My evaluation of my finished product!

My evaluation of my media product!

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Front cover finished!

I've finished my front cover!
I know alot of works been done since my last blog, I firstly settled that i would use red black and grey as my colour scheme on a white background. I put my picture on the front cover, added my magazine title of FTM, which the style of it is inspired by the NME logo, i chose a similar font of 'Eras Bold ITC' and changed the effects and stroke.
I chose a dark red colour for my title, with a white outline. I then decided to change the background of my front cover as white looked too clean and didn't quite look right, so i messed around with some different colours and found a black background looked best, so everything was on a black background and this changed my colour scheme of all text on my front cover to white red and grey.
I then put my another text box with the words 'face the music' in and changed this to the same red colour, I then placed it under the FTM as part of my logo as NME has the words NME stands for underneath NME as part of the logo.
I then added various other texts boxes, messing around with positioning and content inside them, making sure I added my artists name in the biggest font and position it over the picture on the front cover of my model but so it was 3/4 of the way on the bottom of the page so it didn't cover my artists head or face. I added a text box underneath this, with a draft quote, that probably wont be in my article and will need changing once I've written my article, but gives me a template for where the relevant quote will go.
I then added other texts boxes, a circular shape, all making my page have references to the contents of the magazine and encouraging the audience to buy it.
I added a barcode and put a date and price of my magazine on.
And then changed around with all the colours of the text, all being either white grey or red. I kept the same font just used different sizes and I'm not happy with my front cover.
After finishing my contents and double page spread i will go back to my front cover to maybe tweak it and obviously add a relevant quote from my article.
But now i feel happy with it being finished until i finish the other two elements of my coursework.
Here it is;

Problem fixed!

As i said on my last blog, i had a problem with a lack of a front cover photo.
HOWEVER...... PROBLEM SOLVED!
I looked through the rest of my photos and the above photo i found i had missed, completely missed when looking for front cover photos, i hadn't even put it in my folder on my pendrive that i putall my possible front cover photos in, so i have no idea how i missed it completely but, i've found it now which is what matters, so i cut it out and changed the airbrushed my models skin so it looked perfect and then i decided his i didnt want to edit the contrast and brightness, as the picture looked excellent as it was and i felt it didn't need any brightness or contrast adjustments. Then i put it on my front cover with my magazine title, and it fits nicely!
So you can see the unedited original above, and here below is the edited version!

Front cover photo...PROBLEM!

The last blog i posted was about my front cover photo, well alot has changed in the past two days!
Firstly as you can see with the above two photos I did as planned went to edit all photos so i could ask peoples opinions on what to use, however when i cut the pictures out to edit them i came across alot of problems!
Firstly i edited picture two, the close up shot, however once i cut it out and edited as shown above, i put it on my front cover and found that the positioning of my model being in the centre of the page alot of his torso was on show, it was going from his elbow up which meant it took up most of the page and only left room around his head for extra things added on the page.
So then i thought to move the photo down in the page so less of his torso was showing and cut off the extra.
however with my models head being right in the centre of the page, the title of my magazine wasn't really visible and showable so it didnt look right.
So picture two the close up shot was ruled out as a picture, which without putting it on my front cover page with the title of my magazine behind it i wouldn't of known.
So then i edited picture 3, which when cutting out and editing the contrast and airbrushing, i found that firstly it didnt cut out very well, one side of his hair had too many stray strands and clumps that showed through the gaps in them the grey background of the studio i'd taken the photos which i couldnt get rid of unless i cut the stray bits off hair off, which i did and this made one side of his hair look very flat and i couldnt even it off because his hand was holding the left hand side of his hair. I also found that his body and was tilted to the right side and made the picture look strange on the front cover with one side being bare and the other being able to be filled.
So this meant that picture 3 was unable to use, which left me of one choice of picture 1.
However having seen that i couldnt use picture 2 and 3 for those reasons i was aware of what made a picture unsuitable for a front cover, so i looked at picture one and before even cutting it out i noticed i couldnt use it because the shot cuts off the top of my models hair which would mean the picture would have to stretch the whole of the page so his head finished at the top so the cut off wasnt visible, but this i realised would look unproffesional and strangely proportioned with some of his hair missing.
So i've realised all 3 pictures are un-useable which leaves me in a dilemma! I'll have to look through the rest of my pictures, luckily i took alot of other good shots and may have skimmed over some that could be suitable.

