FINAL BLOG

Thanks for reading my blog. I have really enjoyed the overall process and I am excited to use the skills that I have learnt in this coursework, in other work in and outside of school. 

Jack Millward

QUESTION 7 - VLOG

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

QUESTION 6 - VOICEOVER WITH TEXT

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 

QUESTION 5 - INTERVIEW

How did you attract/address your audience? 

QUESTION 4 - VLOG

Who would be the audience for your media product?

QUESTION 3 - VOICEOVER WITH TEXT

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

QUESTION 2 - VLOG

How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

QUESTION 1 - VLOG

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

PLANNING MY EVALUATION

In my evaluation, as explained, I need to answer these three questions:

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
2.  How does your media product represent particular social groups? 
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience? 
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 
7.  Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I am going to present my answers all in video format. Each video will have a different format whether it is a vlog or a documentary. 

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I am going to present this as a sit down, talking video. I probably will find somebody my age to speak to about the magazine and if they think it is similar to any other magazines.

How does your media product represent particular social groups? 

This video will be speaking to a camera whilst using on screen annotations and images.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

This will be a voice over text where I compare different institutions.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

This video will be speaking to a camera whilst using on screen annotations and images.

How did you attract/address your audience? 

I will be speaking to camera with on screen annotations and images. I will also include an interview on a friend

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? 

This video will be a voiceover with text.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

This video will be speaking to a camera whilst using on screen annotations and images.

FINAL PRODUCT

In short, I am extremely happy in how the magazine turned out. I feel that there is a house style throughout and the magazine has grown to look like a punk magazine. From the production, I now have a greater understanding on how a magazine is produced and I have greatly increased my knowledge on PhotoShop.

Comparing them side by side, I can clearly see a house style developing in my magazine.

Now I must begin the conclusion which I aim to present in a video format.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD ARTICLE

After planning the layout of the double page spread, I needed content for the article. I decided to include content that was non-fiction due to the main reason that the narrative will seem more natural to read. By including an actual interview with legitimate information, the subtle punk ideologies of the band can be subliminally conveyed through the words they use and the content they provide. This means that anyone reading the article will be able to further immerse themselves in the article as they may relate to the content.

I interviewed Leo, the lead singer of the band. I asked him various questions whilst I noted down his responses after looking at the video.

The content he provided with me turned out great and I noticed the language he used and the way he acted linked in to my research in to the genre.

After the interview, I added the information he provided me on photo shop.

Overall, I am extremely happy with how all the text turned out. I feel that there is a natural story and the content has a strong link to the target audience.

For the content, I used a basic font commonly used in magazines so the information is clear and formal. I also used a large letter 'L' at the start to conform to the forms and conventions of any article. I also used paragraphs to order my text to make it less overwhelming. This is also achieved by the use of columns. I left a space in between two paragraphs for a picture to break up the text and to keep it interesting for the younger reader.  For the Q&A, I used the font 'Bebas' for the questions so they stand out over the answers to the questions. After adding the text to the page. I finished the front cover by adding extra photos and text to occupy the empty spaces on the page.




On the left, I included the EP cover with the words 'OUT NOW' in captials on it to further promote their new song. I also included a QR code next to it to send them straight to the song. I decided to place these here as they would be easily located by the reader. I decided to place two photos on the page instead of one as planned. This is because I had extra room to fill in due to the movement of the text. I used two photos of the band that conveyed them as relaxed and chilled. I chose these photos to further portray the article as laid back and relaxed. I then added the page numbers at the bottom of the page so they would not interfere with the narrative. I used a screenshot from their music video in the space between the text to give the reader a taste of what the video is like. I also used a quote from the Q&A to further influence the reader to read the article.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD PRODUCTION

Firstly, I researched the dimensions for the double page spread and created a new project. I firstly cropped the image to include each of the three members. I then used the eraser tool to make the picture fade in to the white background. 

After finally deciding the layout of the image, I added text. However, I could not decide between two colours. One of the colours was a gradient fading from orange to turquoise whilst the other was purple with a dark, satin overlay. I couldn't decide for various reasons. I thought that the orange and turquoise gradient connoted a beach which links in to the name of the sub-genre. However, the purple colour relates to the song they had released called 'Purple Stripes'. In the end, I decided to choose the purple font colour as it seemed to stand out more due to the fact that it is is slightly lighter and the purple contrasts the black outline further pulling the readers attention to the title.

