Initial Ideas - Contents Page - Spider Diagram

I have begun to plan for my front cover by making spider diagrams for the Front Cover and Contents Page of the magazine.

Initial Ideas - Front Cover - Spider Diagram

I have begun to plan for my front cover by making spider diagrams for the Front Cover and Contents Page of the magazine.

Medium Close Up Shot (MCU)

Images from http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/rbgt_25.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=EDF6F2F4F969CEBDAD8E03F71D6809E4BDA432D5B9ED423A19581F762063A964 and http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/rbrs_0062.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=EDF6F2F4F969CEBD560F30E01B33C2E401BFBAE9B5183CD063989BD3CEDD0E6A

• The two photos shown above are both examples of Medium Close Up shots (or, MCU's).
• They both show the head and the shoulders of the person in the shot and are close enough to show emotion and convey feelings of the depicted person, but are far away enough to allow for dynamic angle (i.e. the man in the photo on the left) and can also be taken from angles to allow for a more interesting photo outcome (woman on the right).
• As shown in the photo on the right, they can even be adapted for magazine use (the space on the left could be used for the Main Cover Story).
• I will take things such as Text placement into account when taking photographs for my magazine cover.
  

Cover Stories

• I have learned from my research that the stories included in a magazine would obviously have to appeal to the intended audience of the publication.
• So, for my college magazine to appeal to the target audience (age range 16-18), it will have to feature stories which are relevant to the younger audience, consisting of students of the college.
• I could approach this in the manner of aiming the magazine as a whole to more specific sub-sections of my intended target audience, (i.e. female students).
• This would affect the stories featured as I would want them to be relevant to the audience, so, for example, if I was aiming the magazine at female students I would include Cover Stories such as "HPV: Harmful or Not?" and other subject matters which would be of more interest to female audiences (in this case relating to the recent H.P.V. Vaccinations).
• However, as I would liek my magazine to appeal to all, or most, of the students in the college the stories the stories I feature would have to either be directed at a much wider audience, or I could have a mixture of stories which would make the magazine as a whole appeal to the desired wider audience.
• Here are some initial ideas for stories which I could feature to appeal to a much wider range of audiences (I will add to these at a later date):

• HPV: "Both Partners Benefit"
• Bullying - Who to talk to and how to get help
• Wyke Results Wow Ofsted
• Wyke Party a Positive Success!

Target Audience

• From looking at other magazines and thinking about the institute which makes College magazine (educational establishments) I have decided that the Target Market for my college magazine is going to be people in the age range of 16-18 years old.

• I have decided that, so that most people at the college will be able to enjoy the magazine and it will be available for their needs, to make the target market gender neutral, so it will be aimed at both male and female students of the college.

• So that the magazine is more generic and will appear to a wider range of students, (and not, for example, just those who are linked with certain subjects,) I have decided that I will adapt the conventions and include features (i.e. cover stories) which would appeal to all or most of the students at the College.

• These will include information about social events linked with the college and general goings-on in and around the college.

• I will also include the college name in the title so it appeals to the students as it will cause a sense of collective pride as the people will see the college's name on something which they will hopefully view as modern and interesting and then they will feel proud to have something to do with it.

• To appeal to the younger audience i will make the 'image' of the magazine modern, colourful and make it look 'cool'. This is because I will want it to appeal aesthetically to the target audience, as if they think it looks awful they will not want to read it and therefore they will not take an interest in it even if the content would be relevant and/or of interest to them.
  

Magazine Tutorial - Paint Shop Pro

Here is a video tutorial, with information of how to make a magazine front cover in Paint Shop Pro. The same principles (i.e. tools used and methods) will be used for making the contents page.

Magazine Tutorial - Photoshop

Here is a video tutorial, with information of how to make a magazine front cover in Photoshop. The same principles (i.e. tools used and methods) will be used for making the contents page.