PRELIM TASK:Model Consent Forms

To get consent from model's for my images, I had to take a picture of them to show proof. Here they are:

This is Anmol and Yasmine who were part of my images and I got them to hold the form for proof.

PRELIM TASK:Audience Feedback

I asked some year 12 students to comment on my cover and contents page so that I could gain appropriate feedback from my target audience. This is the feedback I got from them:

Chandni:"I really like the model's smile because it is eye-catching and the angle of gaze is good too. I also like the images on the contents page as they link well with the theme but I don't like the masthead font/

Shuko: I really like colour scheme on both pages but don't like the masthead font.

Rubab: I like the masthead as it is very creative but I don't like the fact that you have some white gaps.

Jannath: I like the variety of images used on the contents page and they link well to the captions mentioned on the cover page. I don't like the fact that the images only shows girls as most sixth forms and colleges are mixed.

PRELIM TASK:Final Cover and Contents Page

Here is my final front cover. Personally, I really like the layout of it and the usage of space. There aren't many white spaces which is a good thing and there is just enough colour on it. It isn't too bright and colourful, making it suitable for a college magazine and it suits my theme well. I have used three main colours which are green, pink and black and I think this has been used well throughout the page layout and I picked these colours from the model's backpack and the pink from the book inside the folder that the model is holding. I have used three graphics on my cover page and they are all different shapes which make my cover a little more interesting and eye-catching. I have also used 3-4 fonts on my cover page which is the usual number of fonts that are used on magazine covers. The model's name is big to make her stand out and the smile on her face is a really good pull factor as it engages the readers. If I could change some things, I would change the background colour so that I could use white text because all magazines have white and black text as well as another colour. The masthead font is good and unique as well as the masthead itself however, it is the name of a famous movie which makes the magazine a little off putting.

Here is my final contents page. As you can see, it is quite cohesive as I have used one of the same graphics to label my images with a page number and this is good because it will help readers find the page they are looking for, easily. The masthead font is the same, however, it is not the same colour and therefore this isn't cohesive. As  I couldn't use white text because my background was white itself, I decided to keep my font black which also has some white parts to it. Overall, i like my contents page as the same colour scheme can be seen however, it does look a little plain for something that would be in a college magazine.

PRELIM TASK:Contents Page Changes and Construction

Here is my contents page half way towards completion. It looks cohesive in some ways for example, the masthead font is the same however the colour is not. Also, the background is white and this shows cohesion in my work. A variety of images have been used, some taken inside the school building and some taken outside the school building. A thing that I don't like is that most sixth forms and colleges and mixed yet my contents page only consists of images with girls in them. This is a factor which isn't good as the magazine looks more feminine and not unisex. There are a lot of white spaces which hopefully, I am thinking of filling up with graphics and other captions. I still need to add colour to my masthead to match the masthead on my cover page and add page numbers inside graphics to make my contents page more colourful and eye-catching. In my opinion, the images on the contents page relate well to my theme and target audience as well as the captions on my cover page. Overall, adding more colour to the contents page will be quite necessary because my front cover is quite colourful, even though the background is white and too simple.

This is my finised contents page. I added all the features I needed to change to make it better.

PRELIM TASK:Front Cover Changes and Construction

After I got feedback from my teachers and my peers, I decided to change some features and elements on my cover page.
This was my original cover page. I thought I had completed my cover and that it looked good but when I came to notice all the flaws, I had a lot of elements to fix. First of all, my masthead was covering the model's forehead and this wasn't a good thing so that was one thing I had to change. Also, the model's name (Yasmine Cerbah) had the white bit visible inside the bold letters. To add to this the '5' graphic was placed well however, its caption wasn't positioned well and the fact that it is just in a line, doesn't make it intriguing but makes it simple and boring. There was too much text at the left hand side of the cover and so I decided to change this element and make it shorter.

Here is the edited cover. As you can see, I have moved the model down so that the masthead doesn't cover her forehead but covers her hair which is acceptable. The 'fabulous outfit ideas' caption has been positioned differently in this version and personally, I like this better. The model's name is a little smaller but it doesn't contain any white spaces anymore. The long text has been shortened to something easier to read and a barcode has been added which says 'college inc' and this informs readers that this magazine is targeted towards sixth form and college students. In this one, the text was a little too big so I changed it to make it smaller so that it was clear enough to read but not too big and taking up the whole space. I like this because the space has been used up effectively and there isn't too much crammed into one space. Overall, the changes are very clear and show a huge transformation from the first version to the second version of the cover page.

