Research and Planning

BOLD AND UNDERLINED: Cover log

I have just started to put my magazine front cover together. So far I have taken 3 pictures I have to decide between to put on it. I got my friend to model in several different camera angles and lighting including; Close up, medium high angle shot and a medium shot.

After altering my fonts for a while, I decided to change my magazine name from 'Bold and Underlined' to just 'Bold' as it's shorter and easier to remember. 

'BOLD' by itself looked boring in any font I tried; I changed it several times and tweeked it with effects and transparency. Eventually I found the mirror tool which allowed me to mirror my words and then make it more transparent so it didn't look like 'BOLD DLOB' which wouldn't have made sense to any reader. The image above is the one I decided on for my final design, I went on an internet website called Picnik which allows you to edit every aspect of the picture; so I made the image lighter and her eyes brighter. By adding these effects it let the writing sit more effectively over the image (this also meant I could use nearly any font and colour I wanted). My first magazine front cover still went under the name of 'Bold and Underlined' it was like a trial run so I could decide which title I want and which fonts looked best.

I didn't use all my own images on this front cover either, which would have gained me less marks on presentation and originality. After I made this front cover and added barcodes and website addresses on the school editing application, I wasn't pleased with the overall look of it and I knew aspects of it needed to change. So, I went back onto Picnik and took away the softened effect and the delicate appearence and made it lighter and brighter - more dramatic. Then on the school computers I added things I couldn't online - I added barcodes, changed the fonts from Comic Sans to Courier New and made sure everything was readable. I constantly asked for feedback from friends and teachers so I could get a different view from someone who may buy the magazines. They suggested I change my other imagery which was clothing to another person. Originally I chose a young boy edited to look as though he was crying (my own images) but it didn't look quite right and unless you knew what the image was at such a small size you couldn't make out what it was. I had some images that I'd taken when researching for my music video story board so I chose one of an eye with a tear running down. By using Serif Photoplus I was able to edit the same tear into other places under her eye. I edited the bottom of the crying eye picture to be curved so that I could fit my magazine website underneath it.

To make the front cover image seem relevant to the magazine or at all to the front cover, I put a headline in a different font and colour to the rest the top left of her head. It read 'Jennings talks: I'm not ashamed of who I am"'. This links into the genre of my magazine because it's a teenage girl saying I'm happy with who I am in other words, no teenage girl thinks their perfect - even if they tell other people they think they are. If they can meet a girl who isn't big headed or the prettiest girl in the world in might influence them too look in the mirror and appreciate who they are and what they've got. Also, they can learn why she feels like this and what she has been through too come out like this; not everyone has an easy life and this magazine gives people the chance to willingly tell their story to help others get over theirs.

I made the date 'Saturday 3rd of December' so that this issue could be special edition and could have a theme of Christmas and snow. I made some headlines the colour of the special edition banner running across the bottom left hand corner and one of the arrows pointing to the crying image saying 'Are you impressed' using exactly the same colour as the banner.

I added to snowflakes to either side of the banner to make it seem more christmas orientated.

My competition was to win tickets to the Jingle Bell Ball which also took place this month; the readers of my magazine had the choice of who should win them; on this particular headline, on the world 'bell' I made two little bells with a holly leaf to go underneath it. I did this so it linked in with the word/competition and the theme of this edition.

The genre of my magazine is teen reality - looking into what teenage girls really want to hear about whether they admit that or not! Because of my choice of genre, the magazine slogan is 'This is reality', I wanted to incorporate this into the front cover so because my title still lacked something I chose an unusual font and in the letters L and D I wrote the slogan. I put it there so that it's eyecatching and the readers now the slogan  and can relate it to the magazine.

If I was going to sell this magazine to people in my age group I need to make it a reasonable price. Most teenagers my age get between £10 - £50 pcm, so in order to make sure this was affordable and not a big loss in their pocket money I made it £2.40. It's a reasonable price and the magazine if made would have monthly offers, moving the price down to say 89p for a limited time only, to increase purchasing rates.



I tried to make the date readable but not a major part of the overall appearance which is why it is so small and placed so near to the side. It needs to be seen a little so that the theme of the frontcover fits in with the seasonal month.

The price is also not to big, so that it's an impulse 'I must have this issue!' buy as apposed to a long debate over whether you should spend your £2.40 on it.

See at the top of the magazine how I mirrored the title and put in the words 'This is reality' to contrast and improve the overall look of the title.

This is wear I brightened the image and inhanced the colour and shading in her eyes. The colour of her eyes matches the special edition banner which is the same colour and the arrow and in printing the same colour as the headline starting 'Jennings'.

 Here is were the original image of the crying boy would of been before I decided a crying eye representing a boy lying to you is. The arrow is meant to ask the reader if you are impressed at how boys treat girls.

You can see were I have cropped the bottom to enhance the look of the web address directly underneath it. The web address is again not a major part of the front cover so did not NEED to be seen as much as other aspects of the front cover. However, it is a way of advertising the magazine and selling the subscription side of it so it is in a bright colour so that it stands out.