I decided to call the article, 'Beach Punk Bathroom Antics' as I feel that the words work together due to the alliteration of 'B'. The title also reinforces the mise en scene of the picture in how they are positioned in and around a bathtub.

For the stand first, I wrote 'What's more punk than a music video in a bath tub?' I decided to use a rhetorical question to further promote the video and encourage the reader to watch it due. I also decided to use this as the stand first as a music video in a bath tub is rather unique and this stand first makes the article stand out among the others.

After analysing my draft, I decided to change the location of the text boxes. This is because, I wanted the natural divide in the page to include the text on one side and the title and pictures on another. Also by placing the boxes here, the punk mise en scene is still visible e.g. the black nails. I decided to lower the opacity of the white boxes for different reasons despite the fact that the black font doesn't stand out as much. Having a solid colour as the background here conceals the picture behind it and then, I feel there will be too much white on the page. Too much of one colour can get too overwhelming, especially for young adults and children who listen to punk.

CONTENTS PAGE PRODUCTION 2

After slightly altering my designs, I moved on to finalising my contents page. I firstly decided to ignore my draft and include some text reading 'CONTENTS' as on second thoughts, this would fully establish the page as a contents page and as I decided to move some of the articles on top of the pictures, I needed to take up some more room on the page. For both 'CONTENTS' and 'EXTRAS', I used a yellow font with a red outline. This choice was influenced due to the fact that I used these two colours on my front cover. This repetition of colours further the fiery music the artists produce. 

I then added the content to the page. I made sure to use the same font and size for each article title, additional information and page number to make sure that the magazine is consistent. For the article title, I chose a black bold font so that it is easier for the reader to locate the desired article. I made the page number easily recognised by using a large white font. I made the layout identical to the layout of the content on top of the pictures to add to the house style of the page. The only two differences are the black font instead of white, to stand out against the background and the fact that the text is straight and not slanted to add formality to the articles.

I decided to again, use gold as a colour for the various puffs saying 'GOSSIP' etc to highlight how the article is special compared to the others, encouraging them to read the page. I purposely used different sizes and shapes for the red strokes. The main reason I decided to alternate the sizes is to keep the content interesting and less repetitive as the youthful reader may be overwhelmed at the heavy use of black text. For the text, I made sure to use appropriate language that the audience would be used to like 'BAD*SS' and 'BIIIIIIIIIIG'. I also made sure to keep the additional information short and snappy as this way, the reader would have to turn to the article to find out more. Also, too much information could overwhelm the reader preventing them from reading on. 

After removing some of the articles and placing them on the pictures, I had a small space at the bottom of the page to fill in. As I decided to remove the photos from the picture at the top left, I decided that it would be appropriate to move them to the bottom right. I feel that this choice was strong as the photos break up the content and keep it engaging and vibrant. 

ENCOUNTERING PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTENTS

When I sat back and looked at the contents page, I felt that it was not right. This is because I felt that the layout did not convey the forms and conventions of the conventions of a regular music magazine. To overcome this problem, I decided to look back at my older posts on the contents page. I realised that I needed to keep it simple in my design and focus less on having boxes for my text. A good example of a contents page is this-

I feel that this example is much stronger than my contents page. The main visible differences that makes it seem more professional/ punk like is the use of fonts and layout. For my contents page, the block colours and the use of white text boxes makes it look almost like a comic strip. I also feel that the red puff is too childish and has no relevance to the punk genre. From looking at my contents page, I feel as if it has the forms and conventions of a pop magazine rather than a punk magazine.

To change this, I have decided to focus on the layout, colours and font as I feel that these are the key components that make this example of a contents page, Punk.



I decided to keep the layout of the top of the magazine as I felt that this accurately conveyed the forms and conventions of the genre.

To start off, I decided to remove the white text box and the red puff. Immediately after removing these, it lost the comic strip look. I then wanted to add text. I decided to use a gold font colour as this stood out from the picture behind and also emphasised the importance of the picture. I decided to use 'Dreamwalker' as the font for the title of the article as compared to the last font, it had greater punk connotations with the bold effect and the distorted text. I also decided that it was appropriate to place the text on a slant to create a sense of informality and to make it interesting to look at. For the information under the article title, I decided that it was a better idea to include it under the title. To make it stand out, I used a white font with a black outline. Instead of having a red puff, I decided to include instead a red stroke of paint. This made the contents look much less overwhelming and accurately conveyed the forms and conventions of the genre due to the fact that it is messy and unique.

