Audience Feedback

I got feedback on my final product from a fellow media student this is what she said:

DPS

Contents Page

Front Cover

I have created a presentation explaining my step-by-step process of creating my final product:

This presentation below also shows my orginal process of creating my front cover, I decided the font choice wasn't right, so I decided to adjust some of my font choices and then I created my final product shown above.

Extra photos for the contents page

For my contents page I have taken several photos in several different locations. All of the photographs that I have taken link to articles within my magazine and also the content within the pictures are conventions of what would be in a rock/indie-pop magazine (for example I have photographs which were taken at the Festival).

 I have included this picture on the front cover of my magazine instead of the contents page as otherwise I feel it would clutter the contents page too much. Also featuring this image on the front cover would perhaps entice readers into wanting to finding more about the article which is relating to the picture. I have also purposely chosen for this photo to be on the front (rather than the other two photos taken at the festival) as it mainly focuses on the foreground, but in the background is the staging for a performance at the festival and so it signifies how the readers will want to read about how to get closer to the action happening at the stage/festival.

 This is another photo taken at the festival. It is a closer shot and shows what happens during the day in a festival. I decided to place this image on my contents page as it shows a connection with my cover line 'The Ultimate Gig Guide'.

 This is the other shot taken at the festival which I will be using on the contents page. It shows an performance that is happening live on the stage and the excitement that happens at the festival I feel is conveyed through this image. The purpose of placing this image on the contents page is also because it connects with my cover line 'The Ultimate Gig Guide' and also because it will encourage the reader to turn the page that the article is featured on, which is a technique often used by magazines such as Q and NME use. E.G:

I have also taken two other images which are to be featured on my contents page. I feel adding another artist showcases the variety of musicians an rock/indie-pop magazine would feature. I have decided to edit the image to black and white to give it an 'edgy' look which is also reflected in the model's body language.

I have also taken this photograph of the same model, but have decided to use the other shot instead of this one as when taking these photos I wanted to create a extremely confident and edgy look with this model and  I feel this one is too relaxed and laid back. 

This photograph which I took at a concert will also be used on the contents page as when I had originally created my contents I felt it was too empty and needed gaps to be filled in. I also think it fits in well with one of the articles featured on my flat plan  'Best artists live', as it obviously is at a live concert and connects well with my music magazine's genre of rock/indie-pop. I think this makes it suitable to feature on the contents page, as often similar articles are shown in these types of magazines.

I have also taken a photo of myself which I will in the editor's note on my contents page. 

I have then chosen to use two photographs for my contents page that I had already taken. These two artists have already been featured on the front cover, but it is the normal convention in any genre of magazine to  have the main cover star featured both on the front cover and somewhere on the contents page. I have decided to do this also with another artist that I had decided I would put on the front page. I think this would generate interest within potential readers as they would see the two artists twice hoping to see them for a third time within the magazine and would encourage them to buy the magazine also.

For example:

Album Cover

Using the online photo editor Pic Monkey, I have created my artist's album cover. I have created this album cover to include on my double page spread (at the end of the article) as if my magazine was to be sold realistically, it would help encourage the readers who hadn't already bought it to buy the album after reading the whole article based on the artist. This helps make my magazine seem more authentic. 

I think the album cover that I have created suits the artist I have created as the colours I have used reflect and coolness and relaxed persona of my artist, but the effect I've used on the face stands out and creates a bold appearance. I also like the font type and the banner behind it, it makes a unique and almost vintage type effect which was what I wanted to create in the first place.

Mock-up

First Mock-Up

 

 

 



 

 

My first idea for a mock-up follows the 'Z' rule in which the reader/audience will read the front of the magazine from the masthead to the sell lines on both sides, to the picture in the bottom right hand corner and then lastly at the price. This is a rule that magazines commonly use to draw in the reader/audience as it makes them look at all the main features and all the interesting articles that the magazine may contain and then usually buying the magazine despite the price. I have used a similar layout for this mock-up which similar to the copy of NME below, as my magazine and NME are of a similar genre, so as well as following the 'Z' I wanted to have my front cover related to how a conventional rock/indie-pop magazine would have theirs.

 

Second Mock-up

 

 

Third mock-up

 

 

Fonts for the masthead

I am going to chose what font I will be using for the masthead of the front cover. When creating the masthead I will abbreviating Indie Nation Army to INA, make the font INA the bigger and main font (like NME) and then in a smaller font make Indie Nation Army and place it under the abbreviated enlarged masthead. I will be deciding which font is more suitable for the main masthead and which font is better for the text placed beneath it.

I have also chosen to use the colour red for font (and will be edited with a shadow when I will be designing my front cover) and have capitalised the fonts as I feel it immediately catches the reader's attention and exaggerates the boldness of the fonts.

This font is called Nova Solid and is quite bold and simple. I think it would be suitable for a masthead in that it is unique and eye catching as the D, A, O and R letters are filled in to create a block type effect. Although I don't think I will be using it for my final front cover as some of the letters are too close together and will make it hard to read. Also as for the main masthead I will be abbreviating Indie Nation Army to INA, I feel the font is less effective and seems boring. This isn't the kind of mood I would want to create for my magazine.

The second font which I would consider using is called Limit Break. The narrowness of the lines on each letter gives it a clean and slick look to the font. This is the kind of effect I want to create on my magazine as it gives connotations of a polished proficient magazine. Although it isn't extremely bold and striking and  as I would like it to catch the audience's attention, it would probably be better for using inside the magazine.

In contrast to the last font, Newtown Bold uses very thick lines on each individual letter. It is distinct and I feel it will dominant as a masthead on the front page due to the bold and confident look it creates. I like this font as it would be suitable for the abbreviated part of my masthead due to the connotations it gives, but I think the styling of the font is to similar to the masthead of NME and although my magazine and NME and are of a similar genre, I want to magazine to be unique in details such as the masthead.

Kerater is a unique, thin font. It would be suitable for the longer version of the masthead. It is quite sharp and precise, particularly on the letter 'N' as it stands out from the rest. This can connote the types of artists who feature in my magazine, as they are different and unique. I feel that is is the type of font that would be used on the front of a rock/indie-pop magazine as it although it isn't bold, it is striking and will catch the reader's attention. I may use this for the non-abbreviated part of the masthead.