Examples of editing

For this image I simply changed the contrast and brightness. I made the image look a lot more contrasted as I think that this looks more professional and also helps to emphasise bright colours and make it look a bit less real life. It also helped to emphasise the subjects eyes by doing this, and really get across the kind of heavy eye makeup that she wore. Her hair also looked a lot better when it had been brightened as it brought out a lot more highlights.

This is how I did it:

I clicked "image and then "adjustments" and then "brightness and contrast". I then changed the levels: brightness 42 and contrast 86. The editing was then complete. I think that the simple task of editing my photos will help to make a big difference to the professional quality of my magazine. I used similar editing techniques for my other photos, and simply either make them black and white and changed the contrast, or left them in colour and changed the contrast.

Examples of editing

This is my cover image. For this image I decided to change it into black and white. I chose this as I felt that this was not typical for a magazine cover, and did not conform to usual stereotypes. This would then help to emphasise the fact that the magazine is an indie magazine. Also, I chose to put it in black and white as I felt that this would make the image a lot more effective and authentic. I also changed the brightness and contrast of the photo. This made it look a lot more professional and just generally improved the quality of the photo. It made certain things on the image stand out, for example the dress the tree and the bucket. I felt that having it more contrasted gave it a more magical, fairylike setting and made it look less real.

This is how I did it:

To change it to black and white I clicked "Image" and then "adjustments" and then "black and white and it put the image into black and white for me. It put it onto the default black and white setting. I then went on to "image" and "brightness and contrast" and set the levels to this: brightness -6, contrast 79. The image editing was then complete.

Photos

This is the final photo, which I will use in my contents page. This means that the image will be very small on the page. It is quite a simple photo, but I think it is quite effective. The outfit for the photo was fairly simple, just a black top, a tutu, socks and high heels, but I think it is effective in showing a different side to the artist. Before we had seen her in flowery dresses and denim shirts, but here the neon tutu helps to make the outfit seem more outrageous. It helps to show that the artist has a wacky side, and that her music is nor mainstream. The setting of the photo is fairly simple: against a green fence. I think that this is effective with the outfit I have chosen, and helps to emphasise the brightness of the tutu and the wackiness of the artists outfit. Finally, I have chosen to portray a very simple pose. This contrasts with the bright outfit, and I think makes the artist seem more real. As she is gazing into the distance it looks like she is contemplating something, and makes us see that maybe she has a deeper side to her. Overall I think that these elements help to fit with the style of magazine, especially the outfit which helps to highlight the individual nature of the magazine, and also the photo appeals to the target audience as she is wearing a low cut top and a short skirt.

Photos

I have decided to use this photo as the main image of my double page spread. It will take up one half of the spread, as I feel that it is a strong image. I think that the mise-en-scene of this photo helps to emphasise the genre of the magazine and would appeal to the target audience. I chose the costume as it seems a very relaxed, casual outfit of a denim shirt, socks and ugg boots, but at the same time it also gives sex appeal as there is leg on show. Also, this kind of outfit is reminiscent to the iconic image of the woman in the shirt and socks playing guitar. You cannot see all of the artists face, but you can see that she is smiling. This then suggests that although she may have previously appeared moody, she does have a fun side to her. I think the pose that I have chosen is effective, as the way that she had her leg helps to show a more casual side to the star, as it is quite a casual pose. It also helps to give the photo sex appeal, by showing more leg. The subject of the photo is framed in the trees, and I think this is effective as it helps to emphasise the fact that she is the main subject in the photo. The setting is effective as it is quite a simple, natural setting, which just allows you to just focus on the girl in the photo. Overall, this image helps to show the genre of the magazine as it shows that it is an indie magazine, that does not take the usual close-up shots of artists like so many magazines do (e.g. magazines like "top of the pops" do this). Also, I think that another main reason for me choosing this image was the fact that it does appeal to the target audience, as it has subtle sex appeal, but it is not too in your face.

