Here is my contents page that i have modified on InDesign. I have decided to stick to a more organised format of layout with all the information on the articles located on the left with images towards the right. I have also introduced page numbers onto each article to make it seem more like an actual contents page, and it also gives people an idea of how many pages are in this magazine. I have kept the advert down the bottom, and made Contents in the biggest font so that it seperates itself from the rest of the page and labels itself as the headline for this page. Overall the contents didn't tuirn out exactly how i wanted it to as the page numbers are located just a few inches away from each article, so maybe next time i might put them closer to each article, but other than that my search for perfection is complete, my frontcover is just how i wanted it to be and now my contents has also been completed to the standard that i wanted it to...happy days.

Here is the flat plan for my contents page. It is merely a brief layout of how the page would look if i actually had articles to put there.

Unfortunatly the use of having a pattern of sotry image image story from left to right means that it would be hard to link each picture with a story, so i may change that when i create the actual plan for my contents on InDesign. I have also included an advert at the bottom of my page as that is very common in modern magazines. Whilst this contents page didn't involve much detail, the indiviual stories are well seoperated and apart from the images everything id simple and easy to view, as it is has a simple layout. In my actual contents i may decide to use page references and actual headings to make it look more like a contents, and also add annotations to the images which is what tends to happen in modern magazines.

Here is my completed front cover for my college magazine. I gave it the name "Sussex Downs Magazine" as it automatically labels my magazine with a target audience, and also labels it as a college magazine. I have made the name of my magazine the biggest font on the page so that it draws the readers attention to the magazine. The combination of yellow on a red background makes the name stand out even more from the rest of the page. I have written my main sell in a different colour from the other sells as it seperates it from the other stories connoting that it is the main story. I also had to do it because a pale colour wouldn't stand out on the man so i had to make it brighter. I have put win inside some sort of shape in order to draw the readers attention to what they can win. My colour scheme for the writing enables simple and easy reading for the readers. Having looked at it maybe one thing that would have improved it would be to include more stories about the students as most of my stories are staff related. I have also had to edit the main photo in photoshop. My reasons for this are because the actual photo remained to dark, so i had to lighten it in order to use it on my front cover. Unfortunatly this makes the the florescent jacket even brighter and i had to darken the text on top of it in order to make it readable. But over all i am happy with the outcome

This is the flat plan for my front cover of my magazine. I have decided to make the masthead of my magazine slightly larger as at the moment you are drawn into the main flash rather than the actual magazine as the main flash is bigger at the moment so i shall change that to make the masthead stand out. I have stretched my masthead across the whole of the page to make it stand out. My main flash is "Unsung Hero" and is aimed at the story of the litterman who keeps lewes college safe. I have also included a strapline underneath the masthead as it supports the personality of the magazine which is "the official magazine for Sussex Downs Students." I have made the main flash with larger font so that it indicates that this is the main story. I have listed a few main sells down the left hand side of the magazine, this leaves the front cover with a neat layout as it isn't all over the place and it's structured. I have used alliteration on these stories to make them flow more and make people want to read on. For the main flash i have used a subhead. This elaborates on the story further and also includes alliteration. I will make a few changes from my flat plan and my actual design. I will get rid of the logo in the top corner as i am not allowed to use the Sussex Downs logo, and will get rid of the pictures used in my main sells. I shall also add a barcode as every magazine has one.

This is the image that i am going to use for my front cover. He is standing face on to the camera and isn't leaning back. He is also closer up to the camera, unfortunatly he isn't making too much eye contact with the camera and isn't smiling but it is still better than the first photo. The reflective jacket may distract the readers as it is shining, but it makes him stand out from the background.

I was considering this photo as the front cover for my magazine but i have reconsidered due to the fact that he is looking down on the camera. I wanted a medium close up revealing only his shoulders upwards; but in this picture he is standing a bit too far backwards so there is too much background on show. He is also leaning back as if he was reluctant to be in the photo so i shall use another image.

AS Media Preliminary Task

This blog has been made to enable me to record my progress in my AS media preliminary task. This task consists of making a frontcover for a Sussex Downs College magazine. I shall be taking my own photographs for the front cover. I shall be using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop to produce a photo of a student with a medium closeup. I shall also be entering some appropriatly laid-out text and masthead. I shall also be creating a mockup layout of the contents but this will not require detail or images.