This was my finished and complete cover page. After all the trial and improvements, this was the outcome. Personally, I really like it because the colours all compliment each other and because the background is off white/grey, any colour looks good on it. The combination of the model's green backpack and the pink book inside the model's folder, go well with each other and these two colours have been mainly used throughout the cover page. The masthead just covers her hair which is acceptable because it doesn't cover her forehead. The three graphics used also compliment each other as the same colour combination has been used for two of them and for the last graphic, a multiple of colours have been used and so the variety of colours for the fonts also looked good and didn't look mismatched. I have used a number of fonts on my cover page to not make it simplistic and boring however, I didn't use too many to make it overwhelming for the readers. The barcode is a good element which lets readers know that the magazine is aimed at college students. The smile on the model's face is the biggest pull factor and a quote at the bottom is very inspiring however, at the start, it is a little ambiguous. Overall, I like what I have produced as this was my first time ever that I used photoshop.

PRELIM TASK:Front Cover

Here is my final front cover.
To begin with, I really like how I have used up the space well and haven't left many blank spaces on the page. The masthead is big, bold and eye-catching and 'Inception' is a very unique name for a college magazine because it is also the name of a very famous movie however, it means "a new beginning" and I thought this related to my theme and target audience well which was for the new year 12's settling into sixth form. There are about 15 elements inserted onto this cover page and they are laid out well. The graphics all compliment each other and are not too big which is a good thing as they just grab enough attention but not all of the attention. The fonts are not too big and are just the right size. A number of fonts have been used and I personally liked this as it doesn't make the cover boring and grabs readers' attention. One of the captions is a question and this is interesting for readers because it makes readers want to read more. The graphic which I have inserted at the top with the number 10 in it, has been placed cleverly because it links to the word de-stress and shows a broken window, yet colourful splodge of paint.

PRELIM TASK:Photograph Manipulation

Here is my cover photo being manipulated. When I first started to design my front cover, I noticed that my image was a little dark and a shadow was visible behind the model. To fix that, I went on blending options and chose a variety of different things to fix my background colour and lighting. The thin layer, I made a little lighter and the underlying layer I had to change quite a lot to make my model the main focus of the cover. On the other hand, I decided to keep the model's shadow in the background as I thought it added an interesting effect to the magazine and model herself. I tested the lighting by using the drag bar to create the perfect lighting. When I made it too light, the folder in the model's hand was starting to fade away as well as the model's face. When I made it too dark, the model's complexion was completely changed and it almost added an over layer onto the cover which wasn't a good idea. Therefore, I changed the lighting just a little bit so that it would make the cover brighter, stand out and eye-catching.

PRELIM TASK:Final Shots for Contents Page

 Here is my first image for my contents page. I like this image because it shows a group of friends working together and they all seem happy too. Books are spread out across the table which makes the environment work friendly. The lighting is good and the picture doesn't look staged but looks natural instead. The students are working yet socialising at the same time which relates to my magazine cover as one of my captions will be "how to balance work and social life."

 This is another image I have chosen to put on my contents page. It shows students working in the outside environment which gives it a more natural look. Some greenery is in the background making the picture eye-catching. It does a look a little staged however, the lighting is really good and focuses on the models. Some of the school building is in the background, informing readers that this is a magazine for college students.

This is another image and I like it because the background looks really good and the models are also wearing colourful clothes which go well with the background. Even though the picture does look a little staged, it does relate to my theme and target audience and the lighting is also great. The school building is visible in the background which relates to the theme of a college magazine.




This is another image which relates to my cover page because on the cover, it says "exclusive interview with A-level student" and this image links well with that caption. The student is looking at an AS Biology text book which informs readers that this magazine is targeted towards year 12's. The lighting is good however, the background is not that good and is quite simple. The fact that the model is wearing a student badge, which is a little ambiguous, shows us that she is a sixth form student.

