Double Page Spread Final Cut

Rough Cut

Final Cut

Making the comparison I would say that the I prefer my final cut layout much better than my rough cut. I positioned the three photos a little more tilted and in polaroid backgrounds to add a little composition to the page. They are still in black and white to not take any main attention away from the main image. I decided to keep the main image and to have the text bending around the arm and body.I kept the bigger S and changed the colour to complement the coloured text more. I decided to remove the coloured blocks of navy as it was too bold for the page and looking back at my research it is more conventional to have a white background on a double page spread. I used the quote at the top of the page in a unique font different to the rest of the page. I put a caption on the photo as it was conventional for double page spreads and I also used similar header and footers to the contents page and to give the pages more structure. I finished my article and used a quote in the center of the page as I found out this is conventional. I separated the quote with the similar lines showing clearly that this part of the text is different from the rest. I also took the photo on photoshop and edited it out of the background so I could place it on the page without the grey. 

Contents Page Final Cut

Rough Cut 

Final Cut

As you can see from the comparison I made miraculous changes to the rough cut regarding the colours fonts and header. I put the contents in black and made it italics. I then put a line above the contents to mark the header then used the date and logo on the right hand side. I chose to change the colour of the banners across the page to blue then used the red blocks as they were more conventional to my style model. I decided to take the drop shadows of the text however kept them on the little boxes to make them stand out. I then used the red colour and adapted the page numbers to the corners of the photos. I developed one of my photos as suggested in my rough cut to vary the backgrounds and too add a little more colour to the page. I added captions on the photos to let my audience understand a bit more about the images. I added a footer on the end to match the blue coloured header. I then used the page number on the right hand side to make it look more professional with more to look at on the page. 

Front Cover Final Cut

This is the final cut of my magazine front cover compared to my rough cut:

Rough Cut

Final Cut

I have made miraculous changes to from my rough cut. I have decided to change the colours and title to be more conventional. The navy has been changed to blue and the fonts are clearer and more conventional. They are taller and thinner to look blocky and cleaner on the page. As you can see I kept the 'Scarlett Hudson' the same only slightly tilted it on the page to fit more plugs around it. I varied some of my text from being bold and italic or different colours. I changed the banner on the bottom of the page to be more artists names as my model magazine uses lots more artist names to to attract a wider audience as they have constituencies around them. I moved the bar code to the other side to match my NME Rihanna style model. I decided to re photoshop my main image to make the hair look neater and cleaner against the dark title. I added a couple of little touches around the page such as the extra lines of blue. I copied my style model's date and price above the title in a smaller font slightly italic with the price in the blue colour. I decided to use rounded colour plugs around the top of the page to add a little extra content. 

Rough Cut Double Page Spread

My Rough Cut Double Page Spread:

Firstly I would like to point out that this rough cut is unfinished and needs more features to be added on as it lacks in quantity on the page. I have chosen to use the main photo in the center of the page, conventionally, and bend the text around the photo which I believe is effective and makes an impact on the page. I also used a variety of other close up photos on the left hand side of the page. I changed all colours to black and white to not draw the attention away from the main photo. I positioned the quote marks a bit thicker and the plan is too use the quote and to position it in a different colour and style. I put a little section above the 3 columns of articles to give the audience a little information before they start reading the article. I have decided to use a bigger font for the starting letter 'S'. This gives a clear indication of where the article starts. I have also given the photo a witty caption saying 'Scarlett Hudson breezes through her first ever photoshoot'. I placed this text in a little text box with a red background to match the fonts and lipstick. I added a line of text running along the bottom of the article with a little extra 'Download' of her new single. I also used the page number and put it all in different fonts and colours to keep the variety. 

Peer Review

Whilst collecting information on what my peers thought of my double page spread, the main thing that was mentioned was the unfinished article. This is currently in progress and will be done for the final deadline. I am planning to structure the article around the new lifestyle the artist is experiencing and what fame has done to her and how she feels. They are very conventional questions asked for a fresh new teenage star and will fit in the three columns I have provided next to the image. My peers agreed that the images on the side were effective however said that they could have a little more dominance by putting a border round. My idea for this is to put polaroid style boxes around the pictures in order to give a little design to the page. My peers also recommended using different font and colours that match the new contents page and front cover as they navy is not effective as I imagined. They said to take out the navy boxes and add a little more white to the page. 

Teacher Review

The initial comment my teacher has given me is to cut out the photo out of the grey background and place it on the white page. This will make the image look more effective and hopefully create a better impact to the bent around text on the page. My teacher also agreed with my peers about the fact the navy columns need to be rethought and reconsidered. On suggestion that I will make changes too is putting a quote into the article. This quote will be broken up by coloured lines which will be repeated to for the header and footer lines. If I am deciding to use a different font i will need to change all of the features of my double page spread. My teachers were very positive about the photos taken as they are clear with clear backgrounds which can be adapted to the page. 

