Monday, 6 February 2023

LO4 Evaluation

Content:  

The magazine included a front cover as well as a contents page and 1 double page spread. I chose not to add another double page spread. The magazine used a choice of 3 or 4 different house colours to create synergy throughout the magazine, this allowed me to create a recognisable brand for the magazine and help to set the magazine apart from the other competition.

FrontPage:

The front page of the magazine is a simple stylized design with minimum banners and different fonts. The main front cover of the magazine was mostly taken up by an image of a cake, this created comfortable reassurance in the audience because it is a piece of food which they have recognised created a common reorganisation within the audience of the magazine. The picture being a cake did reassure them because it will remind them of home and good times making them more likely to want to buy the magazine, making the magazine sell better by using this technique which will have the recipe inside one of the double page spreads. The Masthead overlayed the main image this kept all of the other text except from the barcode and issue number. This is to keep the simple design and style of the magazine throughout. The fonts that I chose for the main mast head are Cream Cake. This is a fancy flowing font that fits in nicely with the theme of the magazine and is a contrast to the much simpler Roboto font that I have used for the rest of the smaller print throughout the magazine. This provides a simple text that is easy for the reader to read and understand. This font has been used for the coverline's on the front cover and any other small print on the front cover. I did experiment with the different shot types for the image such as high angle and low angle shots to make sure that I used the best possible image for the main cover image of the magazine. I took photos of the top of the cake because it presents the cake in the best possible way and provides a cleaner image. The image will be taken this way because it connotes luxury and neatness making the page feel more professional. The main front cover image itself will be a Victoria sponge cake and has have been decorated with icing sugar. The cake will be in the sunlight so that the top of cake has a shine to it. Using a Victoria sponge cake is not only an iconic recipe, but it also connotes happiness and togetherness as traditionally the cake would have been shared amongst friends and family. This promoted the theme that the magazine is a family magazine and people of all ages can cook what's inside the magazine.

The cover lines for the magazine were placed the left of the front cover, this is to give an edge to the magazine and links to the theme of simplicity that the magazine will have throughout.

For the masthead, the colours that I chose to go with are a bright yellow and black for the font. This stands out to the reader so that they at once know the name of the magazine. Although it is bright and bold it does not diminish the main image as the masthead is small enough not to be the main centre of attention for the reader. This is a style that is commonly found in cooking magazines as the magazine's editor wants the target audience to see the amazing food rather than a big bold headline. Because of this it is key that the text that I use is correct for the page, this is why I chose to use a sans serif font because I want to be able to capture the attention of the reader but also need to be careful because I did not want to detract from the main image on the page that is meant to be the main eyecatcher for the page. Sans Serif fonts allowed me to be able to connote the importance of the text and allow the reader to easily see what the magazine is about. 
For the banners that I will have they will just be a simple outline of a rounded rectangle. This keeps the simplistic style of the magazine and creates areas where different bits of text are. By doing this the reader can easily see where the breaks are in the text, and this created an easy-to-read front cover. The banners will only be an outline, this is a different convention to regular magazines. This is to fit with the simplistic style of the magazine and creates a unique product. It also lets the reader see the whole of the front cover image.  
The main coverline is placed to the lower right of the masthead this means that the coverline is bigger than the mast head and this allowed the reader to quickly and easily read the title of the magazine and let the reader know what the genre of the magazine was. The main coverline says “Top 10 easy meals”. This will be in a large font called Ace Sans. This font is simplistic yet stands out to the reader and draws their attention to the Coverline while keeping the simplistic style throughout.

