Website/Blog

At the start of April I began to create a website on tumblr which showcased each editorial series and I added in the final writing for each after I saw the final print of the magazine.
The reasoning behind doing this website on top of my printed magazine is to entice my target audience and I also considered the strong influence of social media and the internet on projecting your ideas and work out there.



Readership involvement is important as I wanted the audience to be able to hold a physical copy and be able to see it as a piece of art rather than images online. Saying this, by creating a website, I realise that it makes my work more accessable if it is online, however those who are most interested in the magazine theme will buy a printed copy.



Due to the access of images on the internet, I realised it was a wise decision to create an online copy of a magazine both to get my name and work out there, but also so people who did not see/buy a copy of my work could review it and look over it.

In retrospect I wish I had had organised the creation of magazine more effectively as it would look more professional and intriguing. The style of the website is simplistic and showcases each series with it's written column long the right hand side.
I also think it will be easier to collect feedback from my peers whether that is friends/family or others within the industry as I find constructive criticism extremely important. This will be easier for me to see if my work is posted online.


Link to website:

www.theheartbreakissue.tumblr.com 

Reflecting Proposal

The budget which I created in my FMP proposal as a rough estimate has proven to be slightly incorrect. Below is a copy of what I thought I would need to pay for:

TOTAL ESTIMATE: £410

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I underestimated greatly on the price it would cost to get my magazine printed. For three copies it cost me £225

I also had to pay out £100 altogether to get certain models to come down - travel expenses and dinner paid for

Shooting materials came to £150 for makeup, styling and hair products 

Material Research came to £60 therefore I was correct in giving myself that budget

Graphic Designer: £50

ACTUAL TOTAL: £585

Originally I gave myself a budget of £500, however due to my new job I have been able to afford more. If I was to do this project again I would search for funding and/or a sponsorship from another copy and I would be able to afford more facilities. Originally I wanted to pay for a professional retoucher who I have worked with before I could not afford to pay him the amount he was asking for. Through this though I have developed my own skills in photoshop. Budget is very big part of the creation of the magazine and I think before the project I greatly underestimated how much money I would need. Luckily I have good contacts who owed me favors for shoots I have done previously e.g. photographers. 

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PROPOSED Target Market:

The target market of the magazine will be quite broad within the genres of fashion, art and culture. This will appeal to the creative individuals within the industries, such as makeup artists, fashion photographers or stylists, whether that be students or professionals of all ages.
Not only will this magazine attract industry workers, but also those who appreciate the diversity of art and self-expression.
The magazine aims to target:
- Income bracket: working class and above due to price of magazine
- Average age range of 18 to 30 (see appendix fig. 23)
- Both female and male audience within the UK
- Creative, open minded people with an interest in avant-garde beauty and fashion
- Those who are interested in and appreciate artistic expression towards cultural and political topics
- Students, aspiring artists or those working within the industries who are looking for inspiration

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ACTUAL TARGET MARKET:
The target market has only slightly changed with the age ranging from 18 to 25 of both female and male UK residents. 
I also have changed who the magazine is aimed at. It will be aimed at people who are aspiring to be in the industry such as makeup artists, stylist and photographers, would be part of the aim to reach out to, I also think it will be popular with young adults who are interested in fashion, art and makeup.

The target market I previously create was too broad and unrealistic where as I feel this target market is better suited now I have seen the final print. 

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Timetable 

This was the proposed timetable which I was aiming to work by, however due to being offered other jobs on top of doing my final major project, I had to be more savvy which the amount of work I did each week. I aimed to finish all my photoshoots by the end of April, however I finished them around the middle of April giving myself more time for the writing and set up of my magazine which now I am thankful for. 
Also with the situation of my back going, leaving my flat and bed-bound for a few days I used that time productively to finish all my my written work and getting others to write columns and articles for me. 

Other project which I have taken part in have been:

Briton, The Road to Modernity - a 5 episode documentary 
Hair Specialist - Paid - Between 16-20 Days filming in total not including research, wig hiring and meetings.