I feel that these small changes made the contents page seem much more professional with deeper links to the punk genre.

CONTENTS PAGE PRODUCTION 1

I began by applying a background. Instead of going for a white background, I decided that I would instead  go for a rough, paper like texture. I decided this for various reasons. The main reason I chose this over a plain background is because the rough look connotes the genre in itself. It also will contrast the white text better so the text stands out more.

I then began to add shapes and boxes that I planned in my draft. The reason I chose black as the colour of the boxes is due to the fact that it contrasts the background and therefore the text and images layered on top seem to stand out more. I added a slight shadow to the large black box as it further emphasised the importance of the information located in it. I again decided to slightly place the box at the top of the page on a tilt as I felt that the contrast between the other box, further emphasises the informality of the magazine content. I also added a slight gradient in this box to add depth. I then added the puff at the top right. I decided to use gold as the colour here to connote importance. I added shadows and strokes to create the illusion that the gold was solid. By adding these effects, the gold seems to be as if it is real gold which further connotes the importance of the text. I also decided to add a white outline as this further frames the shape and throws emphasis on the text inside.

I then began to add text to the top of the page. I used the same font as the mast head for the 'PUNK OFF!' to emphasise a house style. I decided yo use the font 'Old Press' for the 'EXCLUSIVE CONTENT' as it is rather bold but at the same time, the eroded look is rather punk like. I decided to increase the size of 'EXCLUSIVE' to throw emphasis on the fact that the articles in the magazine are special. I decided to add a splat effect in the far right of the black shape as I feel that this relates to the informality and overall youthfulness feel of the magazine. This is because a splat is commonly associated with punk as they both are regarded as 'all over the place'. I feel that the addition of this image slightly faded in to the black background was a good addition as it fills in the blank space and also has punk connotations.

I then began to add the chosen photos.  I decided against using photos for the posters due to the fact that the placement meant that the band would be concealed. I carefully cropped each photo so that each model was in the middle of the photo. I then added three, red, cropped puffs with a black outline on each photo. I decided to use the colour red as it again, is a very vibrant colour and stands out. I have also used the colour in my front cover. The repetition of the colour conforms to the house style of my magazine. I then added three white text boxes where I would place my article title.

I then began to add text. Inside the puffs, I decided to use a white font as these colours contrast. It is extremely important for the page numbers to stand out as the contents page's main purpose is to help locate the correct page for each article. For the article titles, I decided to use the same font as the feature article cover line. I also used the same colour. I decided to do this as by having a repeated theme of fonts and colours throughout, makes pages easier to locate and makes it so the reader is familiar with the format of the magazines. I decided to outline the text in black as it contrasts the white box. I also decided to use a gold to silver gradient for the '2017 EDITION' as again, these colours explain that the guitar is new and expensive. I used a different font for this to make the content interesting.

ADVERTISMENT

I feel that advertisement is extremely important in any print media production. Along with the price of the magazine, adverts are vital to the profits of the magazine. This is why I have decided to write a blog about it. In my contents page, I have left out page numbers. In these pages, I hope to include page long adverts that directly link to the research I carried out. An example of a page long advert found in a magazine is the 'GIVENCHY' fragrance.

I can greatly increase my profits by using advertisment. I feel that accurately planning what adverts to include is important as if the advert is appealing to the reader, the company providing the advert is more likely to gain more customers. With more customers, they are more likely to contact the magazine again and ask for the advert to feature in the next issue or the website for example.




After considering my research results below, I created a list of possible adverts and the reasons behind the choices.

'The age group will be focused around 16-25 year old people with a psychometric rating of C-D. I also feel that I will center the narrative to represent the key beliefs of succeeders and reformers as these were the two most popular results in my research'

- New Albums
New albums are important in any music magazine and these albums will have a great chance of creating ad impressions and therefore making them worth including. 
- Alcohol (Jagermeister/Carling)
Alcohol is common within the C-D bracket and 18+ year olds. I feel that including alcohol adverts will appeal to this age group and urge them to purchase the brand the next time they drink. Punk followers are stereotyped to drink so this is another reason why I think including this is appropriate. This also links in to the reformer category due to the fact that for the younger generation, drinking alcohol is seen as very punk like and rebellious.
- Festivals
Similar to new albums, festivals and gigs are expected in music magazines and appeal to the whole audience.
- Clothing (Doc Martens/Fred Perry)
Clothing appeals to the C-D bracket as wearing the same clothes as famous people, momentarily takes them away from the working class and makes the reader feel as if they are like the celebrity.
- Punk Shop (All Ages Records)
All Ages Records is a punk shop in London. I decided to include this as if the reader is travelling to London/lives there, they can visit the shop. The shop is extremely popular and due to the fact that most people know it, the advert has the potential to make an impression on the audience.

