To begin at the start of my coursework, please scroll down to the bottom of your browser page and left click on 'older posts.' Once you go to the following page please scroll down to the bottom of your web browser again and read from the bottom up, starting with the preliminary task. This will ensure that you read my coursework in the correct order
Thank You.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Evaluation of my work
Evaluation of main task
The 7 Questions
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
During my research I found (to my knowledge) that there are no reggae magazines in the UK, and the only magazines I did find were online versions. So initial there were no forms or conventions for my magazine genre. This gave me a lot of freedom to create a magazine which would be a first for its genre. I did however look at the forms and conventions of online reggae music magazines and then apply them to my magazine. The websites I looked at received several hundreds of hits a day so they are popular, and because I am was designing a first time for the genre magazine, it was helpful to have some idea of what the target audience (for e.g. online reggae magazine readers) look for.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed at and represent at Caribbean music fans, specifically reggae. My magazine is about reggae which is a key/ well known element of Caribbean music. I have also taken care to use language that the majority of people who will read the magazine will be familiar with and enjoy reading it. The articles in my magazine have a Caribbean style to them.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Although I would like my magazine to be distributed by small business (local stores) and big name brand companies it would be unlikely. Realistically it would most likely only be sold by big name brands such as WHSmiths, Boarders or a supermarket such as Tesco or ASDA. The genre for my magazine is currently nonexistent. As a result small businesses are unlikely to invest in a product that there is no sales data on. After a year or two of circulation (so long as sales go up) small institutions may sale my product.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
My reggae magazine is targeted at the following:
People who like or are interested in reggae or Caribbean music and most likely have a Caribbean background (although it is not limited or specifically targeted at them).
-Both males and females between the reading and age range of 16 to 45 years old.
5. How did you attract/ address your audience?
I used my front cover, like all magazines, to attract my audience. At stores magazine are put in racks and in most cases the only part of a magazine you see while standing back and browsing is the top part. So I designed and used an eye catching title that first, catches the reader’s attention and then lets them know that this is a reggae magazine. Once the reader has picked up the magazine they will then look at the three kicker lines in the bottom left third of the page and consider reading on. Once they turn over to the contents page they will be greeted with a colourful and artistic computer generated graphic. This image will most likely stay with them and may possibly lead them to buy the magazine again. As for addressing the audience I used very personal language, to give the impression that I' am talking to and addressing the reader personally. I used simple and easy to understand language that has a Caribbean ring to it make the articles more appealing for the target audience.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
The main thing I have learnt from this task in relation to technologies is the importance of digital technology over the old style analogue technology.
Digital technology allows for quick editing, a task which would have taken a long time using analogue technology. Digital technology allows photos and photo manipulation easier for amateur to learn the trade. It allows you to create graphics designs, page layouts, effects and photo editing/manipulation that would simply not be possible on old analogue technology.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task was a simple and brief exercise but it gave me my first hand look at the elements of design that are in magazine designing specifically the front cover. In class we also watched a video about creating a monthly Vogue catalogue issue by Anna Wintour. It gave me a look at how the professional magazine business is run and how the design process leads up to the final product and how everything goes together.
When I started to plan my own magazine I also got the chance to sit down and come up with my own ideas. I found that you should always come up with more than one idea and then choose the best one. You should also confer with other colleagues as to what their opinions on your choices are; two or more minds are always greater than one. You have to pick your target audience and then tailor you magazine to fit their requirements and expectations. You have to think carefully about the layout of your pages, how you address them, the language and style you use, and the reading age of your articles. You have to create a front cover that is eye catching and has appropriate images that will attract the audience’s attention. The same is true for the contents page which must encourage the reader to read on. I have also learnt about marketing and how some products will only be sold by big name brand institutions and other can be sold by small local institutions.
I also learned some advanced photoshop and Indesigns skills that will serve me well for future product development.
