Interview • Studying an existing Interview

Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels

 

Storyboard Recreation

 

In order to find some inspiration for my target audience interview I drew a recreation of Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels interview. This allowed me to see how a professional interview is constructed and to use inspiration for my own interview.

Recce

Questionnaire

Deconstruction • InStyle Cover

Pitch • Website

Photoshoot • 19.09.2014

I carried out a photo shoot in Hetton Park. I chose this location to take some of my images as since the theme of my magazine is going to be the season autumn therefore the autumn feel with  be projected through the whole mise-en-scene of these images as well as through the model herself.

I used a specific costume style using fashionable, in trend autumn clothing using the brands which my target audience have stated they like. I have also used various poses, body language and facial expressions to connote a confident and happy young woman as well as the denotation  of fashionable clothing. I have also chosen these poses to allow the model to blend well with the environment and look comfortable in it.

However I did find some limitations with choosing this location for a photo shoot as I struggled for lighting due to the shading from the greenery and the time of years weather. This left the images being very pixelated and not of a good quality, therefore I would be reluctant to use them within my ancillary tasks.

MODEL - KAI STOREY

Flat Plan • Billboard

This is my initial flat plan for my billboard. I plan to make it fairly simple as this would allow the text to stand out more to the audience. This will also allow the images to catch the audience eye and therefore pull their attention towards the billboard.

     The dominant color of the flat plan will be pink as I plan to use this color in the background but also feature it within the main image. I chose to use this specific color as it is my target audience favorite color therefore it will appeal to them and attract them to the billboard with such a drastic splash of it.

     The only text I plan on using is the companies name and their website URL as this would allow it to stand out to the audience but also connote its importance since it is the only text used. I will make these two pieces of text different sizes with the companies name being the largest piece of text on the billboard as this will be what the audience should take from it. And the website URL a lot smaller but still a reasonable size to make it easy for the audience to see and will also jump out to them on the billboard.

     The miss-en-scene of the billboard will be fairly blank besides the bright pink triangles in the background. This will also be the main convention of the magazine which will stand out in being the initial feature which will attract the audience to the billboard. This will also show me challenging conventions as normally it isn't the background which initially draws the audience to a billboard but either the text or the main image. I believe this would be a good idea as this large blast of pink across the billboard will be very eye-catching but there is also the fact that the target audiences favorite color is pink and this will also connote femininity to the billboard relating to Barthes' theory.

     The images on this billboard will be will be a reflection of the same image at each side. This will be intriguing to the audience as this conventionally will look unnatural. I will edit this image so that there is no background creating an even flow between the triangles and the image. I will also edit the image to erase any blemishes or creases in her clothing. I will use a young model as this will also give a connection to the target audience and allow her to act as an inspiration to them. I will dress this model in trendy, young, street style clothing to fit with my chosen sub genre from fashion. I will use bright lighting to create a good quality high key image as this will allow it to compete with the other dominant bright colors on the billboard and allow it to emerge from them and stand out.

Recreation • Front Cover

ORIGINAL ELLE COVER

I chose to recreate this specific front cover as it is one of my inspirations for existing magazines. It is also a fashion magazine and it al also currently very successful in the market. I also like the font which is used on this cover, the pose and facial expression of the model as it connotes confidence and power. This gives a good representation by using this as the main image on the cover.

RECREATION

To recreate this front cover I started by taking the main image. I did this in a photography studio as this is also where the original covers main image was taken to generate such a flawless looking image. I attempted to match the pose from the original which turned out to be challenging to place the hands in the correct positions and also to find the correct angle for the tilt of her head. I do however think I did quite a good job to position my model to pull off  similar looking pose. I dressed my model in a grey knitted jumper to match the original to the best of my ability.

     For the text I used dafont.com to find the majority. I did find it quite difficult to find a text which was alike for all of the fonts since there is quite a lot on the page. Nevertheless I do think I did a good job finding similar fonts throughout the cover(especially with the top half of the magazine). There were some cases that when I make the text smaller it became pixelated and hard to read which would have to be fixed in order to make the magazine look professional.

     If I was to create this cover again I would pay more attention to detail with the font styles and size and when creating the pose of the main image. I would also do moe editing on the main image as I did not do a god job at erasing the background as there is still an uneven boarder surrounding the image which is visible when overlapping the masthead. If I was also to edit the image I would be able to perfect any floors or remove any visible fly away hairs.



Recreation • Billboard

ORIGIONAL BURBERRY BILLBOARD

 

I chose this billboard as it fits with my theme of fashion and I believe it looks chic, professional looking and has a well edited finish. In my opinion it also promotes the brand well and the product which they are selling (eyewear).

 

RECREATION

 

To recreate this billboard I started by taking the main image as this is the base of the billboard with the other conventions beside it. I took this image in a photography studio as this is also how the image for the original billboard was taken. I also tried to match the sunglasses with those from the original which I belie I have done quite well with them both being an Avatar style therefore looking very similar. I tried to position my model to the best I could to match the pose of the originals. This was fairly simple however it proved quite a challenge to find the correct angle which the head should be lifted. I couldn't however find a model which matched the hairstyle of the originals and I do not currently have the editing abilities to erase the reflection shown on the sunglasses or smoothen the edges of the image.

 

     For the text I think I did fairly well finding a similar font to the originals. I used the font Modern No. 20. The main disadvantage to using this text I found was when I made the text smaller it became pixelated and quite unclear.

 

     If I was to create this billboard again I would use a grey backdrop when taking the images in the photography studio as this would remove the need to edit out the background of the image and create a more professional and flawless looking main image.

 



Image Practice

Taking photos in a photography studio.

