My Questionnaire Handout

Media quest

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Final Double Page Spread

Final Contents Page

Final Front Cover

Evaluation

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In all three of my double page spread, contents page and front cover I have complied and challenged different forms and conventions of exsisting magazines.

Front Cover

For my front cover I used a medium close up image of my model looking directly into the camera, therefore connecting direct eye contact with the buyer. This fits the convention of many magazines for example in these magazines of Rolling Stones and Q, Amy Winehouse and Cheryl Cole are both glaring out of the magazine giving the impression that they are connecting with the buyer on a personal level which catches the readers attention therefore proves a good selling point and is a main reason as to why magazines choose to use this convention.

Also much like the title of the magazine Q, with the capital white lettering standing out against the red square background, I chose to use this convention in my magazine cover as I think having the title positioned in the top left hand corner makes the title more pronounced and easier to see making it more defined against the rest of the cover image making the title more noticeable to the buyer so as they can identify with the name of the magazine. I also chose to overlap part of my model over the block square title as this also is a convention of a magazine like the example of the Amy Winehouse (Rolling Stone Cover) her hair is covering most of the lettering, this is because the magazine Rolling Stone is an established magazine that typical music magazine readers will recognise so as they can afford to cover part of the title as they already have created a brand for themselves that is well known. Also by having the image overlap parts of the title it can give the illusion that the image is jumping out at the reader and giving a 3d feel to the image which would attract the buyers eye. Another conventional trait I have used on my magazine is a strapline at the bottom of the page, this is used as a selling point by most magazines as it gives the buyer an insight into what is in the rest of the magazine just by looking at the front cover. The positioning of the strapline also is a convention that I have used on my magazine as they are usually found on bottom or the top edge of the magazine for example like the cover of the Q magazine. As well as this, I followed the convention of magazines as I aimed to create a brand for my magazine by having a continuos theme that occurs on every issue of my magazine, for example the Q title in the red box is well known and associated with this magazine and the type of font that Rolling stones has is associated with their magazine, I chose to use a music note symbol and merge it into the lettering of my font which will continue throughout the main titles in my magazine in every issue so as it helps to create a brand and image for my magazine that is well recognized.

This is the logo that I created for my magazine to create a brand image. I have also included another conventional trait of a pug, this is a conventional trait of a magazine as it is stands out on the page and allows the reader a quick insight into the magazine which is a good selling point as it draws the buyer in. As well as this I have included other conventional traits such as barcode and date and issue number so as to make my magazine look more professional and sticks to the conventions of magazines. Clearly I chose to stick to many conventions of magazines, however I challenged them when it came to the cover lines of the magazine. In most magazine the features of the magazine are in the top half of the magazine so as on the shelf the features catch the readers attention and intises them into buying the magazine. I decided to challenge this as as you can see from the props(vinyl record, record player) from the the image I took, I thought that writing my features on these props would stand out more, as it looks appealing and different so as the unusualness would draw the reader in and I think that if I stuck to the convetions and wrote on the props, my Front Cover would look over crowded and unorganised therefore reverting the buyers attention to another magazine on the shelf.

Contents Page

I also used the conventions of magazines in my contents page, one of the ways in which I applied the conventions to my contents page was by having an orderly layout to the page and a clean fresh background so as all the text and images were clearly visible. As you can see the similarities of the Q contents page and my contents page as there are thin lines to break up the page, a white background and block bar of colour with text inside to highlight the main feature headings of the contents page. This is so the reader when looking at the page has a sense of order and it is clear to see what they are looking at, as oppose to being jumbled up and messy on the page which would not fit the conventions of magazine contents pages. I have also kept to the conventions of magazines by having secondary images on the page this is effective as it brightens up the page and therefore doesnt cause the reader to switch off and close the magazine on the first page, instead it excites them to read on to the articles. As well as this I have used a main image that takes up at least a third of the contents page similar to this Q contents page, I related this image back to the cover so as it gives the magazine a flow from page to page. Another conventional trait I used on my contents page was an editors note, this is so as the readers can read this and no what they should expect to find in the magazine which encourages them to read on. I haven't really tried to challenge the conventions of magazines for my contents page, however most magazines have their title across the top of the page such as this Q magazine, I decided to challenge this as I feel that I didn't need to add this as I have used the title of the magazine in the text "M this week" and by also displaying the website at the bottom of the page, I didn't feel I needed to remind the reader anymore what magazine they were reading. It is also a common occurance that Q has that banner across the top of their contents pages and I challenged this convetion by interpretaing it into my own style so as "M this Week..." is going to appear in every issue so as the readers recognise it and can associate it with my magazine.

