The document summarizes the process of creating a magazine cover and contents page. Key techniques learned include using Photoshop tools like shapes, text effects, and drop shadows. Conventions like medium close-up images and placement of the masthead were followed. Colors like red and black were chosen based on reader surveys. The content represents both male and female musicians aged 17-30 to match the target audience.

1. First of all in my preliminary exercise I created a
magazine cover and contents page for my college.
From doing this I learnt the basic techniques and
ways of creating an adequate cover and contents
for my main task, along the way I was able to
develop the techniques I had learnt.

2. 1. In what ways does your media product use, develop
or challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
The cover image on the
front cover follows the
typical convention as it has
a medium close- up image.
This is normally used as it
brings the cover star on eye
level with the reader. It fills
the page, with the tip of the
cover stars head just
covering part of the mast
head.
The banner at the bottom
I chose the font off of of the page shows the
‘DaFont.com’ as it was bold extra information as in
and suited the word ‘chant’. extra artists which are
The font size I chose was due featured within the
to how it fitted across the width of the page with some room magazine. This allows the
left on the right of it. I stayed with a black and red colour reader to see what else is
theme as from the research questionnaire I found that red within the magazine along
was the most popular colour. with the main article.

3. The masthead also follows the conventions as it is
placed just near the top of the magazine, with space
left above for a banner also the word is just short of
the width of the page- so it stays on he left with a
slight gap on the right. I chose the title/magazine
name to be ‘Chant’ as the word is one which can be
associated with music. I chose the colour of the title
to be black with a black drop shadow as it made the
mast head stand out against the page, I had
preciously tried red writing with a black outline and
drop shadow, but the black was suited best.

4. On the contents page I again The mast head is bold with the
stayed with the red, black and magazine name ‘Chant’ in red to
white colour scheme also using a stand out on the page.
grey gradient across the page.
I used the shape tool to The typical conventions
create the rectangular for a contents page and
shapes behind the text. double page spread
For the pull quote were followed as the
beneath the artists face, I use of columns was
used black shapes to followed as was the
make the quote stand out medium close-up
on the page and red image was used for the
shapes to make the sub feature image.
–headings stand out.
Using the text effects I The magazine name,
was able to increase the date and page number
spacing between the are shown at the
words so that the text bottom of the page in
wrapped around the the bottom right hand
image in the bottom right corner.
hand corner.

5. First the feature image was brought into Photoshop and effects such as
‘brightness/contrast’ and ‘levels’ were used to make the image look more professional.
Then another image, a filler image was placed on the page, I used the polygonal tool to
cut out the body and head of the image. Then placing this in the corner, I used the shape
tool to create a rectangle which was placed behind the image so that it could stand out. I
then used ‘drop shadow’ so that the rectangle could stand out against the text. I then used
shape tool to create a smaller rectangle to go in the top left corner for the category text to
then be placed in front of it. Using the text tool I then created the pull quote and header
which is in a large and bold font. I also used a black drop shadow to make the header
bolder. The kicker is placed just below the header and is all in black and normal font
except for the artists name: Saskia which is in red, bold and capitals. The magazine
name, Chant, is also in bold and back and is in italic.

6. In comparison to a professional magazine front cover, my magazine does have
similar qualities such as the large mast head which is on the left of the page and is
in a large font which makes it bold and stand out on the page so that it is
remembered, banners at the top and bottom of the page which feature extra
information, use of puffs and a medium close – up image.

7. 2. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
My magazine is aimed at male and females aged 17 to 30 who are interested in rock/indie
music. On the cover there is the image of a girl who is supposed to be at the age of twenty.
This fits her into the target audience age range of my magazine and makes her relatable to
readers of the magazine. The front of my magazine is
able to represent different
From the front of the genders as it promotes male
magazine, it would be hard and female artists. ‘Tom
to tell if there was a specific Verde’ and ‘Elisabeth
social class represented, Bowen’ are examples of
however the lexis used on this.
the double page spread
would suggest that the The artist which is featured
magazine could aim to on the double page spread
represent the working or is also relatable to as she
middle class as the lexis talks about recently turning
used is formal but generally eighteen and releasing her
of a lower register. new album in the double
page spread article.

