Weekly Update 8

I found the production of my contents page was more challenging than the front cover. I found it more difficult to keep it looking professional. It was also very time consuming. It was particularly difficult to keep images and text in line.

There are a few aspects of the contents which follow the flat plan i.e. the title and the message from the Editor.

Construction of Contents Page

I first began by creating an A4 canvas with a black background. I then cut out my image on a separate page and transfered it onto the corner of my contents. I then created the title 'CONTENTS' with the date and issue number under it in the same yellow colour. I didn't want the whole background to be one colour; I wanted it to be both black and white like it was in Kerrang!.

I then made the rest of the page white using the shape tool.

Under the heading I used the shape tool to create another rectangle, this time in black, in which I put the heading 'THIS WEEK IN UPROAR'. I used a font which I used in my front cover for consistancy. The word 'UPROAR' is exactly the same as it is in the front cover, only smaller and white to contrast the black.

Under the image, I then created another white text box with a black outline. This is where I put the cover line 'GIRL POWER' and some text about the story. The word 'GIRL' is slanted for edginess, and red to link back to the front cover. It is also red to hightlight the fact that the article is about a female, because usually, rock magazines are predominantly male. I also layered a quote over the image in white. This is to follow the conventions of a rock music magazine, where quotes from the text are put on the contents page to make the reader want to read it.

I then created my subheadings by layering yellow text over black rectangles. This was done in the style of Kerrang!, and the subheadings used were the same.

I then began to put the magazine contents under the subheadings, with red page numbers. I added my 'cover stories' symbol to the text featured on the front cover.

I also created an editorial. I created this with the use of the shape tool. I made a black rectangle and then used white text to write a short, familiar sounding letter. The text is lower case, like it is in Kerrang!.

I used to line tool to create columns, and kept adding more content under the subheadings. Make-shift images were put in place (they will later be replaced with original images).

I added a red splodge shape over the right hand corner of the editorial box to carry on the theme from the front cover, and to also appeal to the target audience.

I added an image for the main article with a page number and a quote, like in NME.

I cropped my original images using iphoto to take away any non-important part of the images. These would be placed onto the contents.

I started to create an album cover for the contents page. I did this using photoshop. I made the canvas size into the dimensions of a CD cover (12 cm x 12 cm), and made the background grey. I then wrote the band name in red over this in a bold, block font.

Next, I made the text small and centered it.

I then decided to increase the size of the band name. I used the shape tool to find a shape which resembled prison bars. I layered this over the text.

I then added the album cover, in lower case letters to contrast the band name.

I added the album cover to my contents page under the 'win' subheading. I filled the rest of the page with images featured in the articles inside. A picture of myself (the editor) was added over the splodge shape in the editorial box.

Layered over these images is the page number, name of the band.

Quotes were then added to the bottom two images.