FRONT COVER PRODUCTION

In this post, I will analyse the process I had to carry out to produce the final front cover. Throughout the process, I used my research to make the right decisions on what to include on the front cover.

I have already chosen my front cover image so all I had to do was scale it to my desired size. I purposely cropped the image so that it fits the three in the picture. I also kept in mind that the text would be behind them so I decided to leave around 1/5th of the background free above them.

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It took me a while to edit the mast head due to the fact that I was debating if I should use a thin black outline or not. After experimenting, I decided that a black outline had more of an impact and stood out against the background more. I also was unsure of the spacing of text. I tried to space each letter around 2cm apart but I felt that it did not convey the key ideologies of the genre as well as if the text was closer together. This is because, if text is further apart, it begins to resemble a newspaper or a formal magazine.  Eventually, I decided to place the letters close together but not touching. This way, the text takes up more space making it easier to recognise if it was being sold. After researching various examples, I discovered that they all were placed similarly apart. In my research I discovered this photo on the right. From the position of the band members behind the text, I decided I would place the lead singer in front of the text with the two other members behind the text. I sketched this in my draft and when it came to editing, I strongly disliked the outcome. This is because it covered the expressions. I feel that the 'Kerrang!' example works due to the fact that the shot is a closer shot. This means that despite being covered by text, the facial expressions can still be seen clearly. Due to this, I decided against this and placed all the band members in front of the text.

I then moved on to my feature article cover line. I used my primary research to decide that it will be yellow and red. This is because the majority of the people that answered the questionnaire preferred the colour scheme of yellow. I wanted to lightly outline it so I decided to research what colour I should use. I experimented with a few colours like black, red and white and also experimented with the outline colour.

I eventually decided to use yellow as the font plainly due to the fact that it has the ability to stand out more against the dark background image. I also liked how the red outline had the ability to further add emphasis on the text due to the fact that it is a very contrasting colour. I chose this colour over the others as I felt that the harsh vibrancy of the yellow accurately conveys the fiery ideologies of the punk genre. Another reason why I chose the colour is due to the audience demographics. As my audience are teenagers, the bright colours have more of an impact compared to grayscale colours. The younger generation prefer brighter colours as they have been brought up with colour television and glossy magazines.

Here is a good article explaining the importance of colour in regards to marketisation:
http://ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol_3_No_22_Special_Issue_November_2012/2.pdf

I also had to choose a subheading. I decided to word mine, 'and their hottest, never before heard secrets'. I decided to name it this for multiple reasons. One reason is due to the fact that it states that in the interview, there will be 'never before heard secrets'. This is commonly used on front covers to entice the reader to read the interview as it unveils secrets on the band. I also decided to place the text in italics. I decided to do this as I felt that it becomes slightly less aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This device can therefore convey the genre as less mainstream which appeals to the wide audience as they prefer to be associated as a small subculture.

After looking at my draft, I felt that I needed to fill in the space above the feature article cover line. Eventually, I decided to use fire to fill in the space. I felt that it would be a good addition due to the fact that it directly links to the subheading saying 'hottest'. I feel that it is a good addition to the front cover and the placement is really effective in furthering the deeper meanings of the genre.

I decided to use a red background with white text for the 'limited edition' label. This is because it stands out. It is important to make this stand out as calling a magazine 'limited edition' increases the chance that the reader will purchase it. This is because the reader will think that the magazine is limited quantity or special over the other issues. This encourages them to purchase the issue.

The next step was adding and positioning the cover lines.I decided to place 2 on the right and 2 on the left. I also decided to have them on a slant. This is because if they were straight, it would connote formality and order. The fact they are on a slant is to emphasise that the interview is very informal and relaxed. 

I also decided to include a callout star as I feel that any information in here will be highlighted as important so therefore will direct the readers gaze to this.