Front cover photos?

Here are the 3 photos i've narrowed down to be my options for my front cover photo, i think selected these because, my models looking directly at the camera on all 3, the lightings good, and a different proportion of my model is on each photo, but all in a close up range.

Photo 1, on the left, i like because my models pose is good, with both hands showing, a small bit of guitar and a suiting expression. Photo 2, the one in the middle, i like because its close up with my models head bring at the top and cutting off at just above his elbows, i also like it because my models is staring straight into the camera but has his head tilted downwards slightly as if a little camera shy because hes a new artist, but also intruiging.

Photo 3, on the right, i like because my models guitars in it and it gives it a different approach a little more fun yet with my models pose still serious.

So i will edit all 3 and put then survey 10 people asking which they believe would be more likely for a front cover.

Progress!

Since my last blog post, i've decided on a name for my music magazine, i thought a short snappy name was needed and i researched several different music terms to find a name, but then i came across the phrase 'face the music', and i decided that FTM, standing for face the music would be my magazine name, i'm still in a proccess of deciding whether to have just the letters FTM on the top left hand corner of my front page on their own, or with the words face the music in small print underneath each letter, making it clear what the letters stand for.
I'm unsure still, but FTM is definately my chosen name!

I've made a list of things i need to do within next week;

I need to;

• Make box plans of my layouts for each element of my final piece; my front cover, contents page and double page spread. This will give me a good basis to work on when arranging and putting together my magazine.
• Narrow down my shots to around 3/4 for front cover choices, 3/4 for contents page choices and a selection to use on my double page spread.
• Ask and video responses and opinions of different people on which photos they believe would be the best choices.
• Think of a unique and suitable name for my magazine thats catchy, short and music related.
• Decide on the 3 colour scheme i will use throughtout my front cover.
• Make a start at photoshopping my front cover shot and putting together my front cover.

I hope to achieve this next week or at least most of the things on my list, throughout each stage i will make a blog aswell to keep a record of my progress and a log of each step i take and reasons behind any choices i make.

Success!

On wednesday i took my outside photos with my model and yesterday i took my photo shoot in the studio with my model on the white background and proffesional lighting.
Both shoots went well and i have a wide range of photos to use in each setting with a variety of different shots and looks.
Right now im in the process of selecting specific photos to use for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I've already decided to use a close up shot taken in the studio for my front cover, and another studio shot of my model, possibly a full length body shot of my model for my contents, with a mix of both outside shots and studio shots for my double page spread.
I've considered once i've narrowed my photos down to 3 for my front cover, asking a selection of random people which they would find more realistic on a front cover of a music magazine and why. I'm planning to video this piece of research and put it on my blog.
So look foward to seeing that and some photos you can see from my shoot!

Background outside pictures.

As i mentioned on my last blog, i've taken some shots of possible backgrounds for my outside pictures, these i have uploaded above and will keep in mind tomorrow when i go to shoot my outside shots and look at which have the best sunlight to shoot there.
I will take my shots between 3pm and 4pm as this will give good sunlight (hopefully, dependant on the weather) and it will be in media lesson time so a perfect time to shoot them with my model.

A little about my model...

My model is 18, is an unsigned artist and has the perfect look i'm going for with this magazine.

As i'm styling my magazine on NME and Q with an indie look, my model has a great look for a solo guitar based artist like James morrison, Jack Johnson and other similar artists.

Joe's a good model and subject for my magazine because he has the style and look of a indie male solo artist and he took photography as an ASlevel last year so he knows how to make my photos look good and pose well for them.

Also with his keen interest in music and him being a unsigned artist it makes him more realistic and i can use his guitar in some of the pictures to make it more realistic.

My models name is Joseph William Bromley and i think keeping his name as his real one with Joe bromley is fine for an artist and i dont think needs changing to make it more short and catchy like alot of artists do.

I've chosen out two outfits for him to wear for my shoots the outfit for outside is a brown tshirt, blue slim fit jeans, brown boots and a dark green jacket, along with bracelets and a brown long leather laced necklace.

For my studio shoots i've chosen out a light green loose fit but shaped tshirt with a v-neck, grey skinny jeans, brown boots and the same jacket and jewellery as he'll wear in the outside shots.

Joe's music myspace is; www.myspace.com/trapdoorspidersband

My plans for my photoshoot.

