1. Unit 51 Page Layout and Design
Production Commentary
2. Slide 1: Design Programmes
Photoshop
Microsoft Word
I used Microsoft word to write my article for the double page
spread, this Is also where I edited my friends article when I
read it to give comments and improvements, I used Ctrl/Alt
M to make a short comment next to her article I did this
several times on her work and my friend did the same to
mine, I then edited my own article to make the improvements
my friend left on mine.
Photoshop is the main software I used, this is where I put all my
front cover and double page spread together, I spent the most
time on Photoshop putting all the pieces together, I also edited
all my images in Photoshop, the main image for the front cover
and the main image for the double page spread, I also edited
the small images that are on my double page spread in
Photoshop everything even down to font. Its basically where I
edited everything this is the only editing software which I have
used for the magazine.
3. Slide 2: FORMATS
My magazine is a music theme, I wanted it to have a certain
music genre for the whole magazine I wanted to give it a
alternative/pop/dance/synth pop, that’s the sort of music I
wanted to have in my magazine I wanted to have this come
across in the front cover with the editing of the front cover like
the lighting in the image and the artist names on the front. The
images I looked at had a very simple layout, text all in neat
columns along with the headline, and not many bright colours
and in your face with over the top images all over the place I
wanted it to be neat and easy to look at the magazine I looked
at for inspiration was clash magazine, id say that my double
page spread shows this more than my front cover. The front
cover of a clash magazine are very vibrant and colourful they
almost seem like they have lighting projected onto the person on
the front, I want this look for my front cover, I tired several times
to get this effect I changed my mind a lot before I settled on one
edited image, when you look at the double page spread of clash
magazine you see how in mine I have got the one image on one
side and the text on the over I like how one page can be
dedicated to just text I think it looks really easy to read, I over all
really like the colours on the front it really catches your eye and
then inside its complete opposite, the only downside to having
this as a inspiration is clash magazine isn't always music it can
change each issue. Also the huge title which covers the image
on the front cover I wanted the big title so you instantly knew
what the name of the magazine was then along with it is the
features. I also didn’t want to title to cover the image so having it
just above Ryan's hairline keeps it from covering his face, like
the people on the front of clash the writing never fully covers the
faces only just slightly the side, I also looked at the way they lay
out their articles and how they had the first word bigger than the
rest I used this in my introduction text.
4. Slide 3: Conventions & Visual Language
Genre conventions
I’d say what makes It music and things that I've added are things like artists, names etc. for my front cover I added subtle
things like ‘top 10’ and ‘win £100 + CD’ even just putting the word music straight into one ‘magic music edition’. I also
added a sticker down at the bottom which mentions 80’s vibe with a disco ball this indicates music straight away along with
‘top selling songs’. Another big music give away are the artists mentioned just on my front cover like James Bay, Years and
Years, The 1975 and Chvrches. I didn’t want it to look like a fashion magazine so having Ryan and Emily just casually
dressed in white t-shirts so it shows its not advertising clothing, you could say having the name Prime for a magazine
could relate to music because its like what's now what important so I related this to what's new and popular with music,
having things top 10 and introducing. For my double page spread things like the text itself mentions music frequently so
that gives it away quiet a lot also the concert review a lot of language I use in that makes it clear that its music, the main
thing on my double page spread which relates to music is the album cover I made with an image of Emily I put it together
so I could use it as a advertisement I added a tag line ‘Their single dive out now’, if this doesn’t give it away that it’s a
music magazine then I don’t know what would, this shows that you don’t need someone holding a guitar or a drum stick to
get a music theme, most music magazine don’t even have their artists holding an instrument most don’t play them at all. I
tried to get the music theme across as best I could with subtle things like the usage of words and images.
5. Slide 3: Conventions & Visual Language
Barcode
Model
Credit
Lead
Article
Cover lines
MastheadI wanted mine to look as realistic as possible because I
wanted avoid it looking really fake, I stuck to a colour
scheme of black and white and red the red is in the text
and slight tint in the image, the first thing I did was my title
I wanted this to look big and stand out I wanted it to be
the first thing you saw, I did slightly change the opacity so
it would blend good with the image, I then added the
cover lines this gives you a small insight to what features
in the magazine and what to expect from it, it also makes
it obvious that its music with the real artists names like
Years and years and James Bay, also using the word
music in one of them gives it away quite a lot, I then
added little things like a barcode because you see this on
every magazine you see again gives it a realistic look, I
also added tiny little touches like a sticker in the bottom
corner and two main images, which both have cover lines
I wanted them to act as posters so I added a small tag
line at the side mentioning posters I think this adds a bit
more to the front cover, two more things that are only
small is a tiny price tag which is below the barcode and a
issue number for the magazine. One of the main things
you see is the main headline for the magazine which is
the ‘time to spill the ink’ I wanted this to be the one thing
that stands out the most this is why it has a white
background it’s the most important thing that should
feature on the front cover so people know what its about
along with the image, my image is of the artists featured
who I've named INK, I had a idea in my head on how I
wanted it to look, I wanted a dark background and I
wanted them to have a slight light I decided on red
because it goes with my colour theme.