I then added the desired text. I decided to have a cover line and then a sentence or two under explaining the article. I decided to use the font 'Old Press' for the cover line. I was considering to use this font for the masthead but I decided to use it for the cover lines as it is bold so it can draw attention to the text and it also is distorted and this, as explained in previous blogs, has strong references to the punk genre. I decided to have two coverlines featuring articles in the end. In my draft I planned to add more but when it came to the production I decided to reduce the number as there was not enough room on the cover. I decided to include 'Rancid' and 'Charlie Millward' due to the main reason that Rancid is one of the most popular bands right now and has a greater appeal to anyone considering purchasing the magazine. The 'Charlie Millward' article was chosen due to the fact that I had photos that could be included on the front cover. I wanted to include a secondary photo on the front cover to add a greater diversity on punk sub-genres regarding the mise-en scene in the attempt to try and attract a greater audience. 

I decided to use black text for the cover lines as it has a greater contrast with the white text box. However, I decided to use gold as the text colour of 'WIN' as the colour has a great association of winning and royalty. People will subconsciously internalise this idea and believe that the competition is special and they have the ability to win.

For the content of the cover lines, I had to keep it short, yet powerful encouraging the young audience with a short attention span to be encouraged to read further. For the Rancid section, I again decided to reference the fiery undertones of the genre. It also links to the word in the subheading and the fire. I worded the sentence as if the interview is relaxed. I managed to achieve this by using words like 'sit down' and 'chat', which connote an informal and chatty interview. I used similar devices in my 'Charlie Millward' cover line. However in this circumstance, I portrayed the informality of the interview using punctuation. I used an ellipsis and and an explanation mark. These are commonly used in text messages between the youth and are regarded as rather informal and chatty.

Here is the finished front cover. To finish it off, I had to include the small parts that make a magazine, a magazine. This is like the barcode, issue number, price, website and the date. I decided to place the issue number, date and the price at the top of the magazine to accurately convey the forms and convention of any magazine. Due to this placement, the reader will instinctively know where these important pieces of information are.

 I then set out to add the photos I planned to add. I decided to outline them in white to further highlight the pictures and for the photo of my model, I removed the background on PhotoShop as the background was blank and had no relevance to the mise en scene. I then added the logo of the Rebellion festival so that the reader has more of a chance to locate the competition as the logo would be familiar to them.

For the placement of the red strip containing text, I decided to ignore my draft and place it on a slant to further emphasise the informal tone of the magazine. For the text on the red banner, I decided to include the articles stated on my contents page and I decided to list them in importance. By listing them in importance, the first option has a greater chance of being read compared to the last. So I decided to list the content in order of what will appeal to the audience more. I also decided to elongate the letter 'O'  in 'SO' to emphasise the amount of content in the magazine. I decided to use red and white again as I feel that these  two colours have great impact.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD PLAN

For my double page spread, I decided to keep the overall concept simple. This is because I want to emphasise the structure of the photo. From my primary research, I discovered that the majority of the people prefered the simplistic design so this is another reason why I opted for this approach. I really like the placement of the text as I am considering to include any additional information in the two smaller text boxes and I will feature the Q&A in the larger text box to the side. Whilst sketching the double page spread plan, I realised that I need more space to add text. Therefore, I have decided to merge the right hand side of the photo with a white background to create more space. I have decided to place the title of the article behind the lead member of the band due to the fact that I want to emphasise his presence. This also makes the reader feel more involved in the article as the lead singer is almost jumping out the page. I decided to place a secondary image on the page as I feel that this will add more colour and contrast the colour of the text. I have also decided to add a stand first under the title. This is because, from research I discovered that this is common in most articles. It is used to encourage the reader to read the article and summarises it in a sentence. I feel that there are negatives of this design. I feel that the overall structure of the double page spread is heavily influenced from my reasearch and planning. From analysing many different double page spreads, I noticed that the title usually was placed in the top left hand side. This is why I chose to place it here. Due to the fact that I want to use the whole picture, there will be problems in placing text and images without covering the band members. I also feel that the design could be too simplistic. This is mainly because most punk magazines are the complete opposite of simple and have lots of different images, fonts and structures to connote the uncontrollable nature of the music. Due to this, I will probably add extra small things in PhotoShop if I feel that it is necessary. However, I like how the simplistic design contrasts the front cover and contents page as it makes the interview seem more informal and relaxed.

However, after looking back at my plan, I realised that I accidentally forgot to include page numbers which are a necessity on any page. So when it comes to the production of the double page spread, I will make sure to include these in the corners in order to make them have less prominence on the page and so that the page follows the forms and conventions of any magazine.

After all my planning, I can now begin my production of the magazine on PhotoShop.

CONTENTS PLAN

I now will begin to plan my contents page. From my preliminary task and researching punk magazines, I feel that I will be able to accurately create a punk magazine that has the ability to convey the ideologies of the punk genre.

