Development of 2 pages and final image

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This is the final outcome of the two inside pages of my newspaper. The first page is focused on the contents and making of the newspaper, detailing the editorial team and section meeting times. I featured the contents in a typical vertical layout, colour coding each subject. I wanted to colour code each item as when the paper is read people can either look for the page number they need or the colour, also making it more visually attractive. The page numbers featured by the contents are featured in red and black in keeping with the colour scheme of the newspaper. A different font is used for BIG STEPS on the initial page, which is placed in a red box out. The section meeting times and editorial team headings are placed in a gray box out, outlined by varying widths of black lines. I feel this looks effective as gray is an alternative colour to the ones used throughout. The text is in black so is easily readable and contrasts the gray background. All the features of these sections are in black with the subject and name being next to each other. An advertisement for a article in the newspaper is in a black dot, with alternative white and red text inside ensuring it stands out. The bottom right hand of the screen contains another black dot which features information about involving yourself with the newspaper. 


The facing page begins to cover news stories. It focuses on 5 articles on the page, the top articles being focused on random subjects and editors pick. In keeping with the time my newspaper will be released there is a feature on what people are planning to do on Valentines Day. The other 3 articles focus on Southend College and University and would be of interest to students. The top articles are separated by the use of coloured text, whereas the news articles are featured in black text. Again dots have been used, in the separation of the articles. I felt this would be a good effect as it is a reoccurring theme and provides more visual attraction than lines. As it is a student newspaper aimed at the younger audience I wanted an element of fun to be present throughout my newspaper. All the pictures used are relevant to the articles, with the headline also giving the correct introductions to the articles.The lead story is seen by the biggest headline and the biggest picture.

Final Draft of Newspaper Poster

This is my final newspaper poster which is advertising my university newspaper. The Big Steps header has been continued from the newspaper and website in order to become recognisable and establish continuity. I have also continued the theme of red and black as to relate all of the media together. I have used circular dots to attract attention and provide a background for the text to stand out. In the top left corner I have included the date of release of the issue that is being promoted. 'Find out Southends top 10 bars' generates interest in the article, and will appeal to the student audience. 'Bringing you even more news and offers!...Don't miss out!' aims to provide motivation to get the newspaper. The mention of offers will also appeal to students, as their social lifestyle is restricted by budget. In the bottom black dot, I have featured snappy headlines previewing what will be featured in the newspaper. I have aimed to generate interest from a wide audience of students, so have contained many different subjects. 'Spring trends...Nightclub brawls...College competitions...Car crash rescues...Valentines day...Southend sports' These headlines all attract interest in the popular areas of fashion, sports, social life, big news and competitions. I have used a white background as I felt it appeared more clean cut, however I did use some effects to make the background more visually appealing.I have used brush strokes which have been shadowed, and the texture has been changed in order to add contrast to a blank background. Onto the white background I have used a swirl of a black colour to contrast from the red of the strokes. The 'MARCH 2010' has had several effects added to it, such as drop shadow, bevel and emboss and it has been sharpened.

In conclusion, I feel this I feel this is a suitable poster as it continues the theme of dots between the newspaper and website, which would enable people to relate each together. It has details of what will be featured in the issue in short and snappy headlines. The BIG STEPS is central to the page so it is clear what is being promoted. 

Improvements I could make given more time could be aspects such as placing a cost, or the mention that the newspaper is free. I perhaps would have also taken the chance to spend more time on photoshop, maybe involving some of my own images in the poster.

Final front page of newspaper

This is the final copy of the front page of my newspaper. I have included the chosen 3 articles on my front page, which do not appear crowded or too far apart. The masthead I designed previously in photoshop has been used with a black background to ensure it stands out more, and to follow to colour scheme of red and black. The pictures used on the front page are both highly relevant to the articles, the size showing the importance of each. Throughout my advertising I hope to include a pattern of dots, as I feel it looks modern and appealing. At the bottom of the page I have included a lure to attract my audience to read the newspaper. This again follows the colour scheme of red and black and uses dots symmetrically to look good visually. The lure's are briefly introduced, as the aim would be to entice readers to find the article and begin reading. I have included a promotion for a Valentines Day restaurant offer, as my newspaper would be distributed previous to this. Given more time, I will improve this as I feel it has not been done to the best of my ability.  In the bottom right hand corner I have included a black dot with bold white text, promoting the fact it is a free newspaper, which should appeal to students budget lifestyle.

Text and aspects of front page

In order to ensure my newspaper appeals to the correct audience I will have to include pictures and headlines that will cause interest. Therefore I brainstormed several headlines...

1. SOUTHEND RESIDENTS OPPOSE STUDENT ‘EYESORE'
2. LOCAL HERO SAVES FRIEND FROM BURNING  CAR   
3. STUDENT COMEDY CLUB CALLS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS!
4. VIRUS TAKES DOWN CAMPUS!
5. STUDENT FINANCE LEAVE THOUSANDS WITH NO MONEY!

In the end I chose headlines 1, 2 and 3; writing these articles to go with them. 

