Magazine Double Spread Page Analysis

 

I researched three double page spreads from music magazines before I started to create my own to get some inspiration on what to do for mine. I looked at all the key details that make a magazine a successful and how it targets its audience. It also allowed me think about what my article should be about and how long it should be. 

Production Log: Friday 28th September 2012

Today I went through my blog and made sure everything was completed to its best. I had forgotten to add labels to a few of my posts so I added them in. I checked out the next task which was key concepts but I didn't want to start that yet. So instead I started to do research for my mood-board. I decided to base my music magazine on pop music so I researched images on pop music. I also looked at other mood-boards to see what is actually included. I found out that I should include pop music artists, their album covers and some pop music magazine covers. I had to present this in a very effective way so I decided I wouldn't do Prezi as I had used that in my analysis' for the front covers, contents pages and double page spreads. I wanted to play a famous pop music soundtrack in the background so the best programme for that would be Windows Movie Maker. So I decided I'll play the song by Labrinth, a famous pop artist, and he's song 'Earthquake'. The song is quite upbeat so it would sound effective. Also the song is 3 minutes and 57 seconds long so I needed to find loads of images!

The song Earthquake by Labrinth

The programme I will be
using to create my mood-board

Magazine Contents Page Analysis

I researched three contents pages from music magazines before I started to create my own to get some inspiration on what to do for mine. I looked at all the key details that make a magazine a successful and how it targets its audience.

Production Log: Monday 24th September 2012

Today I started to do research for images of contents pages and double page spreads to use them for my analysations. I had to find three of each type. My aim was to find three very different contents pages; not only because I want the analysations for each to be different but also for me to get further ideas for my own magazine's contents page. Also I don't want to be repeating my analysis' as I won't be learning anything new. I felt I spent a bit too long researching for the contents pages as I kept finding something I like from it. For example:

I just really like the way the main image takes up so much space and how the mushroom the model is holding is so much bigger than her but it brings attention to the readers as it isn't something you would see generally. It is also quite random. And also how the contents is so tiny and it only takes up a small part of the whole page. The layout looks really attractive but yet so simple.  

Production Log: Monday 17th September 2012

Today I made a list of all the tasks I had to complete/completed before I start my final music magazine. I was able to tick of the preliminary task. However I hadn't created a video for it which shows how I created the front cover and contents pages. I had to use a programme called 'CamRecorder' which would basically show what's on the screen. As I had already created my front cover and contents page the only way I could show how I made it was by clicking an eye icon on each layer on Photoshop. If the eye is shown that means the objects on the layer is also shown and vice versa. I then had to edit it on Adobe Premiere but cutting the beginning part and the end part. The task was only a matter of 5 minutes however to export it, it took extremely long so I didn't get to do anything else.

The programme I used to video of how I created the preliminary task. 

The programme I used to edit the video.

Video of Preliminary Task

Above is a video of how my magazine front cover and contents page builds up step by step.

Ideas For My Music Magazine

While I was researching the music magazines I started planning few things like the masthead and type of shots I would like to use. I would obviously like mine to look different from the other music magazines. Like for example, most the mastheads are on the top, I was thinking of doing mine going down on the left hand side. But that obviously depends on what my masthead is.

And I have also asked a few of my friends if they would like to model in my photo shoot and they have accepted my request! So I see a really good magazine in my mind. Hopefully it will look better in reality!



Analysis of Music Magazine Front Covers

Magazine Cover Analysis on Prezi

Above is a Prezi on music magazine front covers analysis'. This is part of my research. I had to analyse three front covers. I wanted each of them to look different from one another so my analysis is detailed in different ways.

Production Log: Friday 14th September 2012

Today I started the research part of the project. The first tasks of the research was to analyse three front covers, three contents pages and three double spread pages of music magazines. I don't really read music magazines in detail; I just find out all the gossip online so I didn't know many music magazines apart from Billboard. So I had a lot more research to do. I had to know all the different famous music magazines and then research their front covers, contents pages and double spread pages. I also had to research how to analyse music magazine covers, contents pages and double page spreads. I didn't know the key terms of the main elements of magazines; for example: masthead, main image, cover lines etc. I looked at previous analysis of front covers and they were quite detailed so I knew this won't be an easy task. I aimed to try and finish the analysis of front covers on Prezi, a presentation software. Prezi was extremely hard to use and I kept getting fed up quite easily. As I was new to Prezi I wasn't able to finish the analysis in time so I had to do it in my independent study time.

The Prezi Logo

                         

The Prezi Menu

The Prezi Selector 

Preliminary Task - Magazine

My magazine front cover:

My magazine contents page:

Above is my preliminary task. We had to create a front cover and contents for a magazine for Haydon School. We had to finish this in 2 lessons. I found that quite hard as I didn't know how to use Photoshop so it took me more than two lessons.
I didn't want to have too much on it. I wanted to keep it plain and simple with only a few cover lines. I decided to follow the Haydon Stag colour scheme of a dark yellow and dark blue. I kept the background a picture of the field with a member of my class with recycling bin trying to exhibit that Haydon won the recycling award. I also included the date and price. If I was to improve my front cover I would definitely change the name of the magazine, the masthead. I would also add a selling line above it. I would maybe add a few more images.
For the contents page I didn't know what to put exactly. Our teacher just said to make up a few story lines and add a few images. So that's what I did. If I was to improve it I would a lot more detail because after I did research I realised what a contents page actually included. So I would a few more appropriate details. 

Production Log: Thursday 13th September 2012

I finished my preliminary task today in my independent study time as I needed to start the new task. I didn't have much to do except make sure everything was okay and not bad. I do however feel I could do so much better if I had more time but as it is a preliminary task I didn't want to spend so much time on it. I uploaded it to Blogger and a small evaluation of it underneath.

Production Log: Monday 10th September 2012

Today I continued with the preliminary task. On the front cover I added my main image. I tried fiddling around with the tools if I could get rid of the background of the field however some people around me said that it doesn't look bad with the field in the background and trying to get rid of it will be hard as I am still learning the other basic tools on Photoshop. So listening to their feedback I kept the background and used it for my contents page as well. It did turn out to be quite effective. On the front cover I also changed about some colours I had used at first and added a back box behind the date and price to make it stand out. I based my colour scheme on the colours of the stag; blue and yellow. On the contents page I added in a few story lines and added page numbers. I tried to make it look as realistic as possible by inserting pictures around the actual contents but due to lack of Photoshop skills and my aim to finish as soon as possible I couldn't do my best. If I was to do this task again I would definitely do some research of how magazines front covers and contents pages look as I don't really pay attention to that when I am actually reading magazine. Also I would choose a better name of the magazine. 'Haydon Updates' was too boring sounding and a catchy magazine name was needed. 

These are the tools on Photoshop which I found quite hard to utilise. 

Production Log: Friday 7th September 2012

I had my first lesson on Photoshop.It was my preliminary task. My task was to create a magazine cover for the school. It could consist of anything to do with the school. In the first 30 minutes, as a group, we had to go round the school and take mid shot pictures of each other with something to do with the school for our cover story. Some of the ideas in our group was 'Haydon wins recycling award' and 'Haydon improves library'. My idea was the recycling award story. So one of my class mate stood behind the recycling bin on the school field. After we had taken enough pictures we started creating the front covers on Photoshop. I found this really hard as I was new to Photoshop and I didn't know what tool is used for what. I made myself an aim to finish the cover page AND the contents page by the end of the lesson but I wasn't be able to finish it as it took me so long just to get the picture on Photoshop.I started setting up my page and layout though.