Reflection

After completing the full editorial layout and the advertising street poster for The Chronicles I think i've done a good job in completing these tasks. The editorial looks like something that would feature in Yen magazine and the models actually look like a band and an actual group. Of course I think the concepting could have been done a lot better and refined more when going into the location shoot but I think we definitely learnt from our mistakes and were more prepared for the studio shoot. The studio shoot looked great and the styling was perfect however it was said that we needed to incorporate the myth more which we could have done through props or something. I'm very happy with the final results and would definitely go and see The Chronicles if I had the chance.

final street poster

Here is my final street poster. I've changed the image in the background of Sophie so the eyes are more innocent yet still fierce because of the makeup. It definitely works better because the eyes pull focus towards the title/band name and they still convey the reference to Aslan in Narnia and reference the cover of the Narnia dvd/poster

editorial layout

So here is my layout that is just about finished. Anything that needs to be done will be little touch ups.

This is the opening double page and I'm still playing around with the size of the font. I originally had it at 11pt but when I printed it in black and white it looked a little too big so i've changed it down to 9pt. The photo works really well as an opening photo and successfully introduces the band. I'm happy with the composition and how the image bleeds over to the next page, it helps lead your eye back to the left to read the article. Still thinking about perhaps making the writing into two margins, I know that having one margin is a big no no but because it isn't a full page across this changes things.

I love this spread, the black and white on the image is striking and works so well as it doesn't have all the distracting colours of the original. Its a great image to sit next to an interview as its relaxed and very candid. After making the font smaller it fit well into lining up exactly with the image. I think the white space up the top and bottom is good breathing space and really frames the layout.

These pages are very playful, especially the shot of Sophie which works well with the quote. The line travelling across really links the pages well and it gives it that little bit extra.

This shot of Sophie is my favourite. The colours work well together and the emotion on her face captures the atmosphere of the shoot. Its fun, relaxed and the two images on the right page compliment it well and the pop of red is great.

I'm pretty happy with my layout and its just little things now I need to look at. I still need to put in taglines on each page with the names of the clothing and everything and fix the page numbers.

finalising street poster

So the font i've chosen for the poster is thin and almost childlike which I think suits our band well. I think maybe the font needs to be white and it will stand out more like the white shirts do on the models. I think the black shape down the bottom with the white writing works really well and pulls your attention without detracting from the actual band. A little unsure about the line underneath, I might experiment without it to see but I put it there in the first place so it brings a bit of dominance to the title of the band and I like how it joins with the T.

I've tried yellow text on this one and although I like the colour I don't think its as successful. It doesn't quite match the whole aesthetic of the poster. I've also experimented with putting Sophie in the background up the top with a low transparency, i'm trying to capture the aesthetic of the Narnia dvd cover where the lion is up the top and seems to be looking over them. Sophie is the leader of the band so I thought this would be perfect.

This poster has been altered after some feedback and I think its working really well. I got rid of the line underneath and I think this has freed it up a bit. Theres a bit more breathing space around the title and you can see the strong eyes alot better. I also got rid of the websites underneath as it seems unnecessary and I want as less text as I can on the poster. This has given me more room and I think it looks less cluttered. I've received some feedback that the face in the background doesn't quite suit and she almost has a hussy look about her so I might see if I can find an image that seems more appropriate because the more I look at it now the more I see it. Everything else in the poster is working well though I think.

Street poster tri tone

In our brief it states that our street posters have to be tri tone in colour and I thought I would experiment with the colours before I decide on one colour to go with. Below is the same image and tri toned with black, white and another colour. I tried blue, green and pink.

I've decided on this image to use for the street poster as I love the composition and the posing of the models, especially Leigh on the left facing the other way as its a bit different. There is also alot of space up the top where I can add text to the poster and I love how the image is cropped halfway because you get more detail in their faces and more of an idea of what kind of people they are.

This first image has been tri toned with blue and I really like it, its very close to grey but I think thats why I like it, its very dark and mysterious and I'm not a fan of the tri tone look anyway so I think this is close to having it black and white. Also the blue ties in with the wintery feel of Narnia and the band is from London so they usually have this gloomy weather and tone to the country.

So this one has been tri toned with green and I don't think I like this one as much, the green isn't interesting at all and I don't think this would be eye catching on the street.