This is the last image which will go on my contents page. It links to one of my captions which is ways to de-stress. This image relates well to my cover caption due to the fact that one of the model's looks stressed and a student badge is also visible which shows they are sixth formers. They both look focused and the fact that one of the model's is not sitting down creates an uneasy and stressful environment which relates to my caption well.

PRELIM TASK:Final Shots for Cover Page

Here is my final shot that I have decided to use for my cover page. The main reason I have chosen this image is because in my opinion, the model's smile is a really big pull factor and engages readers.
To begin with, the model is shown to be holding a folder in her hand and this relates to my theme well as it is targeted towards teenagers, more specifically towards year 12's. The model is also wearing a backpack and this relates to my theme too. The big smile on her face is very eye-catching and makes readers want to read on. The model is wearing smart but casual clothing which informs readers that she is a student from sixth form. She is not wearing heavy makeup which compliments my theme. I think that the lighting is quite good in this picture however, I have decided to change the lighting and make the background a bit brighter so that the model stands out but I will not change the colour of the model herself because I do not want my magazine to look fake. I decided to keep my background a grey/off white colour due to the fact that I thought that if I added colour to it, it would be difficult to make colour decisions when adding text whereas, if I keep the light background, most colours will look good on it and the text will stand out to my target audience. I have mainly focused on girls in year 12 as a feature that I am deciding to add on my cover page is outfit ideas for girls however, some of my captions are targeted towards both genders. I really like the model's angle of gaze and overall, I prefer this picture from all the other ones. Last but not least, there wasn't enough space above her head nonetheless, I decided to add my masthead over her hair because in most magazines, the masthead covers the model. I didn't put it over her head but her hair which was fine. Lastly, I like how the model's hair falls back which gives the cover a fun twist.

 Here is another shot that I took for my cover page. I didn't like it because I think the way the model is pulling the backpack forward is not very intriguing. Even though the lighting is good and the model is smiling, she doesn't look happy and the way her thumbs are placed on the bag straps is not eye-catching. Also, this doesn't really meet my brief because it looks more like a mid-long shot which isn't suitable for the brief.

This is another shot I took for my cover page. I like the overall image personally, I like the folder in her hand and how it is placed in her arms. The backpack is also another factor that shows readers that this magazine is targeted towards sixth formers and it is quite clear that this is a college magazine. However, I haven't chosen this as the cover because I think her hair was covering her face and a big shadow was created behind her. Also, I didn't leave enough space at the top to insert a masthead.




This is one of the images I took for my cover page. I took it on a green screen because I thought I would add a different background to make my cover eye-catching however, the model is not smiling and she looks awkward. Also, the backpack and folder compliment each other but again, her hair is covering her face a little which I didn't like. I also like her pose as its a little different and on her side but I did not like the fact that she is not smiling.

This is another image. I took this on a green screen again for the same reason because I thought I would be creative with the background, however I decided to keep it simple. I like how she is straight on and there is enough space above her head to insert a masthead however, I wanted a cover that would be eye-catching and a little interesting so I chose an image that showed the model on her side.I also like the models smile and the lighting is good but the picture looks awkward overall.

This is the second to last picture I took. The model's smile is big and makes the image stand out to readers. The backpack on the shoulder also looks good and the lighting is good too however, I did the same mistake of not leaving enough space on top of the model. Although I decided to use this as my original cover, I decided to change it and use one where the model was on her side and with a folder in her hand.



This is the last image I chose for my cover image. I took it with a green screen with the thought of adding a background later but I decided to stick with a plain background. The model was on the other side and was holding her backpack however, the picture looks awkward within itself but I do like the smile on her face. Overall, I didn't like it because the lighting wasn't as good as the other images.

PRELIM TASK:Masthead Font Ideas

Here are 4 fonts that I considered using for my masthead. I didn't like the first font due to the fact that it looked too bold and bulky and I thought that it didn't compliment my theme and it wouldn't engage my target audience. I liked the first font because it had an outline but it didn't look good with my theme. Secondly, I chose another font which was a little smaller compared to the first font and personally, I really liked it because in my opinion, it suits my target audience and because also relates to my theme. At first, I had decided to use the third font however, when I put it on my cover, it was hard to get rid of the white background behind the font and when I used the magic wand tool, my masthead was also getting rubbed out. I didn't like the last font as I thought it looked too simple and it wasn't eye-catching or engaging. When I was thinking of masthead names, I came up with 'Inception' and at that time, I didn't realise that this was the name of a very famous movie yet I decided to keep this masthead as inception is the meaning of a new beginning and this links well with my theme and target audience as the new sixth former's are starting afresh. My final decision was font 2 which is highlighted.

