Benjamin Harris proposes creating a true crime magazine about a cult and serial killer. He will focus on graphic design skills in Photoshop and InDesign developed over two years of study. The magazine will feature varied page designs like police files and journal entries to make the text interesting. Benjamin will generate images by editing photos found online and taking his own photos on set. He plans an ongoing evaluation of the project process and outcomes.

1. Proposal
1
Centre Name and Number:
York College 48357
Student Name and Number:
Benjamin Harris 325048
Project proposal title and date:
True Crime Magazine issue 4
Main area of activity:
I will mostly work in graphic design as that is my chosen area that I want to further progress in.
Also, I think that it is the area that I am strongest in and using that to my advantage would be wiser
than choosing an area that I am not so good in.
Rationale:
For my final major project, I have decided to make a magazine as throughout the two years I have
acquired many new skills and techniques, especially when it comes to Photoshop. I think that my
Photoshop skills have developed the most, as at the start of my first year I did not know nothing
about Photoshop. I didn’t even know how to add another layer onto the page. Whereas now in the
second year I know how to manipulate images to make them look completely different, make
images look better quality, draw and colour using Photoshop, add effects and create shapes to
make retro looking posters and other designs. I have learnt many things including how to use most
of the tools on Photoshop. However, I still don’t know how to use all of them, but I have a basic
idea how to use most of them. I also learnt how to use Adobe InDesign CC, with this program; I
have learnt to make a magazine cover and double page spread. Whilst making it look professional,
with the way I lay everything out. I also now know how to download fonts from Dafont.com and
upload them to Photoshop and InDesign. Another skill that I have developed throughout the year is
animation and creating pixel art. I now have a basic knowledge for this. However, I have decided
that I won’t be doing anymore animation as I found it quite boring and I don’t think that I was very
good at it compared to my Photoshop skills, print.
I also have learnt how to create my own website using Wix.com. I found it quite easy to create it
whilst keeping it looking tidy and professional. I have also found out how to use different settings
on the camera and now know about different camera angles, shots, and about the mise-en-scene
of a shot and scene. I may be using some photography in my final major project, but I will not be
doing any filming as I found out that, that was not one of my strong points, out of all of the other
projects. The programmes that I will be using for my final major project are Adobe Photoshop CC
and Adobe InDesign CC. I will apply the knowledge that I have learnt over the two years into my
final major project. One of the similar products that I have created in the past is the gaming
magazine and the urban legends and myths fanzine. The way that they were created is very
similar to the way that my magazine will be created. I think that creating a crime magazine will be a
challenge for me as I will need to make sure all of the information is valid. Also with the images
that I gather, I will need to get permission if I want to use certain images or edit them a lot so that
they look different from the original image.
Project Concept:
The concept of my project is to create a crime magazine, that focuses on a particular cult of my
choice and one infamous killer. I want to have the main focus of the magazine be the cult, meaning
that most pages will be dedicated to the cult as well as the main image of the cover being related
to the cult somehow, whether that be the members or the location where the cult committed the
crime. The style of my magazine will be related around the subject of crime, so for example one of
the pages will look like a police case file and will be old and decayed depending on the time when
the crime happened. I will make each of the pages different and I am hoping to make at least two
or three of the pages look like an extract from a journal. I want the pages of the magazine to be as

2. Proposal
2
different as possible yet be related to the subject of crime and not have some random well
photographed image on the page that doesn't fit the style. I am also hoping to have fake blood on
some of the pages or one of the pages too fit the theme even more. The magazine itself will be
quite dark sticking to the theme. One idea that I have thought about doing, when I thought of
making a crime magazine was to steal and incorporate the 'Se7en' movie opening credits and add
that into my magazine. However, I will use this as inspiration and make my own version of it but for
the magazine, on paper. In terms of the language used in the magazine I will keep it professionally
worded but in some cases I will take extracts from victims, and the killer and have them in the
magazine, as well as a cult member. I want the magazine to be interesting to read, so I will try not
to have large blocks of text. The idea is to make the pages so different from one another that the
text will seem interesting to read because of the page’s style. I think that this would be very
interesting as it makes the magazine less plain to look at. I will generate imagery by taking images
from the internet and editing them so that they look different. I will also gather images myself
through taking photos of a scene that I have made myself during college. One idea is to get an
actor to dress up as my chosen cult leader and take a photo of him/her.
How will the project be evaluated and reviewed:
I plan to evaluate my work with an on-going evaluation where I discuss the process of how I
created my final major project. I will discuss the tools and effects that I used. I will also discuss the
process of how I created it and what the initial idea of the design was. I will back all of this up with
screenshots, further empathising the point and helping to show the process more. I will analyse the
outcome of my product as well as referencing my magazine in an on-going evaluation, whilst
completing a self-reflection. I will explain how my products turned out, and will explain what things I
would have done differently if I were to do this again. I will also explain the positives and negatives
of my magazine that I plan to make. I also will talk about the aspects of each of my page designs
in the magazine, that I like and why I like it. I will explain where my main inspiration came from. I
will also talk about the research as well as the final product itself. I will go onto write about how the
research helped me determine my final designs, also writing about how useful the information that
I gathered was. Additionally, I will also explain whether or not primary or secondary research was
more useful. In the end this process will help me determine my strengths and weaknesses in both
production and research for any future projects after college.

3. Proposal
3
Bibliography:
1. .. (.). Governmentallistsof cults and sects. Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governmental_lists_of_cults_and_sects.Lastaccessed
29/01/2019.
1. .. (.). Orderof the SolarTemple. Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Solar_Temple.Lastaccessed29/01/2019.
1. DidierBert.(03-06-2018). 20 dangerouscultsin recent history.Available:
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/photos/20-dangerous-cults-in-recent-history/ss-
BBHQo4T. Last accessed29/01/2019.
1. Harris, Benjamin. (2019) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on 21/01/2019)
2. https://youtu.be/AqSZhwu1Rwo
3. https://youtu.be/KNOSm9wvf5o
4. https://youtu.be/SEZK7mJoPLY
5. Robert Jackson (1993). True Crimes. .: BCA by arrangement with Quintet PublishingLimited . p7-77.
6. Tom Philbin and Michael Philbin (1 Jan 2009). The Killer Book of Serial Killers: Incredible Stories,
Facts and Trivia from the World of Serial Killers. (unknown): Sourcebooks, Inc.352 pages.
Week Tasks to be Completed: Specific Tasks
1 Pre-production  Complete Proposal and background research.
 Research different cults and a few serial killers.
2 Pre-production  Research- primary and secondary
3 Pre-production  Research- primary and secondary
4 Pre-production  Create some experiments testing out techniques
that I might want to use in production. Make sure
they are somewhat related to my chosen topic or
the technique/effect.
5 Pre-production  Create some experiments testing out techniques
that I might want to use in production. Make sure
they are somewhat related to my chosen topic or
the technique/effect.
6 Pre-production  Pre-Production and planning. Plan out everything
include a production schedule.
7 Pre-production  Pre-Production and planning. Plan out everything
include a production schedule.
8 Production  Magazine cover layout
9 Production  Magazine cover
10 Production  Double-page spread 1
11 Production  Draft peer feedback
12 Production  Double-page spread 2
13 Production  Double-page spread 3 + 4
14 Production  All the single-page spreads and the back cover
15 Evaluation  Evaluation
16 Evaluation  Evaluation
17 Evaluation  Presentation
18 Moderation  Progression power point
19 Show Preparation  Year book page and work printing out
20 Show  -