Jake Whattam-Smith reflects on the production process of creating the front cover for a magazine called "SNAP". They began by constructing the base layers including the masthead and selecting a background image. For the masthead, they chose the word "SNAP" in blue font to emphasize photography and used color and font to convey a modern feel. The background image is a scenic beach photo that was extensively edited for lighting, contrast, etc. to make it striking and engaging. Additional typical magazine cover elements were then added, like a barcode, price, and branding to make the cover more informative, relatable, and promote a sense of action in audiences.

1. Production Reflection
Jake Whattam-Smith

2. Processes – Front Cover #1
What have I done: Today, remarking the beginning of the production phase, I had
initially worked on constructing the base layers of the magazine cover, from which I can then
develop other aspects, including headings, images and information, to help reflect the genre of the
magazine and make it much more engaging/persuasive throughout my audience in purchasing the
publication; these features, from which are clearly denoted across the caption beside, consist of
creating the main masthead (SNAP) and selecting/altering the definitions within the main
background image. When acknowledging the generated masthead, captioning ‘SNAP’ in a span
across the page, this supports the type of magazine the audience is perceiving, helps establish the
general colour scheme, and most finally displays characteristics around the more modern era;
Originally, in the title ‘SNAP’, this is often referred towards the process of capturing an image
through the use of a camera, from which emphasises and helps infer effectively in my audience the
photography movement, this being something that is incredibly crucial and significant to
immediately indicate to the perceiving audiences; furthermore, it is most present that both a darker
and more pale blue colour scheme is focused within the masthead, justifying the expectations of
incorporating a colour and the identify this magazine has within the industry and in comparison to
other sources, whilst also creating connotations around freedom, trust, loyalty, all factors which help
enable and audiences attention and engagement to the brand; and next, most finally, through the
use of a ‘Century Gothic’ font type, and the denoted sharp lines of blue passing through the text in a
weaving fashion, this both is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, whilst also evoking a strong sense of
the modern era, from which establishes a professional manner and more relatable format the
current audiences and people in this generation. Additionally, the most recognisable feature of the
whole magazine consists around the selected background image, this is a denoted scenic portrait
caption from which you can easily identify a beach scenario with a silhouetted figure peering into the
direction of a predominantly sky blue based foreground and gleaming sun aesthetic; there is not too
much to be said about this choice of image, other than there is a very defined focal point, consisting
of the sun predominantly, from which is immediately intriguing, attention seeking and persuasive –
all of which conform towards the process of AIDA efficiently. Alongside that factor, the juxtaposition
against the more darker and lighter consistency in the rocks below and sky above helps captivate the
audience in its very striking and aesthetically pleasing form; it is also important to identify that this
has been extensively edited, changing the composition, shadowing, lighting, contrast and exposure,
these effects that had been selected in the drop down of ‘edit’ all help achieve this substantial and
very mesmerizing photograph.

3. Processes – Front Cover #1 Continued
Tools/Techniques:In recognition of this present masthead and the creation of it, I
had used mainly the paint bucket, eraser, and rectangle tools to construct this very effective and
visually striking title for my publication. As part of the assignment, and being a very significant aspect
from which the whole perception of the brand will form around, it was very beneficial and effective
that a wide variety of different components had been involved in the process; with the paint bucket
tool it allowed myself to change each individual rectangle to whatever colour I wanted, this was very
beneficial when wanting to reflect the colour scheme in every feature on the cover; now
acknowledging the rectangle tool, this simply allowed myself in achieving any shape to whatever
dimensions I required, which was in fact very necessary when wanting to be creative and effective in
designing these different components; and most finally the eraser tool, which gives the ability to
accurately remove sections of the selected layer, something that is significantly important when
wanting to change something very sufficiently to whatever extent I adhere.
Furthermore, when acknowledging the main background image, no tools located along the side
overlaying panel had been incorporated under the alterations to make to image much more
aesthetically attractive and enticing, instead the drop down window selection ‘Image’ and then
following into ‘Adjustments’ had been selected upon having already highlighted the image within the
layers section; by doing this process, it offered a range of configurations from which I had used
within my work, these consisting of brightness/contrast, changing the levels of shadowing in present
objects and overall illumination of the caption, hue/saturation, which develops and signifies specific
colours within the image, vibrance, that brings out the different colours and makes it more vivid
within the illustration, and most finally colour balance, which similarly makes a specific colours stand
out more, yet to a much finer detail. Additionally, it is also important to signify that these various
amount of changeable features within the single image help define certain aspect within the caption
(the sun, rocky surfaces, and sky), all of which makes it much more engaging and appreciable
throughout my audience, captivating and persuading themselves to follow alongside the rand
names, evidently being effective as a promotional technique within this very contradicting industry.
Thoughts:When constructing the backing and most significant aspects for the publication
‘SNAP’ (masthead & background), I strongly evoke the feeling that I have sufficiently completed this
to the top of my ability; the masthead has been generated to a professional, yet also appealing form
within our current time period and audiences, and the main background illustration has been edited
to a suitable amount, not overworking it, but just right for the allotted details within the source.

4. Processes – Front Cover #2
What have I Done: Today, remarking the following processes of my publication
‘SNAP’ along the production phase/week, I had endured on constructing more recognisable and
stereotypical features from the magazine cover, from which I can then develop other aspects,
including headings, images and information, to help reflect the genre of the publication and make it
much more engaging and persuasive throughout my audience in the purchasing this source of
entertainment and knowledge; these aspects, from which are easily recognisable in comparison to
the previous form of the cover in the image beside, consist of including a barcode (bottom left),
price (bottom right), branding identity (top middle) and rectangular divide (bottom section). Upon
identifying the barcode, price and branding identity behind the creation of the magazine, these all
reflect relatability throughout their audience and comparing magazines in the industry, whilst also
supporting aspects around our current era. Originally, through the use of these previously
mentioned features located on the cover, they are often referred towards other comparing
publication in the media industry, holding the stereotype around features and necessary inclusions
of content, this both is informative to general knowledge around purchasing the magazine, offers a
sense of action (conforming towards AIDA further), and is relatable to the wider audience of people
whom may not be initially interested around this genre of entertainment; and most finally, they also
hold some reference towards the current era of time, as the barcode suggests technological
advances, alongside reasonings behind including the branding identity, for promotion is crucial as
well as the price similarly. Furthermore, now in recognition of the bottom rectagonal bar at the
bottom of the page, this both makes the colour scheme that is present much more consistent across
the cover, and holds a divide between sources.