Changes To My Double Page Spread

After feedback fro my teacher these are the changes that I have made to my double page spread. It was mentioned that the original looked quite box and I agree with that and so I took inspiration from existing products to see how they combated this. Most products added an outline to the images to break them up a bit and didn't have them in regimented formations and so I altered my work slightly to look more like them. However, I'm not sure I like the effect too much and so I will talk to my teacher again and see if she has any suggestions on whether she thinks it looks professional or if I should change it and what I should so if I am to change it. 

I was also considering getting some more photos for the lounge wear part but I wasn't able to get any and so I stuck with the ones that I had that I thought were the best. 

In addition to changing the layout of the photos I also synchronised all of the text so it matched to create more continuity and I added in a slug line at the top and a page number/issue number at the bottom of the page.

Changes To My Second Page

I received feedback on my original second page from my teacher and there were several things she mentioned that I could change to improve my grade Some things she mentioned would be worth looking into changing were:

- maybe adding a slug line

- the yellow/black text being hard to read

- the boxes of text breaking things up (take them out?)

- maybe add the issue number/page number to the bottom of the page

As you can see I have completely changed the layout of my page. Instead of having information boxes beside the images of the objects I have instead put all of the pictures down one side of the page, with each image being given a number this number can then be found on the other side of the page with the relevant information. I have also taken on board other suggestions my teacher made, including adding the title 'beauty' and the name of the magazine to the top of the page as well as the slug line 'get gorgeous this winter'. In addition to this I added the issue and page number to the bottom of the page.

I have made these improvements and I will give the page to my teacher again to see if she thinks there is anything else I could do to improve my work.

Double Page Spread Layouts

Because it was suggested that I change the layout o my double page spread slightly to make it look less boxy I have looked at some existing ones.

I picked these ones as these were examples of ones that use 'boxy' images in their work and how they make them look professional. In all of them they have separated the images slightly with boarders (and overlapped some to make it more interesting to ooh at) and divided the boxy images up with cut out images. I think I am going to try the former - putting borders around them and over lapping - as I don't have many images of items of my model's clothes that would be very good but I might try to get some more when I am down at christmas. Also it was mentioned to me by my tutor that the loungewear images were of a lower quality then the outside ones so I am considering redoing them altogether. 

Feedback Of My Main Product

I received feedback on my main product (4 pages of a regional fashion magazine) from my tutor and I am going to take the advice she has given me and apply it to my work so as I can achieve the highest level possible on my coursework. 
Some things she has pointed out include maybe taking the boxes out of my second page as they're quite distracting and I will see how this works and have a look at some fashion/beauty magazines to see how they avoid using them. She also pointed out that the tag line on the second page is quite hard to read which I agree with.
On my double page spread it was mentioned that my layout is quit boxy which takes away from the professionalism of it which I agree with and a friend actually mentioned to me before I submitted it. To maintain continuity between the two pages it was also suggested that I keep the same font in the text boxes but having a separate font for the items actually makes it stand out quite well. 
As well these small changes my tutor also mentioned it might be worth adding a slug line to both the second page and my double page spread, along with adding the page number, masthead and issue number as well as maybe the website to the bottom of my page.  

Final Billboard Image

I was unsure what image to use for my final billboard image out of the final 3 that I chose so I asked some friends what they thought of them and this was the most popular answer. However, a few of them did mention that the text was quite hard to read and so I will be altering it to stand out more against the green of the leaves for my final product. 

There are a couple of alterations I could make to this to make it better I think, for example, the image is slightly blurred and so I think I will try to sharpen it in photoshop. The 'sit down and... doll up' bit is quite hard to read against the green as well and so I think I will outline it to make it clearer. 

Website Templates

As part of my brief I have to create two ancillary tasks, one of which is the billboard that I have talked about in previous posts and the other is the website that goes with my main task (a regional fashion magazine). I will be using Wix website designer to help me create this website which is a program that I have never used before so I will be updating how I get on with using it.

As I have nearly completed my main task and the billboard ancillary I have decided to turn my attention to the website. After going through many of the templates that are available I have narrowed down my choices to these four. All four are from different sections but all could be applied to a magazine and all offer the sort of layout I'm looking for in my website. 

Of these four the 'menswear' template actually has the closest resemblance to what I was planning on doing for my website but I actually really like the 'fashion stylist' and the 'fashion photographer' layout. I will have a bit of a play around with them and see how well they give the effect I am looking for before I  choose for certain which one I will use for my final product. 

