Peer Assessing

Aaron Eagling-Vose- 'Hidden Communities- The Canal'

Aaron's FMP is individual and looks very professional. The intro was clean and clear, as well as being unique and eye-catching. The camera shots were amazing and really beautiful, the movement made the video fillers look polished and was obviously skilfully done. Something that could be improved would be the camera shaking at various points throughout the short documentary, this could have been amended by using a tripod more often.

Another element of this video that I really like would be the very fitting music choice, this works well and compliments the clips perfectly. The editing portion of the production process comes across very sharp and has a selection of different transitions.

FMP Evaluation

My project has definitely reflected on what I originally set out to do. From the very beginning I knew I wanted to do a print magazine, as this is something that I really love. This is because I enjoy the design and layout editing element of the production process. Also the fact that I already have an interest in fashion and beauty, made it clear that it was something that I want to include within my magazine. Therefore, I came up with a high end silk-finish, print fashion magazine.

Throughout the researching stage, I developed a more detailed idea of what I wanted to do. For example I wanted to also include creative photography, as well as the more conventional fashion magazine content. I also looked into articles and advertisements that I could include within my own magazine and to gain inspiration on ideas I could use and incorporate when it comes to the production process.

I struggled with using Adobe Indesign at the start, as I was used to softwares such as Illustrator and Photoshop, which are a lot different. So I struggled with getting to grips with the basics of the software and also the keyboard shortcuts, because these are slighting different from each software, which can get quite confusing. For instance, the undo shortcuts were slightly different and even something as simple as moving an image on Indesign, was a method I had to get used too.

I really enjoyed the overall layout designing of each page and spread. This is something I have always liked, as I am a creative person and love trying new and exciting ways of displaying an article or an image. I was also keen on the photography element of the process and especially the photography editing on Photoshop. On photoshop I learnt how to enhance the eyes and change the colour, as well as skin clearing and how to make blemishes disappear. Along with the more traditional overlays and using the pen tool to cut the background out and adding my own. In this project I have used a variety of Adobe softwares including; Indesign, Photoshop and Lightroom to organise my photos and to complete some initial saturation editing.

If I were to do this project again, I would make sure that I research more on what content other similar genre magazine use and not just completely focussing on the design element of the production. Then I could have my articles written before hand, which would avoid the rush when checking grammar and spelling. Also the main thing that I would do differently, would be to organise my files better, as I had lots of pdf files named really similar and this caused me to send off the wrong cover pdf to the printers. This meant that there was a typo on the cover page! Luckily all the other pages were completed and proofed checked, it was just the cover that was the wrong pdf. Before this, I had made sure to correct my mistake on a new pdf file, therefore the spelling was amended and ready to be sent. It was only until it came to the artwork submission portion of the printing, I selected the wrong cover, that caused the problem.

However on the other hand, I am really pleased with the final product. I think it looks really professional and has a clear theme design wise, throughout. I stayed along the lines of keeping it very simple and chic and this had really paid off because it looks very high end and classic, which is how I wanted the magazine to come across. I am also really happy with the content and that I chose to add a short, separate article, as well as lots of photography and realistic adverts. Taking everything into account, I am very happy with final result and enjoyed the overall production of this project.

Final Magazine Updated- FMP

Since my last blog post on my magazine so far, I have changed and updated quite a few things design wise on most spreads. In this blog post I am going to identify what I have changed/added.

Below I have uploading images of my magazine finalised:

For example, I did not have my front cover designed and completed. Above is the final cover layout, I kept it very simple and therefore the main focus is on the image. The next point of hierarchy would be the masthead and the cover lines, which would entice the audience further. The photograph I used was black and white, as this connotes classiness and comes across very chic.

On the Imogen Cambridge article page I changed the font of the title, as I think the last font was quite hard to read and looked unprofessional. Whereas now, it ties in with the other fonts on the introduction title page and therefore is kept within a theme. It is also very clear and draws your attention to the article and gives the target audience an idea of what the questions are about.

