Evaluation on my media product

Final complete version of the double spread page.

-since my previous update I have improved the double page spread by deleting the excessive amount of quotes on the page to make the page appear less cluttered and more professional. I have also ensured that the font style and sizes of the quotes are different to the previous ones ass the previous ones I had were not very aesthetically pleasing and ruined the whole house style of the page as it degraded it.
-I chose to use the font colour red and a black background to show the audience the importance of the presence of the quotes hence, the large bold font sizes they appear in..
- To enhance the quality of the construction of the page further , I rearranged the positioning of the articles in columns to help make the contents on the page look sharp and presentable to the audience.

Almost complete version of the double page spread.

Although this update looks complete, from the feedback I had from my target audience, and other people, I noticed that the quotes on the page were too many and looked cluttered making the page look un professional. For this reason on my next update I will reduce the amount of quotes on the page as  I believe that it will be less distracting for the reader and they will focus on the article rather than the quote. The font style of the quotes will be also changed into a bolder  font style which will make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye as they will be able to easily read it. The main image on the page does not look professional as the image appears to be  "stretched out" making the image be of  a poor quality. For tis reason on my next update I will make sure that I re-take a photograph of the model/artist in the same costume and posing in the same position, with the aim of improving the quality of the image.

Almost completing the double page.

-I have included quotes said by the artist, to make the audience understand what the article will be based on, immediately after opening up to this page.

-I intentionally used a contrasting font-style compared to the font style of the article because I want the audience/reader to realise the importance of the quotes as the quotes  give the effect of being directly in contact with the artist.

-Since I have made sure to include all the  important features this double page should have, which include: an article, an image of the artist, the name of the artist,quotes said by the artist, the date of the page's publication, indication of where the reader can find out more information i.e. website of the magazine. I will simply indicate who the photographer and  editor of the page is on the page, as I aiming to make the page look as professional as possible so I will make sure I include all the necessary features/conventions this page require.

In the process of enhancing the double page.

-I am working on making  the font size of the article the same and small , with the intention of achieving a more  professional layout of the page.
-I have chosen red and black to be the font colour of the article because, not only do they compliment each other, but they clearly stand out of the background making reading the article easier to read, especially for an individual with a bad eyesight.
-The font style; "verneda" was chosen to be the font style for the article  because it is simple to read therefore the reader will not have any problems whilst reading it.

recent update on the double page spread

-I have just completed writing the articles for the  page.
-To improve this page I will ensure that I show that  the font sizes are all the same  and all in the   same font style.
-since the  page looks empty aside  the presence of the  articles, I will include  some quotes said by the artist, to make the reader feel connected to the artist whilst  reading the article because they will be getting direct opinions from the artist.
-The font style of the quotes will also be different to the other font styles used in order to indicate the importance of their presence to the reader.

double page in progress

-Since my previous update I have included the name of the artist, an image of the artist, and I have also written the first paragraph for the articles, a swell as indicated all the title; which are in question form , in a different font colour as the passage it.
-In my next upload, I will make sure that I change the font style of the artist's name, because it does not look very appropriate for the organisation of the page as not only is it larger  than the main image on the page, it is simply not aesthetically pleasing to the eye according to my target audience who I questioned for their opinions of the font style.
-The size of the main image is rather too small for the page, so I will replace this image with a larger sized image of the same artist, in the same clothing and posing position.
-I will also seek to complete the article on this page in my next update.

The template for the double page.

I have just created a template for the double page spread as I believe that working under a template will allow me to successfully meet all the codes and conventions found in the house style of R&B music magazines. I will ensure that I include texts and the main image in my upcoming updates on the progression of the page,

HERE IS THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE ON THE DOUBLE PAGE.

-Have began to add texts to the page.I chose  to layout the page like this because it is simple

and therefore the audience will not find reading the article difficult or not find anything distracting therefore they will have full attention on the information about the artist.

-In my next update i will make sure i include an image of the artist and also add more in texts to the page.

organisation of actors(artist),location,costumes and props

Preparing for the photo-shoot for the double page spread.



Organisation:
I have selected only a female actors to model for the front cover photo-shoot.

Below  is an example of a chosen actors/model...

 Location:
The  location of the photo-shoot will be in several settings, e.g. a brightly light corridors with plain backgrounds.

The costumes for the photo-shoot will aim to match the conventions found in R&B music which is the music genre the of this magazine.

The theme /style of the  costumes  will include a variety of  classy clothing to urban clothing, to meet the diverse codes and conventions found in R&B music.


costume:




This costume represents the 'urban edge 'codes  found in the R&B music convention.



This costume represents the classy codes found in the R&B music convention.

 

 Make up:

Make up is also going to be used on the actors, to make them look more aesthetically pleasing.

Double Page Spread research(conventions found)

Code and Conventions of a Double Page spread.