Photos

This photo I have decided to use for my article as well. The costume I have chosen is not clearly visible, however when I was taking the shots I had chosen a denim playsuit to be worn with long socks and high heels. I felt this provided a slightly "cheekier" image for the artist. I also decided to emphasise her big eyes with heavy eye makeup, but have played down the colour of her lips. I like the angle that this shot was taken from, as this gives it a bit more variety than all the other shots I have taken. It also gives the image sex appeal, as a lot of her legs are on show. The setting seems very ordinary and everyday, which contrasts with the actual artist in the image, who seems to have a more indie style. This is why I chose this setting. I think that the image fits with the overall style of the magazine as it is more of an adult magazine, and this kind of picture would appeal to them. Also, because the artist has indie style this fits in with the indie style of the magazine. Also, it appeals to the target audience as the artist is attractive and is showing off lots of leg, which many men would find attractive, and this would maybe encourage them to find out more about the artist. Overall, I think that this is a very strong image, and would work for putting in the article about the artist, and showing a more "cheeky" side.

Photos

I have chosen this photo to be a part of my article on the made-up artist I have created, "Jodie Flair". I made certain decisions on the mise-en-scene of this image. Firstly, I chose this costume as it is bright and colourful, and helps to suggest the sunny nature of the artist's music. Also, I added the jacket to help make the look a bit more "rock chick" and harden the image a bit more. Having the long socks with the high heels also helps to show that the artist has an indie look, but also adds more sex appeal as she is wearing a short dress. Her pose is looking down so you cannot see her face. I chose this as it helps to give her an air of mystery, and also because it made a change than having shots of the artist looking at the camera every time. The setting of the shot is quite idyllic and natural, which I think helps to suggest the nature of her music. The fact that she is standing on a child's swing is ironic, as she is dressed in very "adult" clothes, that an innocent child wouldn't wear. The fact that the subject in the picture is framed by the swing also helps to make the composition more interesting and varied. I have tried to vary the compositions throughout my photos. These elements all reflect the genre of the magazine, as the female readers would look at these clothes and know that they were in fashion for a more "indie" person. It also appeals to the target audience as it is showing a lot of leg, which many men would find attractive. This would maybe encourage them to read the whole article.

Photos

I have chosen this photo as my cover photo. I chose this because I felt that it was the strongest photo in showing the genre of the artists music, through the clothes and the setting it portrays (the mise-en-scene of the photo). Having her wearing an individual dress helps to connote the fact that she is not a typical "pop star" and that she has some authenticity and individuality about her. Also, I thought that the setting went with her style of magazine as she will be an artist who has a similar audience to "Florence and the machine". It helps to show the indie and natural nature of her music, as if the photos were taken in the city it would represent more of a street style of music. Her makeup I chose for her to wear also helps to connote her style of music. I had her wearing were heavy eye makeup, as I felt that this was a lot more individual than a lot of styles that other artists wear. I also styled her with big hair with lots if hairspray in it. I did this as most artists nowadays are always after pristine hair, and I felt that having her hair a bit more messy would help to show her indie image more, and show that she is not an artist that tries to conform to stereotypes. The pose she is doing is quite natural, and does not look forced at all. Also, it helps to appeal to men as the pose is showing a bit of her leg, but not too much and this will intrigue them as they will want to see more. All of these features of the photo help to show the genre of the magazine (indie), and help to highlight the fact that it does not conform to stereotypes of how a typical star should look. It also appeals to the target audience, which is mainly men, as it quite a sexy picture, showing an attractive artist. This may encourage them to buy the magazine, even if they do not usually. Overall, I am very happy with this cover photo.

