Production log

I have now completed my creative journey, I believe that since I begun it I have learnt a lot about the processes involved when making a magazine. I found some of the pages difficult to complete which has given me a lot of respect for the people who make magazines as a job. I have realised how much thought and planning would have to go into creating a successful magazine which did a good job at targeting am audience and appealing to them.

Question 8

Question 7 from jackcooney

Question 6

Question 5

Question 4

Evaluation Q.3 from jackcooney

Research and Planning Marks

Level 3 (Proficient): 14/20

Add questionnaire results, DPS analysis, delete some final photos and discuss, add picture for reader profile, add production schedule

Change posts to correct order

Also post production logs and comments/discussion for each task.  

Production Log

Now that I have finished all my pages I will move on to my evaluation. My evaluation will consist of eight questions about my magazine and its properties and how effectively I have met the goals of a magazine.

I will keep this as my final double page spread as I think it has a very professional look to it and there isn't anything I want to change about the magazine. I like the large title I have used and the different fonts I have used in the title. I think it makes them stand out and look good. the main picture I think has been taken very well. It is conventional to have one main image in one page of the double page spread and i like the setting as well as the position I have put my main model in. 

This how I have changed my front cover. I'm still not happy with picture I used in the front cover so I think I will take the picture again as the resolution is not good and the way it is put onto the magazine makes it look unprofessional. another thing I am not happy with is my masthead. Although I like what I have done with the font and how I have edited it, the masthead doesn't stand out or look good and I think changing it to a different font which goes across the page will suit the magazine better. As well as this the page also looks quite empty so I will add some more cover lines to fill in the page and make it look more professional. 

There is a lot that I want to change with the contents page. I like the picture at the bottom which I have cropped out of the real picture and the way the words fit around the end of the guitar. I also like the picture at the top right of the page however the shadow of the foot has bee cut off and this makes the picture look unprofessional. I think in my final version of the magazine I will remove this picture and add a new one of a different person. I will have one main image in my contents page and include the smaller image of Jordan in the bottom left corner. 

I will follow the conventions of a magazine contents page more by giving the information at the side a better layout and I think I will also remove the grey background I have included and replace it with a plain white background however I will still use the same colour of font to keep up the colour scheme. 

I plan to change the masthead at the top of the page I believe the layout I have given it doesn't look very professional and not what would be expected of a normal magazine I will replace this with the new masthead I will be putting on the front cover of the magazine and I will keep the 'contents' but I will remove the white colour surrounding it. 

the final problem I have with the magazine is the picture and article in the middle of the left side of the page. it stands out and looks out of place and this also gives the magazine an unprofessional image. I will get rid of this and replace it with one main image which takes up around a quarter of the space of the page.

This is my first attempt at making the front page of the music magazine. I had a lot of trouble to start with and so I decided to try again. firstly I do not like the picture I have taken. around some of the edges it has not been cut out properly. I have now improved my Photoshop skills so I wont make the same mistakes again with this. the main problem I had which caused me to start again is the size of the page. It is not a perfect A4 sized picture which is major problem as the image would have to be stretched and squashed in different areas to make the image perfectly fit the page which would distort the size the of the image and make it look less professional. I came to the decision to restart the magazine before I was able to insert the masthead although there would have been limited space for it and I would most likely have to squash it making much too small. I like the background I used in the cover and the way the lighting is brighter in one place and gets darker around the bottom. This is something I will try to use in my final front page.

Another problem I have with the front cover is the picture and the way the guitar is cut off at the end. In my final page I don't think I will be able to use a picture of a guitar unless it is in a vertical position because otherwise it would be hard to fit in the picture.

Original copy for double page spread planning

Double page spread- In 2011 after winning 2 Grammy’s and being voted the UK’s best rock band, Lost At Sea announced that they were taking a break however after two and a half years singer and lead guitarist Matt Harlow tweeted that he would be making his own solo album. And now after half a year the twelve track album is about to be released. We’ve interviewed Matt after a photo-shoot about the album and whether the band will continuing and what his views and experiences were with making the album.

So Matt, what was it like playing live without the band?
Well obviously at first it was strange... I’m usually always relying on James, our drummer to count us in so it was awkward, I suppose without him. Although it just meant I had to really practice hard. I always make sure I put on a really good show, that’s the most important thing to me, making sure the fans have a really good time.

