Shot Plan

Before taking pictures, we had to create a table which illustrates all the different images we need to take for our magazine. Below are three different tables, each showing information about the shots.

Front Cover

Contents Page








Double Page Spread

Flat Plan Evaluation - Front Cover

Before actually producing the magazine, we had to create a flat plan, directing how the final magazine will look, which includes the front cover, contents page and double page spread. I will now justify the choices I made for the flat plan, and also compare it to the previous research I carried out, in regards to this. Furthermore, I will state any changes that I would like to mate when creating the final piece.

Masthead

 I chose to do the masthead in red, as I think that this colour is the most suitable one for the title of the magazine, as it’s bold and exciting. I realise that the font of the masthead isn’t exactly smooth, but I did this on purpose, as I thought it would be interesting to have the font as a contrast to the name, giving the magazine an edge, showing the true reality of R’n’b / Hip Hop music. Furthermore, I think this font relates well with the genre, as it as an upbeat look to it. I believe that this will appeal to the consumers.

Colour Scheme

The main colour scheme of the front cover is black, red and yellow. However, there is also a hint of blue used, where I thought it was necessary, as these parts can be seen as the key points of the cover. I realised that this may seem a bit too much, by having the usage of four different colours, therefore, when it comes to creating my front cover, I will have to re-think this, and experiment with the colours to see if I can actually narrow it down to just three colours. Furthermore, two shades of red are included. I chose a darker tone for the start of the ‘R’s’, and for ‘JLS,’ as I thought this will make it stand out more. However, this might change as it might not go according to plan, which is another thing I’ll have to reconsider when producing the front cover. The background colour will either be grey or white. White is a very popular colour to have for a magazine, so most probably, it will be grey; as I thought it would be interesting to do something different, and slightly change it to grey, which will also go well with the other colours, as well as the image.

Selling Line

The selling for the front cover is placed at the top of the magazine, which is, ‘THE UK’S LEADING R&B MAGAZINE.’ I decided to have the background of this strip a different colour to the rest of the magazine, as this will make the selling line stand out more, and make it eye-catching. Therefore, I chose the colour yellow, which also matches the button. The text will be in capital letters, and in black, making it bolder. I haven’t exactly decided on what the font will be, but I do know that I will keep it simple, as I find this is what would be most appropriate.

Main Image

For the main image, I decided to do a mid-long shot of the artist, posing with her hips slightly bent, one arm on the hip, and the other arm touching her face. This was inspired by Lady Gaga, as it resembles her pose that she did for the front cover in the ‘Smash Hits’ magazine. I chose to do this particular pose as its eye catching, yet it also has a ‘sexy’ factor to it, and is also ‘girly.’ The only difference is the position of the pose. Lady GaGa is turned to the side, whereas on mine, the model’s body will be facing directly at the camera, emphasising more on the angle – of – gaze as well, which will invite the reader in. I decided that the model will wear a black dress, as it’s simple, yet attractive. Furthermore, it relates in well to the rest of the colour scheme of the magazine, making it all come together. The dress is sleeveless and short to some extent, showing her arms and a bit of her legs, which gives it a ‘sexy’ factor to it. This occurs a lot in all types of magazines with females, as it’s attractive. However, in my case, not too much skin is showing, which is what I wanted, as I didn’t want it to seem too extreme. Extra accessories are also included such as bangles and belts, which is just for the image. This can also represent her ‘girly’ side, illustrating that she likes these sorts of things. I decided to leave her simple, by just having it straight, slightly back combed for extra effect, and one side over the shoulder. Overall, I am happy with this being the main image of my front cover, as well as the rest of the magazine. However, finding the exact same dress may be hard, so I may need to re-think that part, and find the next closest clothing I can to this style.

Other Images

There will be no other images present on the first cover. The reason for this is because the main image itself is so big, that it requires majority of the space from the page. Furthermore, by having more images, it will cause a distraction, making the page seem a bit cluttered. Therefore, I think that having one image is appropriate, as this image is appealing in itself.

Articles

The articles all included on this page are related to current artists, who match the genre of the magazine. I’ve played around with words to make it sound more exciting, including techniques such as alliteration, as shown where it says ‘Red Rihanna Returns.’ The articles featured on the front cover can be seen as what would attract people the most, however, all the other articles are shown on the contents page. When it comes to the font, I haven’t actually decided which one I will be using. I will be using more than one font, which will only be used to focus on important aspects, such as ‘Kiara,’ as this should stand out from the rest of the text. I will keep all the fonts simple, as I don’t want the page to seem too over the top.

Button

As an extra feature on the front cover, I decided to include the use of a button, as I realised many magazines have this. Buttons are mainly used for the purpose of informing readers about things they can find inside the magazine, such as posters, tickets, competitions etc. however, I decided to have the button to illustrate tickets that can be won, therefore, indicating that the magazine also has competitions inside. This will then attract people to the magazine, as they will want to know what the tickets are for, and what the competition is.  The button will be in yellow, as this colour stands out the most, and is different from all the other colours on the page. The colour of the text inside the button will be black and red, as these two colours work well with yellow, making it stand out even more. ‘TWO’ and ‘WON,’ will be in red, as I think these are the two most important words of the text inside the button, which will be what the consumer sees first.

