Front cover - Using the magnetic lasso tool!

I have started to create my front cover for my magazine and below are screenshots to show how my original image has adapted to a potential front cover.

I started off with my already edited image which was in black and white and I chose to use this edit as my final because it stood out more then the other edits I created with the same image. I also believe it will work well with my chosen colour scheme which is red, green white and black.

In this screenshot, you can see my progress of cutting out the background which I did by using the magnetic lasso tool. By cutting out the background, it made it easier for me as I didn't really need to cut around 'The Drej' which would of been more complicated and it would of been more time consuming.

Here is a screenshot of how the main image would look without a black background. With this in mind, I chose the background to be black because it would make my masthead stand out more as my chosen colour for my masthead is red. Also as you can see, I still need to tweak the picture and still cut around the edges to give the whole photo a more professional look.

"Unplugged" - Possible fonts

By looking at different fonts used on mastheads in Rock magazines, I picked out the fonts that represented the genre of my magazine. Below is a collage which I tested out different fonts that follow the typical "Rock" conventions.

I will be selecting one of these fonts to use on my masthead which is "Unplugged". I have also decided to have the colour red as it would make the masthead stand out more with a black background and by experimenting different fonts, it has allowed me to see which font works the best.

Using Indesign

In class, we practised using Indesign by creating templates for our contents page. We are using Indesign for our contents and double page spread and by practising and experimenting different layouts for my contents page, it has helped me a lot as I need to get used to the program. Indesign also allows text to be aligned properly so it gives a more professional look towards it as it is accurate.

The screenshot shows my process of creating my template for my contents page as you can see I am already planning an accurate layout for my images and text. By creating a template, it will make it easier for me when I start creating my contents page.

Here is the tutorial video we watched in class which is based on the first basic steps creating our magazines:

Improved flatplans..

By receiving feedback from a classmate, I decided to create updated flat plans to improve my magazine overall. Also, I recreated my flat plans because I know what images I am definitely going to include in my magazine which is helpful as it will make my flat plans more precise and I can easily follow them when creating my magazine this week!

Front Cover

On my front cover, I decided to change my chosen colours (Red, Green, Black, White) around on different fonts. This helps my magazine follow typical conventions because in most Rock magazines, red is a very common colour used. Also, I decided to not include the freebies (+2 posters) as I wanted my magazine to look more simple and not too busy.

 Contents Page

I decided to use the colour scheme (red, green, white & black) repetitively to make the whole magazine look more professional. Additionally by knowing definitely what images I am going to include, It gave me a chance to add more sub-headings to the page in which will be beneficial as it will save time when I am creating my contents page.

 Double Page Spread

On my double page spread, I changed the layout completely as I think this layout is more effective than the other layout I had considered because I have included more columns with two different appealing images. This layout is also simple which links with the contents page and front cover as it is not busy or crowded which makes the magazine overall achieve the "professional" look.

Editing my images!

I decided to play around with my potential front cover image using photoshop. I tested different effects on the image by adjusting the brightness and contrast and using different effects like black and white. I also cropped the bottom of the picture which helped as you can see some irrelevant items.

Original Image of The Drej

Down below are the screenshots in which you can see the development of my edits!

Black and White 

In this edit, I decided to change the picture to black and white which I believe makes it look more effective as it relates to the genre rock. Additionally, the different tones also make it look more appealing because it looks more natural as it is not too edited!

Black and White #2

In this edit, I adjusted the brightness to a little which makes the picture look more eye-catching because the tone of the colours are much more darker which make The Drej stand out. I think the black and white edit does really give a rock feel to my target audience as this will allow my coloured masthead and text to be noticed easily with a simple front cover image.

 Faded

I decided to play around with the colours of the picture which resulted in a faded effect. I think this is effective as it is not to bright which makes an image look unnatural. 

Images I captured!

Here are the selected original photos that I am going to include in my magazine. It was hard trying to decide which photos would overall look more better in the magazine on specific pages. By uploading my pictures on sliderocket, it has helped me find some problems with my photo's which need to be edited for example items at the background could be cropped!

The Drej Performing!

On the day I went to interview and photograph my chosen band (The Drej) who are obviously going to be featured in my magazine, they kindly performed one of their songs which I recorded. Here it is!