Main image

- There is often one main image: The image sometimes fills up  a whole page, which is either on the left hand side of the page or the right.
However the image can also fill the whole double page spread with the texts placed over it.
the images are always interesting to look at as the artists/models often have direct mode of address which makes the reader feel as though as they are going to have a personal informative connection with the artists whilst they read about them.
-sometimes smaller images are used in between the article to make the articles more appealing and interesting to read for the whilst they read through.

Headline

-The headline is often vague but rather intriguing as, they avoid telling the whole story through the headline, but they use emotive languages to gain the attention of the audience. For example the headline is often a pun which is often associated with the artist. This is used as a way of assuring the reader that the  article will  be interesting make them feel engaged in the article.
the headline is also known to be a the largest piece of text on the page, this is to help the reader easily read and it is also used as a striking tool for the reader's interest.

Text/Quotes

-Quotes/"pullquotes" by artists are often used to break the texts on the page to make the article look more appealing and interactive to the reader.
Drop capital is often used at the beginning of the sentences in the article to help the  reader understand where the article starts.
Other  techniques used for the  same effect are: different font colour for the first line of the article, or the first line's text font being in capitals.

stands

-Double page spreads also have stands. This is an introduction to the article , as it briefly explains what the article is about. This is usually positioned beneath the headline and it often has the name of the artist which will be in a different font style, size and colour of the other texts on the page; although they follow through the colour scheme  of the page.

Layout

-The layout of the page links the two pages together to create a coherent double page spread.
the layouts of the  texts are often in 3-4 columns per page.

-The article is often informal as it contains the humour of the artist through their interview and the humour of the journalist. This is effective on the reader as they will feel engaged in the article.
-The first person pronoun is often used in the article.

The first paragraph of the article is usually very informative and intriguing as it plays the role of gaining instant attention of the audience.
-There is always a common colour scheme on the double page spread.

Examples of double page spreads

photo shoot for double page spread/research on photographers

Location: London, UK

christie Goodwin
Christie Goodwin has been a photographer in  music since 1976, hence  the size and quality of her astonishing  portfolio. Her work is influenced  by her background  in fashion and editorial photography, this simply suggests why her works appear so fine and professional.She photographs artist the likes of   Taylor Swift, Usher, and Katy Perry, among others, in their comfortable spaces i.e on stage.

This photographer is very inspirational to be as her fashion roots makes her ensure that her works presents the artist in their conventional clothings, whilst making sure that she captures their most natural and effortless pose.She always ensures that the artist is presented as important and interesting to the audience as she focuses on completely  focuses on them and ensures that there is nothing destructing in the background which will sway the audience attraction from the main image/artist.

Here is an example of her work.

 Miller Mobley

Miller Mobley who  is a portrait and advertising photographer takes stunning images of celebrities, newsmakers, athletes, and musicians. Eventhough he is  still in his 20s, he has photographed a lot  of the well-known names in show business, from Meryl Streep to Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Taylor Swift, and Channing Tatum.I will take inspirations from his work as his works are very vreative and he ensures that he uses space around the model to complement their chosen pose.He also ensures that the artist has a direct mode of address in to create the effect of  having direct contact with the artist, on the audience.

Here is an example of  his works/photography.

Here is my photoshoot.

Above are a range of photos of the model posing for an inspirational photo idea for a potential double page spread, main image. These photos were taken because I wanted to practise my photography skills in preparation for the double page spread. The photographers I researched about also helped me with my photography as I learned the importance of the presence of a good lighting and a good use of props to indicate that the model is a musician.

researching double spread page(annotations)

contents page

I have improved the layout of the texts on the page by rearranging texts which are evidently disorganised in my previous uploads on the progression of the magazine.

contents page in progress

Despite making improvements on the contents page since the previous upload, i will ensure that I change the main image of the contents page, as the image is blurry therefore it is of a disgraceful quality. Nonetheless, the layout of the page and the information included would remain the same.

contents page in progress.

Here is a basic/starting layout of the contents page. As it may or not be obvious I have managed to take inspiration from billboard magazine contents page as I have included features such as the weekly chart ranking, which I have titled "number one on the charts" . I decided to include this feature because I had suggestions to include the latest music winning on the charts including the artists, from my target audience research,;based on what the audience preferred the contents page to have.

At the moment I have included, a main image which also serves as the background, alongside three other sub-images of "artists". The bight colour background in which the main image is on is purposefully placed to make the page more lively. Furthermore I chose to include images in this contents page as not only is it a convention but I find it an interactive way of audience staying intrigued by the information presented to them. The title of the contents page is simply "CONTENTS". This is to make the purpose of the page very obvious to the audience, aside this obvious indication, I also chose the easy to read font style "big noodle"(dafont.com)for the major texts/titles on the page, as I want them the reader to be able to easily recognise it and read without any difficulty. Hence why I have taken people with bad eyesight into consideration. The three major colour scheme on this contents page are red, black and white including the green background of the main image.