Yeah, of course. So why did you decide to make a solo album without the rest of the band?
Well, it was never my idea to take a break. I always love producing music and playing in front of big crowds and I’d already done nothing for 2 years and even in that time I was still always coming up with ideas so I thought I couldn’t stay at home doing nothing any longer so I just going to the studio and recording.

Ok, that’s very interesting. So how do you think this album compares to the rest of your music with the band?
Well the band always had a certain style and we changed it a bit but we usually ended up producing the same kind of sounds, but I mean without the boys I thought it would be more appropriate if I made something completely different and I’ve always been a fan of old jazz music so as I’m sure you can hear I combined some of that with the traditional rock which I would create with the band and I think it created something really good and also really original.

Great, so what should the fans expect from this new album?
Well they should prepare for something really new, and really different to anything else out there. Overall I’m fairly certain this would get a positive response. I can’t really compare it to the previous songs I made with lost at sea but I personally prefer this style and it really is purely me and my ideas without the influence of the others.

Well I’ve listened to the single and I thought it was great! But is this the only solo album you’ll be making or can we expect more on the way?
  Well although I really am very proud of what I was able to produce by myself and how different I could sound without the others my place really lies with rest of the band you know and I think now we’ve had a long enough break away from each other and I’m sure within the next year or so we’ll come back together and just start making music and playing gigs.

 Oh, so have you arranged to meet up with them again and start writing?
 It’s not like we’ve set a date on it although we all go out together and spend a lot of time with each other. Some of the guys have families to commit to especially Daniel who recently became a father so we have other stuff to be doing but we’re all fairly sure that soon we’ll be back on the road.

Yes, it’s good to know we have there is a future for Lost At Sea. Now tell us a bit about you tour and what we can expect. 
As I’m sure you know the one thing I love to use in a show is a lot of fire and as many stunts to get the crowd as excited and jumpy as I can. I just really want the fans to have an amazing night so obviously that’s something to expect. I also will be coving a couple songs, I won’t reveal which ones yet but we’ve practiced them, I’ve put my own spin on them and I think they sound great and I think in the future I will be hoping to make a studio recording of them and as well as that if it wasn’t enough I will also be performing every song from the album so the fans should expect a really long exciting show with lots of fire and explosions.

Sounds like it going to be great! Is there anywhere you’re specifically looking forward to playing at?
Yes! I’m going to be playing at Wembley stadium! Playing in front of a large crowd really gives you an amazing buzz and it will be the biggest show on the tour. I’m obviously sure the seats won’t sell out but I’m hoping and praying they do because this will be a show I think a lot of people will be talking about for a long time.

Well I already have tickets so I look forward to seeing you there.
Oh really, that’s great I look forward to seeing you too aha, are you on the seated rows or on the ground?

Oh I’m standing on the ground of course, I have to get as close to the action as I can you know. So was this album hard to produce without the others help?
Well I wouldn’t say it was hard but it certainly took longer. Usually we would all come together and Daniel would come up with a riff on guitar or a few chords and then we’d all add things around it and then a tune and lyrics. So I wouldn’t say it was hard like I didn’t get any writers block or I wasn’t ever stuck for ideas but it certainly took longer to create without their input but I am more proud of this than I have been of any other album I’ve created.

 That’s good to hear, well that sums up everything, it was a pleasure meeting you Matt, I look forward to seeing you on the 12th of May at Wembley. 
Thank you, I look forward to seeing you at the show as well.

To book tickets to see Matt Harlow’s live tour go to the website at www.DistortionMagazine/MattHarlowLive.co.uk or to win tickets or for the chance of winning tickets to see the Wembley performance go to our Facebook or Twitter page, fill out the form and you could be seeing Matt perform his new album seated at Wembley. Also to hear about more upcoming events go to our website or subscribe to our magazine.

Plan Sketches For Front Cover and Double Page Spread

 This is my front cover design, I have decided to use one main image of a band member and I put the title of the band in the large name of the band. at the top of the page I have a masthead at the top of the page and a smaller picture in the bottom of the page. The page follows conventions of a magazine with the main image which stands out and then has the adverts and title.

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 For the double page spread I put one main image of the whole band and then I used boxes for text around the main image. On one hand i think this is a good layout because it includes a large picture surrounded by text which is typical of a magazine although the layout has problems as the picture goes over the line between the two pages. I think i will make a new draft which includes a different layout with the text on one page and then a main image on the other page.