The 7 Questions
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
During my research I found (to my knowledge) that there are no reggae magazines in the UK, and the only magazines I did find were online versions. So initial there were no forms or conventions for my magazine genre. This gave me a lot of freedom to create a magazine which would be a first for its genre. I did however look at the forms and conventions of online reggae music magazines and then apply them to my magazine. The websites I looked at received several hundreds of hits a day so they are popular, and because I am was designing a first time for the genre magazine, it was helpful to have some idea of what the target audience (for e.g. online reggae magazine readers) look for.
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed at and represent at Caribbean music fans, specifically reggae. My magazine is about reggae which is a key/ well known element of Caribbean music. I have also taken care to use language that the majority of people who will read the magazine will be familiar with and enjoy reading it. The articles in my magazine have a Caribbean style to them.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Although I would like my magazine to be distributed by small business (local stores) and big name brand companies it would be unlikely. Realistically it would most likely only be sold by big name brands such as WHSmiths, Boarders or a supermarket such as Tesco or ASDA. The genre for my magazine is currently nonexistent. As a result small businesses are unlikely to invest in a product that there is no sales data on. After a year or two of circulation (so long as sales go up) small institutions may sale my product.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
My reggae magazine is targeted at the following:
People who like or are interested in reggae or Caribbean music and most likely have a Caribbean background (although it is not limited or specifically targeted at them).
-Both males and females between the reading and age range of 16 to 45 years old.
5. How did you attract/ address your audience?
I used my front cover, like all magazines, to attract my audience. At stores magazine are put in racks and in most cases the only part of a magazine you see while standing back and browsing is the top part. So I designed and used an eye catching title that first, catches the reader’s attention and then lets them know that this is a reggae magazine. Once the reader has picked up the magazine they will then look at the three kicker lines in the bottom left third of the page and consider reading on. Once they turn over to the contents page they will be greeted with a colourful and artistic computer generated graphic. This image will most likely stay with them and may possibly lead them to buy the magazine again. As for addressing the audience I used very personal language, to give the impression that I' am talking to and addressing the reader personally. I used simple and easy to understand language that has a Caribbean ring to it make the articles more appealing for the target audience.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
The main thing I have learnt from this task in relation to technologies is the importance of digital technology over the old style analogue technology.
Digital technology allows for quick editing, a task which would have taken a long time using analogue technology. Digital technology allows photos and photo manipulation easier for amateur to learn the trade. It allows you to create graphics designs, page layouts, effects and photo editing/manipulation that would simply not be possible on old analogue technology.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task was a simple and brief exercise but it gave me my first hand look at the elements of design that are in magazine designing specifically the front cover. In class we also watched a video about creating a monthly Vogue catalogue issue by Anna Wintour. It gave me a look at how the professional magazine business is run and how the design process leads up to the final product and how everything goes together.
When I started to plan my own magazine I also got the chance to sit down and come up with my own ideas. I found that you should always come up with more than one idea and then choose the best one. You should also confer with other colleagues as to what their opinions on your choices are; two or more minds are always greater than one. You have to pick your target audience and then tailor you magazine to fit their requirements and expectations. You have to think carefully about the layout of your pages, how you address them, the language and style you use, and the reading age of your articles. You have to create a front cover that is eye catching and has appropriate images that will attract the audience’s attention. The same is true for the contents page which must encourage the reader to read on. I have also learnt about marketing and how some products will only be sold by big name brand institutions and other can be sold by small local institutions.
I also learned some advanced photoshop and Indesigns skills that will serve me well for future product development.
The double page spread
When I started designing my double page spread I first had to do some research to find out the conventions for a reggae magazine article. I looked for the style and content usually found in found in reggae articles. As I said in my market research, there are very few reggae magazine and (to my knowledge) none in the UK. So I decided to look at online reggae magazines. I would then transfer the style of articles used on website to my magazine. After having gotten a feel for the conventions for a reggae music article I then wrote my own interview with the reggae artist Ollie Adewusi.