 I am really pleased with my final flat plan. I feel that the overall look and layout is similar to many punk magazines and suits the values of the target audience. I have decided to organise the content in straight lines and boxes as this is more aesthetically pleasing compared to slanted text and images due to the fact it is natural to look at. I decided to use a smaller font for 'IN THIS ISSUE OF' to emphasise the magazine name 'PUNK OFF!' I decided to use 5 images in total for the contents page. One being an image of the band used as the main image on the front cover, due to the fact that the reader can easily locate the page that the article is on. I have also included posters in the magazine as I feel that the fact the posters are free will encourage the reader to purchase the magazine. I decided to use buzz words throughout the contents page. Examples are 'PLUS', 'EXCLUSIVE' and 'WIN'. After researching various punk magazines, I noticed that  they all used similar language. I feel that it is appropriate to use this language in my contents page as it directly relates to the language the young reader will use and be familiar to. I feel that the clustered layout of the information again connotes the craziness of the punk genre. I decided to organise the content down the right hand side in page order as I feel that this layout is the most popular and therefore the audience will be more familiar with it. I decided to leave pages free as in the magazine, I will include pages with advertisement in. If I were to choose the advertisement, I would base it around the results of my primary research. This means the adverts will suit a D-C audience that are reformers and succeeders. An example of this would be an advert for 'Doc Martens'. This brand is commonly worn by people who listen to punk music and they are very different to mainstream shoe wear. This means that people that wear them fir the 'reformers' section. They are also very common in people from the working class so this fits the D-C audience. I decided to include a large subtitle saying 'EXTRAS' as if the reader sees this, they are made to feel as if the content is specially created for them. The articles I included all have direct links to the punk genre. I included large bands such as Fall out Boy, Rancid, Green Day and Blink-182 as the audience will be familiar to these bands and will encourage them to read on about them. I decided to make the page number bold and large so the articles are easy to locate.

FRONT COVER PLAN

Now that I have chosen all my photos, I can move on to the production of the magazine. I have decided to begin with sketching some plans and analysing my choices. Here is my front cover plan:

I firstly decided to place my masthead at the very top of the page as when I researched the front cover conventions for the preliminary task, I discovered that the majority of magazines have the mast head at the top of the magazine. I decided to place a box with text promoting the content of the magazine in the top right. I will also place this in front of the mast head. This position will increase the chance that the reader will notice it and therefore read the text inside. Due to its prominent position, I will make sure that the text will be relevant and engaging. I decided to add the date and issue number under the mast head as it will have less of an impact in this location yet it will still be easy to locate if people need to find the information. I also planned to place the lead singer in front of the mast head and the other members of the band behind the text. The majority of the people that know the band will be familiar with the lead singer more than the others so by placing him in front of the text will further make him more emphasised. The cover lines will be down the sides as this is where they are normally found in music magazines. I will merge the cover lines with bits of text describing them and I will also add secondary photos down the side. I have decided to use this format as by placing text down the side, it frames the main image. I will make sure to use bold fonts with colours that contrast the background so that the coverlines have the ability to stand out. I have also decided to include the competition in this section. I have decided to place the competition in a large bubble as I feel that this will be able to produce more attention. The bubble format is commonly used in mostly all magazines and due to this, the reader will be familiar with the layout and be attracted to the bubble. I have decided to place the feature article cover line just under the middle of the page as I discovered in mostly all punk magazines, this is where it is located. I also decided to add a subheading under the text to add extra information about the article. I placed it here as I feel that it is easy to locate but does not take the effect away from the feature article cover line. Under this, I will add any extra information and bubbles, I have decided to add a barcode in the far right as this mirrors the common forms and conventions of any magazine. I have also decided to include a strip at the bottom where I can advertise more of whats in the magazine. This is common in most magazines and here is an example-

I could have placed this at the top or at the bottom but I chose the bottom as I do not want it to get in the way of the masthead. I am happy with my final plan after altering it. I will probably change up the layout a slight bit when it comes to producing the final front cover but I will stick to this base plan.

