Stage 2: Adding the mast head

After editing my picture to create the final image I wanted, it came to designing my mast head as the main logo for the magazine, something that would make it iconic and interesting for the reader.
After adding in a new layer to my image, and with the use of www.dafont.com I could browse at the different designs I could use. I originally wanted a style that looked hand drawn to go with the creative and informal theme of the magazine. I though styles that looked like American university banners would fit well, especially as that writing would fit with the age range the magazine will be made for. Here were the main few id selected as possibility's:

However I'm not very good with Photoshop and so when I put each of the previous fonts in the image, they came out pixelated. Instead I chose a simpler design, Bitchen by Thomas Canale, to see if this wouldn't distort them as much. I then realised the thing that would prevent the pixelating is to just press enter so I left the simpler design on there to see how it looks.



 
After putting both my original choice and the experimental choice together, I decided that I preferred the font that I had picked randomly! I feel that the original one was too harsh against the soft edited image, and that the new one worked much better. its rounded ends and thin lines shape well with the soft edges of the photo, keeping its delicate yet interesting look.

 
So after deciding on the new font I made it large to fit the page. Normally other magazine brands pick a colour from the image and use it to colour the mast head, however I thought black would keep the simplicity of the cover, with the curly writing and main image enough to grab the readers attention. I placed the mast head at the top with a few centimetre gap, making sure when its printed there is no run off. Therefore I had finished creating my initial design for my college magazine!

Stage 1: Using photoshop on my image

After taking numerous pictures in different positions I finally found the photo that suited the style of magazine. this picture clearly displayed a model looking like the typical college student, with the relaxed posed to make it casual as well as the folder to show some formality and recognition of she still being in education.I then put it into Photoshop to start editing. Firstly, I increased the hue and saturation to give a bolder colour that would stand out more, followed by increasing the brightness and contrast to make it seem lighter and slightly faded, giving a more delicate and fresh touch.

 

The next thing I wanted to do was to remove the background. I originally thought to use the stamp clone tool and make the whole background yellow like the wall, but in the end I thought it would be better to get rid of it al together. I started to use the magic wand tool, which although worked to a certain extent, didn't edit the bits I wanted it to.it kept picking up on the wrong bits and gave a rough edge which I didn't want. Therefore I used the lasso tool which worked much better to remove the excess and give me the plain background with a smooth edge I wanted.

I then started to experiment with colour for the background. I first chose a red that matched the folder she was holding, using the colour catch tool. By using the paint bucket I could fill the whole background in one. However this didn't really look very good as some of the image had been lost when making it brighter, giving it a rough edge. Also the colour was too bold for the background and overpowered the main image.

Instead I changed it to a light peachy colour, not unlike the models skin tone. This worked better as it made her the main focus of the magazine with the missing edge of the shirt less visible. It also gives a lighter mood to the magazine that I preferred. By then playing round with the different editing tools I decided to use the smudge tool around the edge of the image to make it seem she was coming out from the background as if a misty effect.

I then decided to use the dodge tool around the edge of the figure as well, making the lines around her blend into the peachy background even more. This way some parts were hard to see where the image stopped and the background started, which was something I wanted to achieve.
Before:

 After:

The use of the dodge tool makes the main image almost glow, softening the edges to give the photo a fresh and bright feel.

Overall I like how my picture eventually came out. Even though I'm not very good at Photoshop this gave me good experience to experiment with the different tools and see what works well with what. I'm glad I got rid of the background as keeping it may have made it look less professional, and the peachy colour is defiantly more eye catching. Also by changing it to a red it would have given more focus to the background rather that the image itself, as well as making it harder to see the text I would put on it later. Moreover, it may have come across as a different type of magazine, and no longer look like a college magazine so changing it was the right thing to do. I also like how well the image 'glows' off the page, really standing out as something fresh, which is what the magazine is entirely about; new music, films, jobs and things that interest the college student.

Magazine Research & Design

When thinking about my own design for a college magazine I wanted to look at magazines already being published, to see what techniques, styles and images they used to attract their audience. It was good to look at all different types to see how they differ and what is most common in each of them. This way I could start collecting ideas to create a front cover that related to my audience profile and that would be appropriate for a college magazine.

Questionnaire Analysis

 

Audience Profile for my College Magazine

From the data I collected this was the main summary of images that represented their answers!

Questionnaire on College Magazine

My first step on creating a college magazine was to make a questionnaire. I did this so I could collect information as to what people of my age or older would like to see in a college magazine, whether it was new films or music around at the moment or events and information relating to the college itself. This also let me see the publishing times and price that people would prefer. This questionnaire then gave me the information to create an audience profile.

'Downtown' by Calvin Klein

This advert was created by director David Fincher, including Rooney Mara as the main icon for the new fragrance by Calvin Klein.

 The use of black and white filming captivates the audience and gives a classic and elegant feel to a selection of modern everyday scenes. With the lack of any special effects, bold titles or catchy slogans, the advert gives centre focus to Rooney, with her simple movements and looks enough to enthral you in the scenes. The use of slow motion in the scenes gives you more time to take in what she’s doing, and how the simplest movement of objects is exaggerated to make both her actions and everything around her more momentous.

 When I watched this for the first time the thing that caught my eye was the fashion and dramatic attention on simple things, a normal characteristic seen in perfume adverts. However some people may not see this as an obvious advert for Calvin Klein, and instead recognise her as “the sexy woman from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", making it more memorable for its model rather than the product itself. Using a provocative woman like this not only shows that this perfume makes you more attractive, but captivates a male’s attention and so widens the audience.

The main idea represented from this advert is that the product not only gives you charm and elegance in the everyday routine you endure, but that it almost changes you into a celebrity. However it is not over the top with flaunting a showbiz lifestyle, as you see Rooney’s almost ordinary side with her childish appreciation to a cute puppy and care free dancing with two other children. This makes the audience feel that this product may give them a celebrity quality, yet not change ones attitude that overwhelming showbiz may bring. Therefore the audience feel they can relate to the advert so think that the product is the right one for them.

This advert has been broadcasted to show that the exciting qualities of being famous can be achieved in everyday life with the simple use of the product.

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