My Magazine Review Page

Photoshop Progress

I began to take the image which I took and made it large enough so it fills one whole side of the double page. I gave it a border so the page number and dates can be placed under the photo, then evenly did it the same length round so it looks neat. Lastly, I made a gap for a secondary image so it can be placed there. This will have a white border also like the main image, to stay with the theme and so you can easily see that they are two separate images.

I then placed the other images on. I sized the small image to go in the gap on the large image. Then got another image and put it on the left side of the review page. Rather than just having a normal image I decided on cutting round the protagonist to make it look more interesting and then the text could go around him. I made the images look more old fashioned to go with my film poster theme so I added a black and white effect and lowered the opacity so there is still color on the images slightly. I then added a caption so the audience can understand what he is doing in the images. I used the same font throughout, which was 'Nexa Bold'. This was in my post of finding the correct type faces for my film poster, as I want the same fonts I did not make another post as I wanted to use these fonts still. I made the  'O' larger so the title has some character towards it and this stopped the image upwards which I think looks great. Then I made the rest of Outlaster in smaller text and added the certificate rating next to it in a font called 'Futurist', also on my font post. I made a line to go beneath the title so it makes it stand out compared to any other text. As shown on the screen shot, I used a motion blur for the line which gave it the fading look on each side which I love. Moreover, I used the same effect as the title on my film poster, this was adding a old paper texture to the font and lowering it so it makes the font look great and old. 

Then I outlined the left hand image with a blue line which looks great. I added the same line the other side which connects to a thin line at the bottom. Then I added in the page number, website link and date. Moreover, I began to start with the textual features. This was adding the film information and the plot. I used again 'Nexa Bold' for these.

I was close to finishing my review page. I added the rest of the text into columns of my actual film review. It was very time consuming having images that do not have a straight edge so the text had to go around - which I did manually. However I managed in the end and it came out great. I added a black background to the quote which stands out extremely well on the white background and splits up the text well. I then began to add the verdict which fits perfectly in my position that was on my flat plan. In all I am very satisfied with how it looks and I think it looks extremely professional.

My Images for my Magazine Review Page

These are the 3 chosen images that I have finally decided on using for my review page. I really like the 3 images here and will be perfect. Firstly, the image of him walking on a bridge looks amazing. It looks really worn-down and abandoned so it fits perfectly for the setting in the story line. Moreover, it looks like he is about to enter a gated community which fits for purpose also which is great. The protagonist looks like he is walking so it in fact looks legitimate and not faked for an image. The image of him looking into the distance in the sea is great also. I was lucky enough to take images on a day that was very misty and depressing, therefore it fits the mood perfectly that I was hoping to achieve. The sea has no life to it, looking still and empty. Normally you would see an ocean full of boats and people,  this is brilliant as with my plot there isn't many people that have survived the catastrophe so I am extremely happy with this shot. The image of him looking to the side will be used for my far left image on my review page. There is boats which should not be there so I am going to have to work around that and remove them somehow. The shot is great though, I was making the most of living on an island and using its beautiful scenery. It does look slightly unnatural as it looks like he is posing slightly but I really like this image so I am going to use it anyway. 

Magazine Review Page Flat Plan

This is the basics of my flat plan for my magazine review page. I wanted the idea of a simplistic approach to my review page but also packed with information, so I came up with this. Rather than you being overloaded with text, I wanted more images on my magazine review so I decided on 3 images in total. This will interest the young, target audience who typically reads magazine reviews. I liked the idea when researching of review pages having one large image covering up one side of the review, so I decided to do this also. Furthermore, titles are generally large in the top left hand corner and I liked this position so I decided to stay with the normality. Moreover, I felt like having film information and plot clearly, was very important, so like others I put it first before my written review. I put the written review into columns as this is how it is divided on page reviews so it does not look too overloaded with text. To make it less overwhelmed even more, I split the text up with a quote in the middle and made it large. It just will make it look more appealing to the eye. Page numbers and the date of the magazine are at the bottom corners of the page in smaller text and if you want to subscribe to the magazine the website link is in the middle at the bottom. This is where you normally see these features so I again decided to place them here, and go with normality, so the audience can comprehend where they are easier. Lastly, the verdict will be on the large image as there was no other room for it to go. I will make it white however so it will stand out on the image and the audience can read it effortless as it is still an important feature as it is the overall rating and opinion.

My Written Review

Rarely, we see a short film that engages us all the way through and has such a large impact on us. Outlaster is a short film produced by Oliver Riches, which is his first released production, and may I say what a substantial start for his career. It was featuring Warren Riches, and as expected, an exceptional performance by him and could possibly be one of his best of his time. He delivers a strong and powerful role that displays the mental toll affecting him from the absolute loneliness and suffering he has faced. He fits the part greatly and makes it highly believable, you can believe and imagine  that the scenario is in fact real.

