Magazine Practical Task

 Research

1) Use Google to research potential magazines that you could use as your brand/design for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and embed an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle magazines or a similar genre as these are more achievable to re-create.

2) Choose one of the three magazine brands to use for your project e.g GQ, Vogue or The Gentlewoman. Then find three different front covers for your chosen magazine and embed them in your blogpost. Analyse the fonts, colours and typical design. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? You need to become an expert in the design and construction of this magazine and its branding.

             
 
                                  

Planning

1) On a Word or Google document, plan your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. 

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

Image Planning:

My image will feature a female model as it is an women in TV issue, who's eyes will be looking up to the side, with her head tilted. She will be wearing a bomber jacket, with a 'Black Panther' shirt underneath to promote the new superhero film she stars in. She will be wearing a necklace and earrings in order to compliment her outfit and represent the femininity aspect. The lighting will be shined towards the side of her face so that it creates a shadow on the other half of her face.

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

4) Sketch out your cover on plain A4 paper using your written planning. Take a photo of your sketch and upload it to your blogpost.

Publication to blog and evaluation

1) Once you have completed your design in Photoshop, go to 'File > Save a copy' and save your finished Photoshop magazine cover as a JPEG image. Then, upload it to your blogpost. 

3) Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your brief to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover stand up alongside the genuine covers of your chosen magazine? How professional is your work alongside those genuine examples?

I believe I have succeeded in my brief to create a new, original edition edition of an existing magazine as I tried my best to replicate Elle's women in music edition magazines but with my own original twist of course by changing the colour scheme, the cover lines, the fact that instead of women in music it is women in TV. I believe my cover does not stand up alongside the genuine covers, it is a good replica however I believe you would still be able to tell which ones are genuine. I believe my work is professional however it could've looked more professional, for example smaller cover lines. 

4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

If I completed this assignment again I would possibly choose a different genre of magazine, or a different magazine company to experiment with the different styles of magazines covers. 

2) Upload two genuine covers of the magazine you have chosen and put them next to your front cover. This is a brilliant way to check how professional your work looks alongside the real thing.