The Structured Runway - One night Catwalk in Southampton
Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist - 3pm until 10pm not including meetings and prep

Megan Jordan Photography - 3 photoshoots for university project

Bettie-Harold Sodipo - 5 photoshoots for university project - 3 looks per day, 5 full days

The Encore - Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist, Live Recording for 2 days 9am - 6pm

Abi Murray FMP - Hair and Makeup Assistant/Social Media 1 Full Day

Freelance Hairdressing 

Fashion Photography Look Book, 1pm - 9pm Full day Hair and Makeup Artist

Hair Extensionist for Noble Claim - Glen/Jed/Olta Film 

Above are a few examples of the extra work I have been involved over the course of my FMP time period. I have taken every opportunity which has come may way as I find it extremely beneficial to broaden your experience, knowledge and skills. I learnt something new every job I do which I can project into my own work. 

At the start of April I began to slowly create a website completely focuses on this magazine as an added extra, though I was not sure if I was going to use it in the final submission. I would spend half an hour maximum a day on this leaving enough time for other projects and the final print of the magazine. In retrospect I'm extremely glad I did this as I was not completely satisfied with the final print and look of the magazine. 

Below is a copy of my original timetable:

Final Print Pick Up

2nd May 2014
I have been waiting for the print for just over a week now and I finally picked it up today.

The first thing I realised was the font on the front cover was different to the last time we spoke and from when I last saw it. It was a lot fatter and shorted and I had wanted one that was thinner and longer which we discussed in our final meeting.
Image of front cover and font

On the other hand I am really happy with the final font design of 'The Heartbreak Issue' as it suits the image, style and theme.

The second thing was my name was spelt wrong on the first page instead of Minnie Faye Rayment it is Minnie Faye Rayement. We also discussed her designing an illustration for the letter number one to put on the very inside of the magazine, however the graphic designer had found a low res image on google with a water mark on it and put it into the center of the page.

water mark

Incorrect spelling

The foreword I had sent her still had notes printed on the bottom of it. I asked her to remove them but they were still in the final print.
Throughout the magazine many of the model's names were spelt incorrectly as well as my own on numberous occasions although I gave her the accurate information needed. I also found that the layout I had wanted for my face charts had been changed making them unclear to see and the product list was not in the center of the page as we discussed.

Example of the layout of the face charts and product list which was different to original plan

Pixelated image on the back cover of the magazine

The acknowledgements were inserted at the start of the magazine although the last time I saw them when we met up they were at the back where I preferred them to be.
Every chapter has the same font which was not how I had planned to have it, though I did instruct her clearly that I wanted different fonts, typography and colours making each series contrasting and unique.
The bleed on the magazine was not large enough therefore I lost many of the faces in my double page spreads which I was really disappointed in as the ones I chose to be double pages were my favourite images.

Finally on the credit page, the graphic designer has credited herself as the Co-Editor which is was not what we discussed at any point during our meetings.

In future I will definitely use someone who has had a lot of experience with magazine work - though her portfolio online appeared good, the work which she created for myself wasn't at the required standard. I will also TRIPLE proof ready my work before I submit it print as this was a big mistake on my part. Due to this being my final major project I should have been more concerned and tight with the jobs I gave the graphic designer so she knew exactly what I needed and wanted though I felt I had done this, next time I will need to have more regular meet ups. Instead of once a week we should meet every couple of days.
I sent my work over to a designer as I thought I would not have enough time to complete the work to the standard I was wanting, however I have now been given a print which I am not 100% happy with.

I am happy with the images and the makeup, the print quality and paper quality is brilliant and I think the spine and front cover quality is to the standard I was aiming for.

Some of my colours within the images were lost and looked slightly dull therefore I should have checked the format of the images before she put them onto the inDesign file.

Altogether I am glad to see the final print as a whole as I am proud of the work I have done although there are many aspects of the design I would remove and change.

Photoshop for each Series

The breakdown of how I edited the final pictures for each shoot, what I wished I had done differently and what I have learnt: (Some of the images are not included as the photographers edited them themselves)

Catharsis - Due to the lighting in my bathroom, the images came out looking quite saturated which didn't go with the theme of the photoshoot. I used the levels and the burn tool to darker areas of the images such as the eyes, hair and makeup. Using the colour balance tool I made the images have more of a blue and green tone to settle down the orange and red tones on the skin. I also used the saturation tool and toned it done slightly more. 

I corrected some of the skin due to the water taking it off and smudging the lipstick. If I was to do this makeup another time I would change use a more water friendly and oil based product so it stayed on longer and wasn't as effected by the water. 

I am happy with the editing of the images as I think they project the feel of the concept successfully. If I could edit the pictures again I would write down the exact things I did to change them all exactly the same as I feel some of the images look like they have a different tone and colour balance. 

