Experimenting With Fonts

These are some example's of what style of fonts I may want to use. I didn't want to overdo it with too many ideas of fonts as it would be harder to narrow it down. I found these fonts on dafont.com which has various styles. 

The headings on the website helped me to narrow it down for what I was looking for. I found these fonts under the headings 'Retro' and 'Basic' and have split them into MASTHEAD and COVERLINES. With my genre being dance/hip hop the font CAN'T be 'groovy' or 'curly' styled. It needs to be bold, fierce and appeal to males and females. If I were to narrow it down some more for the MASTHEAD fonts I'd keep fonts 1,2,5 and 6. 

As for the cover lines, I want to keep them simple as I plan to use the cover line font as the text font in my magazine too. I quite liked the italic effect and wanted to experiment with that, however I think if I were to use it, it would be for smaller cover lines on the page as it could look out of place and not link with the music genre. Another thing I dislike is the curly C on the third cover line.

I put the fonts on this background to try out how it'll look. I wanted to create a strobe light effect and I added brightness as that's what I want to achieve on my magazine. I kept the colour simple for now and it's a good background colour to 'bounce' everything else off. So far I think I want the font colour to be black but that isn't my final decision.

Target Audience Profile

MoodBoard

This is my pitch which reflects all my ideas for my magazine so far. It begins with showing images of a hip hop and dance genre so you get a general background of what kind of music it is and where you would hear this kind of music playing. You also get an incite of what kind of artists do this sort of genre. I have also included genre inpiration and all my images are related to music. Also I've included what my target audience is. There is also some CD's with similiar genres. Some of albums don't represent my genre as a whole, but there are individual songs in the albums that have a dance/hip hop genre. I litrally typed into itunes the genre I was looking for and some of these examples came up. I have then included examples of some front covers that have inspired me, that once again, have the the same genre as mine. On the cover I will include Masthead, Cover lines, date, price and barcode etc. I have also included a contents page which is my favourite example. I have used it in one of my mock ups. The contents page is made up of images, magazine info and page numbers etc.. Also I've mentioned design ideas. For example, the same text throughout and also the kind of photo and angle shots I'm considering. With these I've included images to back up my ideas for the photos and angles. Then I've mentioned my double page spread and what I may put on that. Followed by my colour pallet ideas, (narrowed down to 4,5,6). Then I've included a picture of my chosen model, and then finished it with artists that have inspired me.
The song that I've chosen is 'From Space' by Example. I chose this because it's one of my favourite artists, plus he inspired my music genre and gave me inspiration for the kind of artist I want.

Music Magazine Double Page Spreads

What makes this double page spread different than my two other examples is how it overlaps over the two pages. The picture acts as the background for the whole two pages, with Drake being on the left hand side of it. I really like the layout of this page and it's one that I'll look to as inspiration for mine. It's promoting this new artist and describes him as the months hottest talent. First impressions are important so it's vital that the artist comes across to us in the right way. I love how the photo uses the Trevor Millum's carefree and comic pose. The artist comes across friendly, down to earth and a good person that we could relate to (which brings his fans close). The laughing makes us appeal to him more because its giving off happy and fun connotations. His clothes are casual and overall he comes across as a person we could relate to as he isn't 'glammed' up and looking 'rich', big headed etc
On his top you can notice a baby trying to grab money by swimming. This gives the impression he's been trying to do this since a child and we would be doing good to help him out. The baby grabbing the money could imply that he wasn't so lucky with wealth when he was young and that he's trying his best to make a better life. The swimming could imply that he's gotten this far quite easily without many hold backs as you relate swimming to 'easy', 'relaxed' and 'flowing'. The black background could suggest that Drake's coming out of the darkness and is looking for the spotlight. The dim lights could be representing how the lights are dim for him at the moment, but they're not far from his reach. Also the fact it's sundown could suggest that after you've read this, the next day will be a new start for Drake and his music career.
At the top of the right page is the Q logo with the words 'New to Q' so we instantly read that. The writing is small and at the bottom, however there isn't much and it comes across easy to read. As the reader, we don't want to be bombarded with too much information about someone we don't know. Therefore a short introduction of what we will soon be seeing in our music charts is enough to get us excited about this new artist.
I like the simplicity of the page and I like the effect that comes across from it. I also like how at the end of all the writing they've put:
OUT NOW: Thank Me Later, album on island
FOR FANS OF: Kanye West, T-Pain, Lil-Wayne/
MORE INFO: www......
I think it's a really good way to end it and it also brings the reader in more, and also the fans. It's definitely something I will consider putting on my double page spread. :)

