I presented how I edited and picked my main cover image

1. FILM MAGAZINE IMAGES

2. Choosing an Image
As a group, we were deliberating on two
different images for our magazine but could
not decide on which one would be more
effective for the audience. Before making a
choice, I edited both to see how the finished
result would look.
I choose to use the second image
as it conveys a more mysterious
tone as it doesn’t give too much of
the narrative away, creating an
enigma question of what will
happen. By having a close up
compared to a mid shot, there is
more opportunity for editing, thus
creating a more professional
magazine cover.
The first image is effective as it
shows the subject as naïve and
insignificant compared to her
location. By being positioned in
front of an abandoned building,
the tone becomes sinister and
makes the audience question why
she is there. However, it doesn’t
convey the genre in an obvious
way.

3. During the editing process of my magazine cover, I used Photoshop to
manipulate the images to create an overall professional image. Taking into
consideration the genre that the image will portray, I began by focusing
the main feature on the eyes. By using a close-up, I was able to provide
detailed editing on the eyes, catching the audience’s eye and attracting
them to the magazine.
By editing the eyes black, it provides a juxtaposition
between the evil quality of darkness when compared to
the subject; a young, blonde girl which is usually a
stereotypical representation of innocence and naivety.

4. I then began to focus on the overall effect of the
image. I used the ‘curve’ tool to change the brightness
and contrast of the picture. By using this effect, the
image looks like it was taken during the night, typical
to the horror genre. It also provides an ‘eerie’ tone
which the audience will pick up instantaneously.
By contrasting the brightness, it also created natural areas of darkness
on the subject’s face, especially under the eyes and within the
cheekbone. This made the subject look almost ‘ghostly’ and sinister to
look at.

5. Once I had changed the overall look of the image, I then went
back to the eye area, covering up any blemishes such as skin
tags and sparse eyebrow hairs. Even though this image had to
look ominous, the subject still needed to look like a
professional actor, so needed to be edited to achieve this goal.
I also used a subtle effect to darken her eye area to convey the storyline and genre.
This is the same for the mouth and cheek area , by darkening the middle of the
subjects lips, I was able to make her look more mysterious to the audience. This
draws them to the magazine as they are intrigued to know her back story, what has
happened to her, thus attracting them to our trailer.

6. Finally, I used the gradient tool to darken the bottom
of the image. This is a stereotypical feature of some
magazine covers, as it creates room for the main
cover line
This also reduces the amount of blank space around the
image which was originally unnecessary. By creating this
effect, the audience are more likely to focus on the subjects
face, as it draws your attention more obviously