Caged - These images were shot by Hayley who used a particular setting on her camera so the images came out with a blue tone. The only editing I did on this was to brighten certain parts of the body and backgrounds they came out darker. For this I used the level tool and the brighten tool. I added a slight green colour balance to the images to add more character.

I love the tones of these images however if I was to edit these images again I would have increased the saturation as I feel when they have been printed they lost the colour of the lips. This may have been the format of the images though I could have changed this on photoshop too. I also wish I had edited the models tattoos out on her arm as I don't think they go well with this theme and seem unnecessary.

Estrangement - Originally I only retouched the face using the eraser tool and the airbrush tool. I removed the shadows under her eyes which could not be covered with makeup to make her look more fresh and innocent. I also turned down the saturation again to make the lighting more flattering and to bring out her eye colour. I kept the images similar throughout, though after having a meeting with Sharon she explained how I needed to change the images as the series goes on. They should reflect an on going and gradual change throughout. 

I googled how to add a cracked effect on the face and found a youtube video was very helpful. I had ever done this before so I found it quite difficult at first. 

I found an image on google of a cracked texture and then added a layer on top of my images. I merged the two together by changing the exposure of the cracked picture. I then realised that you could see the cracks on the background as well as the face so I selected the background and made a new layer. I then made the background around the face the top layer hiding the cracks underneath.

I think due to this being the first time I have ever edited my images like this before I did quite a good job though if I was to do it again I would get help from someone around me who could show me how to make it more realistic. It would also make the cracks around the eyes and lips look more realistic as I left a few cracks on the eyeball which I was unsure of how to remove. 

Technology - This photoshoot was an added extra into the final edit of the magazine. I wasn't sure if I was going to include in the final edit after having a meeting with my tutors but I thought due to the influence which technology has on modern society and more importantly on our relationships. I wanted the angle of these images to be objective - I cropped many of the images so you could only see certain parts of the body and face. The image above shows how she is playing with the chord of the phone which symbolises anxiety and shows tensions. I cropped most of the images so they would on focus on specific things e.g. an eye, the smudged makeup. The colour was brightened on photoshop which reflects a virtual world. Technology opens us until another reality therefore the colour popping in these images contrasts strongly against all the other shoot within the magazine. I use the colour balance tool, the crop tool and also the levels tool to highlight and shadow specific parts of the images. 

I think now I have cropped and edited these images to suit the theme, they look better as a series. If I was to reedit the pictures I would learnt how to make the background all one colour and remove the shadow as I think that is one thing that lets them down.

Distorted  Memory - This was the first shoot I did, and really it is one of the most important due to it's dark nature. It is all about how breakup can take you to the darkest places you have ever been on an emotional level. It is one which is very personal to me due to the mental health aspect and also taking in what I have heard from others about their experiences with anxiety and depression afterwards. The word distorted matches the editing of this particular image.

Similar to the technology series, I cropped the images so you didn't see the model's full face but you got a feeling and emotion from the cropped image.

With this one I copied the layer and then used a tool to move it slightly to one side. I changed the transparency so it made the image appear blurry. I enhanced the colour of her lips and highlighted the skin and parts of the hair. 

If I was to edit these pictures again I would have played around by merging the images together rather than merging two together so they have more depth and look more artistic. 

Dream - The theme of this series was to create imagery of that represented a dreamlike state that you go in when you through a break up. I desaturated the images and enhanced the colours in the back ground. Due to his skin tone and bleach blonde hair the images came out which dark so I used the levels tool and airbrush tool to make his skin appear a tone lighter. 

If I was to reedit these picture I was merge them together and play around with layers making him blurry, making the background blurry. I would also enhanced the eyeshadow around his eyes highlighting it making it stand out more as I lost of a lot of the colour due to desaturation. 

Lust - I played around with the levels and darkened the eye makeup, enhanced the lip colouring and lightened her hair. Due to the model having quite bad skin on the day, I had to use the airbrush tool and clone tool over her spots around her chin and her forehead. I didn't want to overdo the editing on the skin though as I did want to still be able to see the pores and texture on her face. Like the edit above a cloned the same image and put them together to enhance the sexual nature and femininity of her facial expression and poses. If could edit the images again I would airbrush her arms and boobs. Due to the lighting reflecting off parts of her arms and her fake tan lines, it has caused a significant colour difference which I find quite noticeable.  