 SOUTHEND RESIDENTS OPPOSE STUDENT ‘EYESORE

    Angry residents of Southend yesterday protested against the new student campus, just walking distance from the college and high street.
The new campus features coloured blocks placed in horizontal and vertical positions. It has been built to house students studying at South East Essex College, which is also a University and is expected to hold 250 - 500 students.
    The campus, which is yet to be completed, has been protested since the initial idea. Shop owners and local residents have complained it does not fit with the style of Southend’s architecture, and will put off future tourists. Another source of recent complaints has been the use of colourful blocks, which shop owners have said is ‘unattractive and uneeded’. A statement given by Vera Lang, an elderly resident of Southend said that ‘Southend is a traditional seaside town, and it’s growing student status will sacrifice tourists.’
    Sources from the college gave us a statement in which they said they felt the post modernist  design of the building was a symbol of Southend’s status as a student town. 

 LOCAL HERO SAVES FRIEND FROM BURNING  CAR  

A hero who saved his friend from a burning car was last night being considered for a bravery award after risking his life. Rick Wakerly told of his ordeal after Murray Bass, 19, was trapped unconscious in the burning wreck.
The crash happened in Ramsden Bellhouse in the early hours of 5th January, after Mr Bass returned from his DJ job at Stock Brook Manor. The cause of the crash is yet to be established, however it is believed the poor weather conditions were involved.
Mr Bass has been placed in a coma after suffering a punctured lung, a broken jaw and bleeding to the brain. The impact of his injuries are yet to be determined.
Rick, 20, told of moments after the crash. “I was following him in my car, and saw his car had crashed into a telegraph pole and had set alight. I jumped out and tried to open the door, but it was jammed. I could see he was bleeding and unconscious so didn’t think twice about pulling him out”

STUDENT COMEDY CLUB CALLS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS!

Billericay comedy club - also known as the Loose Goose Comedy Club last week called for students of South East Essex College to get involved in the latest search to find an up and coming student comedian in Essex. The Loose Goose comedy club is held once a month at The Ivory Rooms,  featuring known comedians from all over the UK. Created and Compared by Sharon Andrews, she revealed the comedy club needs “fresh meat” to continue successfully at this venue, popular with the younger age group. All applications can be received through email or applying via the website.

Image Developing For Newspaper- Photoshop

On the left hand side on my two pages I will feature a advertisement for an article featured in the newspaper. It will appeal to my audience because of the subject - bars, pubs and alcohol. This is another aspect of the newspaper which advises, therefore fulfilling the purpose of my newspaper. I have chosen the phrase 'big steps best bars' as it is simple, snappy and easy to remember. It also lets the audience know the purpose of the article clearly. I will be completing it on photoshop, and will produce several outcomes so I can decide which is most effective. This first draft is very simple and contains no editing. From here, I will change the layout and edit the text to make it more visually appealing.

in the second of my designs I have changed the layout in order to make it look more appealing and intriguing. I think this design works well as you can still see all the text clearly enough. The '10' has been arranged behind the letters so it doesn't blur the text. Overall I think this layout is good, and looks more appealing than my first draft.

this is the third design of my advertisement and I have edited the text in order to make it more attractive, as well as trying a new layout.  On the text of the 'big', 'steps' and 'bars' I have used the effects of bevel and emboss. It has given the text another dimension and it seems more visually appealing. I have featured 'BEST' in a bigger font to emphasise the view of the article, it will be positive not negative. I have edited this text by using bevel and emboss, and adding an outer glow. The new layout does not leave much surplus space and is able to be seen clearly. I have also added a pale gray to the background in the hope that the text stands out more. 

this design featured the same text effects as previous, however the background has been changed to be of different textures and gradients of colour. I feel this design is suitable for an advert as it includes the colour scheme of my newspaper, whilst remaining attractive and enticing. The font effects and sizes have remained the same. 

Due to the image size being too small, I decided not to use these in my newspaper. I opted for a simpler design which I felt was effective.However doing this has helped me to gain more knowledge of photoshop.

Student Newspaper Research - Further

 In order to gain a bit more knowledge about my newspapers and as a final part of my research I decided to look on the internet about the newspapers. This extract is from Wikipedia about the Epigram - Bristol Student Newspaper.

"Epigram is the independent student newspaper of the University of Bristol. It was set up in 1988 by James Landale, now a senior BBC journalist, who studied politics at Bristol. The current editor of The Daily Telegraph, William Lewis, was a writer for Epigram in its early years.

Epigram is produced fortnightly during term time, and as of February 2010 the newspaper had reached 224 editions. It is available as a paper edition distributed freely around the university, with articles and discussion also appearing online. The paper follows a traditional newspaper layout: the front of the newspaper is devoted to news issues, particularly those concerning students at the university.

The paper has a 25-strong editorial team consisting of students from the second year and above (formal recruitment is carried out in the last term of an academic year). The current editor is Will Miles, and the deputy editors are Camilla Arnold and Laura Walters.