Once I had written my article I then turned back to my final rough design, which for the most part I decided to stick to. I used Adobe Indesign and decided to work on an A3 page (420 mm x 297 mm). I used one image as the background for the A3 page. After having gone through all the photos i had taken i choose the one i thought was best and the two colleagues i asked agreed. It was a photo of the artist Ollie Adewusi sitting on a chair playing the guitar, looking very majestic shall we say. I used photoshop to edit and resize the image. I also had to use the clone tool to get rid of a glare on the guitar created by the camera flash.
I placed the image so that Ollie’s (the reggae artist) face specifically his nose was just to the right of the centre mark for the double page spread. I did this so that when the A3 page was printed and folded up you would still be able to clearly see his face.
I then entered the title, ‘Ollie Adewuse’s new album, “The Jungle,”’ which stretched across the A3 page (as a result would stretch across both A4 pages). I used the guide lines function in Indesign (they don’t show up on printed version) to create four text columns (2 on each side). Once i had typed up the article in the four columns i then changed the text to a medium/ light green so it would stand out from the black/ grey background and be easier to read.
I wanted to make the text wrap around the image of Ollie (the reggae artist) to give the page a more integrated look. So i used the Indesign ‘text wrap’ function. I added several nodes around his body and then change there position to wrap around. This allowed the text to go right up to the image put not cross over it. It wrapped round as the function suggests.
Below is an image of my final double page spread design.
After i had added page number in the bottom left and right third of the page I was finished. I had now completed the double page spread and therefore my music magazine. I now moved on to the conclusion and evaluation.
Once I had written my article I then turned back to my final rough design, which for the most part I decided to stick to. I used Adobe Indesign and decided to work on an A3 page (420 mm x 297 mm). I used one image as the background for the A3 page. After having gone through all the photos i had taken i choose the one i thought was best and the two colleagues i asked agreed. It was a photo of the artist Ollie Adewusi sitting on a chair playing the guitar, looking very majestic shall we say. I used photoshop to edit and resize the image. I also had to use the clone tool to get rid of a glare on the guitar created by the camera flash.
I placed the image so that Ollie’s (the reggae artist) face specifically his nose was just to the right of the centre mark for the double page spread. I did this so that when the A3 page was printed and folded up you would still be able to clearly see his face.
I then entered the title, ‘Ollie Adewuse’s new album, “The Jungle,”’ which stretched across the A3 page (as a result would stretch across both A4 pages). I used the guide lines function in Indesign (they don’t show up on printed version) to create four text columns (2 on each side). Once i had typed up the article in the four columns i then changed the text to a medium/ light green so it would stand out from the black/ grey background and be easier to read.
I wanted to make the text wrap around the image of Ollie (the reggae artist) to give the page a more integrated look. So i used the Indesign ‘text wrap’ function. I added several nodes around his body and then change there position to wrap around. This allowed the text to go right up to the image put not cross over it. It wrapped round as the function suggests.
Below is an image of my final double page spread design.
After i had added page number in the bottom left and right third of the page I was finished. I had now completed the double page spread and therefore my music magazine. I now moved on to the conclusion and evaluation.
Monday, 10 May 2010
The contents page
My next step was to create the contents page
In my final rough design I had the contents title in the top left third of the page. I then had two text colums and three images underneath.
However when i started creating the contents page i changed my mind all together. I completly scrapped the rough design and tried something different. I opted to have the background as one image and then have the contents title and pages references on top.
Before I put the background image in I first put the title and page references. Once I did that I began looking at background iamges. At first i concidered having the Rastafarian flag as the background...
...but I thought it would be more interesting to go with a computer generated graphic. I didn't have the software needed to create a good looking computer graphic so I decided to choose one off the internet. After having looked at lots of graphics I choose two to work with. I put each of them on the contents page to see which one i prefered.
The first one I tried was the image below.
Having looked at it on the page I prefered the other one and decided to go with that.
