Meeting the client brief (M4 D1)

Learning Outcome 4 (U3): Be able to carry out post-production techniques and processes for an original media product to a client brief

I exported these as JPEG images so that they can be easily saved/transferred via print and online as outlined by the brief.






Shape tool & Bucket - I used the shape tool (oval and square) to highlight key pieces of information that are available for my readers to read inside the magazine. I used these specific shapes as I felt they are quite simple and wouldn't distract my consumers from the main image. Additionally, they stand out. As my magazine is about Venues, I chose to put the 'venue reviews' in a diamond shape, by using the rotate tool. I chose this shape, as diamonds are associated with importance and higher status, therefore it reflected that this information was most important. The venues are all North London based, therefore this links to the brief as I was specifically asked to produce a magazine for North London. The use of the bright colour yellow (using the paint bucket tool) reflects the vibrancy of talent that is forming locally, therefore another requirement was met. I used original photographs for the cover, as this was a requirement of the brief - "to produce original content".


Crop tool - I used the crop tool to help make the photo of Alexandra Palace on the front cover to be more prominent and stand out more, doing this helped to portray what the magazine is going to be about more obviously. The area of the photo I cropped out was the sides of the photo and areas of the bottom. The reason for me doing this was to allow me to use the magic lasso later to make the front cover look more professional and clean. I cropped it enough that it made it cleaner and still allowed it to be clear and obvious that it was about a North London based venue. Alexandra Palace is an instantly recognisable venue to people in North London, so cropping it and having it as the focal point of the magazine meant that it is displayed prominently on the cover. This links to the client brief as North London had to be a key feature of the magazine.





Magnetic Lasso - (After using the tool can be seen above on my final production)

This tool is used to pick a specific area and either delete or move it. The way I used it in my magazine was that I selected points around the top of Alexandra Palace and from there went around the skyline, once I had selected the whole area I deleted it and it allowed me to have just the venue in the frame. The reason I did this before putting the photo onto the front cover because it meant that the front cover was cleaner, as well as that it looked better with no skyline on the background despite looking good on the initial picture with the skyline in it. I felt that the grey colour in the background, as opposed to the sky, would appeal more to my target audience of 20-25 year-olds (interested in a 'vibrant music scene'). The use of yellow puffs against the grey helps to create this sense of vibrancy.




















Gradient tool 

The gradient tool allowed me to create a background which gradually and slowly changed colours throughout the background. The reason to do this is that it allows me to contrast between the photos I'm using and the background easier, it also allows me to vary the font colours. Being able to vary the font colours allowed for variation which would attract the customer more than if I had chosen to do all the fonts and the background just one colour. It also helps to lead the reader's eye down to the QR code at the bottom, which stands out more prominently against the darker background. As the QR code and ticket competition is part of the USP for my magazine, it is important that it is displayed in an eye-catching way on the page. Similarly, the lighter grading at the top of the page helps the body copy stand out, making it easier for the customer to read. Displaying content in an easily-digestible way is important for the target audience.


Outer Glow
The outer glow tool is used on sections of text predominantly headlines or article titles. The reason that they are used primarily for these texts is that it adds a shadow behind the text which makes it bolder and stands out more. The reason I used it in my magazine's article title is that it helped to create a sense of depth to the title, which will intrigue the reader and influence them to read on. As well as that it gave more colour to the article title, so instead of it being only red it was red with a black outline which makes the title and the overall look of the magazine look better. This attracts the target audience because they will be attracted to the variety of colours. It also helps to reinforce that this is a magazine about vibrant music, as stated in the brief. The title on the page really leaps out at the reader.

In conclusion, I feel that the magazine I created matched the brief given to me, the reason for this is because I have met all the requirements set whilst also putting an individual twist to the magazine. As well as that, I feel as though I have created a product which appeals highly to my target audience because it allows them to get information on their favourite artists and find out if they are performing in a venue near them. Furthermore, it allows them to be informed of other people who are performing in those venues, artists which these people may not have thought about seeing. Moreover, it gives information on other events at the venues which helps the venues increase in popularity.