Flat Plan Evaluation - Contents Page

I will now evaluate the contents page I created for my flat plan, illustrating a clear analysis of my decisions, and the reasons behind them.

Colours

The colour scheme on the contents page will be a continuation from the front cover, consisting of the same colours, as this will emphasise on the relation between the two, making them look similar and related. The background will be the same colour as the front cover, which is most likely to be grey. This will blend in nicely will the other colours on the page. All text will be in black, however, the page numbers will be in red, separating themselves from the titles and descriptions, so that they stand out, which also makes it easier to understand. Furthermore, this will bring more colour to the page, making it brighter. The background of ‘Contents’ will be in red, highlighting the black text. I haven’t decided on a colour for the text where it says ‘This Month, Smooth Features,’ but it most likely will be red. This is something I will need to experiment on when creating the final piece. The colours within the image will also resemble the rest of the colour scheme, making it all come together.

Layout

The layout of the contents page is organised into different sections, but in a way that doesn’t confuse the reader on what to read first or where to start, as it’s pretty self-explanatory. I decided to have ‘Contents’ written across the top, as many magazines do, and then underneath that, have a brief introduction to the page. I chose to have an editor’s note on the contents page, as I believe that this is an important feature for the magazine to consist off, as it’s a direct message from them to the reader. Furthermore, this will also enlighten the consumer to purchase the magazine, due to the articles within it. This is the smallest text box on this page, making all the others fit equally. The actual contents of the page numbers and articles, begins underneath this continuing onto the opposite side, ending with an image underneath that. It has all been sectioned out equally, in a somewhat column effect. 

Image

I decided to only have one image present on the contents page. The main reason for this was because due to all the text, there wasn’t actually enough space left to include another picture. However, I’m glad this happened, as I don’t think two images would’ve been appropriate, because it might’ve looked disordered. Some magazines do include more than one image, but due to the fact that I want to bring simplicity to my magazine, I think its best that I only include one image on the contents page. The image itself is quite inviting, as it’s a close up, illustrating facial expressions. The pose is also quite different from the other images that will be in the magazine. This image gives it a personal look, which the reader will discover once they read the article. She’s also wearing a different outfit to the one on the front cover. I’ve decided to change this, so that she is wearing the same outfit, as it will be easier for me, because change of clothing could be a hassle, and it also makes it look more professional. Many magazines consist of the models wearing the same clothes, indicating it took place during the same photo-shoot, which is what I will do too.

Articles

Altogether, there are 11 articles featured on the contents page. Each one takes up a different number of pages, depending on what it’s about, stopping at page 65, which is a relevant number, as most magazines stop around this number. The articles included on the front cover are included on this page, but with different names. All the articles are based on current artists, which will attract my target audience, as they’re also based on a variety of topics, consisting from posters all the way to exclusive interviews with artists. Furthermore, I chose these particular artists as people are familiar with them, which will make them want to read about them. I’ve organised the articles in regards to what they’re about, so that it’s all spread out between the pages.

Text / Font

I haven’t specifically chosen what fonts I will be using for the texts on this page, but like the other pages, I will ensure to keep it simple, as I believe that this would actually make the page look attractive. As it is, there is a lot included on the contents page, and if I was to choose fancy fonts, it wouldn’t give it the right look, and will make it different to the rest of the magazine, taking away the relation between the pages, especially with the front cover. The 'C' for 'Contents' will be in the same form of font as the masthead on the front cover, bringing that quality onto the contents page. The font for the editor’s note will be slightly different to the rest of the text, as it needs to stand out, as do the others. The article titles and the descriptions will roughly be the same font. However, the title will be in capital letters, and bolder than the description, as this is what the reader will read first, therefore, it needs to be eye catching. Furthermore, from the market research I carried out, it showed that 50% of my target audience said that they would prefer to have the extra detail, whereas the other 50% were in opposition to this. Due to these statistics, it shows that not everyone will read the description, so I don’t have to make it stand out as much as the titles.

Flat Plan Evaluation - Double Page Spread

Below is the analysis of the double page spread for my flat plan. I will justify the decisions I made and why, and also what I will change.

Colours

For the double page spread, I will keep the colour scheme limited, as I don’t want it to consist of many colours, as it could look messy. The actual background of the page will be in black, as it will highlight the white text boxes, creating extra emphasis on them. Furthermore, this will give the page a sophisticated look. Key text will be in a different colour, most likely in red, which will also brighten up the page, making it more lively and energetic.

Layout

I chose to keep the layout of this page quite basic, consisting just of a few columns, which are obviously the same length. However, as shown in the flat plan, the columns aren’t the same width, which will need to be changed when it comes to actually creating the double page spread. Furthermore, I might also need to change the position of the picture, moving it somewhere else on the page. Furthermore, at the bottom of the page, on the corners, I will have the name of the magazine written alongside the page numbers, as this is an important feature to have.

