purvianpat-asmediastudies

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 32- Final Project Production

Double-spread main article page

This week I designed my double-spread article page. Doing this was the easiest out of the three. By now I had enough experience to know exactly what I wanted.

Version 1

From the get-go I had this layout in mind. I liked the visual hierarchy. However, the spread seemed too structured, too "safe". I need a graphic to break the boxiness of the design.

Version 2

To break up the monotony, I used a treble clef graphic. I also rounded the edges on the text boxes. The treble clef design made the article seem more connected to the theme of music in a subtle way. But the more I was looking at the spread, the more I realised the use of colours was a bit excessive and tacky. They werent going well with eachother at all.

Version 3 (Final version)

I changed all the text back to black and left pops of colours in the subheadings and pull-out quotes. I added another musical note for more dynamics. I also changed the font in the "Creating Jinx" text box.

I was extremely happy with my final product. It has a clean, minimal look. Yet, the colours and elements make it visually interesting and playful too. I feel like it represented Eleanor Raj's identity very well. Though slightly different from the other two pages of the magazine, it added a balance to their fun chaotic designs.

With this, the first draft of my final magazine was complete! I am really proud of the way it turned out.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 31- Final Project Production

Contents Page Design

For my cover page, I wanted to keep up with the groovy aesthetic of my cover page. I also wanted to make the typography more fun, instead of going for a more grid-like list structure. I also decided not to use coloumns and sections in my spread.

I came up with a few versions of this too. However they were all based around the same design.

Version 1

This was my first design. I did not like it at all. The colours were too light and everything looked extremely washed out and flat. As much as I didn't like the colour scheme, this design ended up being a base for all my following versions.

Version 2

I changed the colours to a palatte that was more lively, and bright. However now, the main image was no longer standing out as much.

Version 3 (Final version)

By changing the colour of the 'contents' banner to a bright baby blue, it was no longer taking away from the main image. Yet, it was still vibrant and lively. I was really satisfied with my final version.

One thing I really liked about the design was the typography. The bold numbers in different fonts, paired with the clean headings create a visual contrast that adds interest.

It also has the same wavy background as the cover, tying it all in together. The intentionally off-grid layout has a playful yet editorial edge to it.

Designing this page didn't take me as long as the cover page. It took me about 2 days to design it.

Seeing my magazine come together one step at a time is extremely exciting!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 30- Final Project Production

Cover Page Design

This week I finally started designing my cover page. I came up with two different versions. Here's the first design I ended up with-

Even though this was my original plan, I wasn't very satisfied with the design. It just didn't feel right, something about it was a bit off. So, I started designing another cover with a fresh mind.

This time I used a completely different picture for my cover.

This one felt more authentic and raw, matching the identity I wanted to portray. I had multiple versions of this design, improving each time.

Version 1

This is what I started of with. Frankly, I did not like the colours at all. Thus, I decided not to add the other elements, instead, I fixed the problem first.

Version 2

With this version I made some major changes. I chose colours that complemented and contrasted with my main image well. Red and green contrast really well together.

Version 3

I changed up the colours a bit more, still keeping it red though. I also added more emphasis to the main cover line for my feature article with the translucent yellow banner.

Version 4

Version 3 still seemed empty, so I decided to add a subtle wave graphic that added more dynamics to my design. It also connected my design to music as they kind of resemble sound waves. I added a full-stop to my magazine name because I thought it would make it seem more powerful. But I realised it misaligns the text and ruins the visual balance of the design. So I ended up with my final design.

I was really happy with this design. It was fun, colourful and groovy. Yet, it was raw, authentic and confident. It captured the aesthetics I had in mind almost perfectly!

Designing this cover was quite time consuming. It took me nearly a week. This cover will define the aesthetics of my other pages.

Here's a comparison between the first and final versions

Thanks for following my journey as I designed the cover page. Until next time!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 29- Final Project Production

Editing

This week I spent a good amount of time editing my images based on my design requirements. This task was time-consuming and not easy. However, the final results were extremely polished and satisfying. They will make my magazine look a lot more professional.