PRELIM TASK:Flat Plan for Cover and Contents Page

Here, I have drawn out a rough sketch of both my cover and contents page. I have drawn a model holding a folder because I want my cover photo to be similar to this. I have also put a masthead on the flat plan and next to it, a little graphic which I may add but this completely depends on the space I have. When I was drawing my flat plan for my cover and contents page, I didn't know what captions, pull quote or 'puff' words to write and that is why I have just drawn out lines. I have my model's name on the left hand side because at this stage, I had already decided who my model was to be. I also have another graphic shaped like a star and I think this will engage readers and make the cover eye-catching. The colour scheme for my cover  will be based off what the model will be wearing and maybe the colour of the books inside the folder. The colour scheme will be consistent in the contents page and I have decided to add 5 pictures related to my theme and target audience which is the new sixth former's. I may not have 5 at the end but this is just a rough idea of how it will look like.

PRELIM TASK:Shot Lists

Here are the shots I am planning to take for my contents page and cover photo. These may change according to my time management skills because I may not have time to take as many photos for my contents page that I have planned. However, these are only my initial thoughts and when I will be taking my pictures, the things that will be bound to change are going to be the lighting, the positioning, the angle of gaze and the variety of colours and if this does happen, I will update my blog to show these changes. I have 5 shot ideas for my contents page and 5 shot ideas for my cover photo. I might change some of these completely but I will also try to take similar pictures to the ones I have drawn in my shot lists.

PRELIM TASK:Teen Vogue Magazine Deconstruction:

Here is my magazine deconstruction. I have gone over the main elements and aspects of the magazine and how individually, they contribute to the magazine and make it interesting to read.

PRELIM TASK:Reader Profile:

Hi, my name is Ellie Baldwin and I am 16 years old. At sixth form, I study Pyschology, Sociology, English Literature and Media Studies and I live in Brixton, London with my two little sisters and my parents. I love to find out what’s on trend every day because fashion is my passion. 

Alongside my studies, I love going shopping and splurging my money on the latest items! I find them from the latest fashion magazines and my personal favourites are Vogue and Elle. I absolutely hate maths and geography but education is very important to me because you cannot get very far without it and so maybe I will start to like all of my subjects equally. During the weekends, I usually go travelling and also attend a social club near my home; the reason being that I like socializing with different kinds of people and finding about their life. I hardly get time to socialise with my friends because they are just as busy as I am so I think that attending a social club with youngsters my age can help me share my ideas, opinions and thoughts and also give me more confidence and motivation, helping me with my studies. 

To me, a balance between social life and school life is very important because too much of one thing can distract you from the other. Like most of you, I would love to stop studying but now that my GCSE's are over, I need to learn how to settle in my new sixth form because I get quite nervous at times. Before, I never used to think of my studies seriously but this can't  be happening around Sixth Form so I have thought of pulling my socks up and getting a move on! 

I also like to read a lot in my free time and my kindle is my best friend. Other hobbies of mine include jogging with my dog and trying new dishes every weekend. 

My family and friends mean a lot to me because one day, I want to attain a successful position in life and start paying back to my parents and siblings for all that they've done for me. Lastly, 'education is the key to life' and this quote has inspired me a lot and always gives me motivation so I always give this quote as advise to my peers. 

PRELIM TASK:Initial Ideas:

Hey! I'm Aliza and welcome to my AS media blog. I have been assigned a task of making a school/college magazine front cover and contents page. I am feeling quite nervous because I don't have much experience with Photoshop but I am really looking forward to using it.

I have thought of making a college magazine for the new sixth former's settling in this year as I am going through this stage myself. This will allow me to add in my own thoughts and also give some personal advice to others. Year 12 is the specific target audience I am aiming at. I am thinking of adding a personal interview with a year 12 student and I think this will be interesting for others to read as it could give them motivation and inspiration. I have thought of naming it 'Inception' because this is the new beginning for the year 12's and I think it works well with the fact of settling in to a new atmosphere.

Stay Tuned !