1. E7: Looking back at your preliminary task (the school magazine task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product? Photography: The use of photography on my college magazine was quite mediocre, as I only took a few shots then found one I liked. There was no set location, lighting, shadow or props. However when it came to taking photos for the music magazines, we got taught and used a wider range of tools. I used a white background to take the photograph of the model on, as it meant if I wanted to be another location on it, I could easily change the transition of it. I stuck with the white background though as it helped to cast shadow and lighting. The lighting was done with the aid of a soft box and a harsher lighting set which has many bulbs to make the subject brighter or darker. I made the lighting so that shadow and tone was created over half of my subjects face to create a more serious look. I also learnt about settings on the camera which could give higher pixels, auto focus, or blurring if needed. The highest pix-elation setting was used for my photographs because I wanted the detail of his expression and the colour to be really clear. I took most of the photos in portrait, seeing as this is the page set up of most music magazines, so it would fit easier, and not be stretched. Layout: I tried to keep the layout of my music magazine simple but effective. On my college magazine, the picture dominated the whole page, which made it harder for the writing to go in, especially as there were two subjects. So when it came to putting the cover together, I put the title in the middle, to draw attention first. I then made the photograph so that it was one side. This meant that I could use the other side to put in plugs and headlines. The background was white from using a blank canvas, which meant the letters could stand out more boldly instead of blending in. Having the photo on one side also meant there was room to put in a poster offer. I decided to put that in the bottom left hand side because I felt that if it was not seen straight away it could be the confirmation that the reader wants to buy the magazine when they finally see it. On the contents, I put it into sections so it makes it easier for the reader to find what page they want to get to, instead of it just being boring and having it all together. I added pictures on the right hand side of them to break up the writing and give the page more animation. The double page spread has the most simple layout. I just used a picture which had editing on on one side with the title, and the interview on the other. I choose to do this style so as not to overwhelm the reader with to much going, which I noticed from research of the Q double page spread. Fonts: When doing the magazine research, I noticed that there was only 3 fonts at most used in the magazine. This is so not to make the page look messy and immature. I used Reprise Stamp for my cover, contents and dps, because I thought it was the font that helped summed up the look I was going for the most. I also used small fonts for the content titles, because the two go well together and it made a small but significant change to having one repetitive font. The only acceptation I used for different font was for when putting a band that was going to be largely featured. In that case the font that they use to advertise their band was used. The bands and artists I put with different fonts were made up, but I choose ones that would suit their band styles. Image Manipulation: Making the college magazine, I didn't edit the subject at all, just put them on. However when I started research on the magazines I came to notice that most of the artists skin and other features were flawless without looking to obvious. After I had uploaded my pictures onto photo shop, we were taught how to do these techniques ourselves. You can makes the subject look larger or smaller, change saturation, put streaks in the hair, clone parts, to name a few. On my main image, the manipulation that I done was the cloning and plaster stamp to get make his skin look smoother (as it is quite a close up shot). I also changed the hue and saturation to make the colour tone look slightly off tone. I put in more shadowing behind him, to create more depth. I found these tools very useful as they make the magazine look over all more better, as long as it isn't edited to make it look overly fake. Writing style: Looking through the magazines, I realised the style of writing they use is more informal then formal. This is so it puts the reader at ease with the magazine and it feels more conversational. I used the similar style for my magazine, but made sure not to go too informal (correct spelling no slang). I did use swearing and more appropriate words however to relate with the target audience. Adding in quotes and anecdotes helped make the magazine more light hearted and gave sneak previews to the audience on the cover. Costume and Style: For my college magazine, I didn't ask my subjects to wear a certain outfit or hairstyle, I just took a photograph of them how they were. When doing the research though, I noticed the bands and artists were wearing outfits that reflected their personality and music genre. So for my magazine, I asked my model to wear quite modern and trendy clothes and have his hair tousled even though he was representing a heavy metal band. I wanted it to show contrast and show it is a serious interview, so he it is not conforming to stereotype. He wore a Nike jacket, which is a popular sports brand, so it would appeal more to a generation who enjoy fashion. I asked him to have a serious expression as well to fit in with the mood.