Time Management

As it is nearing the end of the first term I am doing an update on how I think my time management is going. In my first time management post I had hoped that I would have my main product and both ancillary tasks completed by the christmas holidays but at the moment I still have some finishing touches to make on my main product. I also have to choose the final image that I am using for my billboard and I am yet to start my website. However, The billboard won't take very long to do and neither will the last touches to my main task. I am allowing about two weeks for my website over the holidays and the start of the next term as I have never used Wix before and from experience, when I was learning to use Dream Weaver, it shouldn't take me too long to work out how to use it and complete my product.

Final 3 Billboard Images

Here I have narrowed down my options for my billboard image to three options. I'm replicating the Widfox 'take me to paradise' billboard slightly having the slogan to the .left and the name of the product on the bottom right, so hopefully by creating it like a similar product would make it successful. At the moment I think I am more leaning towards using the 3rd image for my billboard ancillary product. 

Why I narrowed it down to these image:

Top Image
I chose this image to be in my top three because it is simplistic and the model looks quite coy but not in a sexualised way. This enigma of the models face might sppeal to the audience and here the clothes are quite on display.

Middle Image
I selected this one as it is the front facing version of the top one which I am very keen on, the lighting is good and the model's facial expression is clear as well as the clothes being well on show. The facial expression she is pulling is also one that isn't sexual but gives off a slightly questioning look which may entice the audience in, and reminds me slightly of the expression on the Wildfox billboard.

Bottom Image
This is the image that I feel is the most powerful as the model's body language and facial expression give the appearance of confidence. The clothes are too displayed nicely in this image and another thing is the horse has his head up in this image so as his neck frames the edge nicely. This is the image I have received the most positive feedback from peers on using as my billboard image, but I am yet undecided as the image is slightly blurred and so I would need to fix this to make it the same quality as the other two already are. 

Comparison - Third/Fourth Page

With my third/fourth page I did a double page spread of a focus trend. I am comparing it to Glamour magazine's version of a double page spread on current trends. The way I have done my double page spread is quite different to how most magazines do it and I have merged a few styles of trend page to create my product. 

Glamour magazine makes the page quite simplistic and easy to look at, with plain titles and easy to spot looks. It has most of the clothes separate from the models with just a few model images to demonstrate how the trends have been taken from the catwalk and what they look like when worn.

My product, however, doesn't have any images of the clothes separate from the model but instead various images of the model in a few different outfits. I have also added quite a bit of text to give the audience more information on the trends but I have done it in quite a chatty way as this is a regional magazine I feel it doesn't need to be quite as professional as some other magazines that are national international, that said Glamour is quite colloquial. If my magazine were a real product it is likely an article like the Glamour one would follow within the next few pages as my article is more of an introduction to the trend rather than just featuring it.

Comparison - Second Page

Here I am comparing my product (on the right) with an existing product. On the second page of my main product (a regional fashion magazine) I have done a beauty edit. Unlike my cover I couldn't find a winter version of a beauty page and so I'm having to compare to a spring one but seeing as trends change each season this isn't too much of a problem. 

Like the existing product the colour trends in colour of the season are reflected in the colours of my product. I used the existing product as a reference when I was making my own product so there are similarities in the ways they are layed out; there is a slogan, with a little bit about the page below it, and each product has a small amount of information on it, along with one main item that goes into more depth than the other products. I have also added random spolodges and kisses like other magazines do to create a background. 

Comparison - Front Cover

In this post I am going to compare the main product that I am producing (a regional magazine) with an existing product. For more accuracy I have picked the December 2014 edition of Glamour, so both of the magazines in question are focusing on the same time of year and are both roughly interested in the same things (although Glamour is more of a general lifestyle magazine than purely a fashion and beauty magazine). Here are some of the similarities and difference I think are notable between the two products.


SIMILARITIES

• kept the colour shemes simple (using white and one other colour)
• model/star in front of text
• grey backgrounds (mine is more 'busy' though) 
• made a key feature out of a fashion article

DIFFERENCES

• no barcode on the glamour one (it's featured on the back)
• different lighting (natural lighting is used in all my photos where as the Glamour ones were shot in a studio)
• my magazine has a tagline
• my header doesn't stretch right across the page
• glamour looks more simple but has the same number of articles

Possible Billboard Images

Here are the 5 photos I have selected as a possibility for my billboard image. Typically billboards are made up of one large, focus image with a small amount of text added on top of them to get the point across quickly and simply as they are often located in places that don't allow the audience to view them for long. I feel that these pictures I have selected reflect the target audience of my magazine (young females from the East Midlands) whilst being simple and striking at the same time. 