All students at the University are encouraged to write for the paper and each section of the paper has a weekly publicised meeting to discuss and allocate stories for the next edition - there are opportunities to join each section team at the Freshers' Fair at the beginning of the year or by emailing the relevant section editor."


 This extract is from the same source about Varsity - Cambridge Student Newspaper. 

"Varsity is the older of Cambridge University's main student newspapers. It has been published continuously since 1947, and is one of only three fully independent student newspapers in the UK. It appears every Friday around Cambridge. In November 2009, the paper won six prizes at the Guardian Student Media Awards, was nominated for a further two, and former editor Patrick Kingsley was named Student Journalist of the Year"

Looking at 2 pages of newspaper

In order to create my own two pages of a newspaper I wanted to research existing products to see what features in these pages. I wanted to get impressions of layout, colour use and the types of article used in this place. For this I have looked at The Epigram and Varsity, establishing continuity from my other research tasks. 

This is The Epigram, which can also be seen by the use of blue, a colour seen on the front cover of the newspaper. We can see the name Epigram has been placed at the top left hand side of the left page, along with the date on the right. By looking at other newspapers I found this was quite a frequent pattern. Featured on this page are the contents, some adverts, session meeting times and the editorial team. I particularly liked the layout of the contents, with the use of colour, aspects I hope to reflect in my own newspaper. The contents has been colour coded, so readers flicking through can identify the pages they want through stopping at this colour. The section meeting times and editorial team are both in the same size, colour and font, with a blue heading for each. This aspect of the newspaper may not be read by many but is important to include. A advert for what is featured later in the newspaper stands out on the page, another incentive for readers. This page also provides contact details for anyone wanting to get in touch. 

The facing page focuses on news, seen by the heading and colour coding. There are 3 articles featured on this page, with one taking up the majority of the page with both text and picture. This article also has the biggest headline showing its importance. The other two articles are at the right side and bottom of the page, so the eye automatically goes to read the middle one first.

These are the first two pages of Varsity newspaper. Unlike Epigram, Varsity straight away begins with the news content. Thumbnails of pictures are used to break up a lot of text used. The initial page contains one main article and 3 smaller ones. The first layout splits the page into thirds. There is a smaller section at the top of the page which promotes the website. At the bottom of the page the editors and session times are mention, in a much smaller font. Varsity has made this section much less appealing than Epigram has. The second page contains 3 main news articles, with 3 pictures. The page has no bold colours, and I feel does lack visual appeal. There is an offer featured on the bottom right hand of the screen, another aspect the student audience will be attracted to. Similar to the Epigram, each page is headed by the date and the purpose of that page. 

Looking at posters

Searching on the internet for posters advertising newspapers proved unsuccessful, as there was hardly any images of these, despite extensive searching of websites such as google, yahoo, wikipedia and poster sites. However I did find how newspaper advertisments are set out and structured by going on The Sun website, which was advertising aspects of its paper.

The Sun uses bold colour on a equally bold background in order to attract the reader to what they are promoting. The images used in these posters cover most of the area, providing more visual attraction. Each headline is exemplary of many posters, as they give enough detail to tempt the reader but not enough to ruin the story. This is done by many newspapers, especially the sun who sensationalize their headlines all the time to advertise. Words such as 'exclusive' and 'no1' is essential in persuading the reader they should choose that newspaper. In my poster I will be using my colour scheme along with headlines in order to appeal to my target audience and persuade them to buy my newspaper.

Newspaper Development

I have created a heading in photoshop using the font Gill Sans Ultra Bold. I have used capitals to emphasise the importance of this text and the red again represents the fact the newspaper is Essex based. I have used several effects on my title in order to make it appear similar to a logo that would attract attention, than ordinary text. I have used the effects of drop shaddow, bevel and emboss, in order to make it more visually attractive and appealing. The shaddow ensures this text will stand out from the other headings and text. I will place this text onto a background to ensure the text stands out more.

This was the first draft of my University Newspaper. This draft remains unfinished however the layout is roughly how it will be when finished. I have the masthead of my newspaper at the top right of the page, as I feel centring it will lose the newspaper valuable space on each side, which can be used for other aspects such as lures or smaller articles. I have used a black box out in order to ensure the red stands out and attracts potential readers. Underneath the masthead is a small heading acting as a subtitle. It is placed to the right and reads "Essex's Leading Student Newspaper". This clears up any misunderstandings from the title by telling the readers what the subject is. I have ensured the theme of red is continued throughout my front page by having vertical and horizontal lines which split texts featured in red. The theme of red is also used in one of my lures, a student deal. To attract readers I have included a meal deal for a restaurant on the upcoming holiday Valentine’s Day. This will provide readers with an incentive to purchase or pick up this newspaper. I used a Valentines font from www.dafont.com to provide the hearts. The grey boxes are where I will copy the pictures I have taken into. All the articles currently have the same heading as at the time of the draft I had only brainstormed one. I have now written half of the text that will be used on the front cover. As this is my first draft, many aspects of this have changed since. I have yet to take the pictures for my lures, which will be based on fashion, music, and another social event. These pictures will be placed over the red box at the bottom to continue the theme, and ensure they stand out.