Development of My Magazine Cover

To begin my magazine cover i decided on an appropriate software to use which would enable me to create my piece successfully. I felt that Photoshop would work best as i can edit and manipulate images aswell as use layers to create my work how i imagined it.

As you can see here i have used all of the images i planned to and layered them, starting with the trees. I left the opacity of these to 100% as it isnt a clear image and would like it to show through my other layers. The next image i put onto was the fire, which i edited slightly by changing the brightness and contrast so it was bright and bold compared to the dark, dull trees.
Before i layered the picture of the main character on i had to edit this picture slightly, mainly because it was taken in a lighter setting to the other images i needed it to blend in. To do so i used the curves tool and contrast to dull it down slightly. I then used the wand tool to remove the background so we just have the main character ready to put onto the new setting. I kept the opacity of this layer also on 100% as if i were to lower it, it would make him look ghostly and transparent. Which isnt what i wanted, i aimed to make him bold and stand out from the bright fire. The characters clothes also help with this as they are quite light and pure compared to the dark fire which also helps to contrast him from the background



After browsing through different websites looking for copyright free fonts i finally found 5 which i liked. To help me choose the best one i did a small survey and asked my target audience to tell me which they preferred. The font to the left is the outcome of this, personally i think the colour Red works well with it as it is bold and eye catching, it also stands out with the main image which captures the readers attention. I particularly like this font due to it following the codes and conventions of the horror genre, it isnt neat and tity its quite scruffy and looks as though its deteriorating. Also the use of the colour Red, to me represents a warning and blood so all in all i think it works well. I have rearranged the layers slightly because i found the main image looked better slightly overlapping the font, seeing as it is the main focus. I chose to place it over the fire too so the flames look as thought they are creeping up to it and making it perhaps deteriorate?




For the next picture i have developped it slightly by beginning to add different coloured fonts to it. To start with next to the title i have added the price which i intend to sell this product for with help from my target audience. Above i have added three titles of movies which my magazine will also feature. I put these in a White font so they stand out from the dark background and added yellow square dividers to brighten it up a bit. The whole idea of using these colours were to relate them to the horror genre and also the fire in the background. Over the main image i have placed the movie title, which is in the original font which you will find on the teaser trailer and the movie poster. The use of Red i this headline works well as it adds a sense of danger to this picture. Above this i have introduced it by adding a small Black box with White font stating its a "Chilling Exclusive" which helps entice the audience just by the use of language. The colours together are also opposites, Black representing Dark, Evil and Dull things and White being Pure, Clean and Simple, reflecting the character in the film.
Like all magazines i have added a bar code which is normally used in retail when selling the product, and it also gives it a professional look to it. So i added another layer and included one in this.