Same here, as I used the same fonts throughout the whole magazine, which really creates a strong brand image and overall makes the magazine look a lot more organised and professional.

Above, I changed a lot of this spread as I didn't like the photo used on the previous blog reflection. I picked a more suitable image, which adds a fun element to the article and is more exciting for the target audience. As far as the opposite page, I completed re-desgined this layout and used a pull quote for a title to really draw the audience in. The background used was another picture that I took, however I made it transparent and a lot darker so it wasn't so distracting. I did this so that the main text body could be easily read and clear for the readers.

Here I added a whole new double page spread and a short article on a new makeup range launching. I let the image overlap over both pages, as I think this adds a bit of interest. I did not use a flat black background because I think this can look quite harsh and almost as if the image has been cut out. Instead I distorted an image so much that it was un recognisable, as well as darkening the colours, adding some texture to the page.

Finally, this is the last page of the magazine, I chose just to design an advert as this is very conventional for a magazine. I kept this very minimalistic, because most high fashion brands do this and I wanted to make it look as realistic as possible.

My Magazine (so far!)- FMP

During the production process of my magazine, I used a variety of Adobe softwares including; Lightroom, Photoshop and Indesign. I organised my photos on Adobe Lightroom and did some initial editing, then continuing the re touch element of the editing in Adobe Photoshop. Making sure that the resolution was 300 dpi and that the colour was CMYK, before uploading onto Indesign, where I started creating the layout designs.

I took my photos with a naturalistic theme in mind, as I knew I wanted to feature an article on a style inspired by nature (image below) straight from the designer, which in this case was my friend Imogen. The content of this article is still coming together, however I have conducted the interview already and just need to type up the Q&A's onto the appropriate software.

Here is another double page spread that is still in the making. This one is to hold the majority of the article, as well as the short introduction at the beginning. I like the title here, although I need to decide on the positioning of each element of this page. For example the main body of text is oddly placed and needs to be corrected. I kept the image really simple and purposely took the photograph with a lot of blank space, so the text could be easily read over the top.

I have decided not to include a contents page within my magazine, however this will not effect the overall feel of the magazine because these pages would only be a small section of the magazine as a whole. Plus my magazine at the moment does not have any page numbers and this is something I still need to decide on. For example in Elle magazine, the page numbers are not on every page and only placed on certain areas where it wouldn't overlap an image/distract the target audience. I have also included a variety of shots during the photoshoot and used a real mixture to keep the article interesting.

Below is the early stages of another spread design. This is for me to know where to place each section, as I need to change the image, insert the actual text and add highlighted pull quotes. I used a muted green colour on the opposite page, because it ties in with my nature theme and green instantly connotes the outdoors, trees, shrubs, etc. Also, as my main article is a question and answer style format, it would mean that the questions would stand out more anyway, either in a different colour or in bold. This would then ensure that the page doesn't look too text heavy and over whelming, although this happens in Vogue's article's frequently.

Finally, below is the last page within this article feature. It is going to be a very clean page, with a very small amount of text. This text will be the credits of the outfit designer (Imogen herself) and the photographer (me) as well as prices and promotion for her website/brand. I left a thick white border around the photograph, as I think this adds a little bit more interest to an otherwise plain spread. Also it looks different to the other pages, as these are where the images are over the edge of the bleed.

I still need to adjust some of the errors as I've stated above and I need to continue writing the main feature article. Also there are a few more advertisements I need to create and design, to fill some blank pages and to make the magazine feel more realistic and high end. The very back page will also be a simple advert because this is very conventional for a fashion magazine.

Model Release Forms- FMP

A model release form is legal document and is typically signed by the model of a photograph/s, granting permission to publish the image in the public eye. In this case these models have granted the photographer (me) permission to use photo's of them, for use in my magazine and Instagram promotion.

Here is a link to the model release form that I found online, which I used for my project.