SECONDARY PHOTOS 2

This shot will either be used as a secondary photo on the front cover, a photo on the contents page or both. I have used a white background so that I can easily cut out the model on PhotoShop. I have also taken account of the mise en scene as he is wearing all black and has a ukelele. Black is commonly linked with stereotypical clothing of people that listen to the punk genre. Therefore, this photo has the ability to convey the ideologies of the punk audience. I decided to use a ukulele as a prop due to the fact that there are various artists that cover popular punk songs in the form of acoustic covers using this instrument. The audience will be familiar with these artists and immediately relate the photo to one of these bands. This instrument however simultaneously subverts with the stereotype that punk music is all about drums and electric guitars. Despite this, I feel the controversy of this instrument will correspond to the controversy of the genre itself. I have also decided to not include his full body in all the shots as I want to place the photo above level text so the bottom needs to be straight.

This photo of my model is in a mid-shot with a level angle. I feel that the non-direct gaze is simple yet impactful in this circumstance as it emphasises that he is powerful and he is increasing in fame. I like how he is holding the ukulele as if he is playing it as this connotes that he has music constantly on his mind. However, I feel that the pose does not really link to common photos found in punk magazines. I feel this is due to his posture and lack of facial expressions.

I like this photo as it connotes that he is deep in thought due to the way his head is slightly angled downwards along with the fact he is sitting down and not in direct gaze. This creates the idea that the interview on him exposes what he is thinking about. I feel that this pose is 'more punk' as it is against a wall and relaxed. Most punk artists come across as relaxed and emotional. This photo strongly suggests that the artist is also this.

This photo is similar to the previous but instead it is straight on and he has a direct gaze. The direct gaze makes the audience feel more involved in the picture and from this angle, the ukulele is framed using the models body. I like how this photo in particular highlights the ukulele due to the contrasting colours of black and tan. However I feel that his face is too far in the background. This is a negative point as the reader will not recognise the artist as they might not be able to make out their facial features. 

This is a low angle of the model. I firstly like his grip of the ukulele. The firmness of it connotes that the grip may be due to frustration and anger. These are common ideologies conveyed in most punk music due to the lyrics. I also like the angle of the photo as it almost matches the angle an audience would get when sitting front row at a concert. The audience will internalise this idea and possibly relive the concert.


After further debate, I have chosen the first and second photo. This is because I like how the indirect gaze makes the audience feel as if the interview will uncover something about them they will not already know about.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD PHOTOS SHORTLIST

After analysing my photos, I shortlisted them down to three. I chose these three as I feel that they are all the most asthetically pleasing.

I feel that the main focus on the double page spread is the laid back and informal tone conveyed by the facial expressions and posture. Due to this, I feel that the third photo will be the first to be eliminated.

I really like how the second photo is framed and how the lead singer is in the foreground instead of the background. I also feel that there would be enough room for text and images which is vital for a double page spread.

After analysing my options I feel that this photo will be the best for my double page spread.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD PHOTOS

I also took pictures for my double page spread. I took it in three locations. The bathroom, summer house and two extra locations that I didn't plan out, an office and a bedroom. All of the photos are with the same people with the same clothing as described in the last blog

BATHROOM-

All the shots in the bathroom are mid-shot which increases the amount of content in the image where you can still see facial expressions yet it is not so close up that you loose information from the mise en scene. The photo denotes that the band are laughing at one another as they 'have fun' within a bathtub. The idea that they are all laid back, smiling and mucking about conveys the idea that the article will also be the same. This relaxed tone of interview is popular and the audience will feel more engaged within the life of the band. The angle of the photo is slanted which is not the natural angle to look at. This means that it conveys the idea that the band is different and not mainstream.

This photo is similar but I feel that this photo is more effective. This is because the lead singer is in the middle of the photo. As explained, the readers immediately recognise the person in the middle as the lead meaning that this photo resembles a stereotypical band picture. This photo is also more serious with two of the members in direct contact. This connotes that they are serious when they want to be but the person on the right connotes that they still maintain the relaxed way of communicating. The photo also shows a rather relaxed posture from each member highlighted using a level angle compared to a less level angle on the picture above. The mise en scene also is used to frame the band so that they are highlighted. examples are the sink, bath and window.



OFFICE-
I really liked the wallpaper in the office and I felt that it could benefit the mise en scene. This is why I chose to take pictures here. The television wallpaper directly links to the punk genre as the genre was controversial when released. The 'technical difficulties' televisions connote that the band are controversial causing them to be censored. This means that the photo conveys the key ideologies of the punk genre.