Main Image

For this page, the main image is taken while the artist is walking, in the direction of the camera. I thought that this pose would be a good one to use, as it has a natural effect, because she is actually walking, and the camera is just taking shots of her. Furthermore, this can connote her making her way into the music industry, as she is a new artist. As shown in the image of the double page spread, I made her picture take up just a bit more than half the page, making two text columns beneath it. However, I realised that these extra two columns won’t exactly be needed, and therefore, I’ve decided to get rid of these columns, making the image take up the whole page. I’ve also decided to include a stand - first on the picture, which will give a brief introduction to her. The words included are catchy, making the reader want to read on. Furthermore, I’ve placed her name on the image, which makes it more personal. In this picture, she’s wearing a purple dress, which is different to her outfit on the front cover. However, I may change this, so that she’s wearing the same outfit in both pictures. But, ‘Kiara’ is in a different shade of purple, which matches her outfit. So, when it comes to shooting, I will experiment with this, and see which one is most suitable.

Other Images

An extra image is included on the second page of the double page spread. This is a casual picture of the artist at home, lying on her bed, which again, is a natural pose. This reader will find that the image actually relates to the article when reading it. I chose this picture as I think it’s appropriate, and it’s different to the other images involved in the magazine. 

Text / Font

I haven’t decided exactly on what fonts I will be using for the double page spread. However, I will keep them simple, so that it doesn’t distract the reader in anyway. All text will be in black, as I feel that this is the most relevant colour to use for text. I will put quotes and other important information in a different font, or make it bolder, or change the colour and size so that it stands out from the rest of the article.

Front Cover Analysis

Below are the presentation I created, which are based on the analysis of the front covers of two magazines, ‘Smash Hits’ and ‘Whats On,’ which are both fully, or partly based on the genre of R’n’B / Hip Hop. I deeply evaluated all the conventions included on both covers, illustrating the different methods and techniques used, which will attract the publics attention, as the front cover is the most important part of a magazine, as this is what they see first. I will keep these features in mind, which will come of help to me when creating my front cover.  

Music magazine front cover analysis

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Contents Page Analysis

We then had to analyse the contents page from two different magazines, based on the same genre of what my magazine will be. For this task, I chose to use the magazines ‘Smash Hits’ and ‘Whats On’. Even though ‘Whats On’ isn’t actually a proper music magazine, it has music based features, which is why I chose it. The presentation below concentrates on the conventions of the contents pages, illustrating what techniques were used. This will then help me when it comes to producing my contents page for my magazine.

Music magazine contents page analysis

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Double Page Spread Analysis

For this task, I analysed two double page spreads from two different magazines, ‘Smash Hits’ and ‘Whats On,’ which are both related to the R‘n’B / Hip Hop genre.  However, ‘Whats On’ magazine isn’t an actual music magazine, as it features other aspects too, such as health, shopping etc. despite all of this, I still chose this magazine to analyse as it has articles based on music, especially ones that relate to my genre of magazine.

Shown below are the analyses for both magazines regarding their double page spread. There are quite a few similarities between the two.

'Smash Hits' Magazine

'Whats On' Magazine



As you can see, both magazines consist of having female artists featured on their double page. This is the same as the front covers. The purpose of this could be that it attracts attention from both genders. However, double page spreads can be based on male artists too. Both magazines take up one whole page for the main image of the artist. This technique grabs the readers attention, as this is what they’re likely to see at first glance, which then leads them onto reading the main article. Furthermore, the colours of both pictures match the rest of the colour scheme of the article, as well as the magazine. For example, in the double page spread for ‘Smash Hits,’ the colours black, white and red are used, which is the same colours on the front page. This makes the magazine come together, creating an overall effect.

A difference between the two would be that ‘Smash Hits’ has text written over the image of Lady GaGa, making use of as space as possible, which isn’t the case with ‘Whats On,’ as they’ve left a big white gap at the top of the page, before starting the actual article. In addition to this, ‘Smash Hits’ use a different colour and font for direct quotes and different font for specific headings, which doesn’t occur in ‘Whats On.’ However, ‘Whats On’ doesn’t include quotes from Katy Perry on the first page, but is actually included on the other pages.

By reading and studying both articles, it has helped me come to some decisions for what I would do, and how I would layout my double page spread for my magazine. The idea of having one whole page dedicated to the main image of the artist, has interested me, therefore, this is what I will do too. By doing this, I believe that it will attract the readers more. However, it depends on the actual image itself, and what the artist is doing in it, as well as the mise-en-scene. Furthermore, I’ve decided to actually use quotes on the page, as this will break the article down, making it easier, and more enjoyable to read. Also, if this is in a different colour and font, then it will attract attention, due to readers seeing this first.

I will take all these decisions into account when it comes to creating my own double page spread, in order to achieve the best possible outcome.