Using a Coverline has the implied meaning that there is more than one main article this means that the target audience are more likely to pick up the magazine as they are getting a preview of what is contained inside the magazine. This makes the magazine more appealing without having to use up a lot of space on the front cover fitting into the style of magazine.  
The bottom of the front cover will have a small box which will contain the barcode and the edition number this is required on the magazine and my choice of location is at the bottom so that I can still be clearly seen but it does not diminish the main focal points of the magazine.  
The front cover is the most important page of the magazine as it is the first thing that the reader will see when they look at the magazine. Therefore, the main image is the most important element on the front cover. I have made the decision not to use a person model in the front cover image. This is because I want the reader's attention to be focused on the food on the front cover not a human hand or body.  
Contents Page:  
The contents page of the magazine has a similar design in terms of images and styles, fonts and colours to the front page of the magazine. This helped to keep the simple theme that I am going for. I have used the same colours throughout the magazine allowing me to create synergy for the magazine making the magazine a better product. 
The fonts for the contents page are the same with the main heading being in Ace Sans and the smaller text in Roboto. The masthead of the magazine was not included on the contents page, this is because I do not want to have the name of the magazine repeated at the top of each page as it took away the simplistic look that I am going for. The contents page will have a list of different pages and a rough summary of what is on each page. The page numbers will be larger and to the left of the actual text. This allows the reader to easily see the page numbers and go to the page that they are interested in creating a better product.

There were box outlines that contain the text. This was placed in one large column and on the other side of the column there was images of different food. Carrying the original style of large images from the front cover. Creating a style for the magazine. Using the same style connotes professional looking pages and a well-rounded magazine. The images on the page have been taken using low angle and close up shots. I took the images in this way because it created a professional as well as luxury looking image. The text on the pages was both serif fonts for the pages info but I also used sans serif fonts to make sure that the pages can be easily navigated and the eye is drawn to the title of the pages rather than the sub text on the rest of the page, because I used Sans Serif font it showed the importance of reading that bit of the text before reading the rest of the page.

The main image on the contents page had a small tag attached to it so that the reader knows where the reference if the magazine is. This links the image to the magazine and can stop any confusion because there is a link to the image later in the magazine, creating a better-connected magazine. The image 
On the contents page. There was only one image and this image will cover the entire page, all the text on the page was overlayed on top of the image. Creating a unique style for the magazine. The colours will stay the same throughout the magazine and therefore create a sense of style throughout the magazine. The colours staying the same will also help with the readership of the magazine, making the magazine simple to read and therefore a better contents page that was easy to understand. As well as helping with the effect of synergy throughout the magazine.


DPS:
The first double contents page spread was the recipe for the piece of food on the front cover of the magazine. I had chosen this to be the first recipe in the magazine. This was because the piece on the front cover needed to capture the readers' attention. The recipe was in the Roboto font, this was because the font was small enough to not take away the reader attention from the main image of the text, but the text was also clear and see and easy to read making it an excellent choice of font for most of the text on the DPS. The main image took up half on the DPS while the text and the recipe took up the other half of the DPS. This clearly showed the reader where the recipe was and what the finished product should look like so that they had visual references to check if they had followed the recipe correctly.
 
The headline title was one of the most important pieces of text on the whole page because it would be what the reader saw first on the page. This meant that it had to clearly say what the page was about and capture the reader's attention. On my DPS, the title of the page was “Cheaters Paella” because of the body copy being the recipe for the paella. The body copy was going to be a recipe because of the genre of the magazine, the idea of the magazine was that the magazine would be full of tips and recipes. This was one of the main selling points of the magazine and one of the main reasons that the magazine would appeal to the target audience.
 
The DPS had a large image on the right-hand page and on the left-hand, there was the text and the recipe for the food that was on the right. The text was in the Roboto font to keep the simplistic design and reinforce the style throughout the magazine. This made the magazine easier to read and gave the magazine a more professional look.
There were both Serif and Sans Serif fonts used on the page, this was because of the need to be able to make sure that the viewer knew how to use the page. This was very important because the page had a website that the reader was meant to be able to follow. The Sans Serif fonts were used as titles and other key steps in the recipe that guided the reader across the page. The Serif fonts were used for all the other text on the page and this allowed the page to be read more easily because of the contrast in the text looks and styles. The uses of different fonts conveyed the importance and the order that the page should be read in, making the magazine function better together. The images and the text needed to look like they fit into the rest of the magazine. It was important that all the images on the page were taken using a high angle shot type to make sure that the entire image could be seen and ensure that the image attracted the eye of the viewer (eye-catching). The images were intended to connote luxury and high-end food. There was no banner on the page because the aim was to stylize the magazine and not conform to typical tabloid magazines which had a very boxy layout and many different adverts. The intention was to not follow the convention of typical magazines, which would make the magazine stand out from the rest of the magazines that covered food and cooking.