Music Magazine Double Page Spreads

The first thing that catches the eye on this double page spread is the picture of Florence and the big F layered underneath the writing. The name of the artist is written at the top however it isn't very bold and doesn't draw in attention. The picture of Florence is almost the same as the one on the cover of the magazine, except her body is more to the side. This creates an effect. On the cover, Florence is looking directly at you, drawing and inviting you in to buy and read it. The picture of her on the double page spread is more to the side which creates the effect as though she's moving aside to let you past/in by taking the interview. Also the side she's facing is towards the interview (pointing you to it), so it all merges together well. However in my magazine I want to use different photos from the cover for my double page spread.
The same colours are used (red,white,black/grey) which keeps it simplistic and it isn't too confusing. I also think the big F is effective and they've kept the same font throughout the pages which doesn't make it look messy. It comes across very formal with the font and the layout. They've also used larger letters at the beginning of a new part of the interview. I prefer how the Katy Perry interview is set out as it's easier to read. Florence's interview doesn't appeal to me and looks a lot to read. The colour scheme doesn't help this either as they are dull, plain colours. I think the dull colours used on the big image also make it less appealing and boring in a way. It doesn't give the impression that the interview will be a fun, good read. Also the quote in red comes across to me as grumpy and angry, which makes me infer that the interview will also be like this which completely puts me off reading it. The sentence 'Our heroine had no interest in little chopper' relates to the helicopter that's been put in the image too. Her back is facing the helicopter which links with the fact she has no interest in it. Without reading the article I've inferred that it's about her becoming successful and dominating the world. Therefore the helicopter could represent paparazzi. It could also be creating the same effect as seen in the film 'King Kong' when King Kong is in New York and is facing paparazzi, pressure, hatred when put in the spotlights. Also this could link with her quote. It's in a way, relating her to King Kong through personality e.g. the anger.
Again they have the magazine logo, page number, month issue and the website at the bottom of the page.

Music Magazine Double Page Spreads

The page is all based around the central image of Katy Perry. She's throwing cash which links with the Heading 'Cash For Questions' and the effect is, she's giving the cash to you. One small detail I noticed was on her right hand she's crossing her fingers and she has her other hand behind her back. Usually the crossing of the two fingers is a gesture that means your not going to tell the truth. You usually hold your hand behind your back and do this, however we can't see behind her so the hand at the front is showing what she's doing behind her back. Whether this is purposely done or not, I think it's a really good way of the use of imagery and it fits in well with her answering the questions, whether truthfully or not. The money has the letter Q (magazine name) on them, which could imply that it's Q giving you the money and not Katy and overall it gives a bad impression about her and makes me think how much she generally cares or not...
The colour scheme is quite neutral which makes her stand out more. Her neon shoes also grab our attention. There is use of puff as there is a short quote giving us an incite about what's being said in the interview which I think is good, as personally, when I read quotes in magazines I HAVE to then read the whole interview. I like how the layout is simple and easy to follow and it's set out in three vertical columns. I also like how there's small pictures in-between some of the questions and answers. This involves the reader more and makes it more 'fun' to read as we all love to be nosy and see more into her life, as we do most celebrities.

