Final Magazine Draft

This is the final four page draft of my magazine.

Draft Article Final Idea

I've decided to call my article Cookie Cutter Christmas since it is a play on words that still relates to the article topic. Also, it goes with the holiday theme of the magazine and the alliterations used in other titles in the flat plan. The article will be placed in the center of the magazine since it is clearly advertised on the front cover draft with the main picture and a caption. It will therefore be placed on page 57-58 of the magazine and contain many photos of the process and a step by step visual representation of the making of the cookies. Finally, a text box including the ingredients for the cookies along with the icing used to decorate the cookies will be included as a special feature in the magazine. This feature will also be advertised on the front cover with some other intriguing caption regarding other articles within the magazine.

Draft Final Cover Design

I ended up going with this photo for my cover photo since it is very centered and focused. It also includes the Christmas lights which add to the holiday theme portrayed throughout the magazine flat plan and draft. Additionally, it will be nice to have the focal point of the stack of cookies to really being together the different parts of the cover page. Also, the photo was a good representation of the main article in the draft and flat plan in general.

Scheduled Photo Shoot

I ended up scheduling a photo shoot for the different aspects of the magazine. I found some DIY crafts to use as references for articles in the flat plan as well as soon food items and holiday landscape areas to use in the cooking and gardening sections, respectively. I made sure to always have my camera in focus and to take each photo with and without flash. This allowed me to see which option was better and more pleasing to view in the magazine. I also took a variety of landscape and portrait photos to fit in any necessary areas in the draft.

Planning Photo Shoots

We decided that since we're doing the crafts for the topics of our articles by ourselves at home, we don't really need to go anywhere special to take photos. We did decided to look around our houses or anywhere we go to take extra photos of ideas for DIY gardening, crafting, and cooking products. These can be used in the TOC in reference to other articles included. For example, I could take photos of people's Christmas decorations and use this in reference to a gardening article about home decor and outdoor decorating. Or, I could take photos of DIY holiday crafts like ornaments I've made in the past and use photos of them in reference to another article about an easy ornament craft. Overall, the photo shoots shouldn't be too complicated, and should be easy to complete at home or in our everyday lives.

Scheduled questions/ interview

For our draft article topics, we finally decided to have Hannah create and write about a DIY chalk-paint jar to use for potting plants and such. She will also have an interview with her mom to discuss the craft and its uses. For my article, I will write about decorative Christmas cookies that I will research and bake. I will probably not have an interview for this but will write a substantial article about the topic. This means that the theme of Hannah's issue will be springtime and mine will be holiday themed.

Magazine Theme Details

Although Hannah and I have determined the main genre of our magazine, we still need to determine the topics of the articles and titles featured in the TOC and flat plan. We decided to have three categories of first crafting, then cooking, then gardening. Although the separation of these categories wouldn't be distinct in the TOC or magazine, all crafting articles will be in the first part of the magazine, cooking articles will be in the middle, and home decor articles will be the last couple articles. This keeps a similar design to all the issues of our magazine. We also decided that I would do the article for my draft on a cooking topic, maybe a holiday dessert, and Hannah would do a crafting topic of a DIY craft. This may change but seems like a good plan so far.

Final Flat Plan

For my final version of the flat plan, it will include numerous advertisement pages throughout the 96 page magazine and seven 2-5 page articles. The articles will start out with the theme of crafts, then focus on cooking, them move to gardening and landscape ideas. Also, the article titles and topics will all be holiday themed. Additionally, the article that will be featured in my draft, Cookie Cutter Christmas, will be placed in the center of the magazine on pages 57 and 58. Also, the articles should each be spaced with about five pages of ads to spread them out and allow for a variety of content.

Table of Contents Template

   Inside the magazine in the table of contents, we decided to gather some ideas from TOC designs online. We looked at examples from Better Homes and Gardens and some other crafting magazine examples found on google images. After some research we decided to use the same bubbly yet sophisticated and easy-to-read font used on the captions on the cover. That way the words are differentiated from the title front and TOC title font, but still correlate to the theme of the magazine layout so far.
   Also, we noticed that under the TOC title at the top of the page, there are sometimes small pictures of item or things included in the articles. After photo shoots are planned and carried out, we will decide on the final color scheme and change the color of the titles and captions accordingly. This is another way along with the captions on the title page to intrigue the consumers and make them want to read more in the magazine.
   An additional technique used to attract viewers is under each article title, there is a small, one-sentence summary of the piece that allow readers to first, become interested in each article with an intriguing summary, or two, to allow readers to choose which articles really pique their interest and not force them to read each piece. Overall, the TOC will be reader friendly and should be able to pique the consumers' interests.

