Magazine Practical Production

 Research

1) Use Google to research potential magazines that you could use as your brand/design for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and embed an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle magazines or a similar genre as these are more achievable to re-create.

2) Choose one of the three magazine brands to use for your project e.g GQ, Vogue or The Gentlewoman. Then find three different front covers for your chosen magazine and embed them in your blogpost. Analyse the fonts, colours and typical design. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? You need to become an expert in the design and construction of this magazine and its branding.

"GQ" written in bold serif font and the "Q" is usually placed behind the head as it is a well established company. Cover lines written in a bold serif font and cover the whole edges/border of the magazine. The colors of the magazine and the cover lines/mast-head match the color scheme of what the subject is wearing, with the subject in the centre with a close-up with them giving a direct-mode-of-address.

Planning

1) On a Word or Google document, plan your main cover line (also called the 'main flash') - this is the main cover story that links to your central image.

"Rising Star"

2) Briefly plan the image you will need for the cover - model, costume, make-up, lighting etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

• Model - Viraj
• Costume - Turtle neck with a long coat (brown) and necklace
• Make-up - none
• Lighting - Low key lighting 

3) Write the cover lines and any additional text you need for your magazine cover.

COVER LINE: 

• TOP FASHION TIPS & TRENDS 2023

• EXCLUSIVE EDITION 

• THE INTERVIEW: Viraj Singh Rattan talks all things fashion to impress

4) Sketch out your cover on plain A4 paper using your written planning. Take a photo of your sketch and upload it to your blogpost.

 

Photoshoot

1) On your planning document, write the date, time and location of your photoshoot and the name of the model or photographer you will use (you can choose anyone to be your cover model or you can be the cover model yourself).

• 09/05/2023 
• 20:00
• Corridor
• Photographer - SKR
• Model - Viraj

Publication to blog and evaluation

1) Once you have completed your design in Photoshop, go to 'File > Save a copy' and save your finished Photoshop magazine cover as a JPEG image. Then, upload it to your blogpost. 

2) Upload two genuine covers of the magazine you have chosen and put them next to your front cover. This is a brilliant way to check how professional your work looks alongside the real thing.

3) Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your brief to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover stand up alongside the genuine covers of your chosen magazine? How professional is your work alongside those genuine examples?

I have managed to produce a magazine cover for GQ which looks original and follows the structure of majority of GQ magazines. It follows the key conventions of magazines and provides the audience with what they are to expect inside. I used a medium close-up which is similar to what GQ use for their covers. GQ also has a matching color scheme as the clothing of the subject matches the color of the cover lines and main flash

4) Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

I would sort the lighting out as I would prefer it to be brighter and do a photo with the subject giving a direct-mode-of-address as this makes it more eye catching for the audience. I would also use one cover line which covers hard news as a lot of GQ magazines covered topics like politics, economy or Brexit.