IMAGE 1

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took on my shoot as the fact the model is looking down adds an element of mystery to her, it makes her look quite shy and feminine but the way she is sitting makes her seem at ease and confident on the horse. The only thing is with her looking down she can't make eye contact with the camera and you can't really see her face as her hair is in the way which takes away some of the personal connection she could have with the audience but even with this I think this is a strong image and I am seriously considering using this for my billboard.

IMAGE 2

This image is one of the more sexualised images that I took. The facial expression she is pulling is similar to the ones you see on the likes of FHM, or like Marilyn Monroe's classic look of head tilted with lips slightly parted and eyebrows raised. The model's body language is also quite sexualised in that she appears quite open to the camera. Because this is a fashion magazine I don't need her to look too sexualised as Laura Mulvey stated that to enjoy certain media texts a female must look through the eyes of a male, as this is a text aimed at women this wouldn't be necessary and the lack of a 'male gaze' can be seen on virtually every fashion magazine and so I don't think I should use this image for that reason. 

IMAGE 3

This is another of my favorite images. The model looks confident here and unlike the first image is making eye contact with the camera so the audience can make a connection with the model. The facial expression is quite neutral so there is not the problem of applying to the male gaze which may have isolated some female readers. One minor thing about this image is that there is a bit of hair across the model's face but I think that makes it look more natural and this again is definitely an image I am considering using for my final piece.

IMAGE 4

Again this is another of my favorite pictures. The model appears very confined, both in herself and on the horse. The holding of her coat in that way makes her look confident in herself and the fact she isn't holding on and is sitting side on shows confidence in her ability. This confidence (in both aspects) may appeal to my target audience as many of the girls in my primary audience will likely ride horses. Her facial expression is slightly sexualised but not enough to isolate female readers and may actually entice more male readers (though they are mainly a secondary audience). The lighting in this picture is good and I generally think it would be a striking image to use as my billboard.

IMAGE 5

In this photo I like that I managed to get the horses face in with the model. The model again looks very confident, and in my opinion looks slightly fierce, especially with her body language (with her hand resting on the horses neck). However, I am worried that with such an obvious presence of the horse it would be mistaken for a horse related magazine instead of a fashion based one, especially as the model is pushed to the side of the frame slightly. Another problem I have here is that her face has blurred a bit which again may remove emphasis that this is a fashion and beauty magazine. Although I do like this picture I don't think it'll be one that I'll use as part of my product. 

Today's Lesson

In today's lesson I am hoping to add the finishing touches to my main product and if I have time I will start my billboard ancillary task. 

Front Cover

Above was my completed front cover to my magazine which I submitted to my tutor to get feedback on and below is the adjusted cover. To the cover I added the website address of the magazine and a tagline. I also changed some of the punctuation, added a slight shadow to some of the text to make it easier to read against the white and made a couple of other little changes with the aim of making it look as professional as possible. I will again submit this to my tutor to see if there are any other areas which could be improved upon or if there is anything she thinks I could do better.

Institutions Research

Institutions research from Eve Lopez

Here I have done some research into publishing institutions that could publish my magazine. There are a few which are local to where my regional magazine is targeted, however, most of these publishers focus on enthusiast or niche magazines. EMAP (Top Right Group) is probably the most successful group of publishers that are based in the East Midlands. If I did not go with them I would go with Time Inc. as they too are extremely successful, but EMAP would be my first choice as they are local to where the magazine is focusing.

Today's Lesson

In todays lesson I managed to complete my second page and nearly complete my third page, I also made some alterations to my cover that were suggested to me by my tutor for ways to make it look more professional and more aesthetically pleasing in some ways. As well as these tasks being completed, like I had aimed for, I also started some work on my blog. The tasks I started on my blog were ones mentioned to me in a one-to-one session with my teacher on ways in which I can improve my work on my research and planning to achieve a higher grade. 

Tasks for Today

In todays session I will be continuing with my main task and working on the third and fourth pages. I will also be making some alterations to my front cover as I have received feedback from my tutor on it.