‘I’m Alone, afraid and on the edge of going insane.’

You could say this is a very clichè post-apocalyptic short film as it follows most traits as other short films within this genre. However this is where you are wrong. The story stood out among the rest due to its clever use of filming, dovetailed with a unique style of editing. It felt very realistic, bringing it to recent, real life events involving Trump and his election success. This gave it that tangible, believable angle that keeps the viewer hooked.

The visuality and storytelling is astonishing too. Without any CGI, which is what many post-apocalyptic films rely on, Outlaster uses narrative, many shots and effects to keep you interested. Having various close ups showing his desolate emotions, slow motion to emphasize that life was dull and monotonous. It does not stall at being exciting at all.

Personally I look forward to more work by this young talented filmmaker, one piece of advice would be to ensure he keeps true to his cinematic vision, and not be afraid to push the boundaries and avoid the mainstream mediocrity which has saturated the market.

Verdict

A bold, dramatic and engaging film, you encounter a connection between yourself and the protagonist feeling very sympathetic for him. It will leave you almost certainly intrigued to watch more. This post-apocalyptic film is graphic in the realms of loneliness and isolation and makes a significant film for audiences to deeply relish.

4 Stars

Magazine Review Page Analysis 3

The main image for this takes up just over half the magazine review page, which is slightly more than what the normal size. The image stands out extremely well however, showing the protagonist. His vibrant red colours catches your eye almost immediately when looking at the page. Moreover, the image looks like an action shot due to his body structure and the top and bottom is covered by some creature so it makes us think he is in danger and is very engaging to know more. The title is black and very thick so it stands out exceedingly well on the white background. Just above is a red strip with many one worded reviews and star ratings. There is some great reviews such as 'Must-see' with a 5 star rating however they have also been honest and put a review saying 'Disappointing' with 2 stars. The audience will like this as they are being truthful - not all people like it. Underneath the title is a little plot with a pun to engage the younger audience. It grabs your attention to read on wards for the review.  Furthermore, there is a bold sub title stating 'What's the story' which is a more in depth plot of the film. They have made sure you can see the verdict, covering it with a box and a red strip with the stars on. The verdict overall star rating was 5 stars so they have promoted this to make sure the audience are aware. They started the film review with a well known quote from the film, Spider-Man fans will see this and will appreciate it. They have used terms used with the younger generation such as  'Epic cinematography'. They kept the writing very unsophisticated so it is more relate able for the younger generation - who is most likely to read this review page. Moreover, they used a great sub title saying 'Scenes that will drop jaws and staple them to the multiplex carpet'. This suggests that the scenes will be so surprising and overwhelming your jaw the stay to the ground. It is a very descriptive and effective title that Is great. I need to use a sub title like this to intrigue the viewer. I really like the layout of this film review as I think it looks very professional and is divided well so it does not look overwhelming with text.  The ratings and titles are clear and bold which makes it easy for the reader to comprehend. If anything this is the sort of review page that I hope mine will come out like.

Magazine Review Page Analysis 2

The title is very clear to the viewer as it is behind a simple white background. Having a white background makes everything stand out on top, making it very easy for the reader to comprehend the text. White seems to be the most used colour for a background, so I need to decide whether to follow the generic background or use something else. The title 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' has very distinctive text. It is thick and bold but has lines within it so it also has some character. It is in the middle of the page which is mainly where the title is or it is placed at the top - so the audience looks at it first and knows what film they are reviewing. The overall review page has kept it to minimal colour theme, this is also what most magazine review pages do as well. This one used the colours orange, red and black, with a little yellow. They all match well and stand out on the background.
Moreover, like all review pages the text is in columns so it doesn't look too overwhelming and is appealing to the young audience as they do not like to read a lot. The first letter is in a bold capital, following the same font as the title and also the same colour. They use clear sub titles with a dark background and light capitalized text inside. This makes it clear what the text below is about. They also have clearly put a caption of the large image so we know what is happening within it.
The main image takes up half the page, which is what is typically done. To make the review page more visually appealing, they also added a picture of the protagonist in-between two texts, Johnny Depp. Furthermore, as most of the audience is the younger generation, they like to keep the text engaging and amusing. They added a pun 'Into the depp-end' to maintain the younger audiences interest. They also added an exclusive QnA which the audience love so this will attract more people to read on.

On the other hand, there is not a lot of descriptive text on a review itself. So the audience does not get a lot other than telling us about a plot and a QnA. Moreover, there is no star rating so we do not get a critic's overall rating on the film. Lastly, we do not see any other chacracters within the film other than the protagonist twice and another character, I feel like they could use better images to intrigue the audience.