Blog Write-Up Week 2

I managed to achieve getting my photographs taken and begin to develop and put together my front page spread and double page spread this week. I began to think develop the colour scheme working together with the photographs. I developed skills such as making the cirlce on the front page opaque and editing the photograph so that it is bright and eye catching. I also used Auto Colour on photoshoot to brighten up the backgrounds of the photographs to make them much more white. I had to place my magazine name "ADDICTED2" and then rub out the letters which were in front of the model, as I wanted to create a magazine with the name placed behind her head, so to do this I had to carefully rub out each letter, this took a lot longer than expected as the name to begin with was red, and then I decided I wanted to change it to pink, but because I had began to edit it, I was unable to do that, so I had to delete this layer and start again but already making it the colour pink before starting to rub it out. When developing my front page further I learnt how to create shapes in photoshop which then broke up my text and made the made more fun and energetic.

From my experience during my photoshoot, I learned how to capture professional looking photographs and also learnt how to position my model to capture the best photographs, and the ones which will suit my magazine style the most. I was orginally going to use a black background for my photoshoot but when turning up I changed my mind and decided to have a white background as I had dressed my model in all black, and the black and white contrasted together I believed would look better with my pink colour scheme placed on top of. This then made me feel a little unorganised as I was unsure how I wanted my model to pose with the white background as I didn't wish to use a sinster feel to the magazine anymore, I wanted it to be more bright and eye caputuring so that the target audience of females would be more aimed at. So I had to change my inital thoughts and use more posed looks and have a range of photographs that had ones of her looking drunk and ones of her looking like she is having fun, rather than having loads with her looking drunk.

I took a range of photographs with my model in different poses. Some I took of her full lenth and stood up and I also took photographs of her sat leaning back looking drunk as well as some of her sat on a stool learning backwards, I decided to take a range of photographs of my model looking drunk and of her looking like she is having fun, so that in my three little images I am going to use inside my magazine I can show the contrast of her mood and how she looks whilst getting drunker. I choose a close up photograph of my model for my front page spread, as it looked much more professional and suited my magazine style, the text nicely sits around her body and compliments the dark tones of her costume. I was happy with my photographs, but I do believe I could have a got a better range of different poses so that I could have experimented with the shape of her body upon my double page spread. I made my model have her hands on her hips for my front page photograph as it makes the photograph more exciting and energetic.
My peers liked the photographs I have taken and also the colour scheme I decided to finally use. I am happy with my sell lines and how they are positioned upon the front page. I am also happy with the colour scheme I decided to use as I orginally wanted to include red, but the red stood out and looked odd upon the page once I had added the bright photograph. My photoshoot took less time than I expected so I could have spent more time with my photographs and captured more posed and natural photographs, by having more natural photographs it may have then related better to my target audience than having very posed photographs. I also happy with the three different fonts I decided to use, but the "drunken antics" sell line I believe looks a bit to similar next the the "feel fresh" so I plan to find another font to use for this sell line to then contrast against the text around it.

I also began to work on my double page spread this week as I had now taken my photographs. I wasn't happy with the headliner I had planned to use in my flat plan, so I have changed that to something a bit more edgy and involving with the target audience. I decided to have my pink, black and white theme run through onto my double page spread. I used a range of different photographs but still need to add a tall one for my third column on my left hand side of the page.

Blog Write-Up Week 1

Last week I began to produce and put together my front cover, but unfortunately when creating I started to realise that I didn't have enough sell lines to fill my magazine front cover and make it look most effective, so I had to include some different and more headlines to fill the space and give it biggest impact, attracting and intriguing my target audience. I began to look at the colours I had chosen to use in my flat plan and decide whether they worked together on the page, but I am unable to see whether they are most effective as I haven't had my photoshoot yet, so I am going to wait until I have gotten my photographs before deciding on a definite colour scheme. I mainly used photoshop last week to design my front page and developed the skills of importating different fonts, and being able to create shapes with the shape tool. I also developed my skills of postioning text and making each word have a small margin gap. When re looking at my article, the interview didn't flow as well as I had wished, also some of the statistics needed to be quoted where I got them from (my own questionnaire). In my second draft I need to concentrate on making sure it reads naturally whilst also having a quick pace which will appeal to my target audience. Also in my second draft I am going to ensure that I state where I got my stastics from "A recent survey has shown that 60% of people admitted to having unprotected sex whilst being under the influence of alcohol!".

My peers liked the text I had decided to use for my front page and also the colour scheme of pink and white. They also liked the DIY hangover cures box which they said gave the front page an exciting edge. I am not very happy with my sell lines on my front cover as I don't believe they are as powerful as they could be, I also need to think of two more which I could include in the space I have left on the left hand side of the magazine, I am going to ensure these two sell lines are going to be very strong and powerful which will improve my front page. I don't have my photoshoot until this week, I believe this has caused a problem for me as I am unable to see how the black background will look agaisnt the pink and white text, also it has stopped me from seeing which colours I want to definetly use and where the text will be positioned on the page. My article redraft has took a lot longer than I expected as I am a little unsure as to how to improve it, but I know that it doesnt flow or read naturally, so I need to have another re think about the information I am including and re write a second draft.

The activities which were easier where finding the text I wanted to use, because taking inspiration from cosmopolitan helped me to narrow down in my head and design ideas into the kind of font I wish to use, this then was made easier for me and it also made it quicker when trying to find one which I liked and believed would suit my magazine. I should have organised my photoshoot a lot earlier, but because I haven't I am going to have to design the front page and double page spread before hand and then place my images in so that all I have left to do is play around so the pages look most effective. I believe that I do have enough time left to finish my final product as long as I get a second re draft done of my article this week and also have a think about the other sell lines I could use inside my double page spread.