Here are some examples-

I wanted to use this image in my cover page. Since the headphones were too dark, I edited in a pair from another picture in the same angle. I used a digital painting app called HiPaint for this. I also edited the background, adding a pink spray aura and yellow background.

I colourgraded this picture to make the greens pop out more and make it less dull and dark. I also increased the brightness and warmth. I also tried making the background black and white, leaving the model in colour. I'm not sure whether I like it or not though. I did all this on an app called Picsart.

I then cut the model out of the picture and added the head of the guitar (it was missing in the original) in a similar method as the one used for the headphones earlier. This can be used for the overlapping part of one of my possible covers.

I adjusted the colours and brightness of all the other pictures I was planning to use too. I used a photo editing app called Picsart to do this.

Since I didnt have Adobe Photoshop, I had to use multiple apps to edit these images to my liking. I was very happy with the results. The images were way more inhanced and looked more professional too. I had a lot of fun editing! Thankyou, stay tuned for next week!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 28- Final Project Production

Photography (Part 2)

These were from my second location– My building's garden. It portrayed the dreamy, indie, and authentic vibe I was going for perfectly.

This concluded our photoshoot. After this I will edit my pictures. My model understood exactly what I was going for, making this alot easier. This photoshoot was loads of fun!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 28- Final Project Production

Photography (Part 1)

This week I finally conducted my photoshoot with my model. I shot everything on a Nikon D80, with no other equipment. I styled my model in a cool, grungy outfit. A red top, a black skirt, stockings, chunky black boots. This matches the alternative, indie musician aesthetic i was going for. Her makeup was subtle yet colourful, with blue eyeliner and mascara. I believe these small details really add to her character. I also used props like a guitar and a pair of blue headphones.

All these elements came together well to present Eleanor Raj in exactly the way I wanted to. Here are the unedited pictures from the photoshoot.

Our first half of the shoot was conducted in multiple locations. It started with mainly my bedroom and then my building's staircase. Then we went to other spots around my society. The locations gave off the urban, alternative, and raw aesthetic I wanted to portray.

In the next post I will post the other half of images from my second location. Thankyou for reading!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 27- Final Project Pre-Production

Drafting

For my article I knew I wanted it to be in an interview-style. Eleanor Raj would mention her struggles with visibility in the industry, being an independent female artist, and her journey in general.

With photography ideas in mind, I created my flatplans and drafts for my page layouts. Here they are:

Cover page

Content page

Main article double spread

These drafts are really rough, however they will be a huge help while designing DHVNI.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 26- Final Project Pre-Production

Now that I had a clear basic idea of how I wanted my magazine to be, it was time for me to plan in more detail.

For my article I wanted to write about a female independent indie artist. Before writing my interview style article I needed to define 'who' is Eleanor Raj, the musician I was "interviewing", and how to capture her essence. I wanted to represent her journey, struggles, and story in the best way possible.

I wanted her aesthetic to be heavily inspired by indie artists like Clairo, Beabadoobee, and Faye Webster (all female indie artists). A major inspiration was Clairo's album "Charm".

Here are some other images that I took as inspiration for my photoshoot.

Now that I know how I want to present her, I knew exactly how I wanted my photoshoot to go. Defining her identity will make it easier for me to write the feature article as well!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 25- Final Project Pre-Production

Before going ahead with defining other parts of my magazine, I did some research on music magazines and their conventions.

I started with a small analysis of cover page elements.

How to make a magazine look more professional

I also did a little research on what makes magazines look attractive and professional. Here's what i learnt

Clear visual hierarchy in text and images guides the reader correctly through the content.

Photography should be clear and high quality

A cohesive and intentional colour palette sets the mood of the magazine and makes it look more put together.

All the fonts should go well together to keep everything cohesive .

Consistent branding creates a strong identity.

The writing should be well-edited and free of error to add credibility.

Conventions should be used as well as challenged in a way that add familiarity yet help the magazine standout.

Secondary Research

I analysed various existing music magazines that were both mainstream and indie. Rolling Stone, NME, Dazed, The Wire, and i-D were all major inspirations. I also analysed some Indian music magazines and their contents like Rock Street Journal. Studying these helped me understand how visual and textual cues communicate genre and tone. By doing this, I found major inspiration for my magazine's aesthetic and style.

Cover page inspiration

I love how minimalistic yet bold, fun and artsy these cover pages are. The use of colours portray a sense of confidence. I wanted my cover page to give off a similar vibe too.

Content page inspiration

I love how fun and chaotic the first two content pages are, however I did not want to use as many pictures as they have. I wanted to combine the third content page with the first two and use my own approach towards designing it.

Double-spread feature inspiration

I really liked the way the images interacted with the text in this spread. The pops of colour make the spread more appealing to the eye without being too distracting.

These are the references, research, and learnings that I will integrate in my project. Doing this research gave me a more concrete idea of how I wanted my magazine to look. They helped me shape the identity of DHVNI.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 24- Final Project Pre-Production

Now that I had an aesthetic for my magazine in mind, I started researching and planning other aspects.

Theme

I wanted my magazine to act as a platform for music-lovers that wanted representation apart from the mainstream industry. I also wanted my magazine to discuss major social issues within the music industry. This includes nepotism, sexism and struggles for the visibility of independent artists.

Here's my primary research in a more organised, detailed manner:

Brainstorming the Name

I wanted my magazine to have a strong identity, thus i needed a fresh, bold, and powerful name. I came up with a bunch of options:

Though each of them had their own charm, out of these one REALLY stood out to me- DHVNI. It is a stylised version of the sanskrit word dhvani. Dhvani means 'sound' or 'resonance' in sanskrit. DHVNI was bold, freah and rooted name. It is poetic and related to music. Thus, DHVNI became the title of my magazine!

Target Audience

Before I could actually start designing my magazine it was vital that I had a target audience in mind. This would define my magazine's contents, design and identity.

Advertisement ideas

I want DHVNI to have a strong social media presence. This will be a major way through which it will reach the target audience. Since my audience is mainly the youth (known for being actively online), this will be the most suitable way of advertising. I would also parter with influencers to build hype. I would partner with music instrument bands and recording studios for sponsorships where i'll advertise their products in return too. Brand sponsorship and social media will be the main ways for advertisement.

Doing this research gave me an even clearer idea on how to define my magazine. From this point onwards, every creative decision will surround and build upon this.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 23- FINAL PROJECT PRE-PRODUCTION

Hello! This week we finally start preparing for the main project! For my final magazine I wanted to create a music magazine.

I started by gathering up images that matched the aesthetics I wanted to go for. Once again, I used Pinterest to create moodboards. Here are some of the inspiration pictures.

I wanted my magazine to have a fun, indie, and playful aesthetic. I also wanted it to be authentic and confident with a strong visual identity. These images represent it best.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 22- Reflections on the Mock Magazine

After everything, I was really pleased with both my mock products. The designs were fun, artsy and matched the vibe i wanted to give off quite well.

While making both the versions drastically different I learned how to keep my mind open while designing, how to not get stuck up on a single idea. Doing this allowed me to create two versions that told the magazine's story in their own way.

However, they aren't entirely perfect. I noticed later that there were many areas for improvement. This project made me realise i need to research a bit more on magazines and their conventions and elements.

Working on these mock magazines helped me in various ways. It helped me explore and learn creatively and technically. Through this project, I became more familiar with magazine design and its conventions. This taught me how layout, colour, and typography define a project. This project taught me to be more confident, to trust my instincts with design.

Keeping all of my learnings in mind, I started working on my main project. This time with more confidence and familiarity. Thankyou for reading!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 21- Mock Magazine Desi Kalakaar (Version 2)

Here's the second version of the magazine. Just like the first, I also spent a good amount of time refining several elements of it.

This version is quite different from the first. I wanted it to be more raw, and designed to feel like an actual collage. I used alot of layered textures to achieve this look. From the textured cover image background to the torn paper effect, it all adds up to this expressive, sketchbook-like aesthetic. This version feels more unfiltered than the first, which was more polished and controlled.

Designing this version was so enjoyable! It was quite different from the first. I am equally satisfied with both the version. Thankyou for your time!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 20- Mock Magazine Desi Kalakaar (Version 1)

After the initial layout and design, I took my teacher's advice and refined the alignment, use of folio and other elements of this version.