The second page on the double page spread is also based around the image of Katy. The apple on her head could link with her music/album and how she looks up to it as an idea. It relates to Newton's discovery of gravity by an apple dropping on his head - so a new idea etc. Also it links with the part of the interview where Katy says she was banned from eating sugar as a child, so the apple and the child picture is placed together.

At the bottom of the pages, there is the magazine logo, page number, the month of the issue and also the magazine website. One thing i dislike is the colours. They fit in well with this magazine however i'd prefer more eye-catching colours in mine.

Music Magazine Contents Page

This contents page is a lot brighter however this hasn't come through on the photo I took of it. The three main colours (red, white, black) are used again and you can notice the band 'Kings Of Leon'  are also are wearing similar colours on their clothing. This contents page is overpowered by pictures and has little writing. However because the main picture takes up more than half of the page and it's very simple, you do notice the writing and you do read it. With my contents I'd prefer not to have a very large picture taking up most of the page. Firstly because the picture can't be too messy looking so it has to be simple which isn't very eye-catching like the other two covers.
The picture of Kings Of Leon is very simple, with not a lot of personality shown. The background links with their CD and music however I find the picture quite dull and uninteresting which is COMPLETELY different to the effect I want on mine! The poses their doing don't draw me in and I think that's a bad thing because personally I'm not intrigued by it and don't particularly want to read the magazine. Overall the layout of the page is very formal and it has a black and white theme with two of the pictures, but they're also using the colours red, white and black. I think this magazine will stand out to the big fans of Kings Of Leon however I wouldn't look at this contents page for inspiration for my magazine.

Music Magazine Contents Page

This contents page is from the Q magazine with Florence on the cover. The contents page is layering pictures and most of the page is filled with imagery. When you look or read something you tend to look and start at the top and on the left hand side, however the main part of writing is on the right and it almost 'overpowered' by the pictures. I really like how they've positioned and used the imagery as it looks really effective however it has a negative side to it. You overlook the listed pages and writing on the right. However when you do read it, it's very easy, formal and clear. Overall the whole layout of the page comes together well and is very eye catching. I also like how the image of the record being thrown is on top on the Contents banner which gives an 3D effect. It also has page numbers put with pictures so you can skip straight into the main parts of the magazine.
It also seems faster to read because instead of listing names of people and what page their on, it simply gives an image that we instantly recognise. However a downside to this is some people may not know who the person is and therefore the contents doesn't help them at all. I think if your going to do something like this you need to do it with a person you are sure that just about everyone will recognise, otherwise your just confusing people instead of informing them.
The colours again, are kept consistent and follow through from the cover keeping it 'tidy' and recognisable. It also familiarises the reader with these colours so that they remember and recognise the magazine making them become loyal customers.
The part I really like on this contents is the 3D effect as it's really eye catching and different :) However I wouldn't put the listed writing where it is on this contents page.

Music Magazine Contents Page

The contents page clearly links with the Q Magazine front cover and it uses continuity (you can see some examples on the front cover examples). The colour scheme is kept the same using red, white and black. It's also set out formally, clear to read and pictorial. Beneath the banner at the top of the page there is a large picture where the main attention is brought upon on the page. It says 'THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST' and '1001 SONGS'. Both are written in the consistant colour scheme however they are on the background of a golden rectangular shape. This could be representing a CD case. It is also gold which generally connotates winning, first place, the best, everyone wants to be the best etc. So it has the effect that you MUST buy this and it's not only just the best, its the 'only' best. Also to support this effect the number of songs is 1001 which is an odd number to have; however the extra 1 ties in with the golden 'winning and first place' connotations. Around this is what looks like CD's and records, so you get the idea that this ultimate playlist isn't just from recent music, but old classic's too. You can't make out many of the CD and record pictures apart from the one with half of Michael Jackson's face on, which will instantly grab our attention as he is an extremely popular artist.
Further images used are pictures of some of the pages in the magazine. You can clearly see what the pages will be about, but you can't read the writing. I think that how they've done this has a really good drawing in effect. It doesn't look too complicated and looks professional yet easy to read. An effect they've done using page numbers is by putting the numbers on an image. When I first opened the magazine I went down the contents to look for the Katy Perry article, however I was instantly drawn to images rather than writing and quickly found the page as it's shown very clearly on her. It seems what they've done is used images and large sized page numbers on the main stories to emphasize them which will appeal to the reader. I think it's a really good, effective idea and it made the magazine appeal to me more as I'd rather not go through a long, formal list of each page. Instead I'd rather skip to main stories.