8. 3. What kind of media institution might distribute
your media product and why?
A media institution such as
IPC may distribute and publish
my magazine as they also
publish NME and many other
magazines within the media
such as ‘Marie Claire’ and
‘Ideal Home’ as IPC is ‘UK's
leading consumer magazine
publisher with approximately
90 brands’.

9. Music shops such as HMV may distribute my magazine
as could an independent music shop. A book shop such
as Waterstones, WHSmiths or Borders could also
distribute it. Ways to promote the magazine could be to
use free distribution. This could be done by handing out
copies outside of music gigs/concerts or at book
signings, or even just in city centre's so that the
magazine can be promoted as mush as possible.

10. 4. Who would be the audience for your media
product?
From previous research on various
magazines such as ‘Source’ and
‘NME’ I was able to see the
conventions and demographics in
relation to music magazines. By
looking at the demographic I was
able to see who the target audience
could be based around and how it
might change depending on what the
magazine features were. So from
information gathered, the audience
for my media product would be aged
between seventeen and thirty.
My magazine would appeal to all
races and ethnicities as anyone can
like rock/indie music.
As the cover star on the front cover
is

11. 5. How did you attract/address your
audience?
On the front cover of my media product I attracted the audience
by using a colour scheme that was based on a red, black and
white. I chose these colours due to the questionnaire I had done
previously which showed red to be the most popular colour and
therefore the best choice as it would clearly catch peoples’ eyes.

12. By using a medium close up for the cover image, I
abided by the natural conventions which are used
to create a front cover which stands out. The red
lipstick used by the cover star also links to the red
theme, making the cover star stand out on the
page.
The cover stars on all three pages look directly at
the camera which is a basic convention as it draws
the reader in. The register used is not too low or too
high; this is so that the audience can relate to the
magazine without too high or low formality as the
target audience is male/female aged 17-30.

13. 6. What have you learnt about technologies from the
process of constructing this product?
From the preliminary magazine to the music magazine I had furthered my skills in Photoshop
along with techniques I have also learnt. I have also learned about a program called ‘Quark’
and how I could use it to add text onto a page and how it allows you to be able to shape the
text around objects on the page.
In Photoshop, I mainly used the following tools: shape, magic wand and text. I also used
effects such as, drop shadow, brightness/contrast and levels to add effects to the shapes,
text and images.
From the original image on the left to the final image on the right you can see
how I used Photoshop to brighten the image and darken it in places using
‘Levels’ so that overall it looked more professional. To add the text I then used
quark so that I could wrap the text around the filler image and feature image.

14. Polygonal lasso Magic wand
This tool enables you to I used this to select an area of
be able to cut out parts of an image, similar areas then
an image or object. I used also selected so that I could
it to cut out the delete or use effects on the
background around the area selected,
body and head on my
cover and filler images. Gradient
This tool was used on my
Blur contents page as I used it to
This was used to blur the create a dark grey to light
edges after I had cut out the grey background.
Text
Shape The text tool was used on all
This tool was used to pages for the general text.
create shapes on all of the I used a website called
pages as part of the ‘DaFont’ to download new
backgrounds to make text fonts which I then used on my
stand out. pages.
http://www.dafont.com/

15. 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you
feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the
full product?
The preliminary task was to create a college magazine and contents page. I created these
using Photoshop tools such as the magic wand tool to select areas of the main images
and deleting them easily, the magnetic lasso tool to again delete selected areas which I
had drawn around and deleted and also the shape tool to create shapes to put behind
the mast head and other text parts. For the music magazine, contents and double page
spread I used the same programmes and tools to produce them, this therefore included
the techniques I used on Photoshop and also a new programme: Quark express, which I
used to add the text onto the double page spread.

16. Looking back on the preliminary task, my
college magazine cover has some aspects
which make it look professional but others
which make it look more unprofessional.
The basic colour scheme, medium close –
up and cover line all are typical
conventions and elements which help it
look more professional.
My magazine progressed in comparison to
my college magazine because I developed
the techniques in Photoshop which I had
used in the first project.
By using new techniques I learnt I was
able to create a more developed and
advanced magazine which maintained
the conventions of a professional
magazine. From the progression of my
college magazine, I have learnt a lot in
terms of techniques in Photoshop as I
was able to experiment and learn new
ways. I was able to make my music
magazine cover, contents and double
page spread all look more professional.
Along with the use of puffs and banners.