Rough Cut Contents Page

My Rough cut contents page:

In my contents page I decided to keep the colour scheme and fonts the same just like my style models NME and Q do. This is effective as the magazine has a sense of unity about it and can be related to each other. The navy title was used for the dominant Contents headline at the top of the page. I used a similar photo to the front cover of the artist with her lipstick as the focus and in white and red to match some of the font colours. I also imposed her head and hair over the band of colour used to identify the features part of my page. I used the band of colour further down the page to break up the text and to make it not look too informative as requested by my target audience when doing my research. I decided to take more photos that feature on the page to create the picture layout as it was also preferred by my target audience whilst carrying out my questionnaire. I took the time to use an unusual instrument choice of a saxophone and captured an interesting photo of a young girl playing it. This was a mid-shot and differs from the medium close up I used for the photo of my main artist. I placed this photo and a close up of a student from my media class on the page in a stacked style to make the page look busier whilst not look too busy. There is lots more text on the page so to highlight the main features and artist names I decided to feature a drop shadow underneath them. To do this I clicked on effects, then drop shadow and chose the appropriate angle for this. The impact of this on the page allows the main bits of text to stand out and look more dominant. 

Peer Review

In my peer review video some of the comments included that they liked the bold red as it was conventional to my style model NME and stands out clear from the rest of the darker text. It also matches the lipstick on the main contents page image chosen from my photoshoot with Jenny for Scarlett Hudson. They enjoyed the picture of cara with the saxaphone as it suggests a different musical influence in the magazine and is an odd composition attracting the reader to have a look at the page. They also enjoyed the features and regulars banners spanning across the page as it breaks the page up from the information and adds a bit of colour. The thing they suggests that needs the most improving was the fonts and the shadows on the headlines. These do not work well as it is uncoventional to the titles used in my style models. I will take this into account and remove the drop shadows and change the font colours and styles. 

Teacher Review

In my teachers comments the main thing that was pointed out to be improved was the backgrounds of the images I had captured. The fact that they are all in the same environment does not show much variety and so one of the photos needs to be replaced with a different subject matter. Another point they made was that the captions had to be added to the photos in order for the audience to see what the photo is signifying. Along with this I will change the fonts and font colours according to the new ones I have chosen for my new front cover as it is conventional for the front cover and contents page to match in style. The layout was praised as it looks clean and not too informative which is what my target audience asked for - a block picture layout. The teachers also suggested putting a top banner on the page above the contents with highlights such as the magazine name and the date to make the page look a little more professional and adapt to the unity from the front page. 

Rough cut Front cover

This is my rough cut for the front cover:

In my rough cut I used chose to use a big title covered with the imposed picture of my model Jenny Shaw on top of the page. I then used a diagonal line of 'Scarlett Hudson' to appear as if the artist has written the text herself in the lipstick. I added a kiss underneath the headline to make it seem more interactive. I made my barcode myself on Photoshop and inserted it into the page. I decided to make a banner on the bottom of the page saying 'Free iTunes download in this weeks massive 50 page special' I chose to write the massive in a bigger font to add a little extra to the banner. All the font matches each other and my final decision to type the title in a bold navy colour to give a sense of British association. The red matches the blue then I added touches of white across the page to signify the British flag. 

Peer Review

In my peer review the suggestions made will be taken into account and will go towards developing the front page. Some suggestions included changing the colour scheme as the red works well however the navy is too formal for my target audience of 15-25 year olds indie pop. Another suggestion made was made to add more plugs to the page then change the title font as it was too formal for the conventions of my style model magazines. They liked the top banner saying 'The home of new music and entertainment' as it is effective and draws your eyes closer to the title. Another imporvement they would like to point out is to crop the image closer as you can see some of the evidence over the title, however they like the picture as it is clear and interesting. They also liked the fact the the mise en scene matches the layout and the red is very typical for the magazine and said that I have interpreted it in my own way. I feel that I may need to rethink the title and the position of the title and also my fonts and colours. 

Teacher Review

When I handed the work over to my teachers for a peer review, the front cover got mostly positive feedback. the favourite touch on my page was the fact I had matched the lipstick to the font colours and the text across the center of the page which spelled out 'Scarlett Hudson'. They enjoyed the photoshopping of the top of the head of the photo I took and placing it over the title Anthem. Some of the pointers they gave me to improve on the front cover that stood out was the navy colour I had chosen as it was not very conventional. They suggested to use a lighter blue in order to match the red, black and whites. It also contrasts nicely against the red and can be carried on through the contents page and the double page spread. Another improvement they would like to be added to the page is more plugs around the picture image in order to fill more space and make it look busier thus increasing the attraction of my target audience. They commented that I needed to have another look at the bottom banner as it did not match the rest of the page. The barcode was suggested to be on the other side of the page to fill a bit more of the space and for the plug text to be a bigger size. In retrospect I myself am not happy with the fonts I have chosen for the page as they are unconventional and not very attractive. I hope to change these along with the majority of comments left by my peers and teachers. 

Inspiration for the date and price of magazine front cover

In NME magazine they use a unique font and a range of colours for the date and price of the magazine. The date is usually written in an informal italic handwritten font, for this I have chosen to use Bodini MT as this font in italic. Then the price is usually bolder with a different colour to stand out. I decided to use the same font with a blue colour then use the choice of Bodini MT black italic. The inspiration for this idea came from this NME magazine below: