Category: Preliminary Print Tasks

This is the Country and Western tour poster I made. I believe it is too minimalist as there are a few spaces that I could’ve filled. I found it quite difficult in finding what I could do with the poster as I am not a fan of the genre. I chose to make it look like a wanted poster as that is what I think of when I hear the words ‘Western’, this will make it easy for an audience to decode what genre my model is for.

I like how I added the filter over the main cover star as it makes it look sandy like a western desert. I also believe that the font I used is very similar to a sign for a saloon, which I liked as it also links with the ‘Western’ genre. I believe that my poster is quite informative as it shows where you can buy tickets, where the concert is at and what date it’s on.

What I could improve on:

• Adding information in the eyeline of the model to focus attention
• Adding more venues and dates
• Making my poster stand out more as the colours are quite dull

Self-Assessment

 

I started by analysing the colours, fonts and images of the professional magazine, NME. After this, I chose a grey background and chose the main image picture closest to the original. I had to cut them out of the background they were in using Photoshop, then I put a black and white filter over the top. I added both of these images into InDesign, locking the background first as I didn’t want it to move out of its place. I was able to add the title ‘NME’ behind the main image using the layers. As the image was in black and white, I had problems reading the writing. To fix this problem, I made some of the writing black as it was more readable.

By using InDesign and Photoshop, I have learnt how to do many things such as taking advantage of the layering tool. I have also learnt how to erase the background of an image and how to add filters. This will benefit me in making  my magazine as I didn’t know these techniques before making this copy.

Youtube videos I watched

What could have been better

• The spacing of the text are quite close together
• I could add all four of The Vaccines in
• Try to cut out the image better so there are no white patches around the main cover stars

What went well

• The positioning of the text
• I managed to find the closest font to the original magazine
• I was able to get the free posters into the right position and angle

These are the final nine photos I chose. We used a variety of camera techniques like long shot, extreme closeup and framing to make our pictures look effective.

In my opinion, the bottom left image is the most effective by the use of the high angle. We also used depth of field to make the girl blurred out in the background. These techniques made the girl look vulnerable as well as the dominant high angle the camera is at. We incorporated mise-en-scene by the use of acting to make her facial expression look weak.

It is important to incorporate these different camera techniques into my magazine as they are used to make a story. I want to tell the audience this story as it makes the photos look professional. By doing this task, I am now able to use these techniques so when I make my magazine, I will be able to convey a story to my audience.

My group took a DSLR Camera outside to take photos to try and create a story with them by using mise-en-scene and different camera techniques. We tried combining the camera techniques to make it more effective. Some of the techniques we used are high and low angles, two shot, close-up and long shots.

I have learnt that combining a couple techniques will make the photo more effective in telling a story. Next time I do a shoot, I will try to not make the images so blue as it is a sad, melancholy colour.

The genre of Western and Country is shown through mise-en-scene. It can be shown by costumes, lighting, acting and proxemics, makeup, props and the setting. The hat and boots connote the wild side of country music for example, cowboys and are a convention of the genre. This could also be shown through the “Wild West” setting. The brown colours of the lighting create a rustic style.

As media producers, we encoded this costume with the style of Country and Western. We wanted the audience to decode this and it is exactly what they had done as they had been given an organic, chill, calm, happy, romantic, quiet and relaxed vibe from him. This meant we had succeeded in producing the right costume for the genre.

This sheet shows all the poses we made our model stand in. We referenced the costume from our mood board we had made. Most of the pictures came out well, such as him looking into the distance to make him look mysterious. Despite this, I would have made some improvements, for example the lighting is very bright. It would’ve been better if we added a brown filter to make it seem like we were in the “Wild West”. Also, in a few images, he could’ve put his guitar in a different position instead of holding it the same.

 

This is the final image I have chosen. The outfit clearly shows the genre of Country and Western by the plaid, cowboy hat and the guitar. This image seems to work better than the others due to the position of his face and the expression he’s showing. In our reference image, it shows the country singer looking into the distance with a straight face which shows mysteriousness. Our model has done that which makes this image the most effective.

Overall, it’s really important to use mise-en-scene as it defines the genre. If we had dressed our model in a polo shirt with jeans, it would be more towards the style of pop. Also, if the lighting was dark colours, it would give the image of a punk or metal genre. This would’ve given the wrong impression to the audience.

Tour posters are encoded with signs and symbols which are used to engage an audience that are able to decode it from the font, to the image. The poster shows which audience she wants to appeal to due to her pose and use of colours. For example the font she used stands out big and bold, which suggests she wants to push her poster out to her audience. The denotation of this poster is the triangle on her arm. The connotation of this is that her fans would understand the theory behind it.

In my magazine, I will need to use fonts and colours carefully in my magazine as it needs to draw in the correct audience. I will also need to add a big centrepiece to show what I’m advertising.