For this version I went for a modern, editorial look. It's minimalistic yet fun and colourful. I used a grid-like structure. The typography is bold and supports all the images without taking away from them. I used brighter more confident colours to sort of balance out the polished, structured look. Thus, the version still feels very artistic.

This was my first attempt at magazine design and I am quite happy with it! Next week we will discuss the second version of this project.

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 19- Mock Magazine Production

This week I started my mock magazine's production. I brought my magazine's concept to life by writing the article, picking the right photographs from my pinterest board, and finally designing the pages.

I began with writing an article for the double-page spread. I named it "Rolling Canvases". I wanted it spotlight Indian vehicle art and influence on the country's culture. I included typical article conventions like subheadings and rhetorical questions.

After writing the article and picking out the right images for my visuals, I started designjng the layout of this magazine. I included typical conventions like a main image, headline, subheadings, and quotes.

Instead of creating just one edition of the magazine, I decided to design two different editions with the same content. Each, with their own colour palette and aesthetic. Though visually different, they both still captured the magazine's aesthetic. I designed them on Canva since it is beginner-friendly and convenient.

Designing the mock magazine was loads of fun. This is what i did this week. Stay tuned for more!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 18- Mock Magazine Pre-Production

This week we started working towards our final project. Since, I've picked print media, I started preparing to design my own magazine.

Before heading into the designing the main magazine, I decided to first design a mock magazine. This helped me understand how conventions work and gave me a little more confidence while heading into the final project.

I wanted my mock magazine to be an art magazine that covers local Indian art. Thus, I decided to name it 'DESI KALAKAAR'. My article is based on Indian street art on trucks, autorickshaws, and taxis. Its called 'Rolling Canvases'.

Since this was just a practice project, I didnt click the photographs used. Instead, I picked pictures that matched the vibrant and colourful vibe I was going for from Pinterest. Here's a screenshot of the Pinterest board I made for this magazine.

I've used most of these in my design. It also helped define my magazines aesthetic.

I researched on some art magazines. A few magazines i was inspired by are Juxtapoz, ART india, and Dazed. They all have that minimal yet chaotic vibe i wanted to go for. I paid close attention to their typography, photography, colours, and layout.

These are a few layouts that i took as inspiration for Desi Kalakaar.

This was the process of my research for the design of the mock magazine. I had so much fun doing this! It was so inspiring to see all the different types of art magazine and how each of them have their own branding and identity. I wanted my magazine to also have a very strong identity.

This is it for week 18! Thankyou for sticking through my research process. Until next week!

[purvianpat-asmediastudies]

Week 17- Preliminary Activity

After recreating an opening scene from an existing show, it was now time for us to attempt at making our own opening scene with our own scriptnamd direction. We did this activity as a part of our preliminary exams.

We were given a prompt in our question paper. Here's the question:

1. Create a one-two minute scene for the following:

A student hears a strange noise, investigates it, and finds a surprise in the school library.

Here are the things you need to follow:

Make sure it has camera shots, angles, movements, action, dialogue, and composition.

We wrote our script based on this prompt and had 1 hour to film it as well. As a group, we planned the story together, wrote the script and started filming. For the dialogues, we decided to let our actors improvise the lines, making the conversation feel more natural. We simply gave them a gist of what the story wished to convey.

Here's our final edited version:

Here's our team

Cast

Male lead- Shaurya Kharbanda

Female lead- Aanika Bawa

Behind the camera

Purvi Anpat (me)

Samhita Majumder

Elahe Kooner

Aashna Arora

Samhita was handling the camera, while Elahe and I were directing her on how to frame the shots. Aashna was managing the lighting and sound effects. Together we all worked behind the camera to direct our main cast.

After filming our entire team sat together to edit everything. We added transition, cuts, and even visual effects. We also used a preset filter on the entire clip, making it all cohesive and emphasizing the dark, dingy aesthetic we were going for.

Through this project we learnt how to follow genre conventions, how to plan and execute a film, and how to edit. Doing this project with my team was loads of fun from start to finish. I hope we get to do more stuff like this often!

This is what went down this week. Thanks for reading. Until next time!