What I learnt on Illastrator:

- I first learnt on the Illustrator software to colour in the lettering and the outline of the lettering.

-I then learned how to make a shape on top and bottom of the mask head.

- I then by highlighting a word, it would make the gaps of the letter be filled in.

- To place a background into the page and then to send the image to the back, so the image is behind the text, so the text is still visible.

- My favourite part that i learnt through Illustrator is to make the background design but into the lettering.

- This software is very intressting and i am looking forward to using this again to achieve a professional neat looking maskhead.

College Magazine Evaluation

Evaluation on my College Magazine

 


I created my front using the software Photoshop and my content page on InDesign. These softwares helped me to develop skills and knowledge on what is needed to include within a magazine that'll help me in the future. What I think was a success for my college magazine is my masthead. I arranged my masthead behind my covers head, as this is a technique is used a lot by magazine. I also didn't want my masthead to cover my cover star, as I want my cover star to stand out as much as possible. Also the colour scheme I choose was blue and red. I picked these colours because as my magazine is based on my sixth — form - LSC, which is the colours that the college uses. I thought this made my front cover look neat and the theme continuing throughout my two pages. The image I took of my model, Numa on my contents page writing on paper. This connotes the 'hard working student' I wish to portray in my magazine. My front cover image is also a medium close up, with my cover star giving direct eye contact to the camera. This makes looks as though she look right at the audience.
Some feedback I received by some of my peers were:

Next time I make a magazine I should arrange my contents page in less of a list arrangement,  as I think this made my content page look boring and lacked originality and creativity. I could have also made my cover lines stand out more, as the size and style of the font I used did not achieve the look I wish to give off. I had a puff displayed on the front that again didn't stand out on the page. I kept my background of my contents page plain as I wasn't sure on the colour of background I should use that would go well with my page. It was mentioned by Ebony and Karolina that the background I used for my front cover is distracting and could have looked better if it was on a black background instead. Next time, I will choose the background I use wisely that will suit my magazine and the colour scheme I use. I will also Include next time, more images on my contents page that would show a variety of people within my magazine instead of my magazine focusing only on one person.
To conclude, for my music magazine I will take the feedback I received from my college magazine to help with creating my music magazine. Overall I have done well for my first attempt in making a magazine as the skills I've learnt so far will definitely help.

Magazine Newsstand / RWD magazine distribution

I went to see how the music magazine are displayed at WHSmiths in Stratford Westfield. All the magazines are layered in rows. They all have different colour schems and stand out in their own way. The cover stars shown for the front cover of these magazines are seen to be mostly male - white males. I noticed that the rock genre music is shown at the front of the display. This shows the front cover of each magazine. As for the other music magazines, they were displayed behind the rock magazines. This makes those magazines not fully visable - only the maskheads is fully visable. The cover lines are also not visable. These magazines are not as noticable as the three at the front. However, they are still noticable from their bold maskheads. For example, ‘DJ’ is shown in big red font. On the other hand, if a magazine isn’t as known, their maskhead being the only thing visable wouldn’t help them receive publicity. But for magazines like Mixmag, they are a well established magazine so still have a high chance of getting bought even though the magazine isn’t clearly shown.

RWD is a UK youth lifestyle and music magazine. RWD focusses mostly on Grime and Rap music of artist from the UK and US.

Do they offer subscription?

Yes they do, by entering you email when going on to their website, there is a section to enter your email in. This would then entitle for you to get messages from RWD on new issues etc. Keeps you updated on the magazine.

RWD has links to social media links – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc. – This allows the target audience RWD is reaching out to, to be more likely more known – as social media is a common tool used by young people.

Does RWD offer E - zines?

Yes which is displayed on RWD's website, to be viewed online and downloaded. This is a free tool to use to read RWD and includes similar content which paper magazine would have to offer.

