Contents Page

This is my finished Contents page for my college magazine, I think there could be a lot of improvement made in this to make it more professional looking. I will take this into account when making my Music magazine. The text is very hard to read even though it was attempted to fit with the colour scheme and house style of the magazine

Editing Software

For the creation of my college magazine I am going to use Microsoft Publisher. I am going to use this to create the magazine front cover and contents page on.

Layouts

These are some tests for different layouts I could have for my magazine front cover and contents page

 
 

Second Mock Up - College Magazine

Here is my final piece for my college magazine, I used the pictures I previously took and used the same layout from my mock up magazine as I found this worked well. This magazine could be improved as you cannot read the writing with ease as the white colour can clash with the picture. It could also have more detail such as more cover lines and plugs. I do like that I managed to keep a consistent colour scheme throughout the cover.

Gender Representation

Recently we have been learning about gender representation and these are my views on it displayed in the media.


Through the media, males are set with the way they have to look from a young age. Children are shown how they are supposed to act, look and live, and they are shown the consequences of them not doing so.

Young boys are told to be tough and strong through the Medias representation, they are shown boxing and violence in films which usually involves males. This is what they are brought up to think, that all men have to be powerful, strong, and independent to be masculine. If they don’t fit into this category they are verbally abused with the stereotypes of ‘fag’ and ‘mummy’s boy’ to name some. Showing men that they have to be violent will lead to more violence in the community because they believe that it is correct, and it is supposed to happen.

Young girls are also told how they have to act, look and live due to media representations. Through the unnatural pictures in magazines of women, they are shown to be stick thin, beautiful with flawless skin, with pin perfect hair, and just be the ideal woman. This sets them in the state of mind that makes them crave for this look, which leads to anorexia because the girls have to starve themselves. In films it is represented that if they aren’t ‘perfect;’ then they will never be good enough to find true love, and ‘the one’

Both males and females are told to act completely different, as in women are not allowed to swear, or take drugs, they must act extremely polite and ladylike where as men are allowed to swear, smoke, take drugs and be violent, because they are shown to be this tough violent person.

All this representation of the perfect female or male is leading to anorexia rates to increase greatly. Not only in girls but in boys too, because they have to starve themselves to get thinner, to then get this great muscular physique. Also girls anorexia rates are increasing because they ‘have’ to get that ideal look in order to be happy.

Photography

I took these photos of students having fun to use in my college magazine. I tried to get various shot types such as long shot, medium close up and close up.

Mock College Magazine Cover

This is my first attempt and my test at making a magazine cover. I tried to use the usual conventions that make a magazine. I found this difficult at first, with trying to get the colour scheme and housestyle the same but it then became easier once this had been sorted.

On this practice I forgot to add a strapline into my front cover. I can use this to help me improve on my next try.

My magazine choice

'Kerrang!' This is the main magazine that I choose to read, it is a musica orientated magazine, specifically for the rock genre. I enjoy this magazine because it releates to my interests and gives me the latest information for my interest.
Whenever looking for the magazine in a shop, I immediatly notice it by the logo at the top and the mini pictures showing the features inside at the bottom. I notice that its Kerrang! Magazine because of these, because it is their consistant housestyle and all their magazines have this layout, colour style and theme.

Media: Lesson 1

During my first Media lesson, I learnt a lot of the terminology used in magazines, for example
Key Image - The main focus image on the front cover of a magazine
Masthead - The title of a magazine or newspaper, typically placed at the top of the front cover.
Headline - The main heading with the biggest font, which relates to the main story.
Strapline - Headline in smaller font, appearing over the main headline
Plug - Information about the contents of a magazine on the front cover
Cover Lines - Summaries of the most enticing features and articles in a magazine. Similar to plug.
I can use these and various other conventions to help me when designing my own magazine and laying it out.


I found out that all magazines have their own distinct style and this style is consistent throughout every issue. I also learnt about Audience Segmentation which shows the different type of people that buy certain magazines.


Learning all the different terminology was mind boggling at first but after going over it I now understand and feel comfortable with using it.