Below are my actual model release forms, filled in by both Aaron Eagling-Vose and Imogen Cambridge:

 *

 *For the sake of this being a college project, the bottom part regarding parental signature was ignored.

Harvard Referencing- FMP

Harvard referencing is a method to cite information sources used in work or projects. There are two types of citing within the Harvard references, one of which is in-text citations and these are directly quoting from a source within the main body of text. The second is reference lists, which are located at the very end of project, that displays full citations for sources used in the whole assignment.

I have decided to do my referencing as a list, this is because I think this keeps the main body text used in my project very tidy and keeps the links to the sources all together and organised.

Below are a few examples of different referencing methods that I created on my Google Drive:

Examples:

Harvard Referencing

‘Find (and keep) a job you love’ M. Phan, Make-up, pg 161,

‘Concealer should be one or two shades lighter than your skin tone’ M. Phan, Make-up, pg 62,

Text Citation

According to Phan (2014, pg 63) “You know what powder is, but what does it do for your face?”

Bibliography

Phan, M. (2014) Make-up. New York: Harmony Books.

Here is my actual Harvard referencing list that I put together on Google Docs, and below is a screenshot of what this looks like:

Referencing is important when carrying out research and is necessary in making the research successful. It is also crucial to the readers, as they need to see how you did your research and where you got the information from.

My FMP Budget

The budget for the production of my fashion magazine is going to be fairly limited, as I used my friends as the models and therefore did not have to pay them and instead featured in their projects in return. I also used the college for most of the locations for my photo shoots, this meant that I only needed to pay transport to the college as usual because I take the bus.

I did not provide any food or refreshments because each shoot was fairly quick and did not cover lunch times/break times.

As far as printing costs, this will cost me around £30 for 5 magazines printed in colour and on 150gsm for the pages and 250gsm for the cover (A4). Shipping would be an additional £3 or £4 and more for express delivery if needed.

I have taken this cost into account and is the main extent of my budget, however I want my magazine printed professionally and on silk paper, as this is a high fashion print magazine. Also because I don't have too much cost for anything else, I am happy to spend a little bit more on the printing element of the production, if it means that I will have an actual copy.

Overall my budget altogether will be £45 maximum and do not want to exceed this limit.

Reflection on Primary and Secondary Research

Looking back on my research I have learnt how important is it to conduct primary and secondary research before starting a project. Primary is necessary because it is crucial to find out new, unused information to help determine how to execute the production process. The methods of my primary research included a questionnaire and a focus group.

Secondary research is important because this clarifies the research you have done so far and shows if you are on the right tracks with primary research. It also saves time, as the data is almost instantly accessed. Having both research methods mean that you can compare results and discover anomalies (if there is any).

Within these methods, there are two types of information, one of which is qualitative and the other is quantitive. Qualitative research is used to gain an understanding of the target audiences opinions, reasons and preferences. It can also provide an insight to solving problems and help develop ideas for potential quantitative research.

Quantitative research is a way of gathering numerical data, that can be transformed into useful statistics. It can generalise results from a larger sample population, into quick facts that can be quantified. This type of research generates measurable data, that can uncover patterns and anomalies within data. The collection method for this research tends to be much more structured than qualitative research.

For my project research was really important because I needed to find out the audience I want to target and to then gain an understanding of what their opinions and preferences would be on the fashion magazine topic. My survey was useful to gather quick information that I could use for the basic demographics and simple facts/statistics. 

My focus group, again used as primary research worked well for collecting detailed information, which included opinions and personal likes and dislikes. Nearly all of the questions asked were very open, otherwise they were answered with an explanation included, which was really helpful to know why and what could be a substitute. 

As far as secondary research, this was useful because I could use existing sources to help me with the researching process. I looked at similar high end magazines, to find out the main conventions and what works well visually on the magazine. For example; photography, typography, word play (actual text headers/cover lines) and overall visual design and layout. This has helped me to come up with some magazine layout wireframes and interesting content ideas.