Magazine Double Spread (First Attempt)

This is my first attempt at creating a double page magazine spread. It is about the way Channel 4 represent disability in both Misfits and Cast Offs. It has been created using Adobe InDesign CS4, which has specifically been created for projects like this, as it can handle large amounts of text, unlike Photoshop, which was created to handle images.


Firstly, I made a folder called ‘magazine’ in my documents. Within this folder, I created another three folders called ‘images’, ‘text’ and ‘fonts’. This is so that the text, images and fonts I used in my magazine were in a place I knew, and there wouldn’t be any broken links. Then, I set up my page.We had to measure a magazine with a ruler, and set our page widths & lengths to these sizes. The magazine we measured was 295x 210mm, so I set my page at the same size. We then had to set up the margins, this time I forget to change them, but to improve next time, I will measure up with a real magazine. The top and bottom margins are self explanitory, but the outside margins are the margins near the outer edge of the page, and the inner margins are the margins nearer the spine of the magazine. We also had to set up gutters, these are the gaps in between the columns. We used column guides so that we could create boxes to place text in, this was quite easy as the boxes snap to the column guides.

Next, I imported text from the disability essay I had already written. I placed the text in the first text box, then threaded it into the following text boxes, so that it flowed throughout the document. The font size I used was 9, as this is a rule of thumb for magazine producers. There are some gaps in the document, which I have left for pictures and quote inserts. I also used the drop cap tool, which makes the first letter of the article bigger, signalling the start of the story. I then created a masthead, which consists of white text against an orange background. I made the background orange because it fits in with the jumpsuits in the Misfits programme. I used text effects to make the masthead look more effective, these were drop shadow, outer glow and bevel & emboss.

To improve my magazine, I need to put the pictures in, as well as some quote inserts. I could also need to change the margins to fit in with that of a real magazine.

Magazine Front Cover

We created the front cover for a magazine, and the brief was to make it rebellious, and in a style similar to Kerrang or NME.

I framed the image so that the was space for sell lines down the left hand side, and also for the masthead across the top. I didn't use a tilt on my picture, but this could be a target for next time. It was easy to control the model, and I asked Chloe to pull various poses so that she looked rebellious. I controlled the eyeline so that it was in the top third of the image, which made Chloe look powerful, reinforcing the rebellious manner.

When the picture was taken, the weather was not too good, and there wasn't a great deal of natural light that could be used. I believe the picture I have used could have been made brighter with the ISO settings on the camera, but I didn't remember to use these at the time. Some problems with my image are that it is not bright enough, and the background isn't consistent as it was taken against a white door, but there is also brickwork in the picture.

I used margin guides in Photoshop so that the sell lines were in line, and made the front cover overall look much neater. I used the font Myriad Pro from Photoshop because it fits in with the style of the magazine, and is easy to read.I tried to download fonts, but they wouldn't load up onto the computer. I started a photoshop tutorial, but I didn't have the skills to complete it, but I got halfway, and I think the masthead still looks good. The tools I used weren't completely new to me,  as I have used Photoshop before, but I did learn to use the expand/contract tool to add depth to the text.

I also used a controlled colour pallette of red, black and white. I wanted to keep the colours simplistic, and these colours also match with the background. When i was creating the masthead, red seemed like a good colour to use, and therefore I also used this colour for the background of the sell lines. I didn't sample colour from the image as most of the colours in the picture were more neutral, and wouldn't have made the sell lines or masthead stand out. I used colour codes to keep the colour of the background of the sell lines consistent.

I cropped the image so that Chloe's eyeline was higher on the image, therefore making her look more powerful and rebellious.I controlled the text alignment to the left, but moved text boxes where relevant so that the text is placed in the right place. I used the shapes tool to create different size shapes, for the sell lines, as well as the main sell lines. A made the shapes different sizes, as I feel if I made them all the same size, the magazine would not look as rebellious, and would be moving further away from the style of NME or Kerrang. I made new layers for the text, and for the bar code. I copy and pasted the barcode from Google Images, and placed it in the bottom right corner.

The main sell line reads 'Chloe has a new hit single 'Sex on The Beach!', this relates to the image as she is holding a cocktail shaker, and Sex On The Beach is an infamous, well-known cocktail. The image also has connotations, as the words on her hand 'Mix It Up' are referring to music, as well as the cocktail shaker in her hand.

I have various targets for my unit 3 project. One of them is to use studio lighting rather than natural lighting, as it makes the images look much more effective, and when the image for this project was taken, the weather wasn't very good, and we had also ran out of reflectors, so we could not make the image brighter by using that either. A studio backdrop would also be a lot better than a found backdrop, as the backdrops round college do not look as professional, as others, in many other music magazines such as Kerrang or NME. We could also research and use better props, possibly buy some or bring some in from home, as wer could only use some from the box at college, and by the time we had got to the box, there was not many props left. Other photoshop techniques that I haven't used yet may also make the magazine look more effective, so I could use these. I think I could also develop my skills with a camera, and remember to use settings that effect the quality of the image, or the colours, such as shutter speeds or ISO speeds. I could also take more pictures so that I have a larger range to choose from when it comes to making the print text. Another good idea would be to work on my framing skills, to connotate different tones, and so that I don't have to crop my picture to make the magazine look effective.