Flat plan for double page spread

I also had to consider my target audience when designing my double page spread. The title of the article, the name of the band, is in a new font that has not been used before in my magazine: shock. I thought that this font went well with the style of magazine. The title of the article will be very big and bold, and take up the top of one page of the spread, in a black font. There will also be a tagline underneath the title, in the font sciallo. Having the title just the name of the band conforms to music magazine conventions, as many music magazines use this technique e.g. NME. Also having a tagline underneath the title is similar to many magazines, as it provides a bit more interest to the article. Having the title of the article in black rejects usual conventions as usually magazines would use a different colour for the title, but I felt that the colour black makes the article a bit more edgy and fits with the band's style of music. Having a big, bold title and a tagline would appeal to the target audience, as that is what they expect out of a music article, and will also add more interest to the relatively boring title. Also on this side of the spread is a picture of the lead singer of Go:Audio, which will take up the whole page. Having the photo of the band taking up one whole page of the spread rejects and conforms to magazine conventions, as some double page spreads in magazines (like one about "The teenagers" in NME) have whole photos taking up one side of the spread, however, other magazines may have smaller photos, as the articles may be a lot more in depth. This would appeal to the target audience as it allows for the reader to see clearly what the band actually look like, and give an insight into their personality. Finally, on the spread I have included text boxes which say the page numbers. This conforms to magazine conventions, as all magazines have to display these as they are important information. The target audience would like the fact that the article has page numbers, as all magazines have them, and it would allow the article to be found easily. I have also included a banner at the top of the other page of the article, and this will say things like the name of the magazine and their website. This is to reinforce and advertise the brand. This conforms to many magazine conventions, as many magazine include a banner to advertise this information, however, having it at the top of the page instead of the bottom makes it slightly different from other magazines. The main font of the article will be oceania, a sans serif font, and in the colour black, as this will allow it to be subtle, but also not so small it is hard to read. This conforms to magazine conventions, as all magazines try to have the main text in the article in a sans serif font, so it does not look to complicated or over the top. This would appeal to the target audience as they will want to be able to read the font of the article clearly. I have also included two smaller pictures on the article, to give people a bit more of an idea about what the band look like. This conforms to magazine conventions, as most magazine articles contain smaller images of the band, as well as the big main image. This would appeal to the target audience as it would allow them to see what other members of the band look like, not just the lead singer. I have chosen to have a plain white background, as this is simple, and will help to focus people's attention more on the article. This conforms to magazine conventions, as most of the articles I have read use a plain white background to make images and text stand out. This would appeal to the target audience as the page will not look too complicated and the text will be easily read. Finally, I have used a pull quote in a text box, to help the audience to see a bit more about the band, and make the article more interesting. I have used a different font from the main body of the article as this will make it stand out more, as it is a lot bolder (sciallo). This conforms to magazine conventions, as most magazines use pull quotes in interviews as they are very bold on the page, and can entice someone into reading an article. This would appeal to the target audience as they would want to know more about the band and see what they are like before reading. Overall, my double page spread appeals to my target audience, even if it does reject some magazine conventions. I am pleased with all my flat plans, and feel that they are detailed enough to be able to form my magazine effectively.