Production Log

After taking some of the pictures for my I really like some of the ones I took. I decided to take a lot of pictures for the magazines of the people in different positions so I could use the best ones. the best picture I took was of Ben holding a guitar whilst in the air. I thought this was a perfect position and I managed to catch him perfectly without the camera blurring any part of him. as well as taking pictures I also modeled for people in their pictures using my own costume and the costumes which were given to me by others. I really believe I took some very good pictures and that I will achieve a high mark for the photography section of what we are being marked on.

Production Log

Today I took the pictures which I would use to make my front cover, contents page and double page spread. I decided to bring in a leather jacket and skinny jeans which I would use because its a rock magazine and these clothes are often associated with rock music. I used music equipment which was available at the school. These props I used were a guitar amplifier and an electric and acoustic guitar. I used 2 actors today however I will also use another one in the next session. I will use another actor in the next session because I have to use 5 different pictures and I want to use a variety of different artists in the contents page.

Pictures For My Magazine

This I the first set of picture I have taken. They are only of two people at the moment so I will have to take more in the future but for now I am satisfied with pictures that I have. my favorite of these pictures is the one which contains Ben jumping in the air with guitar as I was able to take it while he was in the air. Hopefully I will be able to use a few of the pictures and I will take my next ones in a different setting so I can have a variation of people in the pictures.

Front Cover Analysis

This is the front cover of Kerrang magazine. It has a colour scheme of grey, white and yellow. The yellow and white is also used throughout the magazine. The masthead of the magazine is very large and white. The font used is very rough and gives an effect that makes the letters look like they've been shattered. It also stands out from the rest of the magazine. The colours of the letters stand out against the grey. All the letters are big, and the unique font which is used with every issue of the magazine it makes the font recognisable.

The main cover line stands out from the other words, it has a separate unique font and is almost as big as the masthead's font size. The other words are highlighted in different colours to make them stand out it also gives the magazine its own look which is not common in some other magazines. Highlighting them makes them stand out to the reader so it is clear from the cover what the reader can expect will be inside.

The magazine has cover 3 pictures in total, the main image takes up the majority of the page it is one musician who stands out to people and will be easily recognisable. The guitar makes him look like a rock star along with the costume he is wearing which is a dark, rough looking suit which has not been put on in a very smart way. The makeup and dyed black hair gives him the typical conventions and image which a rock star would have. The other smaller picture shows a band who is featured on the inside of the magazine.

Front Cover Analysis

this is Q magazine, although they don't always do rock in this addition of the magazine they have changed their usual style and created more of a rock vibe to the magazine. the masthead is larger than it usually is on their magazines and they have added an effect where the Q looks like the artist from muse has smashed the masthead with his guitar. the smashed up letter is typical of a rock magazine. Kerrang also use rough and broken looking letters in their mastheads as it created a hard rock look. the colour scheme also consists of basic dark colours. this again is conventional of a rock magazine as the music is often associated with dark meanings so bright colours would not fit in well.


the colours also help to make the image stand out. it gives a very 3D like effect to the magazine and the writing which is either highlighted white or is white, stands out and is easy to read. the Artist who is Matt Bellamy from the rock band Muse, is also represented in a typical rockstar way. he is wearing tight trousers which are common for rockstars to wear along with a very unique looking leather jacket. The electric guitar also helps the audience to instantly recognise him as a rockstar as the guitar is an instrument used in many rock songs and so an audience who didn't recognise the musician would be able to tell it was a rock magazine with a rock star on the front. Matt Bellamy is also well placed on the magazine. He is big but not too big that he takes up almost the entire space of the page with his whole body being shown while leaving enough space for writing.

the words on the side of the magazine are also typical of any magazine. the follow the conventions through using thick letters and standing out against the background. The letters also fit along with colour scheme of white and red as there is a red line beneath them.

Contents Page Analysis

This contents page is by Kerrang. The masthead is big and bold and goes across the page. it stands out with its bright colours and large text. The kerrang logo is written in their rough broken looking font and along the right there is a list of all the things in the contents page.

There is one main image on the front cover of the magazine and a large space for that image. At the bottom there are smaller images which have numbers so people can know which page they can find the information about them on. The main picture of the person stands out because it is much bigger than the others ans the girl is standing against a plane grey background. At the bottom of the page there is a small article which has been signed.

In the corner of the magazine there is an advert and above this is where all the pages are. They are labelled about what is found in them. the labels at the top keep to the main colour scheme of yellow and black. and the background is white so all the writing sticks out. 