Euphoria - These images explore the feelings of Euphoria you feel when you fall in love. I only edited the colour balance and levels on this photoshoot to enhance the pink of the hair. In retrospect I wish I'd have played around a lot more in post production for these images because due to the theme of them, I could have had a lot of freedom with merging and blending images together. I also put a lot of glitter over the skin which the lighting has covered up therefore I could have edited the pictures again I would have added glitter over the face and body to make it more interesting looking. I love the pink colour of the hair and how much it pops against her skin tone. 

Renewal - To go with the theme of 'renewal' I only edited one of these images blurry to symbolise a change which maybe physical or emotional. Physically you may change your appearance, change your hair style or colour, or even after the trauma you may not have cared about your appearance before hand but you become more confident and take more pride in how you look. The other images I used the level tool and enhanced the highlights and shadows on the face and in the eyes. 
If I could edit the pictures again I would have played around with edited the face, maybe using the clone tool to make the head look like it was opened slighty or made her eyes bigger so it was commenting upon the internal changes as well as the external. 

INK - On these images I edited the skin as the model had quite a lot of visible pores around his nose. I also used the level tool against to highlight his tattoos along side the burn tool to make them stand out more against his skin. I changed the colour balance to enhance the colours within his tattoos also making them appear more prominent on his skin. 

If I could reedit these pictures I would play around more with cropping making the focus completely on the tattoos and not so much on the back ground. I would also make the background one block colour as you can see the shadows behind him. I would also edit under his eyes less as you can see it has been photoshopped on his face. 

3 Step Guide - Not a lot of editing went in to these images as the models skin was flawless, I just added highlights using the lighten tool and and shadows with the burn tool. Due to the theme of these images I didn't want to over edit them e.g. make the hair look tidier or take the darkness from under her eyes as I feel it adds character and personality to the series. 

If I could reedit these ones I would made the nail varnish perfect as they look slighting chipped and uneven. Especially because these final images went to print for the front cover. 

All around I have taught myself a lot about photoshop through the process of editing these pictures with merging, airbrushing and highlighting. There are changes which I would make now after seeing them and I would have asked the advice of someone more photoshop savvy than myself, although I am happy with what I have learnt doing them alone. 

W/B 21st April

This week I met up with Aysha the graphic designer, and had a look over the extra things I need to send her as well as the layout and text so far. It was looking good however, all the fonts were the same for each section and I was wanting different typography and layout for each series with coloured fonts and illustrative designs for each title. 
We both decided on a front cover, though when I viewed it this week she has chosen the one she preferred rather than the one I wanted to I have given her a list of things to change before it goes to printing at the end of the week because I start back working on this TV program...

Unfotunately my laptop fan has broken so I am without a laptop for week. That is going to cost me between £50 - £70 so I am having to go into the library to send over the rest of the work to Aysha and I'm currently blogging on my iPhone.  I also have another job working on someone's FMP on a live music project which will take two days off my timetable however it is a really good opportunity.

I need to:
Send her my foreword 
Send her the added illustrations
Find a professional printing list
Invoice my job to get the money for printing
Take laptop into shop to be fixed
Meet with Aysha to get the final PDF file

She needs to:
Change fonts for each series
Add in her illustrations and the one I send over 
Proof read all written work and make sure everything makes sense, spelt correctly etc
Design a spine 

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I met up with Aysha and collected my FMP on a memory stick, though I still haven't received my laptop back yet I'm also working 4 days therefore I am having go to the printers with the final copy without proof reading it. I am sure it will be fine as she said she has proof read it all and changed all the points I made in the previous meeting so I am confident but still nervous!

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Finding a printers
Myself and Olta drove around Southampton and Eastleigh to get quotes on how much our work will cost to print as well as deciding on the type and style of paper.
The first place we went to was called indigo in Southampton which is where Third Floor Magazine gets printed (the uni magazine) which I know is decent quality, however I am aware will cost more than other places. Luckily I am getting paid for this TV job therefore that will pay for my printing and paying Aysha. 
Indigo told us they are not willing to print between 1-3 copies as they are only printing big bulks of 100's or 1000's. We were told to email him over our work so he could look over it though we doubted we would hear anything back.

The second place we went to was on London Road called The Colour Company. First off we went in and described the kind of print we wanted, had a look over paper finishing and their weights. I was told if I wanted it perfect bound it would cost me £4000 which obviously I thought was a joke, but he was being serious. The only other option we were given was stapled down the side and I was quoted around £200 for that. 