Once I had put the background iamge in i started working on the contents title and page references. I decided to keep the title green and in the same font Bauhaus 93 as the masthead on the front cover. I also applied the Bevel and drop shadow effects. For the page references I again used the same font Bauhaus 93 to give concistency. I had the text in a lighter red then the much darker red background so that the text stood out but also matched the background colour scheme.
Below is an image of the rough design
Once i had finished the contents page design I sat back and looked at it. I wasnt satisfied. The main reason being that the background image from the internet which I had altered was pixelated. This is a common problem with images off the web.
So I had a problem. I wanted a computer generated graphic but I didnt have the software needed to create one and images off the internet were to low resolution and often pixelated. So I decided to have a graphic made for me by my cousin. My cousin works for a poster devolpement company and often makes amazing computer graphics. So i asked him if he could design me a computer graphic for a music magazine. Three days laster I got an email with the file attached. I loved the image, it was a crazy graphic with amazing effects. So i decided to redo my contents page background and text colour.
I changed the title font to Calibri and changed the primary colour to blue. I then used bevel and outer glow which I set to white/silver to match the background. I did the same thing to the page references but I made the title outer glow much thicker then the page references. I then used the clone tool in photoshop to manipulate some of the lines in the image to rap around the contents title giving a cool warped affect.
Below is an image of my final contents page design
I sat back and looked at my new contents page and was now satisfied. I then moved on to my double page spread.
In my final rough design I had the contents title in the top left third of the page. I then had two text colums and three images underneath.
However when i started creating the contents page i changed my mind all together. I completly scrapped the rough design and tried something different. I opted to have the background as one image and then have the contents title and pages references on top.
Before I put the background image in I first put the title and page references. Once I did that I began looking at background iamges. At first i concidered having the Rastafarian flag as the background...
...but I thought it would be more interesting to go with a computer generated graphic. I didn't have the software needed to create a good looking computer graphic so I decided to choose one off the internet. After having looked at lots of graphics I choose two to work with. I put each of them on the contents page to see which one i prefered.
The first one I tried was the image below.
Having looked at it on the page I prefered the other one and decided to go with that.
Once I had put the background iamge in i started working on the contents title and page references. I decided to keep the title green and in the same font Bauhaus 93 as the masthead on the front cover. I also applied the Bevel and drop shadow effects. For the page references I again used the same font Bauhaus 93 to give concistency. I had the text in a lighter red then the much darker red background so that the text stood out but also matched the background colour scheme.
Below is an image of the rough design
Once i had finished the contents page design I sat back and looked at it. I wasnt satisfied. The main reason being that the background image from the internet which I had altered was pixelated. This is a common problem with images off the web.
So I had a problem. I wanted a computer generated graphic but I didnt have the software needed to create one and images off the internet were to low resolution and often pixelated. So I decided to have a graphic made for me by my cousin. My cousin works for a poster devolpement company and often makes amazing computer graphics. So i asked him if he could design me a computer graphic for a music magazine. Three days laster I got an email with the file attached. I loved the image, it was a crazy graphic with amazing effects. So i decided to redo my contents page background and text colour.
I changed the title font to Calibri and changed the primary colour to blue. I then used bevel and outer glow which I set to white/silver to match the background. I did the same thing to the page references but I made the title outer glow much thicker then the page references. I then used the clone tool in photoshop to manipulate some of the lines in the image to rap around the contents title giving a cool warped affect.
Below is an image of my final contents page design
I sat back and looked at my new contents page and was now satisfied. I then moved on to my double page spread.
Starting with the front cover
After i had finished choosing my final rough designs it was time to begin creating the real thing. I decided to start with one of the most important parts in a magazine, the front cover.
In my rough designs i had planned to have the background as one image (of a reggae artist). I had a large eye catching masthead. I located the selling line in the top left third above the masthead. I also had the 'model credit' in the middle of the page right. At the bottom i had opted for two kicker lines with explaining lines, and to the right the bar-code and price.