Now i've finished my research i'm going to research each key part to my magtazine individually and the first part of my production will be my photo shoot. I've booked the studio for thursday lunch time which means i'll have the use of it for one hour 15minutes which should be enough time for all the photos i need to shoot in the studio, and on wednesdays afternoon lesson i plan to take my pictures of my model outside.
From looking at front covers of magazines and just the models pictures in specific, if it is a single model it is often that the front cover has the singular model either in a very close up shot of just the face, or a shot ranging from the knees to the top of the head in a mid shot, this is to either emphasise a emotion if they use a picture of just the models face, or to portray an overall image of the artist with the body language too if they use a mid close up.
So from researching photos i've decided for my front cover photo and my inside contents page photo i will have my model in the studio on the white background, with either a close up on his face for the front cover maybe, and him looking straight into the camera and then for the contents page i will have my model in a mid shot possibly in an action shot, like playing the guitar sat on a stool.
For my double page spread photos i will use one main photo probably on one page and the article on the opposite page, then little photos on my model in angled shots going horizontally down the side of the page of my model in different poses and with possible footnotes or captions. For the double page spread photos i will use, aswell, as photos on the white background shot in the studio, photos shot in a park against nature scenery, these photos will give a varied feel to my article and make it more interesting with that aren’t all photos shot on a white background and done professionally. These photos will represent how the artist has only just been discovered and will look more natural than the photos shot in the studio and give a different look to the article.
I will post the photos on the next blog of the shots of the possible backgrounds for my the pictures ill take of my model outside.

From my research i have learnt;

that my front cover I will have the magazine title in bold at the top and the picture I will have a shot of my model who’s going to be a newly found solo artist. I will research photos at a later to get ideas for what pose I’d like my model to be in on the front cover, I’ve decided the front cover will be a photo on a white background using the media studio, and I have taken photos of a possible location for some outside shots of my model, that I could use for the double page spread.
Also on the front cover I have decided I need to choose 3 colours, which I have the idea of maybe white red and black, or possibly, green white and black.
I’ve also decided that I’m going for an indie style magazine, based on a similar style as NME magazine, but I don’t have a fitting title yet, which I need to come up with aswell.
I also have learnt from my research that while doing my magazine I need to include the date price and barcode, use the same style and size font throughout, use an easy to read colour and font that fits my colour scheme, also have my model on the front cover as either a close up shot or a mid shot and the name of my artist on the front over the picture but not covering the face.
I also need to choose a catchy short music related title for my magazine and I’ve decided to have it on the top left hand corner of each of my pages, in a bigger font on the front cover and title page than the double page spread.

My research into print magazines

Here is my research that i have done into music magazines, i've researched what common elements each music magazine has in their front page, contents page and on their double page spreads. And have outlined things i have noticed and will take into account when doing my magazine to make it look as realistic and proffesional as possible.

How i chose what coursework piece to do, continued...

For my print prelim as you can see I did a front cover and contents page for a college magazine, whilst doing this I found it enjoyable, and I had some good foundation building skills on photoshop which I could use and develop on and make a good final piece. Obviously this prelim is a poor attempt at a front cover for a magazine and contents page, however it has shown me where I need to improve and change my methods when doing my final piece. Firstly I need my photos to be edited to a much higher level and closer up whereas my picture on the front cover is a ling shot and not suitable for a magazine at all. I also need to build on my layout, to make it look more enticing and realistic as a magazine. So from my prelims I have decided to do print because I believe in photoshop I can use my skills best to produce a good music magazine and will do research into music magazines to get ideas on how to set my magazine, make it look realistic and create the best final piece I can.

How I chose what coursework piece to do.

When choosing which final piece to do I did two preliminary pieces to choose which I would prefer, I chose to do a video and a print piece, because I knew I already had some skills in these and had a vague idea on them, whereas radio I had no idea on and wouldn't find it easy. So I did a video preliminary and a print preliminary which are both very poor but a good basis and have given me a good insight on what I would like to do and how much I need to improve my final piece by. My video preliminary is attached below;


When doing the video preliminary I found that I had no idea on editing and my editing was poor on this and the cuts all choppy and looked very untidy. Also when filming, extra sounds that occured in the background, interfered when I watched it back afterwards and I found that filming was a much to big task to take on at this point in my media course for my AS coursework. So having elimintated video i will next look at my print preliminary piece.

AS Group 6

This group is for the AS group 6. Always attach a Label to your post with AS GROUP 6 in.