     These are several of the images I took while practicing my skills in a professional photography studio.
     I believe these images turned out well with an excellent HD quality which show off both the clothing and the model, this fits with the magazines purpose which is to promote fashionable clothes to young adults. By using this location I am also able to take professional looking images for my magazine which therefore would allow my magazine to compete with those already on the market. With the white background I will be able to edit the images with ease and allow me to fit them in well to my magazine.
     After using this studio I have decided that this would be a good location to take the actual images for my magazine. It will give my images a clean and flawless look which will fit in well with my magazine as I am planning to create it looking fresh and original.

Model Confirmation

This shows proof of me asking and confirming my chosen models who will be included in my regional fashion magazine. I chose these individuals specifically as they correspond with my target audience, they are all young attractive females within the age range of my target audience (young adults) who also themselves love fashion. Therefore they are more likely to make a connection with the audience and appeal to them more.

*To Do Improvements • Blog Peer Assessment

This is the 'To Do List' I created based on the findings of my peer assessment. I added all of the advice I was given on how I could improve the quality of my blog. This will allow me to keep track of what I have completed and what is still to do (just one example of how I am planning to keep organised and up to date with my media coursework). This is also a way I will show how I am acting on my feedback.

Peer Assessment • Research on Blog

 

During class I carried out a peer assessment on what my peers thought of my blog at that point. To carry out this assessment I asked my class members to view my blog and its contents to give me both good points and advice on how they believe I could improve. The method I used to retrieve this data was 'Two Stars and a Wish' these were some of the comments I retrieved:

 

Two Stars

• Good posts; use of multi-media means it is visually interesting
• Really like the use of Pinterest and Prezi
• Research is really detailed and well set out
• The detail in your blog is great and everything is in an order that means you have put in a lot of thought
• Your blog is media rich, I found it easy to read
• Excellent deconstructions with a lot of detail and understanding

WISH

• More detail into conventions. Are you challenging or complimenting and why
• Have you thought of including more imagery and examples to go with your flat plans
• Have you thought of creating a post for deadlines and time management
• Maybe describe why those brands inspire you and what you'll take from them
• Have you thought about recreations
• Explain how you plan to use your inspirations in relation to your own work

By carrying out this assessment and reviewing my results it has aloud me to see the constructive criticism from my classmates in order for me to incorporate them into changing and improving my blog. This helps me see what an examiner would also like to see and also what would make my blog more entertaining for the viewer.
     After reading my results I will make a checklist of the advice for my improvements as I ill them be able to tick them off once they have been completed.

Billboard Research

Target Audience • Consideration

This is a basic draft of my target audience and secondary audience showing some of the things they are interested in and what they will like. By doing this i am able to start to acknowledge what should be included in my magazine and base some of my planning around the audiences interests to therefore allow my magazine, website and billboard to appeal to them.

Possible Masthead Names

Flat Plan • Double Page Spread

This is my design for the double page spread. For the left page I plan to insert the large main image as this will be dramatic and dominant over the page which will attract the audience to the page. And on the left page I am going to create a collage look where i will make a montage of both text and images as this will fit a lot more information on the page and will also be more entertaining to the audience as with their age rands it is proven that they are more attracted to images opposed to a lot of texts. There is also the fact that it is a fashion magazine which mean stat there should be an image of the clothing which is being promoted to back up the text.

I am going to use the method white on back for the headline as i believe this will allow it to stand out amongst all of the text and images throughout the collage on the page. I have also chosen to split it into three sections as this will make it larger and therefore will leave a more powerful impact on the page.

I will also use text wrap around the main image on the left page as this will create a more compact look of the pages together and take up more spare space.

Flat Plan • Contents Page

 

This is the initial flat plan for the contents page. I have incorporated the conventional aspects but also added some of my own ideas to make it original and to give the magazine a USP.

     For instance I will create a collage look on the title. The masthead will act as the background with the title (contents) and date overlapping it. This will be unique to this magazine but will also confine a lot of information about the page and magazine in one small section. This will also give the page a busier look which will appeal to the target audience as if the contents page looks clustered with information it will convey that so is the magazine thus it will be good value for money. This is also the reason why I added a background image around the left and bottom corner of the page.

     I included the companies website URL on the page also as this will promote it and as it is also an important part of my A2 coursework. Thus linking the two pieces together.

     The text styles and colour scheme of the page will be later confirmed after I have taken my images as I will match the colour scheme with the shades on the image to link the image and page together and to create a smooth flow of the page.

Flat Plan • Front Cover

This is my initial plan for the front cover of my regional fashion magazine. I have chosen to include various conventions which I believe would help attract and appeal to my target audience.
    
All of the cover lines and other conventions will surround the main image creating a text wrap format. This will insinuate that the main image is the most significant feature of the cover connoting that the article in which it is representing is also very important in the magazine. There is also the fact that the main image will be the feature which stands out the most on the page to make a dramatic effect on the audience when attracting them to the magazine itself.

I have decided to make the puff the price of the magazine as this will be an effective promotion for the magazine as the price shown will be fairly cheep to connote that the magazine is good value for money and that the audience are getting a bargain if they purchase it. I will also set the background of this puff as a contracting colour to the rest of the page to allow it to have the maximum impact in standing out.

In the bottom third quarter section of the page I plan to use various sub images and creating a collage on top of a montage of leaves to fit with the autumn theme. This will also create a more compact feel to the cover and give the impression that since the cover is busy and packed with information then this will also correspond with the contents of the magazine. For this reason also is why I have created such a packed front cover full of conventions which will be appealing to the audience being more entertaining and attractive to look at.

Time Management • September Schedule

Possible Models

This video shows the individuals I have carefully selected for the possibility to be my models for my Regional Fashion Magazine. Each of these models are young attractive females which corresponds with the target audience, therefore they will be able to relate to them and consequently appeal to them.