COLOUR PALETTE

The first row of colours, demonstraing black, grey and white, are possible background colours. It is most likely that I will use black as the background colour as white (or red) text would stand out greatly against it, and it would make the image more noticeable and detailed. It would also reflect the genre of my magazine and reinforce the genre to the audience. The reason I considered a grey background is because it would act as a middleground between black and white, incase either was too contrasted.

The middle colours demonstrate different shades of red that I will consider using for my magzine. In the images, the model is wearing a red/burgandy dress, so the colours may match. If I want the colours to match completely, I could use the colour picker tool on Photoshop so that I can use the exact colour of the text on the double page spread, alongside the dress. It is likely that I would use the first colour, as the other two are rather bright and the last is quite pastel. It is most likely that I will use the colour of the models dress.

The last line is possible text colour, if I didn't want to use black. E.G, for coverlines on the front cover, as I wouldn't be able to have black text on a black background. I like the middle option mostly as it isn't too dark however isn't completely white, so if it was beside white text there would be a slight contrasting difference.

FONTS

I am going to sample and explore a variety of fonts to see which one would work well in regards to coverlines and subheadings etc. I plan to draw my masthead and later scan it and apply Photoshop work to it to make it a more original font, however still need a style for basic text.

The font above demonstrates Helvetica, which I think would work well especially for the double page spread/interview as it is easy to read and understand. It's simple and is used regularly by other publications.

This example is Century Gothic. I like this font as it's simple and easy to read, although it looks slightly informal, I don't think it would look successful in large quantity on a double page spread or a contents page.

The above example is called Adobe Fan Heiti and I think it's almost a middleground between Century Gothic and Helvetica - it's formal and also informal, but not too much of either. It is likely that I would use this font in my magazine on either the double page spread or contents page.

This is an example of a font that I think would be far too formal for my magazine, due to the audience target age and also genre. It's far more formal than all of the ones above and wouldn't likely be used in a music magazine.

I think this font, Showcard Gothic, is much too informal to use in my magazine, as in large quantity I think it would be quite difficult to read, and also due to how bold it is it would take away the audience's attention from other aspects of the page.

 

I don't want to use a font such as this one (Lucinda Handwriting) because I think a handwritten/calligraphy font would be too informal and distracting, and it may also be very difficult to read. I think a printed font such as the first few I demonstrated would work much better.

PHOTOS FOR MY MAGAZINE

 

When taking photos, I conducted 2 photography shoots. The first was an outdoors shoot and the second was an indoor shoot. Through the outdoor shoot, I have created a front cover image, seen below:

I imagine this image cut out from the background using Photoshop, with a black background and limited colour palette - colours such as red, black and white will be used. I may increase the brightness and contrast of this image so that the eye makeup/lips and hair/skin stand out against eachother.

The image below is one that I was going to use for the front cover, however instead may use for the contents page/double page spread. The reason I changed it is because I think the image above displays the genre more, as it is darker and the model is looking away, I think it looks more professional.

 

 

I think again I may cut this image from the background and possibly turn the image black and white and use selective colour to highlight the red aspects, as these are my main focus colours. I also like how you can decipher that these are from different shoots, which seems professional as there is variety.

 



I wanted a vertical image for my double page spread, so that it could be in line with the text colums, so I may cut out this image from the background and use this one. However, because it is a midshot and her hands arent shown, I will have to put something infront of her such as a quote or banner/subheading so that it doesn't look strange/out of place.

 

 

This is an image that I thought I was going to use, however when thinking about how it will look in my magazine, I think it will look 'cheesy' and unprofessional, and therefore will not involve it. I liked this shoot as the model had a guitar, which signified music and allowed the audience to decipher the genre of my magazine, however I can resolve this problem by adding symbols to the cover such as a musical note beside the masthead.

 

CONVENTIONS, PRODUCER AND TARGET AUDIENCE

I plan to use many conventions on my front cover. The colour palette will be low key to suit the genre, however I will try and make this effective nonetheless. There will be a dominant image on the cover, although I do not plan on using sub-images and I am aiming for a more clean, easy to read layout with a lack of clutter, however there will be coverlines/subheadings. Textual elements will reinforce the genre and target audience age, so there may be aspects of colloquial lexis. In the contents page, there will be limited colums of text as I don't want to bore the reader or make the page look full and unclear with a large amount of text, there will also be a large image on the page and the title will run across both pages. The contents page will feature a main image with a quote across it, and pages will be ordered at the side and a subscription option may be at the bottom of the page, this may also include special offers to entice the reader.

A producer that may distribute my magazine if it were available to sell, would likely be Freeway Press, as it produces Rocksound, which is a very similar magazine to the one I plan to create. You can see my producer research here. I would choose this producer as Rocksound is a very successful magazine, is published weekly, has the same target audience as I plan to have, the same genre almost, and in regards to my audience research which is here, has the expected cost of a magazine and, from what my survey gathered, has the expected aspects of a music magazine. In my opinion, Rocksound would be my preferred music magazine for this target audience/genre. 

The target audience of my text would be people who are interested in upcoming, new rock/indie bands. This may include unsigned bands, new bands in local areas or bands from other places of the world that fit well with the magazine genre. Age groups would vary from 16-late 20s, and it would appeal to both genders. Characteristic behaviours that my target audience may share would be enjoying going to gigs/festivals, and an interest in discovering new music. 

