a bit on the cover.

For my main task I am going to produce a front cover, contents page, and double page spread for a music magazine. I will be having a main image which may well be a single person or band. For this I need to pay a lot of attention to detail for things such as lighting, clothing, props, camera angle and shot, all these things are key to the way the person is portrayed, for example, if the person is portrayed to be a hard man in real life, then they will be dressed accordingly with maybe chains, rings etc. also the lighting will be using darker colours such as black, as black connotes mystery and evil. The camera angle will maybe be at a low angle shot to show power and intimidation. The camera shot could be a close up, to show real expression on the persons face. Whereas if the person is a girl then she might be portrayed as quite vulnerable and small so the lighting will be lighter as this connotes pure, and good. The camera angle might be at a high angle to show she is small and helpless. The camera shot could be an establishing shot to show once again how small she is in a big place, also it could show she is all alone which is another factor of maybe being scared and helpless.

I could use a variety of camera angles in my image:

• A high-angle shot makes the subject look small or weak.


• Low-angle shot makes the subject look powerful or threatening.


• A neutral shot has little to no psychological effect on the viewer.

i will also be taking into account what shot i will be using:

An extreme long shot contains a large amount of landscape. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting). This is also known as an establishing shot. I could use this to maybe emphasize loneliness, for example if a band has split up.

A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place.

A full shot contains a complete view of the characters. From this shot, viewers can take in the costumes of characters and may also help to demonstrate the relationships between characters. I could use this if maybe 2 people have had a major argument or love.

A mid shot contains the characters or a character from the waist up. From this shot, viewers can see the characters' faces more clearly as well as their interaction with other characters. So if I am wanting two or more people on the cover this could be effective.

A close-up contains just one character's face. This enables viewers to understand the actor's emotions and also allows them to feel empathy for the character. This could be used if my main image is someone who is angry or upset, so the viewer can see just how the person or people feel.

An extreme close-up contains one part of a character's face or other object. This type of shot creates an intense mood and provides interaction between the audience and the viewer. Maybe could use this one to show the audience a real sense of emotion, although I doubt I would use this as it wouldn’t give people much of an idea on what is going on.

Aside from the image, there are a lot of other things on the cover which need to be thought about immensely. Things such as the colour scheme, layout, font, sizes, and all the conventional things really. I believe after a bit more research I will know just what my magazine cover will look like, I am going to be doing plenty of mock drawings and using things to decide what looks best.