RWD is a digital magazine and paper copy magazine available in certain stores/ areas. The content within the digital mag is similar content to what would be in the paper copy magazine. As the genre of music is mainly rap and Grime music, the audience aim at this music - teenagers and young adult, don't seem to mostly buy magazine. As RWD can be accessed online, this makes it easier/ more likely for them to get their targeted readers for their magazine.

The website that views RWD’s digital magazine has features displayed - Music videos, blogs, sports section, new movies and overall news. This is features that are also include in the paper copy of the magazine but gone into more detail on the website.

RWD Distribution:

RWD distributes their magazine to a range of distributors in the UK. This achieves a wide range of audiences to be able to have access to the magazine and for RWD to become more known across the UK, to a variety of people.

Starting my proposal

-This is my starting point to my magazine proposal.- I would have to include some images of the types of artist my magazine will include. - In each section i need to state more reasons for why i choose what I chose and how i came about that decision.-I will also have to include a flat plan on what each page of my magazine will potentially include.- I will also need to create a prezi powerpoint to present this information.

Magazine Proposal

Title of your publication: U K F U S I O N 

Chosen musical genre/genres:

-        Grime

Content you’ll include:

-         Types of artists – Skepta (Boy Better Know), Stormzy, Section Boyz, Drake, Paigey Cakey, Lady Leshuur.

-         Regular items - Interviews of artists Q&A, making of music videos (behind the scenes), new music.

-         What makes magazine different – that the magazine mostly centres on the grime music genre – there’s isn’t a grime magazine available at the moment. – It’s focusses mostly on British artists – males and females in the Grime music industry.

      Design layout:

-         Mostly dark colours like black, red and maybe yellow as potential colour schemes throughout the magazine and for the front cover.

-         A mask head for the title of my magazine – abbreviated as letters – so it’s easy to remember the name of the magazine. – Or a one word simple name for the magazine.

-         Cover lines on both sides – brief

-         Cover stars/ stars centred in the middle – mask head placed slightly behind the stars.

Who might publish my magazine?

-         Any publisher could publish my magazine as it based on a genre – grime which is not created into a magazine yet.  – However, Grime is slightly similar to rap music, so a publisher may not want to publish another magazine that is similar to a magazine they already have.

Who are the targeted audience?

-         Young people – male and female aged 17 – 24 years old. 

college magazine - plan

College Magazine - Front Cover and Contents Page

Practise Exersise on Front Cover - Photoshop

- I learnt through the photoshop software is how to arrange images and text.

- I also learnt how to organise cover lines and maskhead to make this look like a professional front cover magazine.

- By holding the alt key, this makes the image become bigger so spreads out on the page without making the image change.

VIBE magazine - Media Kit 2013

This shows the type of audiences that buy and read VIBE magazine in 2013 - this makes it able for people to view the majority and minority of the attention VIBE magazine gets. This would also make it easy for editors of VIBE magazine know exactly who their targeted audience are, to then use that information to edit and make their magazines.  

- As you can see, just over half of VIBE audience consists of males and 75% of the audiences are black females or males.  - 82% of the reader VIBE gets are also people aged 21+. - The way VIBE magazine is shown, would have to appeal to young adults/ adults.- so the sales of their magazine continues to increase

- The image shown above implies the party atmosphere and emphasise on the music and concert VIBE magazine focusses on.

XXL Magazine - Media Kit 2012

- These statistics show who XXL's majority and minority readers are.
- This information would help for the editors of XXL to create their magazine in a way which appeals to their targeted audience.
- 83% of the age range of XXL reader are 21 yrs +
- From these statistics it's clear that majority of the readers of XXL based in 2012 are black people (African American). The images of numerous XXL magazine issues also show black artist as the cover stars.
- Males are also the main audience XXL received in 2012 - majority of male artist are also shown as the cover star. 
- A s XXL is a rap genre magazine, this genre is very dominated by males and it's shown clearly through the amount of males to female on the front covers. - Only one female is shown as a front cover - Nicki Minaj.