Contents

Music mag contents page from GregLatham96

Double Page Spread

Music mag double page spread from GregLatham96

Front Covers

Music mag front covers from GregLatham96

Evaluation for my school magazine

My ‘Kool Skool’ magazine uses forms and conventions of other school magazines. It has upon the front cover a medium shot image of a school pupil, like most school magazines have. It uses the similar connotations as other school magazines such as; when you look at my front cover, words like education and learning come into mind. It also develops some school magazines as I have seen examples of school magazines missing certain features. My magazine however, has these features; they include having the word ‘exclusive’ upon the cover. This is called a puff and this catches a potential customer’s attention.

My school magazine is aimed at students from James Bateman junior high school, as it has one of their students on the front cover. Then again, the contents page has a Biddulph High school sixth former, so in ways it could appeal to students going to the BHS sixth form, as they’re on the contents page.

To create my cover and contents page I used fireworks. I edited with fireworks and it proved useful. I used techniques such as; the magic wand tool to crop my picture.

The only thing I changed from my initial design was I took the window in the background out of the medium shot. That way it looks like more of a school environment and also, I cropped the font of my masthead to get rid of the white patch as it was ugly, and I made it transparent.

I had several other potential images to choose as my front cover. All of the images were of the same student except, he posed differently in each photo. For instance, I had a shot of the student with his head down, to look as if he was working, but I preferred the student with his head up looking towards the camera. That way it is almost as if he is looking towards the target audience.

I would make improvements to my magazine for example, have the masthead coloured in. This would make it a lot more eye catching it also would be good if it was coloured in the same colours that are used as my house style. People would then recognise the magazine instantly. Another improvement would be to have something in the background of the contents page. Whether it is a colour or an image in the background. It would be good to have a background as it could contrast the font and the images, making them stand out to the reader. One final improvement I would make is to my logo. I thought the logo was very simple at first and thought it was quite effective. However, now I feel it is slightly boring. I would make it more to do with school as well, because by looking at my logo, you wouldn’t think it is a logo you would associate with a school magazine.

Changes i have made from GregLatham96

Magazine from GregLatham96

Final cropped image from GregLatham96

Images for my magazine cover.

Images for my school magazine cover from GregLatham96

The blog task which I discuss what my cover will look like.

Blog Task 1: cover image

 

The picture on the front cover of my magazine will consist of child sitting down and doing school work. They’re in this picture because it is appropriate for my magazine, and it reflects what my magazine will be about. When people look at my magazine, from just looking at the picture they will realise it is a school magazine. It will be a medium close up, which means you can only see half of the body. There’s nothing in the background, not a lot will be seen as it is a medium shot. However, the child will be writing on a piece of paper, as if they’re doing work. The connotation of this shot will be education, learning and school. The photo will be taken above the child, as if the camera is looking down on child, like a teacher looking down on them. The child won’t look up to the camera but will be working as if the camera wasn’t there. They will be smiling and the connotation of that will be learning can be fun. The student will be wearing school uniform, which consists of a tie shirt and black school trousers.

 

The headline above the photo will say, “School is easy when learning”. This will give students confidence when they read this and they will think to themselves, ‘if I learn, school will be so much more fun and easier to get through.’ This title will overlap the image and float just above the students head. I might edit certain things in the photo, if there is something in the shot that I don’t want to be on the shot, I will erase that on fireworks. On the contents page I will use images of a different age of students, who are probably older than the student on the front. The articles will have children of different ages featuring in them, so a picture of an older student will be fine for my contents page.

School magazine names

Before selecting the magazine name 'Kool Skool', I considered using these magazine names: Old Skool, Uniform, School life and Schools in. The name Old skool, is similar to my final magazine name as school is spelt with a 'k'. However, I believe with this name parents would not aprreciate it. Uniform was the second name I was considering, it is an appropriate name, because when you think 'uniform', you think of either school or work. The reason I didn't choose this name though is because it is too formal. People would pick up the magazine and, would be under the impression that it is too formal, which is not the impression I want my magazine to give off. School life is another name I suggested. This was my second favourite name, as my favourite is Kool Skool. School life makes the reader take school more seriously. Schools in was my final choice and this name is supposed to be ironic for schools out. This name is trying to suggest that schools is cool. As when you say something is in fashion, you means it is cool and it is what everyones wearing and talking about at the moment.

Magazine covers from GregLatham96

Colour scheme for my magazine from GregLatham96

This is my colour scheme for my magazine.

This is the embed code for my font slide show

Fonts from GregLatham

The layout slideshow embed code.

Layout from GregLatham96

Blog task 4

Semiotics can also be used when referring to the name of the magazine. When you think of the name ‘Heat’, you think of hot steaming gossips about celebrities. Yet, with the magazine name known as esquire, you wouldn’t think it is a magazine about heavy metal music, it is more of an upper class word for upper class people.

From that example it is important that I choose and appropriate name for my school magazine. Names that would make you think education and school. Some names I thought of include, Old School, even though it doesn’t sound so formal it has the word school in there to make it seem more formal. School life was another name I considered, people would then start thinking school is a way of life. The name which is my personal favourite though is Cool School. This name makes school not seem so boring and it gives it more of relaxed side, that’s why it is my favourite and is most probably going to be the name of my magazine.

Blog task 3

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. Denotation (seeing something as it is and nothing else) and connotation (a further meaning to something) are involved in semiotics. For instance, if you were to see a red screen, some people may view it bluntly and say it is nothing but a red screen. However, some might see passion, anger and danger when the see the colour red, as that is what it can symbolise.

 I will use semiotics in my magazine, as the front cover will be an image of children in a class room learning from a teacher. When you think of this image words like education, sensible and smart will spring to your mind, this is why I would use an image like this as the words you think of are related to school. When looking at the image people will think the school is good as the lesson is under control. It will be a longshot as I would want to take it as if I was a student sitting at the back, looking towards the teacher at the front of the class. This way when people view the image it would be like they were looking through the students eyes and make him or her think they’re part of the class.

Blog task 2

The term genre convention means how certain types of magazines are set out. For example the school magazines are all set out similarly. They’re uncluttered and usually have a medium shot image of school students doing something; also the colour scheme will be the school’s house colours. Yet, most gossip magazines like ‘OK!’ are much cluttered and have an eye catching colour scheme.

The Genre convention is sub genre as there aren’t many school magazines, it is not classed as a big genre, like music magazines or gossip magazines, and it is about a specific thing which is school. This genre is quite formal and factual as it will mostly be about term dates and exams. This will influence my magazine design to be quite plain and formal, like the other school magazines. It will have only a few colours and, it will have a medium shot image of students learning, like other school magazines. The front cover will not be covered with a lot of information, as it is all inside but, it will be simple and eye catching as the image and colours will stand out.

Blog task 1

The audience of my school magazine should be students attending high school around the ages of 13-18. This would be my primary audience. However, a secondary audience would be the parents or carers of a child attending a high school. My magazine will be addressed to a niche market, as not everyone has a child, and people without a child won’t be interested. That means children and parents/carers from all backgrounds would read my magazine. The audience has a wide range as students to private and public schools could read my magazine, there won’t be a class divide in my magazine. Working class and higher class students and parents will be the audience for my magazine.

Parents and children who want to keep up with the news of the school will want to read my magazine as it will contain information they would be interested in.