Front cover
6. Slide 3: Conventions & Visual Language
SUBHEAD
Drop cap
Body text
Headline
Pull quote
Gutter
s
White space
I wanted the text to have simple layout and a simple colour
the black against the white and the white against the
image makes the text stand out, I also made the questions
bold to make them different to the answers, I also put a
background behind the review part to make it separate
from the interview, I made everything else simple so the
images would be the main focus on the magazine having
the images be the main source of colour on the page
makes you look at them first I wanted the images to have
a vintage theme with a tint on them, I also added two
photos over the top so I could show more of the images I
took, the other image on the page is the album cover I
made I wanted to add something else to make it look more
realistic and to make it obvious that It was music related
by having a tag line below saying ‘album out now’ I want
people to get a chilled vibe from the interview because I
worded it like a conversation and the images to have a
chilled/none forced poses just them being them selves in
front of the camera , I also think that the pull quote makes
it look more realistic even just something simple as a pull
quote, even the introduction makes it clear that its music
related. I wanted the headline to start at the top and be the
first thing you read so it can introduce the article, this is
where the headline is normally placed, the next thing is the
body text this is my introduction this is separate from the
main interview I wanted this to go over my main image so
it could look a bit more professional, the next thing is the
pull quote this brings the article together and makes you
read this first to give you a taster of what’s to come in the
interview, the gutter separates it up and makes it look
clean, finally the drop cap gives it another professional
vibe its definitely my favourite part
Double page Spread
7. Guttenberg Principle (Front cover)
The Primary Optical
Area
Strong Fallow
Area
Weak Fallow Area The Terminal Area
The Primary Optical Area:
The magazine name is centered right at the very top followed with
the name of the people it features with ‘PRIME’ larger than the rest
with the tag line below, I have put the main feature name at the top
just under the ‘E’ of ‘PRIME’ I wanted it to be the first thing you read
along with the title of the magazine and the first thing you see is the
picture of them two because they are the band that has the main
interview and pictures, so if the magazine was real and Ryan and
Emily were actually a famous band their fans would see them and
instantly want to know more. Also just under ‘P’ is the issue number
I wanted to add this to give it more of a realistic look and then below
that is the barcode and price again to make it look more realistic.
The Terminal Area:
I put a small ‘sticker’ at the bottom which tells you about another
feature in the magazine, I wanted it to go along with one of my
features which was the ‘Magic music edition’, which would explore
older music etc., it goes there as one of the last things you would
look at, it says 80s vibe where I have replaced the 0 with an image
of a disco ball to make it stand out a bit more, you can also see the
rest of the features.
Strong Fallow Area:
The title crosses over to the strong fallow area also so it’s very
similar to the primary optical area. You see the feature which is only
small but says ‘ft. INK’ which is my main feature this is only brief
because I featured the artists name in my headline ‘time to spill the
ink’
Weak Fallow Area:
The weak fallow area has the two small images of two real bands
and small headlines for them I wanted to make it look like there was
a poster feature and a small article about them I added a white
border to make them stand out a bit more and not clash with my
background, this also includes the start of all my small features
which I also but a background on to make the white writing stand
out.
8. Slide 4: Audience
I’d give my magazine the age probably between
14-24 just because it has features with popular
bands and artists and even new artists with the
introducing feature, plus is has artist posters and
posters are more for the younger audience
especially if you have a favourite band. For
gender I’d say both male and female because the
music genre is listened to by both genders, I
wanted the genre to come across as
alternative/pop/dance/synth pop because I have
mentioned people like Years and Years, The 1975,
James Bay and Chvrches which all fit one of those
genres. There aren’t many bright colours so if you
were to stereotype gender you wouldn’t really be
able to, so personally id say both genders. Looking
at social class I would say the working class
because its just your normal type magazine
nothing fancy just a standard music magazines
with a few reviews and interviews things like that
and if I was to choose a social grade probably go
for c2 and below plus I’ve put a price on the front
cover and it is £2.99 which Id say is affordable and
a normal magazine price. My magazine meets
this type of audience because its simple and like
most music magazine which has a popular band
featured on the cover, its a simple style with casual
fonts nothing to extreme the colours are all basic.