I like this pink colour, i've done this with all the colours but I like it toned down a bit so its not so overpowering. Although this pink is interesting I think i'm going to use the blue because its more intriguing and I find it more aesthetically pleasing.

Street poster and editorial layout inspiration

Just looking at some images to give me ideas for my editorial and street poster layout. These are very graphic layouts and even though Yen is a more basic styled magazine its still useful to look at these examples.


I like the use of reflective text and this could be something to use on the street poster - probably not the certain look I was going for but definitely something I am interested in using one day.

The black shape the text is in on this page I find intriguing and it pulls my attention straightaway. I think in my street poster I will create something like this but have it perhaps running horizontal instead of vertical and putting the name of the band or their album in it. The number in the circle is also interesting, good way to show page numbers in the magazine layout.

Although this isn't the style of the magazine which I am working to, I like the use of circles and the way bigger text interferes with smaller text.

Again this isn't quite the style of Yen but the craziness of this page is interesting and the use of coloured squares to pull focus.

I love the first layout with the giant '35'. Its very eye catching and is dominant in the layout, I could use something like this in the opening page of my editorial or even on the street poster as something eye catching that will make my poster different from others to catch attention on the street.

The rest of these pictures below are layouts done by Fabien Baron, a well established name in magazine editorials and I was inspired by alot of the works he has completed.

I am always attracted to putting words on top of an image and usually this is done on a double page spread with the wording on the page with the blank part of the photo. I find it interesting that Baron has put wording on top of one image and it works well. the most dominant feature is the model and your eyes are directed up to where there would be blank space only to find words there instead. I wish we had more photos with open space so I could do something like this but I think alot of the shots we got were very closely cropped or the background is too busy.

This is very cool and would match our concept of narnia as it is very childlike, but it doesnt really suit the style of the magazine, perhaps if I were doing i-D or spook this would go

The split photograph technique is striking as your eye is led across the white line in the middle and taking in all the detail around it. The use of colour down the bottom is eye catching and a great pop of colour to the page to make it more interesting, even though the bottom is yellow it kind of brings more emphasis to the photos that have no colour at all.

This layout is something that will definitely suit the style of Yen. I'm thinking of using the idea of the black line that is running across the top of the page as it gives that empty white space a bit of something and helps to guide the eyes across the page. I love the use of big margins and a full bleed image as this is something very characteristic of Yen and even though the image with the margins is smaller it brings more emphasis because if they were both full bleed the image wouldn't have the same effect.

This would be a great way to open the editorial, if I extend the white space across more this could be space for writing and I love the way Baron has still incorporated white space around the edges of the photos.

This layout is interesting, I like the way the big image catches your eye and then the direction travels to the second image on the right. The space below on the right page I might include a quote to fill the empty space and this would compliment the photos well.

The part that captures my eye in this layout is the dominant black stripe. Its very strong and directly leads us to the text.

final photos to use in editorial

These are the photos i've chosen to use in the editorial, there is a good mixture of group and single shots so I think its a very well rounded group of photos. Now I just have to play around with what order I want them in.


This is one of my favourites. The jackets look absolutely amazing and its just a raw photo and nothing else is needed. I might do a bit of cropping because James' on the right has his hand placed funny but other than that I think this photo is great

This is the best photo of Sophie, we've really captured the emotion in her face and its a perfect shot that I could also potentially use for my cover. The coat's texture is visible and with her big hair its almost like she is Aslan, the lion in Narnia. This is our connection to narnia as we are going for the more modern aesthetic.

Definitely going to use this photo as the opening image in my layout. It really introduces the band and it has that look that they have just arrived somewhere which is what we wanted because they are meant to be in this new modern Narnia in a big white house that they have been shipped off to.

Great casual shot - i feel though it should be black and white to maybe take away all the distractions around like the table. Theres a bit of editing to do as well like the lamp coming out of James' head and the blue tape on the wall.

Another good playful shot of Sophie. The beanie is a great touch with the beads and the red from the coat is striking.

This photo could look great alongside the one of Sophie above. Its very natural and reveals a bit more character.

The next two photos I want to place next to each other and perhaps on the same page. This creates a bit of playfulness and movement between the photos and shows a bit of interaction between the models which I love.