Reviewing My Magazine Article

Final Magazine Review

Magazine Review Flat-plan

My flatplan has had a significant amount of thought put into it's layout, the way certain things are laid out is designed to draw the reader's attention to the product and in turn hold their focus for the duration. The idea of having a large main image edges the reader to take notice of the page when flicking through the magazine itself, by doing this I'm ensuring I'm doing everything I can to draw the readers attention in an effort to promote the product.

Equally the large article itself is saturated with other smaller sub sections of text, this is to break up the large block of text that is dominant on the page. This also means it looks like there is less writing which can often prompt someone to read an article as they're in the false consciousness that it wont consume a large proportion of their time. 

These placements work to my advantage and are beneficial when promoting a product. Equally I could use direct address in the photograph to really grasp the audiences attention, this is just another way in which I can ensure the reader feels connected to the article and in turn develops an interest.

Magazine Survey

Survey Results

Rate These Magazine Genres

	1	2	3	4	5
Sport	*	**	*	**
Lifestyle	**	**	**
Hobbie		*	*	***	*
Gossip	**	*	**		*

How Often Do You Read Magazines

Option	Tally
Alot
Moderately
Sometimes	*
Rarely	****
Never	*

What Would Urge You To Buy A Magazine

Option	Tally
Free Gifts	**
Posters	***
Competitions
Vouchers	*

What Is Most Important In A Magazine

Option	Tally
A Bright Front Cover	*
Interviews And Articles	*
A Wide Variety Of Topics	***
A Nice Font
Simple Dialect/Language	*

How Often Should A Magazine Be Released

Option	Tally
Every Week	*****
Every Fortnight
Every Month	*

Would You Rather Buy A Subscription Or Buy Individual Magazines

Option	Tally
Subscription
Individual Issues	******

Would You Buy A Magazine Because Of An Attractive Cover

Option	Tally
Yes	****
No	*
Unsure	*

Evaluation Of Results

When reading through my survey results it becomes evident on what people like when it comes to magazines. It is shown in my tables that people don't read magazines very often but when they do the genre people rate the highest is Hobbie . Previously I planned to do a gaming magazine but the tables have said Hobby despite my results I am choosing to do a lifestyle magazine based on the military. The public also seem to wants posters included in their magazines as a free gift prompting them to purchase the magazine.

As well as this my results show that a magazine should have a variety of interesting topics to keep the readers interested in the magazine. The results make the statement that people would like magazines released every week but at the same time they would prefer not to buy a subscription but instead buy the individual issues. My final question was asking if an attractive cover would urge you to buy a magazine the answers were mostly yes this makes it obvious that people judge a book by its cover quite literally for they take most notice on the cover as it is what gives them their first impression of the magazine.  

Research on Magazines

Comparison of changes

With contemporary society we are constantly updating the way we display things to seem more modern and appealing to an audience. This can be shown in various ways through film special effects and also the way print media such as newspapers and magazines style their products

 

Details magazine has changed with the times for example the masthead has gone from a block like big red mixed case title on a yellow background too a deep pink title made up of entirely uppercase lettering in a slightly wider and smoother font. On the newer masthead the editors have decided to make the date and tagline redundant from the masthead.This has made the magazine more stylish and slick compared to the previous issue.

Overall the newer version has come along way from its origins the editors have made smart choices affected by the time therefore altering the layout of their magazine. The change of the colour scheme and the way things are centered have given the magazine a fresh new look revitalising the popularity it had in previous years.

The previous issue is made up of 6 segments each with a different purpose whether it be photographic or textual.Whereas the newer issue has a set color scheme to make it look professional and fashionable. The left colour scheme is red, yellow, white, blue and black making the magazine funky but also slighty gordy whilst the newer magazine on the right is made up of colours that blend well with the photo in the background.

The left issue has its different segments detailing what is in the magazine with simple phrases but the right one has different portions of text detailing what's included making it more modern and appealing to the eye. The older issue is made with small images centered around the image of various un-important people whereas the newer version has one main image of a well known celebrity with its various text detailing the articles and magazine around it.

Review Of My Poster

Initial Finished Concept

When producing my poster i took various shots of my model, the positioning and what you could see of the character changed with each shot I took ensuring that the mise en scene was correct and that you could see all the relevant props and costume. This ensured that the poster had the right feel, however when I started adding these images to the poster they didn't look too good. You could simply see a man staring into the dystopian abyss. So therefore i made changes and re shot my images in an effort the get a better feel for the magazine. Equally at this point I was still lacking a tagline which was eventually added.

Final Poster

When I looked at my initial poster i could see that it wasn't very good. I'd added the main image to complete it but it was still lacking something. I added a tagline at the top of the poster but this still didn't work as the main image was what was bugging me. The initial image was to distant and formal whereas the new photo my model was standing replaced with a rifle in his hand. This gives the more aggressive and survivor like feel i wanted. The rifle itself promotes the idea of violence and really pushes the feel for survival of the fittest. 

The gear on his back such as medical kits and gas masks make the character seem to be experience and reinforce the idea of a group of skilled agents dealing with the crisis. The various items of equipment that are naturally available to the individual due to their preparedness enforces the idea of being trained and ready. By doing this I'm adding more into the backstory of the character through costume which can be picked up in the poster. Contrary to this the logo on his arm is something all characters will have on them in the trailer. Once again promoting the idea of a highly trained group who want to ensure the safety of the public.

Overall i think my poster is really effective. It has all the main components of a poster and this can be seen from the start. The billing block is in the correct place and it's positioning help make it evident from the start, this is as well as this the BBFC classification in the bottom left corner. As for the main image it's dominant and takes up a large amount of the page, this draws attention. However when combined with the colour scheme it is really quite eye catching. By using dark colours for my background and character, I can use the bright orange in the foreground to grab a readers attention and hold it long enough for them to become interested. therefore i think this task has been done to the best of my ability and has come out really well. 

Start Of Poster

Taking Shape

My poster is currently in the works and I'm in the first stages of completion. My basic design is becoming more and more secure although there is always room for improvement. The basic conventions are already implemented however I'm yet to develop more detail in the foreground and text as well as add the main image. As seen on the analysis of the Sherlock Holmes posters there is the dominant main image which as stated is yet to be implemented. However the addition of the large blocks of text and individual details has already been put on and helps it to be easily recognised as a poster.