I started off by going through all the photos of my reggae artist Ollie Adewusi. I had to pick an image that was eye catching and made Ollie look cool(for lack of a better word). I went through each photo and choose my best three out of the bunch. I then re sized each image in photoshop to be A4 size (297mm x 210mm) and then placed each one on the cover. I looked at each one several times until i choose my final image.
My next step was to add one of the most important elements of the front cover, the masthead. I then typed in the title of my magazine 'One Love Reggae.' I spent several minutes looking at different fonts comparing and resizing each one. I eventually choose the one I thought fit best, Bauhaus 93. The masthead needs to be eye catching. So I decided to add some effects to the masthead and give it more of a 3D look. I first used the Bevel function and gave it a nice deep 3D appearance to make it stand out more. I then added a drop down shadow to the left. I decided to go with a two colour scheme. I used green as the primary colour, and then used the outer glow effect to make the letters surrounded with orange. I thought it was a nice touch because it gave the reggae vibe.
I then added the selling line, which was, "Lively up ya self with da latest in reggae." This shows the audience that if they are looking for a fun, lively reggae magazine they look no further. I decided to keep the same primary green colour from the masthead for the selling line. I again used Bauhaus 93 as the font.
-At this point I decided to stick to my design plan of having all the text in reggae green (plain medium/dark green)
I then added the date line in the top right third of the page in size 10.
For the model credit I just put the artist's name, Ollie Adewusi. I chose the font Lucida Handwriting to give that signature look in size 14.
When I got to the kicker lines I noticed a problem. One of the kicker line boxes would go over the artist's feet which i didn't really want. But instead of just moving it above the other kicker line i decided to change my idea completely from the original plan. I decided to add two secondary images to the bottom left third of the page. I had two images of other artist that where going to talked about in the magazine. One was an interview and the other a story about a new album. I put the page references and explaining lines on the right side of the images. I used photoshop to re size the images so they were small boxes in the bottom left third of the page. I then decided to use another kicker line. One convention of many music magazine is that they often have freebies, whether it be a free CD, posters or vouchers. So beneath the two images I put a third kicker line saying 'Free CD inside.' This is effective in catching the readers attention because before they have even turned the page they have and idea of whats in the magazine and may attract them to read it.
When I went to add the bar-code and price I noticed something I had completely forgotten to do in my rough designs, add an issue number. So I first put the bar-code in the bottom right third. Above the bar-code in size 11 I put the issue number (I choose the number 9 at random). Below the bar-code in size 14 I put the price. I decided to charge 3.00 pounds for my magazine.
Below is an image of my final front cover design
Once I had finished my front cover I then moved on to the contents page.
In my rough designs i had planned to have the background as one image (of a reggae artist). I had a large eye catching masthead. I located the selling line in the top left third above the masthead. I also had the 'model credit' in the middle of the page right. At the bottom i had opted for two kicker lines with explaining lines, and to the right the bar-code and price.
I started off by going through all the photos of my reggae artist Ollie Adewusi. I had to pick an image that was eye catching and made Ollie look cool(for lack of a better word). I went through each photo and choose my best three out of the bunch. I then re sized each image in photoshop to be A4 size (297mm x 210mm) and then placed each one on the cover. I looked at each one several times until i choose my final image.
My next step was to add one of the most important elements of the front cover, the masthead. I then typed in the title of my magazine 'One Love Reggae.' I spent several minutes looking at different fonts comparing and resizing each one. I eventually choose the one I thought fit best, Bauhaus 93. The masthead needs to be eye catching. So I decided to add some effects to the masthead and give it more of a 3D look. I first used the Bevel function and gave it a nice deep 3D appearance to make it stand out more. I then added a drop down shadow to the left. I decided to go with a two colour scheme. I used green as the primary colour, and then used the outer glow effect to make the letters surrounded with orange. I thought it was a nice touch because it gave the reggae vibe.
