Friday 30 November 2012

Initial ideas- Flat plan

Below are the layouts of my front cover and contents page:

FRONT COVER:



CONTENTS PAGE:



Monday 19 November 2012

Photography: Magazine layout!

Vanity Fair magazine:


Vanity Fair have used Lady Gaga on their front cover. Lady Gaga is placed on the left side of the rule of thirds, this gives the magazine a larger space to fit other things on the front. The cover line is in the middle at the top of the rule of thirds, the rest of the cover lines are to the left of Lady Gaga. The background of the magazine cover is a dark grey, therefore Vanity Fair have used white writing which makes them stand out and it appeals to the audience. Lady Gaga is wearing a black dress which makes her light hair and pale expression catch the eye of the reader, the magazine layout is simple but effective. The photo of Lady Gaga is pleasing to the public eye. Vanity Fair have shown Lady Gaga represents Vanity, therefore she is an appropriate image for the magazine.

The Source magazine:


Source magazine have put GAME on their front cover and he is in the middle of the interception points. He is the main focus on the magazine cover and the camera is very close to his face. You can see every detail and expression on his face. The coverline is at the top in the middle of the rule of thirds, GAME's face is covering the 'UR' or 'SOURCE' but you can still see what it says as it is very big and bold, and it is eye catching so it pulls the reader in. The other coverlines are spaced around his head, but most of them are on the left-third this is because it is known that the public read from left to right. There isn't any space left on the front cover, as it is filled with this image and other texts. This image isn't pleasing to the public eye, it is very off-putting as he is holding a gun which imitates violence. This image is very sterotypical of how GAME is black and he is holding a gun, whereas it isn't a white man holding a gun.

College magazine photography

Below are four images that I am going to be using in my college magazine:

FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH:

I want to use this photograph for the main image on my front cover, because it is a medium close up. The girl in the photo has direct eye contact with the camera, and there is still space to the left of the rule of thirds for me too add cover lines and tag lines. There is space at the top of the image for me too add my masthead and any other extras I may add.




CONTENTS PAGE PHOTOGRAPHS:

Below are three images that I am going to use on my contents page: 






I am using these three images on my contents page because they are informal and they present student life as it is. They aren't too serious for a college magazine, and the images will appeal to students because they remind them of what college life is like. The images also show the different things that you can do around the college campus.

Photography techniques

There are a lot of photograph techniques when it comes to using a camera.

One of them being The Rule of Thirds, by using this your photo will be more pleasing to the human eye. It is a grid of nine squares, two vertical and two horizontal lines and around the middle square there are four intersection points. The rule of thirds says that you should position the most important elements in your scene along those lines, or at the points where they intersect. It looks like this:



It is more pleasing to the eye if the image is based around one of the intersection points, rather than in the centre. The human eye is naturally drawn to a point two thirds up the page, so in the middle at the top of the rule of thirds.

Below is a photo that has used the rule of thirds, as you can see the photographer has positioned the house to the right of the interception points. Notice how the building and horizon are aligned along rule-of-thirds lines. This creates a better image for the reader. Placing your main subject off-centre, as with the rule of thirds, creates a more interesting photo, but it can leave a void in the scene which can make it feel empty. You should balance the ''weight'' of your subject by including another object of lesser importance to feel the space.


Another technique used when taking a photo is Using Lines, when considering the composition of an image one of the key elements to look out for are 'lines.' They can add the dynamic impact to the photograph in terms of mood, as well as how they lead the public into the image.

Diagonal lines draw the eye of the viewer through the photograph. They create points of interest with other lines which gives the image depth. It draws your eyes in to the middle of the interception points. A good photograph will almost always make use of one kind of line or another. There are many different types of lines such as Leading lines, Curved lines, Diagonal lines, Horizontal lines, Vertical lines and Implied lines.

Below is an example of Using Lines:


Initial ideas- Proposal and mind map




Who are you aiming your magazine at specifically? 
As my magazine is a college magazine, I am aiming it at older teens and young adults ranging from the age of 16 to 19 who are a part of South Downs College. 

What will your magazine be about?
My magazine is going to be about South Downs College. It is going to be about things to do with the college, such as:
  • Sports events.
  • Upcoming exams.
  • Drama, music and performing arts shows.
  • Interviews with students on the different courses that they are doing.
  • Offers within the Hair and make-up department.
  • Offsted and changes happening to the college.
  • Parking on the college grounds for students with bikes, cars and mopeds.
  • Information on the gym.
  • Student discount cards.
  • Trips.
  • And, general news on the college.
What are your ideas for cover lines?
I want my main cover line to be along the top of the page, and I want it to big and bold so it catches the readers attention. I want it to be red, because red is an eye-catching colour. As for the rest of my cover lines, I would like them to be on the left-side of the page. With a few at the bottom.