Double Page Spread

For my double page spread I also followed the conventions of magazines, one of the ways in which I did this was having the image going across the centre line of the page, similar to this article of Shakria in Q magazine. Having a large image dominating the page is very conventinal as it immediately grabs the readers attention, it is also a common trait in magazines to have other secondary images to break up the page and make it look more appealing. This is clear to see in my magazine and I chose to highlight them by using a polaroid frame much like the Q magazine has overlapped their secondary image and used a small white line border so as to make it stand out. Another convention that double page spreads have in magazines and one which I have applied myself, is that the text is almost always in equal collumns as it looks neater on the page and more appealing to read rather than one big chunk of text, there is usually always an introduction before the interview starts so as the reader can get some background information before going straight into the interview so therefore makes it more easy to follow and read.I made sure to follow the important convention that none of the text went over the centre line as the writing would disappear and be very hard to read. As well as this I continued to follow conventions as on most magazines there is sometimes a pull quote from the text, which is effective as it can grab the readers attention in just one sentence which makes them continue to read on. My double page spread also follows conventions by having page numbers in corners of each page which without doubt almost every magazine has as well as the title of the article being a bigger much bolder font that the other text on the page so as it stands out more. I haven't tried to challenge any conventions of double page spreads in magazines as I didnt think that in doing so it would benefit my page in any way.

2. How does your media product represent different social groups?

In media products the representation of different social groups such as age, gender, social class, ethnicity, sexuality can portrayed as positive and negative. My media products in particular are not biased in any way towards a particular social group the aim of my products were to connote an old hollywood vintage glamour style to them. My model is styled as though she is from the era of music from Old Hollywood, I created this look by having her hair in tight curls and red lipstick which would attract men and also strike women as the model is pretty, she could be seen as aspirational as they want to look and dress like her. This could also cause conflict as if the magazine was aimed at an older generation then they would not wish to see a young pretty, airbrushed model on the cover of the magazine and would have a negative effect on this type of audience as they may want to see an older more unpolsihed model, however the type of age range I am targeting would more than likely not take offence and be fasinated by the way in which I have chose to dress and style the model. The type of people that this magazine would strike would have a quirky, retro edge to them and would apperciate the vintage style of clothing that my model is wearing as they would associate themselves with wearing vintage clothes. As my model is young it is clear to see that this is the type of audience the magazine will attract, even though the overall appeal of the cover has an old fashioned look to it , it is done purposely so as to fit a theme of the main article in the magazine which is that an up to date artist is taking inspiration from blues and jazz music and updating it to give the music a modern twist. The only images I have used throughout my magazine are of women, this is not aimed to be discriminating the gender of men but is only due to the fact that most of my stories feature women artists and so I couldn't use images of men. As well as this all of the people photographed in my magazine are white, this is only because the other retro, vintage type magazines that I have analysed have not featured many people of other ethnicity, for example the race of black people are commonly associated with Rap and Hip Hop magazines and the retro magazines are more commonly known for using white models, I am in now way however biased towards white people and would feature other ethnic groups in my magazine if the genre was correct.

3.What kind of media insitution might distribute your media product and why?

The type of media insitution that may consider to distrubute my media product would be a publisher such as Bauer. Bauer are the publishers of Q magazine which is a traditional music magazine that is directly aimed to an audience of readers that are serious about a select style of music. My magazine therefore is similar to this as it is directly aimed to the readers who like the specific genre of retro style music. Bauer would also be a good insitution to distribute my product too as much like Q my audience of readers range from older teenagers to the young adults and so the insitution would recognise how to appeal to that specific target market group. My magazine "M is for music" would also help the profits of Bauer as it would not challenge their other magazines that they are already publishing such as "Q" this is because my magazine has a complete different target audience to Q and so therefore the company Bauer could expand and reach out to a completely new audience of reader if they chose to publish my magazine.