Flat plan for contents page

For my contents page, I have chosen my designs based on what my target audience would want out of one. For the title, saying "contents" I have chosen to use the same font and colour to the one used for the title of the magazine-mtf base in red. The title will also be in a large size, so the audience can be clear about what page they are on. This conforms to magazine conventions as most magazines have a title at the top saying "contents". However, some magazines do not do this, like NME, which just says "this week". I felt it would be clearer to make sure that people knew exactly what the page was. I think this would appeal to the target audience as they may want to be able to quickly find the contents page, so they can find a specific article. I have split the contents page into four sections, "reviews", "interviews", "coming up" and "retro". For the titles of these different sections I have used the font sciallo in black. I have also made them bigger than the information about the actual pages, as it will allow people to find a particular section of the magazine easily. For the page information and numbers I used the font oceania in black, as this is going to be the font for all the main text in my magazine. In the information about the pages, for three of the sections I have only put the name of the band it is about, as I think that that is all the information you need to know if you are wanting to read the article anyway. However, for the "retro" section at the end of the magazine I have used the names of the actual articles, as it is a specific section which only has three articles, and people would want to know more about it. In some ways these design ideas conform to magazine conventions, but in others they don't. The idea of having the contents page in sections is a technique that is used often in music magazines, to break up the contents page a bit more. Also the idea of having the titles of these sections in a bigger font than the information is used often, for example in NME. Also, having the names of only the bands to give information in the contents page is used a lot in music magazines, such as NME, as there is very limited space in a contents page. However, the idea of having a "retro" section at the end, with only three articles, rejects usual magazine conventions, as usually the sections would be easily spaced out and all the same length. However, I felt that this section would be the least important to readers, but they would still find it interesting, so I decided to include it in the magazine. Also, it would appeal to the older readers of the magazine. Having the contents page split into different sections would appeal to my target audience as they would want to be able to find information easily and quickly. Also, having only the names of bands for page information would appeal to the target audience, as it would allow them to look for a specific band quickly. Finally, the idea of having a retro section would appeal to the target audience, as they would want a bit of variety when reading the magazine. I have included pictures relating to certain articles in the contents page, and these will show people a bit more about the article and make the contents page more interesting. The idea of having pictures about certain articles conforms to magazine conventions as basically all magazines do this, but music magazines especially. This would appeal to the target audience as it would allow them to see a bit more about a specific article. I have also included a "highlight" article, on Paramore doing a concert. I felt that this would draw more attention to the contents page. For this I used the fonts sciallo, oceania and ll cooper. I made the title of the article red, to go with the colour scheme, and draw attention to it. I have included a text box saying "highlight", which will draw people's attention towards the article, as the text box is in the shape of an explosion and will be yellow. There will also be a large picture to go with the article, to show a bit more about what it is about. It conforms to many conventions of music magazine, as many magazines do use these highlight articles in their contents page, for example NME had a highlight article on Oasis. The idea of having the title of the article red also conforms to magazine conventions, as many magazines use bright colours to highlight titles. Having this article in the contents page would appeal to the target audience as it helps to make the contents page more interesting, and could help them to decide whether they want to read the full article or not. I have included the website address for the magazine at the bottom of the contents page. This conforms to magazine conventions, as almost every magazine will try to advertise their website, and the contents page is one of the best places to do it. Having the address in the contents page will appeal to the target audience as it is in an obvious place, and they will be able to find it quickly. Finally I have included information about a separate "freebie" in the top left hand corner of the contents page. This helps to show that it is not the most important piece of information on the page, but can still be seen clearly. With this article I have included a giant "+" sign, which draws more attention to it. The conforms to magazine conventions as a lot of magazines use a plus sign to draw attention to a certain article or groups of articles. Having it in the left hand corner, however, rejects magazine conventions, however I think it will be bold enough to be seen. It appeals to the target audience as it is clear and easy to see, but at the same time does not get in the way of page listings for other articles. Overall, I think that my contents page conforms and rejects certain magazine conventions, but the layout of it definitely appeals to my target audience.

Flat plan for alternative cover

This is a flat plan for an alternative cover that I could have done. However, I chose not to choose this cover and name. This is because I felt that the layout of my other plan was more effective. I also thought that the name "IVM" fitted better with the indie genre that my magazine is taking, as the name "shock" sounds like more of a name that would be given to a metal magazine. Also, the fact that the title of the magazine overlapped the photo of the main cover artist was a flaw, as usually in magazines as little as the photo is covered up as possible. Also, in this flat plan, I had planned to do a facial shot of the cover star, but in my other one I am planning to do a mid/long shot which shows the style of clothing that the artist is wearing. This will appeal to the target audience of the magazine, as they will be looking out for new, indie fashions, which is what the cover star will be dressed in. Also, I felt that the strap line at the bottom took up too much of the article, and cut off valuable space that I could have used for the main sells and the cover photo. Finally, on this plan there was a lot of blank space, and I felt that the design of my other cover, with having two of the main sells on each side, worked better at using space on the cover and spreading the articles out. I had to consider my target audience, and what would appeal to them more, and overall I felt that the other design did this.