How The Magazine Met The Brief:
The magazine met the brief is many different ways one of these was that it appealed to its target audience both in the content and the design of the magazine was that it used bright colours and bold fonts to really stand out to the target audience. One of the main features of the magazine was that the magazine contained a step by step recipe that would allow the reader to make a new and interesting dish using the magazine. This allowed me to add a more interesting selling point to the magazine.

The genre of the magazine was a high end cooking magazine. I think that the magazine has been made in that genre. This is because of both the images and the text that will be inside the magazine. For example I have used photos that look like the photos that would be in a professional cooking book, doing this allowed me to connote the professionalism throughout the magazine.




Another way that I have met the brief is that I have been very careful to make sure that I have kept the language and the graphics in the magazine appropriate for the target audience (not using any foul or vulgar language throughout the magazine). I have also made sure not to include a lot of space for advertising as well as keeping the banners and the graphics on the pages fit with either the theme as general or what else was on the page.

Overall the magazine has used various different tropes from other magazines to make sure that the magazine will be effective in reaching its target audience. I have used BBC good foods use of a strong colour scheme as well as a heavy use of large images to use up the spare space. The images also can be used as reference for the recipes that are on each page so they are also used as a practical element for the magazine.

Cooking weekly them to explore a wider range of cooking and baking.

Friday, 3 February 2023

LO3 SubEditing





Final Version:

This simple paella is sure to wow your guests and is simple and easy to make. The simple list of ingredients means that it is easy to make at home and produces stunning results. This recipe includes seafood as well as normal ingredients to give a little extra spice to your food. In this recipe we add spice and mussels to the paella but the recipe can be modified to fit anyone's taste. The recipe itself comes from Spain and is called the cheaters paella this is because of its simple to make recipe but still getting amazing looking and tasting results when it is made. Paella originally came from the farmers in Spain they used whatever the leftovers were along with some rice and onions. Since then, the recipe has changed but the same principal ingredients are still there.



First 

“El Tramposo” Paella  

(The Cheaters Paella)  

Serves 4  

Heat oven to 180. Cook the meal in the middle of the oven.  

Ingredients  

 

What You Will Need: 

Two packets of ready cooked Spanish or Mexican flavoured rice  

One spicy chorizo sausage (about 200 grammes) sliced into about 20 pieces  

Three red peppers  

One medium glass of white wine, chicken/vegetable stock or water  

Packet of ready cooked muscles (garlic butter type is fine)  

One lemon  

 

 

 

Method: 

Peel and slice the onion and peppers (discarding seeds)  

Fry the chorizo, onion, and peppers in olive oil until soft and put them into a large oven proof dish with all the oily juices  

Open the bags of cold rice, break up the lumps a bit and mix into the dish  

Pour the glass of wine, stock, or water into the rice mix  

Cover with a tight lid or tin foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes so its fully heated through  

Stir thoroughly after 20 mins and check it is not dry and burning (add a few large spoonsful of water if it is)  

Open the mussel's packet and pour them into the rice mixture and stir in lightly  

Put it back into oven with lid on for another 5 minutes  

To serve sprinkle on chopped parsley and serve with wedges of lemon, crusty bread, and butter  

 


Strengths:

The magazine contains a recipe that is accurate and that has all of the necessary steps and information that a reader can use and make the recipe and then use the images on the page to check if they have made the food correctly. Another strength is that the body copy has been laid out in a way which means that on the page the reader can easily see what to do.

Another strength of the text is that it uses cooking terms to be able to appeal to both a professional cook as well as people who not may any of the terminology. Doing this increases the scope of people who can use the magazine.


Weaknesses:

One of the main weaknesses is that the magazine does not have much other text meaning that it reads more like a book or just a plain set of instructions. I have added some other text to the page to make sure that this is not a big problem for the page. For example I have added the location and the history of the dish to make sure that there is some other text.




LO4 Evaluation

Content:    The magazine included a front cover as well as a contents page and 1 double page spread. I chose not to add another double page...