4.Who would be the audience for your media product?
The type of audience I am aiming my music magazine at is for young females around the late teens early twentys who have a retro pop style of music similar to my audience profile client, Scarlett. They should take a keen interest in artists such as Christina Aguilera, especially in particular her back to basics album which had a blues and jazz element to it. http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JgeuPZaERA This video helps to sum up the type of music that my audience would be interested in and would apperciate. The type of person who would buy my magazine would have a quirky unusual fashion sense, they would shop in vintage shops and would be creative and like hobbies such as art. They wouldn't be a typical girly girl and so this is why I have chosen bold colours such as reds, orange, blacks for the colour scheme of front cover and double page spread. I have also used a small colouring of pink on the contents page to emphasize the fact that it is a magazine aimed a girls that are not tomboys, for example so do still like the girly touch to the magazine. As my magazine is aimed at the student clients I have only charged £2.99 so as it is affordable for the type of audience I am aiming my product at.

5.How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract the audience I am aiming my magazine at, I used a number of different techniques to get their attention. I have used older teenagers and young adults in all of the images in my 3 pieces so as the audience can relate to them more easily and so therefore will attract them as they will take a keen interest in the models as they can relate to them on a personal level. I used a model that was pretty and had a warm and attractive smile so as to draw the readers in, If this was a real magazine that was going to be published my model would have a celebrity status that the readers could aspire to be like, which would encourage people to buy into my magazine as they are interested in the celebrity . Also I have used the words on the cover effectively to draw the readers in by using eye catching font and text such as words like "world exclusive" so as spark an interest in the readers mind. I used a colour scheme that fitted in with the colours of the image so as the colour scheme matched the other colours that were already in the image so as it looked more professional and neater rather than a confused blur of colours that would not appeal to the buyer.

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

Throughout the production of making my Front page, Double page spread and Contents page I have learnt alot about the different technologies that are involed in the process to produce a successful outcome.

The first skill I had to aqquire was the use of the mac computers as they were of a different format to other computers I had used previous to creating my products. I also had to learn how to use the adobe photoshop package on the mac to create successful products,my first experience of using photoshop was creating my preliminary task so I had a short time to adapt to it before starting my actual pieces. When using this programme I encountered many problems that I had to overcome such as using the magnetic lasso tool to cut around images and then copy and paste the layer over the top of another layer, I found that using the lasso tool was very difficult as it required a steady hand so as to get it perfect, so to overcome this I repeated the process until I was satisfied. I also found frustrating that after layering multiple layers over each other, if I wanted to back and change a piece of text for example, often the layer was locked so I therefore had to unlock it so as to modify it. Another negative I found to photoshop was that if I was working from my memory stick then sometimes the whole programme would crash unsaved causing me to have to start again, I was lucky enough that this only happened to me once or twice as I learnt from the first mistake and dragged the document from the memory stick to the computer to work off the desktop. On the other hand I found photoshop a very helpful programme, for example the different effects that I could apply to the images and text such as drop shadows, B levels, simple inner glows and others allowed my text and images to stand out more and look more defined and professional on the page. Another useful tool that I used frequently throughout the process was the eyedropper tool so as I could pick up colours from somewhere else in the image and use it as a background for something else so as all the colours matched to enable the colour scheme to match the colours in the image.Also amoung other interesting tools I found that being able to duplicate the layers was especially helpful when creating my double page spread so as all the collumns were of an equal size therefore giving an over more professional look.