The third place we went to was also on London Road but called Southampton Design and Print. As we walked in we saw other students had been there previously as there was a collection of projects on the table. We looked through the work and thought the quality was good, however the books had been glued together therefore over time some had started to come a part. This was the best quality we had seen all day though were not sure about the binding. I was quoted between £180-£200 for three copies. 

The final place we drove to was called Diguru in Eastleigh. We had heard about this place from other students, so we drove there with our final copies of our work. The showed us their previous work, we spoke out papers etc. We were there for just over 45 minutes until we were both completely happy with our choices. We were told we would get a quote via email the morning after and to leave a PDF of our work. All together we came away feeling more confident and satisfied with getting our work printed there. 

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The final quote from Diguru was £225 for three copies which I am happy to pay due to the quality and they will also be ready to collect on the 2nd of May at 4pm which is good due to other submissions and working on top on other projects. 

W/B 14th April

Here are two other photoshoot I did which I am have decided not to include in the final print. 

The first one shows possession. I started with a classic beauty look and through out the shoot the makeup became darker and more gothic eventually making the model look like she was possessed. There was a time in my breakup where I thought I was going crazy. This is an extreme version of this experience. 

This symbolises how the break up can make you feel out of control and unhinged. 

Here are a couple of examples after editing...

I was happy with the beauty looks at the start though I did not give myself enough time to develop the makeup throughout the shoot. If I was to redo this shoot I would have different lighting, not as exposed as I had to change the lighting on photoshop quite a lot. I think the standard of makeup for possession isn't as good as I could have done if there was more preparation in the final look of possession. I would want to redo this shoot however, for the final edit I don't feel I have enough time to add it in. 

Changes:

• Change studio lighting and photography style
• Use a different model with a less 'classic beauty' look - someone with an unconventional face
• Draw up makeup - face charts, moodboard

Shop for styling and props 


The second shoot I did was a bare makeup look which would represent the a complete stripped back appearance uncovering raw emotions and symbolise the final break down and hold of the girls life. 

I had a period of time where the world around me felt like it had stopped. I had gone through the whole going out, drinking, keeping myself busy, however before the shoot I did with Dan memory, I had to completely stop and have a few days where I needed to be alone and think. 

Here are a couple of examples of the final edited images that I made.

All round I think the model looks beautiful, however I think if I was to reshoot this look I would use a different model with larger facial features and a quirkier face. I love the colour of her hair though I would have done more with it i.e. a messy up do. I would have also done this shoot on location in a light bedroom making her look alone and giving more depth to the series. 

Changes

• Lighting and location - natural lighting from large window in a bedroom
• Model- messy hair same colour, different model with larger facial features for more emotion
• Less photoshop editing and more of a change from shot to shot 

S.E.X

S.E.X 11th April 2014

This shoot is inspired after a break up when many people have a phase of having many sexual partners. In a way this can a way they think they will cope if they have sexual relations with many others to lose themselves for a while and to experience pleasure. 

This phase can be extremely damaging and in fact cause you more pain than pleasure. 

I wanted to use a model which had sex appeal, with striking face and hair cut.

Below is the moodboard I created for the makeup and hair

The whole idea for this series is to show a strong sexual female presence, having her blonde hair straight and slick over one of her eyes. The eye makeup will be dark and contrasting against the pale skin of the model.

The lips and eye were the main focuses for the shoot, with the makeup being overly defined, striking and glossy.

Here is one of the final images I was sent by my photographer. The shoot took place in the makeup studios at uni with a white background on an afternoon. My model arrived at 2pm and I was to have the makeup ready and set up by 3pm latest. The photographer was due at 3pm, however turned up 2 hours late without a cable to attach the camera to the light. Luckily I had a friend who could lend me the cable, however I was disappointed due to the fact that the makeup and hair wasn't fresh and styled ready to shoot, and I had to wait until 5pm that evening for her to come. 

I was extremely happy with the images as the model looked stunning and it was very hair orientated which I felt I needed in my magazine. The photographer has taken the pictures home with her and said she would edit them and send them over ready for printing. 

I'm now just waiting for them to be sent over and I need to find the text to go with this series.

To do: 

• Find appropriate quotes and text for each shoot done so far
• Write my own for the shoots which have been inspired by my memories and experiences 
• Import these images into inDesign and meet up with graphic designer