Brainstorming ideas

This is a brainstorm that I originally did to put all my thoughts and ideas together. From here I came up with my final design.

Flat plan for cover

This is the flatplan for the cover of my magazine, IVM. In the cover, I have chosen a bold font for the title of the magazine. I have also chosen for it to be red, as I think this is a bright, bold colour that will highlight it on the page. This is typical of most magazines: to use a bright bold font for the name of the magazine, to catch people's eye. This kind of style for my title would appeal to my target audience as they would like to be able to find the title of magazine quickly and easily when searching through a whole selection of music magazines.

For my tagline, I have chosen a relatively small black font, as I feel that it is not a very important piece of information on the cover: it only says the full title of the magazine (Indie Vibe Magazine). This conforms and rejects conventions of magazine design, as for some magazines the tagline is very important (e.g. Kerrang's tagline-Life is loud). However, for some abbreviated names like NME I think that they, like I have, put less focus on it. This would appeal to my target audience as it will not be an important piece of information for them, and many of them will just call it by its shortened abbreviation anyway.

I have chosen to put the important information like date, issue and price in the left hand corner, where it is clear and easy to read. Although I have not chosen to use a massive bold font, I think it fits in well with design and will still be easily read. In some ways this is similar to magazine conventions as some magazines put information like this very clearly in the top left corner like I have. Some magazines like NME, however, but the information very small in the bottom left hand corner. I felt that for my magazine, it was suitable, and would appeal to my target audience to put it there, as it would be a new magazine and people would want to know the price straight away.

I have placed my barcode in the top right hand corner with all the other information, as I felt it would be useful to group it all together. However, I have made sure that it does not detract from the design and other elements of the cover. This conforms to magazine conventions as all magazines will try to put the barcode in a subtle place on the cover, so people can focus on other parts of it. This would appeal to my target audience as the barcode would not a particularly important element on the magazine to them.

For my main flash, I have placed it in the near the top on the left hand side. I felt this was a good place for it as it is easily noticed but at the same time does not overlap the picture too much. I also chose a bold font, LL cooper, in the colour red, as I felt that this would really help to draw attention to the band in the article, and if they wanted to they could read more about the article beneath it. For the information about the main sell I used the font oceania as it is quite subtle but would still be easily seen against the background that I have chosen. I also used a bigger font for the main flash than the other main sells, to show that it is the most important article on the cover. This conforms to magazine conventions but also rejects them. For example, having the main flash on the right near the top of the magazine is not common for most magazines, as they usually put the main flash in the centre at the bottom of the page. However it also conforms to certain conventions, for example using a different colour font for the title of the main flash and also using a bigger font than the main sells. I think that having this kind of style for the main flash would appeal to the target audience, as they would want to be able to find it easily on the cover and would want it to be read easily.

I have spread my main sells around the cover, with two on one side and one on the other. I think that this layout will work as it fills up more of the cover, as opposed to having all the main sells on one side and the main flash on the other. I have also made the main sells smaller than the main flash, and that is to show that they are just highlighted articles and not the main article on the cover image. However, I have still made them big enough so they can be easily read. I have used the same text and colour style for the main sells as I have the main flash, and this is because it is simple but will also make them stand out. However, there is a difference in the information about the flash, as underneath the band name on the main sells I have included a quote from the band, rather than an introduction to the artist. This is because the artists on the main sells are not new artists, but the cover artist will be. There will also be a small picture of each of the bands underneath the main sell, and that is to introduce the band's particular image to the reader, and also show them what they look like if they have never seen them before. In some ways this goes with magazine conventions but in others it doesn't.