What title have you decided on and why?
I have decided on the title of 'South Downs Social.' I have chosen this because it isn't too formal, and it appeals to students. I have made sure ''South Downs'' is in it because the college is the main topic of the magazine, and I have used ''social'' because that is what students do most; socialise. I was going to use ''College'' but I realised this didn't hold enough detail for the magazine, and that it is a very simple title that would not attract a young audience.

What fonts do you want to use?
I have two fonts to decide from. The first one being big and bold, that would definitely catch the eye of a reader but it could be a little too much. And the second one being elegant but simple, which could be seen as boring.
Below is an example of the two fonts:

What are your ideas for taglines?
I was thinking of using ''Make your student life that little bit better'' as a tagline, because it is persuasive and it will interest the target audience.

When in the year will it be published?
I would like my magazine to be published around Christmas time, because I want my magazine to have the Christmas theme. I want to use red and white, and maybe a hint of green. And Christmas is a time of year that everybody is happy, and I think students like the idea of Christmas as it is exciting. And I will be including upcoming exam dates and times, which a lot of the time occur in January (the month after Christmas.)

What kind of image do you expect to put on the front cover and how will you go about getting this image?
I would like the image on the front cover to be of students, or of the college itself. I will get this image by going around the college with a Fujifilm camera, taking photos of students and the college. I want to capture an image of the students studying or eating in the canteen. 

How frequently would it be published?
I would publish two magazines a year, one in the Summer and one just before Christmas.

What are the dimensions of the cover?
I would like my magazine to be the normal size of A4, so that I can fit everything on it and nothing will be squashed together. So it will be easy to read.

What images/colour would you use on the contents page?
I would like the contents page to use the same Christmas theme, as the front cover. So I would like to continue to use the red, white and green colours. And as for images, I would like to use a number of photos of students around the college.


Monday 12 November 2012

Task 5: Skills Audit


I'm not sure on how to scan images onto a mac but after watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1QnldaLjjk, I have a good idea on how to scan a photo onto a mac.

I have never used photoshop before but after watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzQTpxQulro, I have a better idea on how to use Photoshop.

Monday 5 November 2012

Task 4: IPC Case Study

I found all of my information out on the following websites:


http://www.ipcmedia.com/about/companyhistory/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPC_Media


IPC Media produces over 85 iconic media brands, with out print brands alone reaching almost two thirds of UK women and 44% of UK men – almost 27 million UK adults – while our online brands collectively reach 20 million users every month. IPC Media is the UK’s leading consumer magazine and digital publisher.

History of the company

This company goes all the way back to the 1800’s, but in 1963 The International Publishing Corporation Ltd was initiated by the UK's three leading magazine publishers George Newnes, Odhams Press and Fleetway Publications. IPC magazines then came around 5 years later in 1968. The story of IPC is an 150-year period. IPC Media is a Time Warner Company.

Publications IPC media have been associated with


IPC media have worked with Country Life, Woman's weekly, TV times, The Field and Musical Express in the past. These magazines used to be very popular, and some of them still are. 


Current portfolio titles


IPC Media are made up of three divisions; IPC Connect, IPC Inspire and IPC SouthbankIPC Connect, are currently working with Now, Chat and Woman; TV entertainment such as What's on TV, TV Times and TV and Satellite week. IPC Inspire, the mens portfolio: has a lot of leisure brands such as Country Life, Horse and Hound, Rugby World and Decanter, and a few lifestyle brands like Nuts and NME. IPC Southbank is a women's division and comprises fashion brands including Marie Claire and InStyle, and lifestyle brands including woman&home and Essentials and home interest brands including Ideal home, and Livingetc. On the side there is also IPC Advertising and IPC Marketforce. 


The Structure of the Company and recent news about them

IPC media have recently launched 34 new brands on Amazon, they have just given Chris Dicker to the digital business director, on the 24th September 2012 it was announced that IPC Media is the UK's leading cross platform director and and NME has just been launched an app on spotify. IPC media are always supporting success in their business. Sylvia Auton is Chairmen and CEO of IPC Media. Fiona Dent is the managing director of IPC connect, Sylvia Evans is the finance director of IPC Media as a whole, Stephen Hurst is the managing director of IPC marketforce and Dee Mair is the HR director of IPC media. These people keep the company running smoothly, there are also a lot of other people who work for IPC 
Media.