Magazine practical production: tasks

 Research -

1) Use Google to research potential magazines that you could use as your brand/design for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and upload an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle magazines or a similar genre as these are more achievable to re-create.

2) Choose one of the three magazine brands to use for your project e.g GQ, Vogue or The Gentlewoman. Then find three different front covers for your chosen magazine and embed them in your blogpost. Analyse the fonts, colours and typical design. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? You need to become an expert in the design and construction of this magazine and its branding.

The Gentlewoman: Bold colours, font is Futura, close up shots, high-contrast black and white portraits of woman, focuses on the portraiture of the woman and vivid colours contrasting traditional muted tones in woman's magazines.

Planning -

1) In your blogpost, write your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. It must be 100% original - all your own words.

R - From trends to trash: how quickly are we consuming? 

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

  The 21st century femme fatale

+ 10 pieces that outlast every trend

Publication to blog and evaluation -

1) Once you have completed your design you need to save or export a copy as a JPEG image. Then, upload it to your blogpost. 

2) Upload two genuine covers of the magazine you have used and put them next to your front cover. This is a brilliant way to check how professional your work looks alongside the real thing.

3) Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your brief to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover stand up alongside the genuine covers of your chosen magazine? How professional is your work alongside those genuine examples? 

Yes, I believe I did the best to produce a good piece of work. No, it's made to fit in, because I tried to stay true to the original magazine. I think it's up to a pretty high standard, the only problem is that since the original photo of my model is not in black and white, I had to use a filter.. Because of this I think it doesn't look like a professionally taken photo.

4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

Take a larger variety of types of shots, in different places, because I felt quite limited when choosing the best photo to use. Maybe take a few photos ib black and white.