The fact that I have made the main sells smaller than the main flash, but have used the same fonts and colour scheme goes with magazine conventions, as many magazines do this. Also, the fact that I have used quotes under the names of the bands for my main sells conforms to magazine conventions, as these techniques are used regularly in music magazines. However, the fact that I have included a picture for each one of the main sells goes against magazine conventions, as most magazines do not include a picture for every single main sell e.g. NME only uses a picture for a highlighted article on the cover. I think that having these different elements in my main sells will appeal to my target audience as they will like the fact that if they do not know the band on the cover by name they may be able to recognise them from the picture. They will also like the fact that the main sells are clear and easy to read.

I have included a strap line at the bottom of my cover to advertise other bands that will feature in the magazine. I put the strapline on a yellow background, and used the font sciallo in black. This is a bold font, which will make them stand out on the page, as the other artists featured are an important element on the cover. I have also included a yellow text box in the shape of an explosion saying "look out for". This again helps to highlight the strapline as an important piece of information. The fact that I have included a strapline conforms to magazine conventions as many music magazines e.g. NME, Kerrang, use one of these. The fact that I have included the text box also conforms to magazine conventions, as having text boxes to highlight certain pieces of text is common in most magazines. Having the strapline and making it bold and clear will appeal to my target audience as they will want to know what other artists are featured in the magazine before they buy it, and will want to be able to find this quickly.

Finally, I have included an advert for a separate free giveaway, near the bottom of the cover, at the centre of the page. Having it here will draw people's attention to it. I have put the word "free" in a bold capital font (ll cooper) and the rest of the advert also in the same font, but smaller. Having an advert for a separate giveaway on the cover in a prominent place conforms to magazine conventions, as many magazines would do this to make sure attention is drawn towards it. However, in other ways, placing the advert here is not common in magazines, as a lot of the time the main flash is put there. Having an advert on the front cover in a prominent place, and in a bold font would appeal to the target audience as it would be an important element in the magazine for them. Overall, my cover rejects and conforms to magazine conventions, but overall the design layout works and would appeal to the target audience in many different ways.

Fonts

I am in the process of deciding which fonts to use for my music magazine. I have looked on dafont.com and have come up with a list of several that I think would fit with the style of my magazine. The reason I have chosen these fonts as I think that they fit with the kind of target audience that I am aiming my magazine towards.

I chose the font "mtf base" as I thought it would look good for the title of my magazine. It is bold and has been outlined, which would make sure that it looked like a focal point on the page. I chose the font "shock" as I think it is fun and funky, and fits with the target audience. I think it would look good for the title of my main article on the double page spread. It is also a fun font that will appeal to the target audience, but at the same time make writing stand out. I have chosen the font "sciallo" as I think that it would look good under the title to show its full meaning (indie vibe magazine). Also, because it is not too bold it would not stand out too much on the cover and would just fit in with the overall style of the cover. I have chosen to use the font "oceania" as it is quite an ordinary, basic font that would be good for basic text in the articles e.g. the main article in the magazine and the preview part of the main sells. Finally, I have chosen the font "LL cooper" as I think it would be good for the titles of the main sells and makes them stand out on the page. Also, I think that it is clear and easy to read, but also has a funky edge to it.

I asked my target audience what they thought of my font choices. These included some of people in my class. They thought that the fonts worked well for each of their uses. However, they said that I had used a maximum numbers of fonts on the page, and if I had used any more it would look too crowded and over the top. I would agree with this, as looking at a lot of magazines and magazine covers I can see that they try to use a minimal number of font choices, and this makes their magazines look professional. However, I mostly got good feedback from my target audience, and they felt that the fonts I had chosen fitted with my target audience as they were easy to read, but still fun and interesting, rather than being plain and boring. This is what my target audience would look for in a front cover.

In the making of my magazine, the amount of fonts that I used decreased. I decided not to use the fonts "shock", "ll cooper" and "sciallo", as I found that they were not very bold and did not show up clearly on my magazine. I substituted these with a new font, "arial rounded MT bold", which I simply used for my pull quote on the double page spread and the title on the double page spread. I chose it as it was bold but simple at the same time.

Overall, I am pleased with the font choices that I made, and feel that they fit with the style and target audience of my magazine and look effective.