Colour Palettes

These are the Colours I have been looking at...

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8

I've chosen colours that compliment each other, but yet still stand out. The colours link with the music genre and I've gotten idea's from other music magazines, however I don't want to use colours that are commonly used. The front cover needs to stand out to really portray the music genre otherwise people won't realise. I've also picked colours that will match the model on the cover's clothes. I have an idea about specific clothes I want the model to wear so I've based the colours around this. I know that I want the model to be female so I've used colours such as the pinks, purples, that stereotypically represent females. However the third colour's that I've put with the pink/purples will overall bring the 'girly' look of the magazine down, and make it more original, formal looking and less gender based. Also I've thought about what colours will add to the effect of making my model look the more dominant in the photo. Light pinks, and 'innocent' colours will contrast the effect I want so I've stuck to more striking, cool colours.
So far ALL of the colour's stand out to me :)
After taking test shots(looking at make-up, hair, outfits) , and deciding on the font, the magazine title and layout I will decide what colour pallet to go for.

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The final colours that I've used thoughout my magazine are a burnt orange, a light brown (similiar to the colour on pallete 8) and also black and then a white background. I chose to keep the background white and use it as a blank canvas, then work colours off it. Through research of many hip hop/dance magazines I've found that orange was the common colour that represents hip hop. However I changed this slightly and used a more burnt orange to tone down the page. I also used the light brown to match with the models clothing. I felt that by using these colours it represented the genre well and didn't overpower my model. I wanted my model to look more natural instead of plastered in makeup as this represents the artists personality/background. Therefore the colours I've used don't overpower the model whichi in effect, keeps her the main focus. As you can see on my three first drafts, I've repeated the colours from the front cover on the contents and the double page spread. I felt that overall it looks quite smart, stylist but also bold which reflects my genre. I didn't go for the pinks and purples as these colours don't portray the genre, target audience, or the models image and personality. I felt that the pallete 3 colours, (especially the neon green) were too bright, and would cause my magazine to look unproffessional as they're not 'block' colours. Overall, to get my final colours, I picked certain colours out of the pallete and matched them up. Like I said in my pitch, 'I will look at colours depending on my artists image and clothing' and that's what I've done.

Magazine Inspiration - Photo on the cover

Whilst looking at different varieties of photoshoots, magazine covers and pictures online I've considered Laura Mulvey's Male Gaze. I've thought about how people may look at the photo on the cover and how I want people to look at the photo. I want the photo to show personality through the style of clothing and how they look (overall image) and i want it to link with the music genre. I want the viewer to be given a clear understanding of what the music genre of the magazine is and I want this to be made very obviously. Also i want to avoid only attracting people who are interested in the music genre...So i want to make sure the image also inspires to females who may want to look like this artist and therefore read about her and copy her image (which is the effect mostly all magazines have).

I've been looking at different types of magazines that reflect the personality i want to achieve in my photo.

The Beyonce cover portrays the 'effect' of how I want the model on my magazine cover to come across.
-Steady,
-focused,
-dominant
-yet stilll mysterious.
This will show that the artist and the music genre is daring (as there's not a lot of female artists that do dance genre music). It also relates to the artist being dominant and professional with what they do. It gives a sense that their proud of their music and their not the kind of artist that does the 'innocent' more 'kinder to the ears' music.

