Friday, 19 December 2014

First draft of my magazine article covering my short film

Combining the features and aspects from all the magazine articles I conducted research into, I finally created a magazine article reviewing my own short film, as can be seen below. The article splits the emphasis between images and text equally, whilst including an 'inspiration' feature to explain how I got the idea for my short, whilst additionally displaying QR codes to add an interactive element for readers! 

Video Diary: 19.12.2014


Monday, 15 December 2014

Magazine article layout ideas based on Odeon magazine article

Based on the Odeon magazine article I created a rough plan for another magazine article:


Like with the Odeon article, the main image dominates the article with the film info shown over this image. However, on the opposite side, although the title of the article is displayed largely, the film title is also shown beneath with its tagline. The article itself is additionally split into two columns opposed to one, with the fact about the film in between the two.

Video Diary: 15.12.2014


Odeon Magazine Article

Odeon also produce a film-based magazine and an example of an article can be seen below:


The main image dominates the page massively, taking up the whole of the double-page spread, with the words 'coming soon' largely featuring at the top. The image displays two of the main characters and the readers are almost expected to know the link between them and the film saga itself. The title of the article and the tag line don't even mention the title of the film but directly relates to it, with the title being displayed in the bottom right-hand corner with the release date, age certificate, director's name and main actors. The article itself briefly repeats what has happened in the previous films, before including quotes from an interview with the cast members and discussing the new film. A 'did you know' feature also appears on the spread and gives the readers some behind the scenes info on the new film.

Friday, 12 December 2014

Magazine article layout ideas based on Total Film magazine article

Based on the two layouts/designs of the previous two Total Film articles, I have drawn up a very rough plan for an article:


The article features an extremely large image on the right-hand side, with features such as 'similar to' in the bottom right-hand corner, whereas on the opposite page, the title dominates the page with a star rating and the article separated by an emphasised quote taken directly from the article and an 'interest graph' to highlight the most thrilling parts of the film.

Total Film Magazine Article

Below is another film-based article from the Total Film magazine:


The layout and design of this article is much the same as the previous one with a main image taking up the majority of the double-page spread, a running time/interest graph, age certificate, photo caption and film of the month feature.

Total Film Magazine Article

Total Film is also another very popular film-based magazine and an example of an article can be seen below:


Half of the double spread is taken up by a screenshot from the film which gives the reader a visual representation from the film and gives them a teaser of what to expect; the photo caption usually tells the reader what is going on in the image, however, in this example, the caption features a humorous twist, meaning it doesn't actually state what is actually happening in the image. In the bottom right-hand corner of the spread are further recommendations of similar films where the reader can find other films that may interest them. Also in this box is a link to their website, the magazine website and the page number. On the opposite page, the title is a very dominant feature and gives a star rating guide to match the critic's review. It is also clearly states that the film was given  a movie of the month award. The magazine is original in its use of a running time/interest graph showing which parts were most thrilling, something I haven't seen in film magazines that I have previously researched.  The article itself briefly describes and analyses the film from a critical point of view and even includes a short overview for those who may not have time to read the whole article. A direct quote has also been taken from the article and made vibrant to the reader to give them a brief feel of the point the article is attempting to get at. At the bottom of the article is also the information regarding the stars, age certificate, running time, distributor, director and screenplay.

Thursday, 11 December 2014

Magazine article layout ideas based on Sight & Sound magazine article

From the article from Sight and Sound magazine, I have very roughly designed the layout to an article which may inspire me on what aspects/features I may include in my own article as can be seen below:



The design consists of the film title and info at the top of the left page with the article itself divided by photos and a section dedicated to film/s similar to the focus of the article, with the magazine name and page number being positioned in the bottom right-hand corner.

Video Diary: 11.12.2014


Sight & Sound Magazine Article

Another popular film magazine is Sight and Sound, so I decided to also look into the way they design their articles, one of which can be seen below:


At the top of the article is the magazine feature 'film of the month' which can be a common feature within film magazines. Underneath this is the title which links to the film and a brief outline of what the article will focus on and the critic's name. The article also includes the film title, which appears very small in comparison to the rest of the double-page spread, directors name and year of release. The article displays many features, such as multiple snapshots from the film with captions giving the reader a visual representation of the film and background to similar work from the same director, giving the reader further film recommendations as well as the magazine name, issue number and page number.