Starting my contents page

I have completed the charts Colum, using the researched information I had from the billboard magazine website. On the latest highest rankings of songs and their artists.  on the next upload in I will ensure that I include more information on the contents page or make any necessary improvements on the page and its layout.

changes made on the contents page

Here is the current update of the contents page. In avoidance the magazine from appearing unprofessional and rushed ,I have changed the main image because the previous image was of a very poor quality, and the lens on the camera did not was not focused on the model, so the image appeared blurry.I have also included more information on the contents page and I sought to continue to do so. In my next update i will ensure that all the necessary features of the contents page including informative texts are all included on this page.

photoshoot for the contents page.

organisation of (artists) actors and, locations, costumes and props for the contents page

Preparing for the magazine contents page.

Organisation:

 I have selected both male and female actors to model for the contents  photo-shoot.

Below  are some  examples of the chosen actors...

male/female model/actor/artist
                                                             

Location

The  location of the photo-shoot will be in several settings, which includes a brightly light room with a prop, out doors(actor/model posing on  bench for an urban effect) and brightly light corridors with plain backgrounds.

The costumes for the photo-shoot will aim to match the conventions found in R&B music which is the music genre the of this magazine.

The theme /style of the  costumes  will include a variety of  classy clothing to urban clothing, to meet the diverse codes and conventions found in R&B music.

 This represents the classy codes and conventions of R&B music.         

                                         

 This represents the urban edge found in the convention of R&B music.

Make up:

Makeup is also going to be used on the actors, to make them look more aesthetically pleasing.

researching contents/ music chart for the contents page.

Here is a research I made on the latest music chart for contents page. This information is from the billboard magazine (online). I made this research on the billboard magazine website I wanted the information on the ranking of the latest hits from reliable sources. This information would be placed on the left-hand side of the contents page of the magazine.

Researching the codes and conventions of a contents page

conventions found on contents pages   are :

Issue date and issue number

Issue date and issue number: They are placed on either the top or bottom of the page to help the audience understand the edition of the  magazine they are reading.

contents

"Contents": This word is boldly used on the page to indicate the purpose of the page to the reader, to avoid any confusion, as the  reader will understand  that all the necessary information will be given on the contents page to  help them navigate through the magazine.The  font style ,size and colour often contrasts with the other texts on the page to make it outstanding and easily recognised by the reader.

main image

main image: The main image used on the contents page often suggests the   artists will be an important feature  in the magazine as a whole.The main image is often placed in the middle of the page and framed  by other texts and smaller images or it is either on the lft or right hand side of the page.

magazine name

Magazine name: The name of the magazine is often placed on top of the page as an advertisement tool, which aims to remind the reader to always buy/read the magazine as it has interesting information.

Category headings

 Category headings: This is usually on the bottom of the page and often included information o offers and  completions on the page, or subscriptions too.

specials

Specials: They are often in a different font style or colour, this makes the reader understand the importance of the information. These contain features and interviews.

page numbers

-Page numbers are always placed beside headlines to help the reader know where they will find the articles they are interested in reading. They are often in a different colour to the headline texts.

website name

-The name of  the magazine's website is also placed on the bottom of the page as it acts as an extra information option for the audience.

-Quotes from interviews  are also sometimes placed on the contents to make the reader excited to read the article.

An example of a content page is:

Annotating contents page/ Research

Here is a mood board of different professional music magazine contents page layout. This is to help inspire me on the designs of my own magazine contents page.

Final magazine cover improved

From the critiques I received from the Professional magazine designer, which was that I remove the large space which was between both models.I decided to retake the photograph, in order to avoid the large space which was previously between the models.

A Professional judgement on my magazine cover.

I received feedback from a professional magazine director Ben Slater from glass magazine
some of the comments made were that the magazine  seemed to have a strong personality,He also liked the highlighted fonts and the simple font style.He also mentioned that the whole appearance of the magazine looks very gritty and urban making it interesting.The image on the cover also strikes his interest as he commented on how effective the facial expressions of the artists is as they have tension between them.The title/ masthead was also regarded to as very unique as the font style was bold and interesting looking.The feed back i received is at 2:01.
Ben slater also wanted me to make some improvements on the magazine by simply taking away the extra gap there is between the image and masthead. I agree with his criticism so i will make sure i reduce the wall space by taking another photograph of the artists/models.

final mag arranging texts

The texts on the cover is being carefully arranged in order to give the magazine a professional quality . I am using both the grid and ruler on Photoshop to achieve this aim.

FINAL MAGAZINE IN PROGRESS

Here is the improvement i have made on the final magazine cover.As it maybe obvious in my previous updates i have included more texts/sell-lines with the aim of helping the audience understand what the articles within the magazine would entail, and encourage the audience to buy the magazine. since my previous update i have limited the amount of font style used on the page, to just three.For example, the masthead has a font style distorted (dafont.com), whilst the rest of the font styles are Big noodle(dafont.com). I chose these two simple yet strong fonts because i want the audience  with bad eye to be able to clearly read the texts without any difficulty. For this reason the font sizes are 'medium' aside the masthead this is to help intrigue the audience's eyes from even a long distance.