Cover Design Template

   My partner and I brainstormed some title ideas last week and spent the weekend working on different options. Today, we decided on the name The Crafting Corner since it incorporates the aspects of DIY cooking and DIY crafts into one name. We also decided to make the title font Pristina since it looked artsy and professional. We also decided to make the other sub-headings and captions in a Stencil font to be more practical and easy to read.
   For the captions on the cover correlating to articles inside the magazine, we decided to research some ideas for the layout and positioning. We looked at some examples from Better Homes and Gardens and other crafting magazines on Google Images. We also got inspiration to use colorful and bubbly, yet easy to read, font. We're also going to use colorful labels for each topic section (cooking, crafting, and gardening) to show what consumers will find in the magazine and in the article.
   Overall, the cover page should be laid out according to the best determined location of the article captions, the size and positioning of the title, the focus of the cover photo, and the color scheme decided after photo shoots are complete.

Research 5 - Better Homes and Gardens

On the cover of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, it shows a picture of an up-close snow globe with a cute snowman inside. This attracts the viewer's attention and makes then want to purchase the product. The cover also features some captions that relate to articles included inside the magazine. Also, the articles were approximately 8-10 pages in length and generally focused on holiday craft. Some examples include Frosty Friends about crafts to make fabric snowmen, Sweet Somethings about making holiday pastries, and Home for the Holidays about homemade fabric decorations. There were very few advertisements in this issue, but the ones included were related to the magazine's main theme. Some examples are Creative Options storage products, Brother design scanners, and Premo Sculpey clay. As you can see, the advertisements followed the general topic of home decor and DIY crafts.The distribution number is 7,600,000. The magazine was an honorable mention for an Eddie for Women's Lifestyle on an article called the Power of Purple.

Research 4 - Good Housekeeping

On the cover of the Good Housekeeping magazine, it featured brightly colored wrapping paper on gifts and some accents of Christmas tree branches and ornaments. This displays a feeling of the winter holidays and attracts the viewer's attention. Also, the articles are 2-3 pages long and focus on house warming items and ideas such as the best Christmas cookies, genius gifts under $50, or Holiday decor. All the articles included brightly colored photographs and graphics that captivate the viewer and attract attention to products displayed in the magazine. The ads incorporated in between the articles focused on home improvements, decorations, or products, but there was still a wide variety of generic ads. Some examples of ads relevant to the magazine's genre are Maybelline lipstick, Balsam Hill Christmas decorations, and Crock Country butter. The distribution number is 4,652,001. The magazine hasn't won any awards yet.

Research 3 - Fine Wood Working

On the cover of the Fine Wood Working magazine, there is a photo of a man handcrafting a wooden shelf. This shows the main topics of this issue will be on homemade wood work. The photo also intrigues the viewer and makes them want to continue reading, especially with the help of the small captions that explain the topics of some articles in the magazine. The articles mostly focus on types of work working and techniques and projects one can do at home. Some articles included were how to build an elegant bookcase, how to use a smart technique for gluing thin panels, and how to build the perfect picture frame. They appeared about every 6 to 8 pages with some ads in between. Some advertisements included were mostly about construction tools and appliances. Some examples include Rikon appliances, the Furniture Medic, and Woodcraft woodworking tools. The distribution number is 51,233. The magazine hasn't won any awards yet.

Research 2 - The Family Handyman

   On the cover of The Family Handyman magazine, it incorporated some neutral colored artwork on a shelf with some accents of orange. This is a very nice setup to be displayed on the cover to interest consumers. It also has arrows with captions, similar to the previous magazine, HGTV, which also makes readers want to look inside and continue reading. Also, the articles were much more abundant and informational than HGTV. They mostly focus on house decorating and somewhat simple handy-work.
   Some articles included in the magazines were on a DIY mini-fountain, how to replace a sink hose, how to make your own bench, and other creative ideas. They appeared one after the other and in between a couple advertisements. The ads' topics were mostly about items to assist in house work and industrial tools. Some examples are Goof Proof Shower Installation System, Simpson pressure washer, and Harbor Freight tools. They all directly relate to the magazine's theme. The distribution number is 1,158,743. The magazine hasn't won any awards yet.

Research 1 - HGTV Magazine

   After analyzing magazines similar to our idea, we have learned a lot about how we want out magazine to look and be laid out. On the cover of HGTV magazine, the cover includes lots of bright colors and crafty looking objects to attract consumers' attention. It also has some short captions on some objects that lead to articles within the magazine. For example, one arrow points to a card stock sign reading "JOY" with a caption saying "Make Your Own JOY Card using tape!". This makes the reader want to find the article and buy the magazine.
   The articles were designed in three columns with multiple subheadings within the article so distinguish each part of each article's topic. The writing is mostly DIY home decor or subjects relating to house decorating. For example, one article discusses how to create DIY present wrapping. The page includes numerous colorful photos and examples of the article's topic. 
   Additionally, there were many advertisements throughout the product. Some examples include ads for a house decorating show, "Property Brothers", Bosch dishwasher appliances, Swanson chicken broth, Prudential Financial, Trulicity, and many more. Most of the ads were for home decor products, but some such as the ones listed above, were also included. The ads were placed between each article (not on the article pages), and took up approximately 5 or 6 pages of ads between the articles. The distribution number is 1,761,517. The magazine won a special interest award for their June 2014 issue.