Before I could start to edit and work with my pictures on photoshop on the macs, I had to firstly plan how I was going to take the pictures and then using a canon EOS 450D camera to caputre each image. When planing each photograph I had to consider the effects the lighting would have on the image so made sure that the room was properly lit, I also had to consider the use of props and where they were going to be placed so as to connote the type of genre of music that I was portraying. When taking my pictures I done these in a living room so as I had control over the lighting as oppose to relying on the weather and time of day if I was to take the pictures outside. I was very pleased with my pictures as on almost all of them the lighting is good and the image looks well lit and clear, there were a few however that my models head was scalped, this was my fault as the photographer when taking the images but I had so many successful images that I could disreegard them and so wasn't too much of an issue. Another key element that I have learnt to deal with throughout this process is how to use a blog and upload my work via a new new post. I have found that blogging is very easy and effective to use and saves time on creating a folder as it can be worked on at any computer. When creating my blog I also used an uploading programme called scribd which allowed me to first create my document on work and then via this programme transfer it onto my blog which was very easy and effective.

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

Looking back at my preliminary task, it is clear to see that my skills have developed a considerable amount as my actual finished outcomes have a more clean cut professional look to them in comparison to the preliminary task which is very basic and unprofessional. I have learnt alot about how to create a succesful piece from my preliminary task to my final one, for example I didn't really carry out any useful research in my preliminary task such as I didn't do a questionnaire or audience profiling to analyse the type of audience I was aiming the magazine at. The images I took were very quick and no thought went into the costume or the type of postion the models would be in and the colour scheme was un matching to contents page and had no flow to it. The cover image on my preliminary task is especially poor and was taken on a low pixel camera therefore cauing the image to be of a low quality and fade into the dull white background, if I compared it to my final front cover image the difference is incredible as my final image stands out more and is more clean cut and striking. Comparing both my front page and preliminary front page there is a clear difference, the writing on preliminary front page goes across the model and so looks unclear and unprofessional where as the writing on my actual front page has more of a structure and doesn't look out of place and isn't cover up any of the image. As well as this the preliminary front page doesn't have most of the conventional traits of magazines that my final front page has such as, a pug, strapline, barcode. Looking at my preliminary contents page, there is a clear improvement in the quality and shows how I have developed my skills, for example the preliminary contents has no structure or layout plan unlike my actual front cover, this gives a sense of order to the page making it look more appealing and professional. As well as this there is no editors note on the preliminary contents page and the images used are of a low quality and unclear of which feature goes with which image, there are also very few features so the page is lacking in content and looks bare and ammature compared to my actual front cover design.

Double Page Spread Stages

Stage 1

Firstly I enlarged my picture landscape so as to create a background to the double page spread. I then added the secondary images on in roughly around the places where I wanted them to be so as I could see where I had space left for the text. I then finally added the page numbers in the corners.

Stage 2

Using the same Kismet font as on the cover and contents, which helps to connote the theme of Hollywood glamour I wrote the title "Mariah goes back to basics where is all began..." I chose to use the same music note symbol as I used in the other pages so as to create the brand image of the magazine. I also chose to highlight the word began and matched it with the colour of the music note so as it looks more appealing and not so dull so as to catch the readers attention. As well as using a simple B level and an outer glow on the text so as to make it stand out more.

Stage 3

I decided that the pictures didnt stand out enough so I used an image of a polaroid that I found on google images to put my pictures in. I think that this works well with the old fashioned vibe of the page that I am aiming to connote to the readers. To make the pictures stand out even more I added a drop shadow behind each polaroid.

Stage 4

I added the remaining text to the page, I chose to do this in collums so as to fit the conventions of a magazine. To make sure the collums were equal in size I used a text box to create a collum and then duplicated it and did this for as many collums as I needed. To make the writing stand out on the white background I added a beige box behind the text which I eyedropped from the beige rug the model is sitting on so as it matched the colour scheme of the page. I then added a pull quote from the text which encourages the reader to stop and read this page, I added a simple outer glow to the pull quote so as to make it stand out and jump out at the reader even more.

Content Page Stages

Stage 1

This is the first stage of the contents page, I first used the line making tool and the box making tool to select a basic layout for the page. I duplicated each box so as they were equal in size making so as it looked neater and more professional. The lines and boxes also help to organise the page as the lines break the page up making it look more tidy and neat.

