So, in light of my recent, rather ponderous post, I have decided to go full steam ahead in creating a magazine prototype. So far, I have a couple of articles, a photography spread, a few opinion pieces, and two book reviews, with many thanks to http://procrastin8or.wordpress.com/book-reviews/. The minute details are being adjusted day by day; alignment seems to be a massive problem in creating magazine pages. So far, I have nearly fifty pages of creative work, and it’s really starting to come together. Not only is it starting to come together, but I daresay that it’s starting to almost look professional.
Creating the project seems to have been a rather steep learning curve all on its own. Each spread has taught me something new, especially about IT management and using technology in a creative capacity. The use of colour also seems to be of paramount important in creating something, and creating an atmosphere around the text. The colours within photographs consistently have to align with the text, and enhance it; the emphasis has to remain on the creative element of the spread, no matter how gorgeous the font, or font colour may be. I suppose it’s prioritizing; it’s placing emphasis on creativity as opposed to aesthetics.
Equally however, aesthetics is of paramount importance; the magazine should look professional, and clean. I’m seeking a crisp layout; nothing too fussy, consistent, but not mind numbing. The articles for example are all formatted in a similar fashion; the text is the same size and font, however I’ve placed a variety of images on each of the pages to break up the text, and make it more accessible.
These details seem almost irrelevant, however I find them fascinating; the smallest changes seem to be making an enormous difference to the appearance of the publication. I also keep thinking of different elements to look at including at four o’clock in the morning, and then wondering whether or not this would make the magazine seem unfocused. I haven’t quite come up with a defined idea of what I’d like the magazine to be about, at this point; I know that I want it to be creatively focused, intermixed with some serious journalism and photography projects. It’s still very much in the early planning stages, and prototype stage, but making the prototype is confirming my commitment to pursuing a career in the publishing sector. That I think, makes the project worthwhile in its own right.
However, I need some advice; I need a title for the magazine. I started off thinking of “Live Critique”, however I’m not sure it captures the imagination enough, or whether it seems a little dry, and associated with literary theory explicitly enough to be off-putting. Please tell me what you think!
(:
©
The Adventures of an English Student 