Project Selection - My Decision

   In the end, I have decided to choose the magazine option. This is because I have good design skills and am a very organized and precise person. I enjoy writing and can create a good final product through hard work and dedication. I am also fairly good at determining the layout of a poster or the final design of magazine pages. This project would be a great way for me to put my talents and passions to good use to create an enjoyable final product.
   My project will focus on easy do-it-yourself projects and creative people around Sarasota. There will be articles involving local artists, cooks, and other crafty people. This means the genre of my magazine will be arts and crafts. My magazine will also be aimed towards stay-at-home people who have the time and passion to work on projects included in the magazine articles. I also hope to produce articles based on crafts, projects, or other creative activities that are easy for anyone of any skill set to enjoy doing.
   I chose to work in a group with my friend, Hannah. The skills my partner and I possess are we're both organized, responsible, creative, and have experience in art and design. Also, Hannah is a great photographer and has always been a reliable teammate and student. She is also equally as skilled as I in layout and design used in magazine pages, especially the cover page. 
   I also believe I am skilled in designs and layouts and am interested in writing and creating the magazine project in general. This means that we'll both work on the layout and design of the pages, I will do the writing portion, and Hannah will be in charge of photography. Additionally, both members of the group have easily accessible sources to utilize in the making of the articles. These assets include knowing local artists and creative people and having access to crafty people in school. Overall, we'll make a great, efficient team that will contribute equally to all parts of the project.

Project Selection - Film

   In this class, we have seen numerous informative films. These movies are very interesting, learning about how films are made and the processes behind them. They are also educational because we were able to learn more about how a lot of work is put in behind the scenes to creating a seemingly flawless end product. Many consumers watch popular movies and films not thinking about the hard work put into the final product they are viewing. Some of these aspects that are focused on by film makers are editing, variation of shots, inclusion of lighting, props, and costume/makeup, choice of actors/actresses, and choice in lighting and sound. 
   One film we watched in class was "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". We also viewed a video describing its filming process which was very educational. We learned about how the actor's lives are, the struggles of the cast and crew, and the editing process. This was interesting because looking back on some of the scenes in the movie we just watched, I looked at the action and visual aspects of each take with a new perspective. 
   Also, after watching season one of "The Newsroom", I was more aware of how the nightly news is produced. We learned about the struggles to get everyone together and ready on time, the types of technology utilized in the studio, and how even the actors in this TV show had to adapt as the series continued. It was interesting to now look at each part of the film as an editing technique i recognize, or how the use of sound, lighting, or props can change the mood of a scene. I learned about how journalism and other media ties into news show casts' lives. 
   After all of this new information, I think the film project option might be a good choice for me because I am a creative person and enjoy designing and filming. I also enjoy watching how the combination of editing, camera angles/shots, sound, and mise en scene can change the mood of a scene and greatly add to a film. However, this may not be a good decision since my friends and I aren't the best actors and wouldn't get into the filming process as much as in the magazine choice. Also, I am much better creatively at designing products such as a magazine or poster rather than making decisions regarding a short film or video. 

Project Selection - Magazine

   So far this year, we have studied many educational films. All of the films were very interesting to me, and I learned a lot from them. Some topics I learned were different types of writing and the rank of authority in media companies. Also, while watching the TV show "The Newsroom", I learned about the behind-the-scenes aspects of a news station and the lives and work of professional journalists. This was also interesting because it showed the work put in behind the curtain that comes out as a very professional production when aired on TV, broadcast through radio stations, or even published in magazines or newspapers. It demonstrated how much work people in that type of job put in to make a presentable product in the end. 
   Also, while watching "All the President's Men" and "Nixon", I realized the role the media plays in politics and officials' reputations. It was very interesting to observe the process of finding sources, interviewing them, writing the story, and watching the people's reactions and objections. It was also neat to see how journalists and reporters worked back in that time period. In today's world, most everything is electronic, and communication is must easier. But in the setting of this film, it features a time where not everything was as simple as it is today. I also was intrigued by things such as props and the inclusion of older newspaper and magazine tools I have studied in school that may not be noticeable to untrained viewers.
   After learning all of these skills and processes, I believe the magazine project would be a good fit for me because I am a pretty good writer, I enjoy designing and organizing things, including magazines, and I am skilled in creating professional-looking, and sounding, work. Additionally, I am not the most theatrical or creative in the area of filming. Finding actors to use for my project might e a struggle, and I am not as well-versed in the use of techniques or technology in film making.
   On the other hand, this project may be a challenge for me since I summarize more often than I should and might not have enough writing on the pages.