 The Kate Moss vogue cover reflects how I want the model's 'personality' to come across. In this photo it seems messy/crazy and outgoing which links with the 'dance' music genre. I want the model to be quite the 'partying' type and this photo cover reflects that.

The vogue cover with Scarlett reflects where i want 'emphasis' in the photo. The first thing that catches my eye in her lips as their bold and her face. I want this kind of look in my photo. You can either have emphasis on the eyes OR the lips otherwise it looks to messy and as the artist sings, I want the emphasis on her lips and mouth bringing the attraction towards them.

The Jennifer Aniston Vogue cover shows what kind of 'stance/pose' I want (whether I use it for my final idea or not). The pose is very natural and pretty which women will inspire to (I also want to achieve that effect) however the outfit makes it more mature and gives a sense of mischief too which is what I also want to achieve. I don't want the model to come across as too young and wild and I think this cover achieves the young but mature look well.














The two poses i'm focuses my ideas around at the moment is
-Invitational or
-Chocolate Box
Both these poses can portray mischief and unique which links with the type of artist and music that i want to use.
 

Music Magazine Front Covers

Magazine Inspiration

The two magazine covers above portray the music genre that I'm basing my magazine on. The colours and images give inspiration of what kind of photography I should take to put on my magazine cover. The colours yellow, black, blue, grey represent the 'hip hop/dance' kind of style and are colours that are associated with the genre. This is seen on a number of magazines with similar genres.


My initial idea at the moment is to have a girl on the front cover. I have found images that have inspired me and represent the kind of look i want to go for. Again they have mainly more darker colours used which opposes the more brighter colours for example on what you see on 'pop' genre magazines covers.

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photo shoot of Kesha from the magazine 'COMPLEX'
























The Artist - EXAMPLE


I wanted to use his style of music as the genre. His music ranges from dance, hip hop, rave. One magazine that stood out to me was a free magazine given out by JD sports.

• hands pointing at 'you' in the shape of a gun - aimed at you, gun point effect
• 'Blinded by the lights' links with the image and who the EXAMPLE interview is about. Light also covers the masthead which again portrays that the light is overpowering and shining over everything.
• 3 Colours used (blue, red, white) The EXAMPLE name is white which links with the colour of light and again that the interview is about him being blinded by the lights - gives us the impression that the interview/article is about how he deals with fame etc. It's going to be personal - invites reader in more. The lights also covering part of the main picture of him - creates the effect and impression that the lights are shining over him and he's famous etc.
• Magazine comes free with JD. Sporty clothing links with the shop.
• Target audience - sporty people and EXAMPLE fans. EXAMPLE fans will come into the shop to get a magazine - brings in more customers for JD.
• List of other artists. 'The essential issue' suggests it's a must have, plus there's a list of popular artists to attract reader.
• Layout - simple but cool. the headings are short but add to the 'cool' effect. - Suggests it's an easy and quick read - aims at sporty people who might live fast paced lives. EXAMPLE - a 'cool' singer. - His kind of music links with the magazine & sports shop so he is on the cover as he fits with those kind of people.

       

Preliminary magazine

Firstly I had two pictures on the cover, however i changed this as having one creates a greater effect and makes it a lot more catching to the eye. After cutting, resizing, brightening and changing the contrast I finally finished the picture for the front cover. I then added the masthead and some stories onto the side to encourage a person to read it. Also I added a barcode, date and the word ‘FREE’ to sway the reader into picking the magazine up. I used three colours on both the front cover and contents page, purple, white and black. I wanted a white background to start with as this brightens the front cover immediately. Also because of the grey top in the photo I couldn't use colours that would contrast it as it would make it look 'messy'. I think the purple, black and white work well and I'm happy with that choice. :)

On the contents page I used two pictures and used them as the background for the page with the writing overtop. I then made a list of what is in the magazine along with page numbers. Overall I am reasonably happy with my how my magazine turned out. I struggled with using Photoshop as I haven’t used it a lot before. If I were to redo it, I would use a different picture and different fonts.