Draft image magazine cover and photoshop skills recognised.:

This is my selected draft image to start using within the software 'Photoshop', I have chosen this image because the main model 'Anna' is central within the composed photograph. She also best represents the model in my billboard style models. Although I need to edit the background using the 'background eraser tool' to gain the full style of the billboard magazine. 

These are my draft images which I have produced for my draft version of my magazine front cover. 

Downloaded image for music magazine

                (My downloaded image cover)                             (examples of some Billboard magazines)

                                                                                              URL for billboard's website :

                                                                                              http://www.billboard.com/#/

This is my downloaded image front cover draft for my music magazine. 

Within this cover I have followed a similar style model to the Music magazine 'BILLBOARD', I have used A serious although striking theme of clear bold black font to contrast with the billboards white text as I believe the black text is more suited to my magazine image and it is also more visually clear above the plain grey back ground. This background I have produced on photoshop has also contrasted the dark to light theme within billboard magazines, I have changed the colour direction to allow the main image to stand out particularly well above the background and it is also superimposed above the title to give a professional theme to the magazine and present it as a well known magazine.

conventions of a music magazine

Conventions of a music magazine that appeals to me.

In the house style they have also used a serious layout for the structure of the magazine, they have kept the layout of the text simple and straight and pushed the main image in front of the main text to give the only unconformable break between a serious magazine and a teen music magazine, although from the simple layout and plain house style used we can see that this does not give of the correct tones to distinguish it as a pop music magazine although in fact it actually is. 

The image above displays the Masthead/Logo of the magazine, The Masthead/logo of the magazine has a distinctive coloured in letters that are blue and yellow, this is to keep the logo recognisable through colour and keep it distinctive. The Masthead/Logo has also been half superimposed over with the main image, this shows that the magazine is confident that there brand and logo is well represented in the modern world and has already been recognised and remembered enough that they do not have to show the full extent of the magazine Master head/logo.

This main image gives an instant recognisable connection with the audience of the magazine through the contact of the models eyes, as she has direct contact with the reader, therefore displaying an invitation for the reader to listen to the models story and their involvement with the magazine. We are also instantly drawn to the face of the model from not only the connection between the readers eyes and the models, but the medium close up shot instantly draws the attention of the reader towards the face.

These are the MAIN cover lines for the magazine, they are not distinctivly in front of the main image and allow the main image to do all the impressions, they are in the same colour scheme as the rest of the front cover although, the main articles cover line is in the biggest font size and the boldest to show that this is a important cover line.

There are no buzz words used on this magazine although they have used the plus (+) symbol to represent the buzz word 'PLUS', this is then keeping the formal and 'music is serious' theme throughout the magazines front cover.

These are the bar-code, issue number and dateline for this particular magazine and these are also generic conventions of a music magazine.

On this particular magazine there are extra band names or extra cover images, In this example below from another magazine, you can clearly see that this would attract the attention of a Music magazine buyer as they would like to see what else is available and a choice in variety within the magazine.

This Billboard magazine also uses a brief example of direct address, as they have used the word 'YOUR' on the front of the magazine( as shown in the picture below), they have used direct address to communicate with the reader and allow them to feel as though they are involved with the situation.

In the image above you can see that there is use of cover lines, this is to give the reader extra information as to what else is in the magazine besides the main article, and they have to persuade the reader that there is a variety and allot more for money.

Construction of pre-lim task

FRONT COVER ^                                                      CONTENTS PAGE ^

On my Pre-lim task I believe that I have followed the specific task set. Within my front covers photograph I have brought the image quality down by keeping a shadow behind the character, I could improve this by photoshopping the shadow out of the image or directing the lighting differently. I believe that I have used the correct mis en scene within the well composed photograph well, I believe this because I have used a school uniform, this then displays a school atmosphere, although I have to criticise the lack of setting, as my background location does not display a school mis en scene in any particular way, to convince yourself that it is a school location you then have to read the main headline to convince yourself. Within my front cover I have applied a suitable school logo and school name to show that my magazine is a school magazine, although I believe that the title could be bolder and more readable as the colour is within the same colour range as the background. Within My front cover I also believe that I have used the correct text size to allow anyone to manageably read the text within the front cover, although It is easily distorted by the colour of the font as this is quite bright, therefore I could go on to change the colour scheme of the magazine and the font colour scheme so It is readable.

Within my contents page I have Followed on to use the specific genre and mis en scene, I have done this by using the same school uniform on my main story image, I have also used an artistic mannequin to represent the art school theme, although I can criticise the lack of setting within the contents page just as in the Front cover. I have also used the same model twice and there is not sufficient variety of images within the contents page. There is also the same colour scheme as the Front cover which could be changed to make things more readable. I can criticise the layout also, as it is un balanced and messy, therefore not presenting a formal representation such as in a school.

Contents page inspired from Q magazine contents page.

This is a image of the Q magazine I have chosen to base my contents page on, this is because It has a bold title, clear text, a repeated logo and a large image that links within the main article.

I have used a similar layout to Q magazine inserting a picture at the bottom right hand side of the contents page. Although this inspired me further to expand the use of space on the page and make it more creative, I did this by inserting a image on the top left of the page and inserting a more comic and bold theme.

Front cover

These are my pictures that I have taken for my main image for my school magazine.(they are all a medium close up)
I personally like these pictures because they are all containing my main subject of interest for my main article, they all also show that he is in perfect school mis en scene. There is a lack of setting shown in these pictures, therefore the audience/reader would not be able to recognise a school environment as the location for the main cover story. These photographs have all been directed quite well although for my next magazine I could manage the scenery more, to therefore bring a bolder understanding of what the picture represents. I could also gain a wider variety of images and with a wider variety of people to entertain the reader and keep them interested.