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Magazine article layout ideas based on Empire magazine article

From the different aspects and features from both the Empire magazine articles I, very roughly, designed an article which can be seen below:


As with the first Empire article, this would consist of a main image which dominates the majority of the double-page spread which would either feature the most effective shot from the film or a collage of several snapshots. The film title would be clearly displayed in the bottom left corner with the magazine feature, i.e. Film of the month, in the top left. On the opposite side of the photo would be a quote from the article regarding the film in the top right and the caption to explain to the reader what is going on in the image in the bottom right. The article itself would be situated on the far right which would briefly explain the film and its message whilst reviewing the effect the film may have on its potential audience. The magazine name, issue number/date and page number would be set in the far bottom right corner of the article.

Video Diary: 10.12.2014


Empire Magazine Article

Another article from a much older Empire magazine can be seen below:


The article clearly displays the title at the top of the spread with the usual film information, such as the director/s, screen writer/s, age certificate, release date, running time and main actors underneath. Underneath this is also a brief plot of the film to give the reader a clue of what to expect from the film. The article itself beginnings with a scene from the film to give the reader a further insight into what they can expect from the film. The article includes a brief explanation and analysis of the film which provides the reader with valuable details regarding the film. In the middle of the spread is a snapshot taken from the film to give the reader a visual representation of the film, with the caption giving the reader the background of the photo. In the bottom right-hand corner shows the critics name with their overall verdit and a star rating - so if the reader is in a hurry, they can simply read this small amount of information, however, the rating doesn't state how many stars the film is out of and could be confusing to new readers if they are unaware of the maximum rating.

Empire Magazine Article

One of the most popular film magazines is Empire, so I thought it would be beneficial to conduct some research into how the articles are designed to generate ideas for my own magazine article. An article focusing upon the Twilight Saga can be seen below:


The main, and only image, takes up the majority of the double-page spread and features two of the main characters from the related films. The reader is automatically able to relate the actors to the film, hence the size being excessive in comparison to the text, especially the title that remains small and in the top left corner. The writing in the bottom left corner is larger than the film little and again is a reference to the saga and may spark more interest than just the title alone. The writing in the bottom right of the image covers a basic overview of what the article will cover, so letting the reader know what they can expect. The start of the article/review is a different size, font and colour in comparison to the rest of the article and is used to increase the interest of the reader. The type in the article itself is much smaller and creates a background to the first film, whilst focusing upon the main characters and the original books that the saga is based on, before moving into talking about the film sequel. The magazine article also includes the magazine name, the issue date and page number.


Tuesday, 9 December 2014

Student-made Magazine Article

Before even beginning to think about designing the magazine article for my short film, I thought it would be very beneficial to research into existing magazine reviews to see how companies design the layouts of their articles and what features they include. I began by researching into student re-makes of magazine articles to see what I would be able to produce, realistically as a student opposed to mass-developed companies, an example can be seen below:


The main focus of the article is the snapshot of the film being reviewed with the title and tagline, immediately giving the reader expectations of what to expect, from both the article and the film itself. Underneath is the information regarding the film, such as, age certificate and release date with a brief description and analysis of the film, detailing to the reader what they can expect when watching the film. The text is presented a mass heap halfway down the page with no real break-up by the use of photos or quotes, making it appearing heavy which may discourage the reader from reading the whole article.On the right-hand side of the article is more photos, making the article more appealing, including the feature on 'the history of the duo' which gives the reader background information of the actors and which films they previously started in with snapshots from each film - giving the reader a visual representation of what to expect. The photos additionally include captions alongside the photos to briefly explain to the reader the purpose of the images. The article also includes the basics of an article such as the name of the magazine, the page number, issue date and even a web address.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Poster for my short film based on idea of typography

Based on the idea presented by the What's Your Number and 27 Dresses poster campaigns of using typography as a method of presenting information regarding the film as a 'teaser' poster, I created a sample posters for my own short film drawing upon different aspects of teenage life:

The poster presents a student reading a book with the shape of book being filled with words that can be associated with being a teenager and growing up, for example, drinking, university, stress and freedom.

Video Diary: 2.12.2014