I then added the selling line, which was, "Lively up ya self with da latest in reggae." This shows the audience that if they are looking for a fun, lively reggae magazine they look no further. I decided to keep the same primary green colour from the masthead for the selling line. I again used Bauhaus 93 as the font.
-At this point I decided to stick to my design plan of having all the text in reggae green (plain medium/dark green)
I then added the date line in the top right third of the page in size 10.
For the model credit I just put the artist's name, Ollie Adewusi. I chose the font Lucida Handwriting to give that signature look in size 14.
When I got to the kicker lines I noticed a problem. One of the kicker line boxes would go over the artist's feet which i didn't really want. But instead of just moving it above the other kicker line i decided to change my idea completely from the original plan. I decided to add two secondary images to the bottom left third of the page. I had two images of other artist that where going to talked about in the magazine. One was an interview and the other a story about a new album. I put the page references and explaining lines on the right side of the images. I used photoshop to re size the images so they were small boxes in the bottom left third of the page. I then decided to use another kicker line. One convention of many music magazine is that they often have freebies, whether it be a free CD, posters or vouchers. So beneath the two images I put a third kicker line saying 'Free CD inside.' This is effective in catching the readers attention because before they have even turned the page they have and idea of whats in the magazine and may attract them to read it.
When I went to add the bar-code and price I noticed something I had completely forgotten to do in my rough designs, add an issue number. So I first put the bar-code in the bottom right third. Above the bar-code in size 11 I put the issue number (I choose the number 9 at random). Below the bar-code in size 14 I put the price. I decided to charge 3.00 pounds for my magazine.
Below is an image of my final front cover design
Once I had finished my front cover I then moved on to the contents page.
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Intial rough design ideas
Before I actually started designing and making my magazine I first came up with three different paper drawn ideas. Each one was slightly different from the other and gave me a range to choose from. I first went through and out of the three for each page I chose my favourite design. I then asked 4 of my colleagues to look at each one and out of all of them choose which ones were there favourite. I also noted what parts in each design they liked and didn't like. By the end of the initial rough design process I ended up choosing the best from all three designs for each page and combined them into my final rough designs
Having done the rough designs gave me a rough template (that I had tested for readers reactions) to work with. Natural throughout the design process I changed and moved things around based on my thoughts and ideas as I went along, and by the end of the design process my final design could just about be comparable to my rough designs. But having those rough designs gave me something to work towards and be set in the right direction.
Having done the rough designs gave me a rough template (that I had tested for readers reactions) to work with. Natural throughout the design process I changed and moved things around based on my thoughts and ideas as I went along, and by the end of the design process my final design could just about be comparable to my rough designs. But having those rough designs gave me something to work towards and be set in the right direction.
Market research
Before i could start designing and producing my Reggae music magazine i first did some research into the reggae music magazine market if there is one for the UK. After having spent hours searching the web and going to local shops, big name brand retailers,(like WHSmiths and Boarders)bookstores, (like Boarders) and libraries i could not find any reggae music magazine. I did however find some online magazines such as www.ukreggaeguide.co.uk and www.itzcaribbean.com . This meant that there wasn't an established norm or guidelines as to what reggae magazines are like. It gave me a lot of freedom to take my own angles and ideas to create the magazine.
It was after having done this research i was able to come with a rough idea, as to what my target audience was going to be, because its such an open market i decided to widen the targeted reading age. I decided to make target audience the following... (as seen below)
Target Audience
People who like or are interested in reggae music and most likely have a Caribbean background (although it is not limited or specifically targeted at them).
Both males and females between the reading and age range of 16 to 45 years old.
It was after having done this research i was able to come with a rough idea, as to what my target audience was going to be, because its such an open market i decided to widen the targeted reading age. I decided to make target audience the following... (as seen below)
Target Audience
People who like or are interested in reggae music and most likely have a Caribbean background (although it is not limited or specifically targeted at them).
