumes most of the page with the column inch listed in a small serif print beside him. This magazine does not often use a serif font however in this case it fits well with Kanyes brand image.

 It is again apparent, particularly on this page, that neutral colours have been used with a pop of bright colour. It appears that a black and white, almost sepia filter has been set over the page and a

bright red heart is the focus of this picture, it is bright red to make a statement and connote a huge amount of love. This image has been influenced by the metaphor "holding his heart" to show that he loves somebody. clearly it is a female arm. The reason we cannot see the girl is because either we do not know who he loves, he is looking for somebody to hold his heart or it is his fans. The reason the metaphor is apparent would probably be revealed inside.

   This page is very true to Kanyes brand image. The mise en scene of him rather formally dressed looking quite serious represents him as a sophisticated man whos very serious about his career, however also can be vulnerable and wear his heart on his sleeve.

  Behind Kanye is a huge "V" incorporating the magazine logo being the first letter of Vibe. This promotes the brand identity and links in to the cover.

  "Contents" is not set conventionally however this is purposely done to not be conventional, to be different and individual. The way most of the readers would like to describe themselves as.

Double Page Spread:

     This is double page spread of singer Solange Knowles in Vibe magazine after the release of her album she is promoting.

    The first link I make between this and the contents page is the way the pug reading "VOLUME NOW" has purposely been unconventionally set out, just like the "Contents" had been on that page.

    Like all the pages I have analysed in Vibe magazine the colours are neutral with a huge pop of colour. This time the main image of solange is the pop of colour, along with her name in the text.

    The image is rather big, consuming half the page with a quote of importance or relevance next to her. There are multiple images of Solange along the top half of the page doing different movements and shapes all in long shot. these are black and white.

  In the lead, Solanges name is bold and brightly coloured, contrasting to the rest of the text. This is to establish the person instantly and is a focus point of the readers eye. There is also synergy between Solange, her name and the "VOLUME MUSIC NOW" as she has a bright blue - obviously enhanced - denim jacket that matches the writing and she is very current.

  All text on the page is very conventionally columned however is not in the typical question and answer format but only Solanges answers modified to make sense.

Extras:

I found this letter from the editor very interesting, this is Keri Hilson who evidentally stepped in as guest editor for this issue. This is something I would consider using in my contents page.
 There is a large image of Keri to state who the letter is from. The headline for this small article "Letter from the Editor" has the word editor in a different colour again to establish and make the link between Keri and this piece of text.
   Text almost looks handwritten which is very personal. Conventionally, particularly in fashion magazines the letter will be typed and personally signed by the editor, however this is all handwritten.
  Language is very informal and not at all grammatically correct, however it is how Keri would typically talk to her fans. There is a lot of shared understanding between Keri and her fans that many others may not pick up on such as "Miss Keri Baby's" which is a term she uses in a lot of her songs when referring to herself. Also "No Boys Allowed" which is the title of her first big album and "peach out" is a term she uses when saying goodbye. This letter is all very personal between Keri and her fans.
 

Analysing Music Magazines - Front Cover

The magazine I have chose to analyse is VIBE magazine, it originates and is distributed around the USA. I have chosen this magazine as it is of a similar genre to the one I am to create. It features similar artists and has the edgy yet sophisticated style that I am aiming for.

   Model and actress Amber Rose graced the cover of the July 2011 Vibe issue. The magazine adapts their colours and images seasonally. We can identify that it is summer without looking at the folio but looking at the image of Amber wearing sunglasses.

    A block colour of blue has been used for the background. The reason is to keep the magazine simplistic and to make Amber the focus point. Colours are contrasted on this background, all these features to make a statement. Blue would not usually be associated with summer however it connotes the coolness of amber and also when used with yellow can be associated with the sun and sky. Ambers peach lipstick and nails along with yellow are bright and give reference to the season.

     The mastheads font, style and setting remain the same in all Vibe magazines produced, however the colour adjusts in accordance to the season along with the other colours used in the house style. In this issue the text is white and this can also be seen in the puffs.  White connotes purity and cleanliness, this also shows the season of summer. The masthead is in bold capital letters connoting importance and making a statement.

       The image is central and overlaying the masthead on both covers I am analysing. These are the only images on the page and feature the artists in the copy – which is the main article. This again is for simplicity. The copy of the issue is within the puff right of her face, this shows the relevance to the image.