Stage 2

I then added some of the pictures so as I could then start to layer over the top of them or work around them. For the main image on the right I chose to use a picture of my model, in the same outfit and the same prop as the front cover image so as the magazine has a flow to it. For the editors picture on the left I cut this picture out using the magnetic lasso tool and then used the rubber to rub around the edges to make it look more clean cut and neat.

Stage 3

Next, I added the basic text so as I could see how my layout was working and if I could change it in anyway. I used the same "Kismet" font as on the cover so as to continue with the retro old hollywood glamour image that is on the front cover. I also used the same music note shape that I used in M is for music on the front cover so as to create a brand for my magazine that the readers would recognize as a typical feature of my magazine if it was a real product.

Stage 4
I then added the editors note, I used a different font as the Kismet font is effective for titles and larger fonts where as the smaller font of the editors note required a simple text so as it was easy to read. I also added highlights of pink to parts of the editors note that were important so as it stood out to the reader when reading it. As well as this I add a grey border behind the M this week so as to make it stand out more and a small pink line underneath Hello on the editors note so as the readers eye was drawn more to that half of the page as well.I added a signature that I found on google images as an extra touch so as to make it look more professional and fit the conventions of a music magazine. Finally I added a pug in the shape of an old vinyl record so as to continue with the theme of the old fashioned retro style of music my magazine is aimed at.

Stage 5

I then added the collums of writing that show the reader what is in the magazine, I again chose to do this in a different font to Kismet and so used the same one as in the editors note so as to make it easier and clearer to read. I chose to contrast the colour of font that says the page numbers and the colour of font that says the feature so as it didn't all look one colour which would make the page more appealing to look at.

Stage 6

I then added the secondary Images, I chose to use these secondary images as they fit the theme of my magazine and suit the page layout. The reason for using secondary images is so as to fit the conventions of magazines and also to make the page look more appealing to the reader as they get to see a sneak peak at what to expect in the rest of the magazine on the first page.

Stage 7

I then finally added the page numbers onto the pictures so as the reader could flick to that page straight away instead of looking through the whole magazine as well as adding the website for the magazine at the bottom of the page.

Front Page Stages

Stage 1

This is the first stage of my Front cover, I firstly re sized the image to fit the A4 page layout, I encountered a few problems with the re sizing of images at first as the image looked to pixelated. I then added a red box (which I eyedropped the colour from the record player so as the colours matched) in the corner for the title of the magazine and a strapline bar at the bottom,so as to see where to lay things out on the page before adding the text. I then changed the opacity of the boxes so as they still stood out but the colour wasn't so harsh.

Stage 2

I then used the font "Kismet" to compose the title of the magazine, I used this font as I think that it suited my old hollywood glamour image that I am aiming to portray as the font is very 1920s so has a retro feel to it. After writing the title M is for music i then add a drop shadow and B level inner glow so as to make the white writing stand out more on the red background, I chose the colour white as it is clean and fresh and looks neat on the red background. I then added a musical note shape and moulded it in to M so as to create an image to the magazine that people would recognize. I then using the magnetic lasso tool cut around the head of my model on a seperate document and pasted it over the top of the original image, so it was overlapping part of the red box.

Stage 3

I then added the barcode and the date and issue number so as to fit the conventions of magazines, I added it at this stage so as I could see where I had space to put the other text on the front page.

Stage 4

I then added the strapline, in the same Kismet font so as to create an image for the magazine, I also done this by using the same musical note shape to seperate "Pixie Lott" and "Ellie Goulding" I think this suited my theme and also alows the readers to establish a common theme occuring throughout the magazine.

Stage 5

I then added the text, I chose to add the text onto the vinyl record and the record player. I did this as I think it looks unusual and unique to my magazine. For the text on the record player I followed the shape of the record player as much as I could, I done this by changing the direction of the text and using the diagonal tool, I chose white text on a black background as it stands out and also doesnt clash with the colour scheme of the magazine, I then used the red from the magazine title box to add "world exclusive" so it stands out and catches the readers attention. For the text on the record player I used black and orange boxes so as again to fit the colour scheme and to stand out on the red background, I changed the opacity to 82% so as the colour was still there but not so harsh. I then used the small arrow which appears and the corner to follow the diagonal shape of the record player on both the background and text.