Both males and females between the reading and age range of 16 to 45 years old.
What software and Hardware I used
Software
The software package I used to design and create my music magazine was the Adobe Premium CS3 software package. The two main pieces of software I used was 'Adobe photoshop Premium CS3' and 'Adobe Indesign Premium CS3'
I used Adobe photoshop for editing, resizing, combining and manipulating any images I used throughout the design process. Adobe photoshop is an advance piece of image editing software and has all the functions i need during the design process and making of my music magazine.
I also used Adobe photoshop to produce my front cover and contents page. Most people would advise you to use Adobe Indesign and my teacher suggested the same thing. However after having used both pieces of software I found that I personal prefer using photoshop to produce the contents page and especially the front cover. Both the front cover and contents page are very graphical in my magazine, and when working with lots of graphics i found photoshop much easier to use then Indesign which just proved to be frustrating and time consuming.
I did however use 'Adobe Indesign Premium CS3' to create my double page spread. Indesign is much more suited to doing things like double page spreads and has the functions/ tools that make it much easier and more professional looking then if you tried to do it on photoshop. Indesign was also designed for tasks such as creating a double page spread.
Hardware
To take the images I would later use in my magazine i set up a photoshoot. I had my model stand in front of a black background and set up flash lights. I used a 12.1mega pixel camera to take all the shots.
I then used a memory card to transfer the images onto my computers hard drive where I could store, edit and later choose which ones i would use in my magazine.
The software package I used to design and create my music magazine was the Adobe Premium CS3 software package. The two main pieces of software I used was 'Adobe photoshop Premium CS3' and 'Adobe Indesign Premium CS3'
I used Adobe photoshop for editing, resizing, combining and manipulating any images I used throughout the design process. Adobe photoshop is an advance piece of image editing software and has all the functions i need during the design process and making of my music magazine.
I also used Adobe photoshop to produce my front cover and contents page. Most people would advise you to use Adobe Indesign and my teacher suggested the same thing. However after having used both pieces of software I found that I personal prefer using photoshop to produce the contents page and especially the front cover. Both the front cover and contents page are very graphical in my magazine, and when working with lots of graphics i found photoshop much easier to use then Indesign which just proved to be frustrating and time consuming.
I did however use 'Adobe Indesign Premium CS3' to create my double page spread. Indesign is much more suited to doing things like double page spreads and has the functions/ tools that make it much easier and more professional looking then if you tried to do it on photoshop. Indesign was also designed for tasks such as creating a double page spread.
Hardware
To take the images I would later use in my magazine i set up a photoshoot. I had my model stand in front of a black background and set up flash lights. I used a 12.1mega pixel camera to take all the shots.
I then used a memory card to transfer the images onto my computers hard drive where I could store, edit and later choose which ones i would use in my magazine.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
AS Media Coursework, Main Task
AS Media Coursework Music Magazine.
For my coursework i have decided to create a Reggae music magazine.
Throughout the design process i kept notes on everything i did, i will now transfer these notes into an organised blog report of the design process for my magazine. I will include an account of the ideas and decisions i made along the way. I will also have images of my work in the design process as well as stating reasons for my choices, where things went wrong. what i made but then later decided to change and so on.
I decided to call my reggae magazine 'One Love Reggae.'
For my coursework i have decided to create a Reggae music magazine.
Throughout the design process i kept notes on everything i did, i will now transfer these notes into an organised blog report of the design process for my magazine. I will include an account of the ideas and decisions i made along the way. I will also have images of my work in the design process as well as stating reasons for my choices, where things went wrong. what i made but then later decided to change and so on.
I decided to call my reggae magazine 'One Love Reggae.'
Monday, 22 March 2010
Preliminary Task - School Prospectus Front Cover
The Asigment: School Prospectus Front Cover
My asignment was to create a front cover for my school's (St. Edmunds College) prospectus. There were two requirements of the front cover. it had to have an image related to the school and an image of a student/students on the cover.