    Although not showing anything, Amber appears to be nude, this is selling sexuality to the reader. It may be appealing to both men and women as woman may aspire to her and men will like her. However brutal, unless making a statement or using an extremely successful singer, there is always going to be an attractive person on the cover, you will understand this more in my post about feminism. Usually on a music magazine somebody who people would class as classically beautiful, however this is very different with Amber Rose. She does hold features of a classically beautiful person with her perfect skin and make up, however a woman with a shaved head does not really fit in that category although we must remember that Amber Rose is not only associated with the hip-hop business but is also a fashion model, fashion magazines are definitely very different.
 This person is also usually quite close in age to the audience in question so that they are relatable.

   I notice that on both covers quite neutral colours have been used with a pop of colour. This seems quite suitable to the genre and its artists who aim to portray themselves as real as they can added with glamour now they are in the spotlight. I would consider using this on my own magazine.

    There are puffs around the image on both sides. Throughout the puffs the fonts and colours alternate. The colours alternate between yellow and white with no relevance to importance but to make a statement and create more interaction for between the reader and the page. The text above the masthead also alternate between yellow and white. All font is of a serif font alternating again between bold and regular and also capitals and lowercase. It appears that the more important text is bold and capital for example in the puff stating the copy “AMBER ROSE” is in capital letters and bold, however where it is stating what the article features “on Wiz, women and lessons from Yeezy” is regular and with the correct punctuation for proper English.

   A pug of a barcode is used in both magazines I am analysing, this is very conventional of any genre of magazine.  Connected to this pug on the Amber Rose cover there is a barcode. This offers exclusive information to those with a smart phone and shows the magazine is aiming to its audience of young people and moving with technology.  There is also a folio of a website in the bottom left corner which is very conventional as it tends to be either at the top under the masthead or at the bottom.

      In the February/March 2012 edition of Vibe magazine, singer and rapper Nicki Minaj was the main feature.

   As in the previous cover I analysed I notice that the colours have changed in accordance to the season. This shade of orange is very representative of autumn. Black text is also used alongside this to connote boldness and fierceness, two things Nicki Minaj aims to represent her brand as.

   The image again has used neutral colours with a pop of colour which fits very well with the genre., this is definitely something I would consider for my magazine of a similar genre. In comparison to the other cover I analysed I notice that both covers are very in tune with the brand image of the artist featured.

    The puff promoting the main feature inside is next to the head of the artist as it is in the Vibe cover of Amber Rose. Text still alternates colour, size and boldness however all text on this page is in capital letters. The text that reads “NOTORIOUS K.I.N.G” is identifiable and shows the brand image through association.

    Something I identified to be different between this cover of Nicki Minaj and the cover of Amber Rose was that in this issue there is no barcode attached to the actual price barcode. This is unusual as magazines usually progress with technology however it appears the bar code has been taken off since this issue was produced after the first. Reasons for this could be that because it is exclusive or possibly expensive Vibe magazine only use the barcodes every so often. Another reason could be to make the audience equal as they may have realised that not everybody owns a smart phone and not enough of their readers used it.

  

Preliminary Task: School Magazine

      Using the research I had done, I was able to gather knowledge and skills to create my own school magazine. This is the cover of the magazine I created. From the terms I gathered and anatating a school magazine I was able to learn the terms and conventions and use these in improving my own work.

    I have used the house style throughout the page with the predominant colours being pale blue, dark blue and red. For the background I used a gradient tool in order to use the pale blue but give it more of a realistic, formal look so that there is more interaction with the page than it simply being one block colour.

      I have also placed a pug in the corner of the page which is the Deyes High Logo, this establishes the institute and is instantly recognisable to those associated with the school. The colours used for the house style are shown through the Deyes High logo. This logo is part of Ferdinand Sassures semiotic theory as it is instantly associated and has no direct link.

   The masthead of "Deyes High School" is in red block capitals in a Bell MT serif font. This connotes formality and prestige. Deyes High School is printed in this style all around the school and on most documents and on the school banner outside the building, by creating the masthead to be the same an instant connection can be made.

 There is a small folio in dark blue under the masthead which shows the date of issue. On the actual school magazine I analysed the folio was just right and below centre. I chose however not to follow this as when I have analysed other magazines this is not the conventional place nor style for the folio, I therefore used my initiative to place the folio in the conventional place.

    The brief stated that a midshot of a pupil of the school must be used. This was the only image I used on the cover as I chose to keep the page simplistic. I was able to crop and readjust my image on photoshop. The mise en scene of the image shows smartly dressed pupils using the schools technology, this connotes a smart and well equip institute.

   I used a large red puff overlaying the image, the writing is blue and of a serif font to again show formality. The colours show the house style and the context is relevant to the school.

   I used a strap line of "Primus Inter Pares" which is the schools motto. All students will recognise this and it holds the meaning of first among equals. The text is blue for the housestyle and the font is of a serif font for previous reasons stated.