Stage 6

Finally I added a pug in orange and blue, I eye dropped the orange from the inside of the vinyl and the blue from the models top. I also used the outer glow on the "25 Hot New Arists" so as to make it stand out against the orane background, I used these colours so as it fitted the colours on the image of the cover of the magazine.

Analysing Pictures For Double Page Spread

Double Page Spread Analysis

For my double page spread I captured the main picture landscape so as to fit the conventions of most magazines and have the pictures go across both pages. I also had to consider where to put the text so as it didn't go over the centre line making it unreadable.

Picture 1

This is an image I considered for my double page spread, I think that it is successful as it goes across the centre line of the page so meets the convention of magazine double page spread. Overall I dont think this image works well to be used as a final image as although I purposely put the records in as props I think it makes the image look busy and cluttered so wouldnt work well. I do however think that the image comes across as hollywood glamour and has a retro vintage feel to it with the models cheeky pouting pose and the use of the beige fur rug and the sequined outfit as it stands out on the beige and adds a glamourous feel to the image. Also another reason as to why the image wouldn't work well is due to bottom of the image the rug looks untidy,however if this was the only fault with the image then I could fix it by cropping it on photoshop.

Picture 2

This was another image I was considering for the double page spread, I think that this works well as once again the picture would cross over the centre line of the magazine, therefore sticking to the conventions of most double page spreads. Also the image is less cluttered than the other one but still has an element of music to it by the model holding the record which also relates to the old fashioned retro feel to the image as well as the artist "Johnny Cash" relating to the interview with the model. Also in this picture the space around the model is less cluttered so as it will look more professional when I add the layers in over the top. As welll as this the models pose is inviting as she is giving direct eye contact with the reader and has a warm inviting smile on her face which would encourage the reader to stop and read on. The type of shot is a full body shot which also works well as the readers get to see the whole outfit of the model and so could be seen as an aspirational figure which would also encourage them to stop on the double page spread.

Picture 3

This is another image that I took for the double page spread, overall the image doesn't work at all, the shot is taken too close so has cut part of the models head off, there is some of the background in the shot(wooden flooring) that is not supposed to be there. Also the models pose looks awkward and uncomfortable as there is no direct eye contact with the reader so would not stand out and catch their eye.

Analysing Pictures for Contents Page

Contents Page

The pictures I took for my contents page included some of the model on the front cover so as to have a flow to the magazine as well as some secondary images so as to give it a professional look as after looking at different exsisting contents pages it is clear that magazines use more than one image in the contents page.

Picture 1 (Of the Model)

Here is one of the images that I was considering to use on my contents page, I think that this image is quite sucessful as I like the effect of that you can see the face in the mirror as it looks unusual and stands out. I also considered it as an image for the contents page as it connotes the old hollywood style glamour which continues from the front cover, the glamourous style is created by the sexy red lips and the see through dress and the handheld mirror which adds the old hollywood style to the image. Also to keep it in theme with a music magazine the record player is in the background which was also used on the front cover to create continuity. The negatives to this photo are the wire that is coming from the record player and the image of the pug, however these faults could be edited out using photoshop.

Picture 2(Of the Model)

I also considered this image to be used in my contents page, overall I think the image is sucessful. The clean, fresh white background allows the model to stand out as well as the black record which I wanted to stand out so as to get my theme of old hollywood glamour and the old fashioned style of music comes across instantly to the reader at a quick glance. As well as this the pose of the model is sexy and seductive as she is biting the record and glaring at the camera so therefore would appeal to men and could also appeal to women as they aspire to be like the model. The lightting of this image is good as it is clear and clean to look at and everything that is in view is clear to see.

Picture 3 (Of the Model)

This was another image I considered to use on the contents page, I really like the over the shoulder shot effect and the use of the props such as the jewellery boxes and the lights on the mirror to give the impression to the reader that it is backstage a dressing room before perfoming on stage. The image connotes old hollywood glamour of being glamorous and has a vintage feel to the image so as to continue the theme throughout the front cover, double page spread and contents page. As it is an intresting image readers may see it in the contents page and it will draw them into reading the upcoming article, which is what I was aiming to do.