Contents Page Analysis

This is a Metal Hammer contents page. The masthead is in an old styled font which was commonly used on the album artwork of early metal bands and is still used today by some bands with an old metal vibe. It stands out as it is black against a white background. and the logo of the magazine is used above it in the font which they have throughout the magazine making it more recognisable. There are two columns, on one there are the pages which contain things which are specially featured in the magazine and in the other there is the things which are usually featured in the magazine.

There are a lot of pictures on the page and buy each picture there is the page number to where you can find the page with the artist on. there is also another picture which has reviews written on it. Some of the pictures are much larger than others and stand out more so readers can see them. they are also the most popular musicians who the buyers of the magazine will want to read about the most.

The page also gives a little bit of information about what is on each page which is conventional of all styles of magazines. The colour scheme is black and red. Both these colours connote bad and evil things and this style of music is often associated with darkness and some bands try to appear as evil with their image and lyrics in the music.

Production Log

Now that I have finished my research and planning I have an idea of what I want my pages to look like. There would be three pages in my project. I will first make a front cover to my magazine where I will try to follow the regular conventions of a rock magazine as much as possible while still being able to make the magazine suitable for my target audience of teenagers and young adults ages 15 to 21. I will be using Photoshop to make my pages and hopefully I will find it easy to use.

Analysis of Artists

This is a picture of the alternative/ punk rock band Green Day, they are in the same genre which I will be using in my magazine. The costume they are wearing is generally the same and typical of the rock genre. The colours are all very dark and they are wearing shirts and suit although these don't look smart, there is a very rough image given from the band. For my pictures I am aiming use the same kind of image in my pictures.

This picture is also of a rock band who would be the kind of band to go onto my magazine, they have their instruments with them which is usually seen in pictures of magazines. I will also use this by putting the band members in my music magazine with their instruments. I will use a range of different instruments with different people although all of them will fine into the rock genre. I will use acoustic guitars which are typical or a rock genre as well as electric guitars and electric basses. the costume which muse are wearing is also different to what green day were wearing, their costume is much more smart than Green Day's however it is also very unique and not what is normally seen being worn by someone in the rock genre. smart clothes can sometimes be seen but the clothes they are wearing have very unique designs. Although this is not a convention it be a good idea to use this as it will give the band a very unique look which will stand out and be recognisable.

Title Block Analysis

This is a title block for NME music magazine which also writes about the same genre which I am using for my magazine. The letters are large and stand out against the pictures used in the magazine and with a colour scheme of red, white and black which is typical for the genre. The title block is also easy to recognise by others. Its short name is easy to remember and this makes it recognisable.

This title block is of kerrang magazine, this is also the same genre which I will be using for my magazine. It has typical conventions other title block in the rock and metal genre. The words are large and stand out the font is also very unique. the broken rough look gives it a dangerous and this suits the vibe of the music as it rock and metal are usually associated with this kind of look.

This title block is from Q magazine which writes about alternative rock and indie rock although it does also talk about pop which I will not use for my magazine but it uses a very recognisable title block and has a good design which is typical of the alternative rock genre like the one which has been used in the NME magazine its simplicity and colour make it easy to remember and stand out against the other magazines.

Analysis of a Double Page Spread

This is a double spread front Kerrang magazine who target the same audience as my magazine. There are some very clear conventions present in this magazine. to begin with there is one main image of one artist who is posing on the left page. Next to him there is a large title which has letters in different font sizes and colours. The font is highlighted and takes up more than one third of the page. 

The main article is an interview with artist. The things the interviewer says are highlighted so they stand out making it easy for the reader to understand who is saying what. There are three columns of text which I have seen used a lot in double page spreads and the first letter in the article is larger than all the rest which is something I have also seen commonly used in double page spread magazines.  

The background of the double page spread has a grey image with white dots around the edges and these are some white dots in the middle around the words. This makes the magazine background look less plane. I believe that this effect is very good and the magazine would be less professional without it. 

I will definitely try to use some of these conventions in my magazine although I want my magazine to be different so I will try also break some of the conventions of the magazine as I want it to be unlike other magazines.

Reader Profiles

Distortion reader profile- Distortion is for teenagers aged 13-19, it also may have smaller audiences a few years above or below these ages. As well as having an online website it has a magazine which has all the information teens want to know about their favourite bands. It’s for teenagers who love going to gigs and seeing their favourite bands perform and go to lots of gigs, the target audience is both male and female and teens who are really into their music and want to hear the new releases of every band they like as well as knowing all the information they can about their favourite bands and artists.