Media platforms and broadcasters that may be interested in promoting my magazine may be festivals/radio shows etc. For example, if my magazine was on an advertisement at a music festival based around the genre, people with the characteristics and music taste would see it and be persuaded to possibly purchase it as it would appeal to them. A radio show such as Zane Lowe on Radio 1 may be interested in my magazine as it fits the genre of the music he plays and the audience who listen to the show. Outlets that would be interested in selling my magazine may be news agencies and supermarkets; these outlets sell similar magazines already. 

LOCATION FOR PHOTOSHOOT

1) Are there any hazards that could disrupt the photography shoot?
- When filming outdoors, hazards could be traffic, pedestrians etc, however when shooting indoors there will be less hazards, the only ones indoors would be wires/clutter. 

2) What will you do to ensure these risks are minimised? 
- To minimise these risks, I will photograph the model in a more enclosed location, away from busy traffic/the public, and when filming inside, I will make sure the room/studio is tidy and take safety precautions.

3) Will the time of day/weather affect the outcome of the photographs? Have you allowed for this?
- Due to taking photos both inside and outside, I can plan the shoots so that if it's going to be a rainy day, I can shoot inside, and if it's going to be a dry day, I can shoot outside. 

4) Have you considered the background, especially if filming outside?
- If filming outside, I will use a background that isn't too crowded, however that isn't completely blank. This could be a few trees, however not so much so that the model isn't the main focus. I will make sure to keep the model as the main focus, so it may be possible that only a small aspect of the background is visible.

5) Have you considered lighting? What about the ‘problems’ of natural lighting, either outside, or streaming through a window? Will you need to use a flash? Have you considered reflective objects that might spoil the effect?
- I have considered using a flash light/soft box when working in the studio, and if I wanted a tint of colour I could also use gel filters. When filming indoors, if a natural light source is coming through a window, I can always close blinds/curtains or cover the window with something such as card. When filming indoors, I may use a flash to increase contrast, especially if using a black background, as the model's blond hair and pale skin would work well in contrast. Reflective objects such as mirrors may spoil the effect, so I would photograph the model away from them, or if this isn't possible I would simply cover them. 

6) Do you need permission to photograph where you have planned?
- I don't need permission to film at home/outdoors (where planned, as it is a public area) however if I wanted to use the studio I would have to ask permission. 

7) Do you need to book time in a room?
- I may have to book time in the photography studio, however if I had free time during photography class (finished work etc) I may be able to photograph then.

8) Are other people/crowds likely to be an issue for you? What have you done to ensure that it will not spoil the effect?
- When filming outside, crowds may be an issue. However I have planned to film in areas that aren't busy, so hopefully I can avoid this issue. 

9)  Are you reliant on lifts/props/friends’ equipment/models? How have you planned that these things will come together at the appointed time? Plan B?
- I am extremely reliant on the model, however the reason I chose this specific person is because when working with them previously (at least 4 times) they have never let me down, so knowing that they are reliable and efficient gives confidence. If an issue did occur, we would be able to reschedule. 

10) Finally, have you thought of every eventuality?
- Regarding photography, I have planned many outcomes and hope that the shoot will be successful and I will be able to use the images.

PHOTOSHOOT PLANNING

1) What emotional impact do you want your photography to have upon the reader & how will you achieve this?
- When the audience view the front cover of my music magazine, I want them to be able to identify the genre and purpose of the magazine. For example, I want them to recognise that it is a music magazine based at a specific genre. To achieve this, I will use colours that reflect the genre, so possible black and white/red, and I will also symbolise that it is a music magazine by having the model holding an instrument, such as a guitar. 

2) What personnel do you need? Who are you going to photograph?
- I will be photographing a close friend, and also some of my photography classmates (for extra images on the contents page). However the main image on the front cover and the article focus will be images of my friend. This is because I have photographed her for previous work and it worked well.

3) What props will you need?
- I will need an instrument, such as a guitar, to symbolise the purpose of the magazine, and a backdrop (white/black/outdoor) and also possible a stool/chair, depending on how I want the model to be placed. 

4) How are you going to emphasise colour?
- I think I may keep my magazine very low key, to consistently emphasise the genre of the magazine and the audience it is aimed at, and therefore may have the photographs in black and white - possibly with some selective colour of dark colours such as dark red.

5) Have you briefed your personnel/models?
- I have explained to the model which makeup I will apply to her, and also that she should wear a black top on the day of shooting (to contrast more if I turned the image black and white). I have explained what kind of images I want, and how we can try to achieve them.

6) What lighting will you need? Any other equipment?
- I may use light sources such as flash lights/soft boxes, however if we film outside I may just use natural light. When working in the studio to photograph people for my contents page, I have the advantage of gaining accessibility to artificial lights and backdrops. I will not be using a tripod as I will be taking the images freehand.

7) Where will you shoot? Will you need a backdrop?
- I plan to shoot both indoors and outdoors, and then decide which images I like most. When shooting indoors, I will use either a black or white backdrop, and when shooting outdoors, I will attempt to find a suitable and effective location.

8) Mise-en-scene? Makeup? Costumes?
- I will be using makeup (specific colours) and casual clothing, but again specific colouring to emphasise the genre.