Indesign Art Activity

Today in class we utilized Adobe Indesign to lay out our 2 page spread. Before diving into this project I was aware of my lack of talent when it comes to technology, so naturally using the adobe program proved to be challenging. Using indesign was more complected than publisher because it has more configurations and tools that are at a higher level of complexity. I think I will use indesign for my 3rd quarter submission rather than publisher because the end result looks cleaner and more professional.

Use of conventions

There are many food magazines out in the world of media all with unique styles and photos. Food is a form of art that expresses a cooks creativity so in print and digital magazines there isn't really a "guideline" to what goes in. However there are a few components that can be found in almost every typical food magazine.

 For example, conventionally the cover picture used is of food that is included in an article or is somehow relevant to the topic of the magazine. To challenge this norm I made the cover of my magazine a picture of the server that was interviewed for the featured article. I had a few reasons for going with this but mainly i wanted to convey a deeper message than just food, I wanted to represent the face of the culture that surrounds the food. 

MyTarget Audience

Age- 18-45 generally old enough to cook
gender- mostly female
geography- Southern states like Florida who is close to the caribbean, cities on the coast like Miami and areas with a prominent Latin population
Income level- non-specific
education level- no specific level required, maybe minimum culinary education
personal interests- People who like exotic food, culinary students, aspiring chefs looking to learn simple recipes,
Represented- Caribbean and Colombian cultures,
what is appealing?
There is a variety of both simple and complex recipes to appeal to consumers with different skill levels. While there are plenty of food magazines not many focus on authentic caribbean cuisine. I used enticing headlines and a welcoming face on the cover instead of food, which is traditionally used, to make the audience curious enough to open the magazine. The magazine also appeals to people that live near the coasts or close to places with plentiful seafood as caribbean cuisine is centered around fish, conchs, and other seafood. The magazine provides various recipes including local seafood so locals can incorporate it into their cooking.

Interview Questions

For the article I will be interviewing a worker of one of my favorite local restaurants Mi Tierra. I have been eating here with my family for years. The combination of Colombian and Cuban cuisine brings in traditional and contemporary styles of cooking that introduce to customers unique takes on Latin comfort foods.

I will be interviewing Mayelin who is a server at the restaurant.

Interview questions:
How long have you worked here?
Can you tell me about the food and the vision of the restaurant?
What are some of the most ordered dishes?
Are there regular customers that have been coming since the opening?
How has the menu changed through the years and why?

This is the menu from the restaurant where I got an interview for my article. While scouting the location before the shoot I thought the menu successfully  represented the style of the restaurant. The font caught my attention and the effective use of white space, I would like to include something similar in my style for the magazine.

Magazine Genre Research - Real Simple

Real Simple is a food magazine, this particular copy - Holiday Shortcuts and Recipes- is a Fall seasonal edition. RealSimple is part of Meredith Corp. which is one of the largest content companies in the world and the largest magazine operator in the United States. They distributed over 6.8 million copies in fall of 2017 during which the magazine peaked.

The cover of the magazine is laid out in a simple holiday theme. The dishes seen are round and are disproportionate which creates a sense of family and simplicity. On the left side, there is a third of a plant centerpiece and ruched up tablecloth which the plate of mashed potatoes sits on. The vibe conveyed is homey, authentic, and traditional which is expected during the holidays. The food images on the cover and throughout the magazine were taken on location, the main film studio for real simple is in Birmingham, Alabama.

The title of the magazine is in two shades of red; a darker wine red and a light red and the sub heading or the edition name is in large black letters. The article previews are scattered on the side alternating between black and red. Overall the color scheme is predominately red which gives the setup a feeling of authenticity and holiday. Everything from color scheme to subheading fonts are fall/thanksgiving related.

The table of contents is uncomplicated and neatly organized making the magazine easy to follow. Short previews of the articles are given via a picture and caption. I noted that in the table of contents 3/4 of the page is covered in pictures: three medium ones lined up at the bottom of equal proportion and then a large one on the top left of the page. An interesting aspect about RealSimple magazine is that at the bottom of every page the magazine name, date, and page number are included.

The actual content is equally distributed among ads, however advertisements take up about 50 to 60 percent of the pages in the magazine. There is a variety of ads but most of them are food related.

Camera Shots Activity

Wide shot

Low angle shot

Canted shot

Mid shot

Extreme Close up

High angle

project selection- Final decision-

In the end, I came to the conclusion that choosing to do the magazine project will be the best choice for me. It took me a while to finally decide, but after evaluating the pros and cons of each: it became clear. Photography and design have always interested me and this is a great way to expand on my current skills. The main theme of the magazine will be colorful, artistic and appealing food. I am a culinary student and would love to schedule photo-shoots in the kitchen as well as have amazing food be featured in the magazine. Since we are in the fall/winter seasons the magazine would center around southern holiday food. I will be working independently without a group, although this might prove to be a challenge; I believe having full control of the course my project will take allows me to grow more as a creative person. I will be in charge of all the decisions made when editing, scheduling, designing, and photographing.