Research
I started off by looking at the existing school prospectus to find out the key elements of a school prospectus. The main thing about a school prospectus is that it needs to look smart and respectable. It needs to advertise the school in a positive manner and make it stand out. It needs to have a smart layout and easy to read and understand formal text and headlines.
Target Audience
The main audience for a school prospectus is going to be parents looking for a school to send their children. Students may also look at it but the main target audience is parents. As a parent your going to look for the best school to send your child where they can get a good education. The school prospectus is a major part of advertisement for a school because its one of the first things a parent will look at. They choose to visit or not visit the school based on the school prospectus, so its essential to make a good first impression.
Gathering the images i needed
For the main image on the front cover i decided to use a picture of the front of the school from an angle. I first went to the front of the school and sat down on the wall and consider how best to take a shot of the front of the school building. I then walked back and forth looking at different angles, i took several shots with the media studies camera, this would later allow me to choose the best out of all of the images. i then went to the third floor of the left hand side of the main building and took a high angle shot look down the side of the building and incluiding a a side shot of the chapel.
For the student photo i took a picture of my friend against a white background for editing purposes. this would allow me to easily remove the background later and add him to the main image of the school. I had him whearing his six form suit to make him look formal and scholarly.
Putting it all together
To put everything together, edit photos, combine everything, and rezise images i used Adobe Photoshop CS3. I started of removing the white background from the picture of the student using the quick selection tool and background eraser tool. i then opened up the picture of the school and realized it was to big for A4. so I used the set crop function to draw an A4 size crop box on the image. I then moved the box around until i found a cropped iamage that looked good. I then put the image of the student onto the image of the school and faded it so it blended in more smoothly.
For the title i decided to have a more professional look by make the title on a white background and then have a line below it seperating the title box from the image of the school and the student.
Below is an iamge of the front cover at this stage in the design.
My asignment was to create a front cover for my school's (St. Edmunds College) prospectus. There were two requirements of the front cover. it had to have an image related to the school and an image of a student/students on the cover.
Research
I started off by looking at the existing school prospectus to find out the key elements of a school prospectus. The main thing about a school prospectus is that it needs to look smart and respectable. It needs to advertise the school in a positive manner and make it stand out. It needs to have a smart layout and easy to read and understand formal text and headlines.
Target Audience
The main audience for a school prospectus is going to be parents looking for a school to send their children. Students may also look at it but the main target audience is parents. As a parent your going to look for the best school to send your child where they can get a good education. The school prospectus is a major part of advertisement for a school because its one of the first things a parent will look at. They choose to visit or not visit the school based on the school prospectus, so its essential to make a good first impression.
Gathering the images i needed
For the main image on the front cover i decided to use a picture of the front of the school from an angle. I first went to the front of the school and sat down on the wall and consider how best to take a shot of the front of the school building. I then walked back and forth looking at different angles, i took several shots with the media studies camera, this would later allow me to choose the best out of all of the images. i then went to the third floor of the left hand side of the main building and took a high angle shot look down the side of the building and incluiding a a side shot of the chapel.
For the student photo i took a picture of my friend against a white background for editing purposes. this would allow me to easily remove the background later and add him to the main image of the school. I had him whearing his six form suit to make him look formal and scholarly.
Putting it all together
To put everything together, edit photos, combine everything, and rezise images i used Adobe Photoshop CS3. I started of removing the white background from the picture of the student using the quick selection tool and background eraser tool. i then opened up the picture of the school and realized it was to big for A4. so I used the set crop function to draw an A4 size crop box on the image. I then moved the box around until i found a cropped iamage that looked good. I then put the image of the student onto the image of the school and faded it so it blended in more smoothly.
For the title i decided to have a more professional look by make the title on a white background and then have a line below it seperating the title box from the image of the school and the student.
Below is an iamge of the front cover at this stage in the design.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)