I like how each member of the band have a different facial expression. The member on the right is smiling with his left hand in his pocket which again conforms to the laid back nature of the interview. The one on the left is pulling a stupid face. After researching various band photos, I discovered that there is always one crazy member that messes about on set. The audience will immediately recognise this due to his facial expressions and relate him to this member. I also used the rule of thirds in these two pictures to frame the three so that they all are expressed equally. The angle for both of these photos is level as this is the preferred angle by most people as it the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye. however, I feel that the lighting of this photo is not very good as the jacket of the member in the middle blends in with the television along with the hat of the person on the right. This is the same as the photo below. I could however correct this using PhotoShop by increasing the brightness and contrast. I also cut off the shoulder of the person on the right by accident. To compensate, I could also crop the shoulder off the person on the left to even it out. It is important to focus on the structure of the photo as if it is uneven or not natural it could make it not very aesthetically pleasing turning the reader away from the page

This photo is similar but has noticeable differences instead, the member on the right is not in direct address which further conveys he is relaxed. The lead singer in the middle is smiling which denotes that he is happy. This could then make the reader feel accepted as if he is gladly inviting them to read the article.



BEDROOM- 
I decided to take pictures inside a bedroom as I feel that it again adds to the idea of the band being relaxed but it also directly links to the target audience. Punk listeners are stereotyped to be lazy and unproductive and stereotyped to lay on their bed the majority of the time. This is why I thought that including the bed would directly link the band to the reader creating the sense that they are similar to the band.

This photo is the best lit out of the three in the bedroom. The lighting is mostly natural which means that there are minimal shadows and every object is well lit. This photo also contains a large amount of props. The messiness of the bed with a PS4 and a computer under the desk relate to a teenage bedroom. The teenage reader could recognise this and relate to the mise en scene. The photo shows the two in the back sitting upright with serious faces and the member in the foreground smiling in a relaxed posture. This contrast is very strong and explains that the members all have different personalities.

This photo is very similar to the other except in this circumstance, it is slightly darker and instead of being serious, the two at the back are now smiling. However, the one on the right is not in direct gaze. This means I probably will not use this photo despite liking the expressions they are conveying.

This photo uses the messy room to frame the three members of the band using the rule of thirds. The band members are deeper in the picture and I feel that this is better for the double page spread image as I can place text around the picture. For the other photos, I would have to place text over the band members which greatly takes away from the effect the photo has. In this photo, the band seem to have a very relaxed tone the way they are sitting and not looking directly at the camera. This again implies that the interview could be in a relaxed format showcasing the band in a never before seen way. The lighting in this photo is more focused on the member on the right so I feel that it would be necessary to increase the brightness and contrast on the right hand side of the photo in PhotoShop.

SUMMER HOUSE-
I decided to take pictrues in the summer house as it had the strongest link to the bands sub-genre of beach punk. This is because the genre is most popular in the summer and the majority of the songs they produce have reference to summer. I feel that the use of the mise en scene was the most effective in these photos.

This photo again promotes the idea that the band are relaxed in the interview. This is conveyed through the idea that they have their feet up and are sat back on a sofa. The lead singer on the left is the only member with a direct gaze which implies that the interview will be serious as well as laid back. This photo will also act as a good photo for the double page spread as the photo is a mid/long shot. This means that there is a good amount of room around the photo that I can add text, quotes and secondary photos. However, I do not like the two UK flags on the left of the page. This is because the punk genre has strong links with the USA and rarely combines with the UK. By using these in my mise en scene by accident, the photo unfortunately does not accurately represent the punk genre. Despite this, I still feel that these photos are extremely powerful. 

This photo is in mid shot and from this, the facial expressions of the band are clearer. It is evident that they are happy and the direct gaze addresses the reader as if they are having an informal conversation with the band. I also like how they are evenly lit and framed using the rule of thirds. This photo however shows less of the mise en scene and has less room to add text. Becuase of this, I probably will not use this as the double page spread photo.

This has greater links to the punk genre due to the fact that it is a long shot and there is more mise en scene in shot. I placed a drum kit in front of them in order to further convey the key ideologies of the punk genre as a drum is a key instrument in all bands. The fact the drumsticks are laid down on the snare drum connotes that the band are focusing on other issues in the interview and not just the music. The room is somewhat messy with different props located in different locations. This links to the idea that the genre is crazy and uncontrollable. I feel that the the foreground is well lit but however, the band is not as well lit. This can be corrected using PhotoShop. I also like how they are laughing and pointing towards the camera. This direct gaze and point makes the audience feel as if they are the ones interviewing the band.



I decided against taking the photos in the porch as planned due to the fact that there was not enough space and the mise en scene did not have any reference to the ideologies of the genre.