Secondary Images

These are the secondary images that I used in my contents page so as to relate to the conventions of other magazines as they usually have other pictures of people other than just the person on the front cover. These images also suit the overall image of the old hollywood glamour theme that I am aiming for throughout my pages as they have a vintage style to them and so therefore would suit the theme of my magazine.

Analysing Pictures For Front Cover

I took a range of different pictures so as I had a variety to choose from when shooting my front cover, I have taken six to analyse in more detail so as to elinmate the bad pictures and use the more successful ones.

Picture 1

Here is my first picture, I really like the mise en scene in this

photo as the scattered records on the floor and the old fashioned record player connote the idea of the old hollywood jazz and blues music which I was aiming for. As well as this the models makeup also compliments the old hollywood glamour with the sexy red lips that would attract buyers as well as the tightly curled hair to fit in with the theme and suit the mise en scene of the photograph. The pose is also a key element to consider as her smile looks inviting to the reader and would catch the buyers attention as she is giving direct eye contact to the buyer so as to intise them more. I would consider using this for my front cover, however as you can see the top part of her head is missing and so therefore isn't enough room for the title or strapline and would then therefore cover the models face which wouldnt look effective and would ruin the overall look. As well as this seeing as though a magazine cover is on A4 and the picture is on landscape when trying to cut the picture down, it loses the overall look as I would have to cut the records and most of the record player out so therefore wouldn't create the look that I was going for.

Picture 2
This is another image I considered for my front cover. Overall I think that the image is striking as the light on her face makes her eyes stand out and are a very dominant part of the image and so therefore would grab the readers attention straight away which makes a good selling point to the magazine by giving the buyer direct eye contact. I also like the way the record is a main part of the image and stands out as this is the kind of old fashioned, hollywood glamour I am trying to portray. However some negatives to the image are that her head is scapled and so therefore there is little room to add a strapline or title going along the top of the magazine without covering the models face. There is also little space around the model for additonal text and pugs, as well as the wooden floor being on show which is something however that could be edited out using photo shop.

Picture 3

This is my third idea for an image for the front of my magazine.Overall I don't think that this image would be successful to use as a front cover image as the model is not connecting her eyes with the camera and so is therefore not giving the buyer direct eye contact which is a major selling point. As well as this the mise en scene is not exactly how I would want it to be seeing as though there is not enough of the record player in it and there is a piece of brown wooden furniture behind the models legs that I wouldn't like to be there, I could however edit this out using photoshop if I really wanted to use this image. I also think that the model looks slightly uncomfortable as the postioning of her hand around the record player looks clumsy and unattractive and so therefore I wouldn't use this as a front cover image.

Picture 4

Here is the fouth image for my front cover, I really like this image as the mise en scene really helps to connote the old school hollywood glamour style that I want the image of my magazine to be. The background of the image is busy and crowded with the old records but I deliberately put the props there to add to the theme of the front cover. Another reason as to why this is a successful image is because the model is connecting her eyes with the camera and giving direct eye contact with the reader so as to catch the buyers attention. The models hair and make up also create the old fashioned look with the red lips and the curly hair and the pose is non threatening and inviting so as to attract the type of buyers that I am aiming the magazine at.

Picture 5

This is the final image I was considering for my front cover and the one that I think is the most successful, this is because the background is plain and there is space to layer on top of the image without covering too much of the model making it look untidy. As well as this the mise en scene of the image fits the theme of the old hollywood glamour which I am aiming to create as a theme, this is done by the old vinyl records on the floor and the one the model is holding as well as the old fashioned record player, the type of outfit I have my model in also compliments the other colours on the page and the red lips matches the record player and a bit of the colour in the records so as to identify a colour scheme that would catch the buyers attention. The pose of my model is non threatening and inviting and she is giving direct eye contact with the buyer so as to entice the buyer to buy the magazine.