Above you can see the bell along with the mode-of-address I used in my competition title. I deliberately placed it near the special edition banner to connote the idea of Christmas and to come together to form a theme for the whole frontcover. As aposed to random objects that mean something to the publisher because they know why it's there where as the reader and buyer may not.

10 Questions and Answers on the magazine NME

BOLD AND UNDERLINED: Looking at other magazines

Why have they used three consecutive and contrasting colours all over the front cover?

By not bombarding the page with lots of colours, different fonts and images it makes it more appealing because you can focus on one image and one article, in this case The Horrors, it also applies a sort of continuation throughout the magazine so you don't feel like after every page it's like a new magazine because it doesn't fit in.

Why have they made the band featured on the front cover use direst mode-of-address?

Using mode-of-address on the front cover of any magazine suddenly makes it more personal because instead of your average celebrity posing for any everyday tabloid their looking at you - they want YOU to read the article, and this makes you more likely to pick it up - especially if it has a matching slogan along with it.

Why have they placed the price of the magazine in a small side of the page in a tiny font?

Unless your magazine has suddenly dropped its retail price and had gone from £2 too £1 for a limited time only you won't see the price broadcasted all over the frontcover, people pick up a magazine to see the articles and some gossip so it becomes an impulse by. That's what marketers rely on when publishing stories that someone will love the idea enough to buy it anyway.

Why have they got the name of the band and their slogan as the biggest writing?

They've done this because it makes it all the more interesting; if your buyer is picking up your magazine they've probaly heard about it or have bought it before so that doesn't need to be the biggest font. But, an exclusive interview from the newest breakthrough band? that's what people are going to buy the magazine for.

Why haven't they put different articles surrounding the central image?

They haven't surrounded the middle image with other articles because they main one they want to sell is the one thats got to stand out - so they isolate it from other articles.

Why have they put the competition on the front cover?

By putting the competition on the front cover it gives the reader/buyer another reason to purchase this magazine instead of another one in a similiar genre - this magazine in their eyes could have the added bonus of a chance to win tickets to popualr and upcoming festivals.

Why have they pulled the image so far forward it covers the title of the magazine?

The image stands out against everything else because that's their direct mode-of-address, headline story and biggest selling point; so by pulling it so far forward it makes that obvious to everyone.

Why haven't they placed any other imagery on the front cover?

 They haven't surrounded the middle image with any other imagery because they main one they want to sell is the one thats got to stand out - so by placing it away from any other image it becomes the focal point and probally the thing they can look at.

 Why have the chosen such a dull background behind the band?

By making the background so dull it makes it less intriguing and so you don't feel so obliged to look at it and focus on whats back there - so you look more at the articles and other things around the frontcover.

Why have they appeared so bias when calling the featured band 'Britain's best band'?

In order to sell the band and the magazine they need to exaggerate the popularity of the band and how far they've gone in their career.

Planning for my magazine

BOLD AND UNDERLINED: Planning


What genre is your magazine going to be?
My magazine is going to be teenage reality looking into real problems that teenagers have and ways around them. I chose this genre because there isn't a lot of magazines on the shelves in this genre, and as a teenage girl myself I know that I would like the option of being able to purchase a magazine that gives me an insight into other teenage girls lives - but normal girls not celebrities daughters or models.


What is the base concept behingd your magazine?
The concept of my magazine is to inspire and help teenage girls in my generation, letting them know that there are other girls out there that are going through what their going through and that there not alone. It will be cheap to buy so that they can afford it on a weekly basis and there will be articles giving them information about everything such as: why boys might lie, how it is growing up with a disability and how much is TOO much make-up? All so they feel more comfortable about themselves.


Who is your intended audience?
This magazine will be aimed at teenage girls aged between 14-24 ranging over this 10 year basis it has to include some more adult articles aswell but the youngest targetted audience are old enough to appreciate what's being said and to maybe even need to read it themselves.


Create an audience profile:
Age: 14-24
Gender: Female
Location: Not specified
Social Background: Any ( you can be posh or common to read this magazine we don't judge people by their cover in this magazine because that's what this magazines based upon)
Income: Average pay
Ethnicity: All
Interests: General teenage girl interests - shopping, boys, self confidence, self image etc..


Why will this magazine appeal to that audience? What features will appeal most?
Bold and underlined will appeal to that audience because of the articles its going to write to its readers and how it stands out from other magazines. The cover and all the images inside are going to be of REAL girls in REAL sizes not modified and changed in publication.


Think of a name that will appeal to your TA. Why is it appropriate?
The name of the magazine: BOLD AND UNDERLINED
I think this is appropriate because theres no other magazine is called this and it makes a statement: instead of being called 'Gossip' or something original its longer, louder and makes it seem different from other magazines in this genre.


How often will your magazine be published?
My magazine will be published every week so that people have the chance to win competitions and write in sharing their thoughts and worries. Also, by having it updated every week its always up to date on any gossip that IS relevant to the stories inside and the interviews inside.


How much will it cost?
It will cost £2, so that it can be glossy and well presented: BUT it's still cheap enough that all types of people can buy it every week.