Recently, I have found produccing my magazine a little difficult in the sense that I am a perfectionist. I believe that my photos are too bright and tacky and this is the reason why I haven't uploaded my front cover and my contents. I think that the photos I chose and the colour scheme aren't working right now and so therefore need little adjustments. To prove that I have been working hard, below are the cover and the contents I would have submitted had it not been for a quick self assesment on my part. I am going to take more photos and develop my skills a little more but in the mean time, I will continue to post about my expectations and research in to the development of magazines. I will continue with the theme of pin up girls but shoot it proffesionally. Portrait shots don't work unless they are interesting and this will be the next theme of my photoshoot. I am about to upload a photoshoot (Photoshoot 2) that I did but none of the pictures will work for a cover or contents or double page spread.
This is my cover so far.
As you can see the brightness of the photo makes it stand out far too much. It looks as if it has been drawn and not photographed. Though it ties in with my theme, it does not make sense to continue on with the image. The brightness also washes out the models skin which makes her look fake and doesn't tie in well with the theme of pin up girls. The pin up girl theme encourages girls to bear all with no fakery and this image is too fake for a cover. The fact that she looks like she has been coloured in doesn't work and this is the fault of the filter and my poor decision making skills. The gradual darkening of the grey background also makes the image look washed out which doesn't help the model on the cover. Originally, the image was meant to wow and catch the readers eye but it is horrible to look at.
Though the image was high quality, it looks as if it has been taken in a rush. Although it is quite like Q magazine, the house style doesn't work well with the grey background. The house style of the magazine also contrasts with the brightness of the red outfit. This makes it look cheap and tacky.
The puffs stand out well but lack a certain "Wow" factor. The colour ties in welll but the ideal colour for a magazine background is white, therefore, once the background is white, the puffs will stand out. The main title works well with layering and this is typical of average mainstream magazines.
Another problem is the title. It doesn't have a set audience and it looks out of place with the style. The name also sounds a bit weird and as if it doesn't quite fit though its too late to change the name, I could always change the font of it which may help to target and grab my audiences attention. The fact that all the text seems to be in different fonts has connotations of someone who is just getting to grips with a computer and not an A level media student.
Though this has been produced with hard work and determination, I feel I can do better. I now have more skills and more points to reflect on in order to make a decent looking cover. I know I should have moved on to the double page spread by now but I feel that my best outcome hasn't quite come out yet. In order to create a better magazine, I will :
- Do at least three more photo shoots with different models, settings and themes and choose the best photos out of them.
- Create a layout of my pages and explain why I have chosen to do this.
- Explain why I have chosen a certain theme and aim and how this will affect my audience.
- Work on every little detail and put in 110%
- BLOG ABOUT EVERYTHING!
