Scrap Book Contents Page so far

I have completed the basic structure and the border for my contents page. All that's left to do is paint and mount the title and put in the actual text. I will probably need a better scanner than my one at home so I'll find one round school. But here it is...

Contents Page

I have begun to put together a scrap-book style contents page. I have only fixed the triangle of blue and the ribbon to the peach background and have not stuck down any pictures or buttons yet. This is just a tester to see which arrangement works best. I am conscious that it is maybe becoming a bit too girly? So I will overcome this tomorrow. I will try and overcome this by including pictures of males. I have arranged to take pictures of a male 'pirate' tomorrow lunch so I will include at least one of these on the contents page. I am also aware that there are getting to be quite a few pirate pictures and majority are of dancing. I aim to take more pictures tomorrow in different outfits that I can then include in place of some of the pirate costumes as well as taking pictures of things like stage lights and microphones. Obviously the pirate musical is the main feature of the magazine but I think it will be worth while saving a majority of the pictures for the actual double page spread.

So how will the text required for the contents fit into this? In the top right corner I may have the magazine logo (which I'm currently trying to design), but I will definitely have the title 'Contents'. The rest of the peach area will have the main contents listing. I have two ideas for the blue section...1 - the articles that are 'in every issue' or 2 - further information about either competitions or a feature, this will grab the readers attention and attract them to a certain section of the magazine.

The actual typography I want to fit into the scrap-book image and so I will create/use a font that appears hand-written. I am choosing to type it rather than actually hand-write it as if this was a real magazine in production, it would be highly impractical and time-consuming hence why only the borders and pictures are put together like an actual scrap book. I will probably actually paint the title 'contents' on to the top of the page, or rather onto a different piece of card and mount it onto this. So I don't forget, I also intend to do this for the double page spread title 'Raise Your Flag'. However with 'Raise Your Flag' I will use plenty of paint and then either blow or strike the paint to that it creates a spike-y, eroded, rough style to tie in with the pirate theme.

Overall I am so far pleased with this idea for house style as it is looking promising and is very creative; like musical theatre.

Contents Page

Following my idea for my contents page I am going to experiment with a 'scrap-book' style. I will try and achieve this look by printing all my pictures I have edited and putting them together with good old fashioned glue. I will also include other typical scrap-book/mood-board style things like bits of material and other shapes. I will initially just do this for the pictures but then I will try constructing the entire page in this way. If this works then I will continue this style throughout. I think it could work as scrap-books are very creative as is musical theatre. This will also make my magazine stand out and be original, yet it will all still form to conventional ideas with the pictures and layout.

Synopsis

So, as previously mentioned, the most popular synopsis has been synopsis 3 with the 2nd ending which is as follows...

Boys father owns the biggest, meanest pirate ship in the entire ocean. The mother died at birth. The father really loved her and was devastated, he locked up his feelings though and carried on the only way he knew how. But the boy, as he grows up doesn't want to be a pirate...it's not the life for him...In the middle of the night he makes a break for it and runs away, taking the rowing boat. There is a big storm that night/ the mermaids sirens begin and he cannot resist. His pirates ship can resist though as the father has shut himself out from the world of love and women. Somehow blocks his ears and steers the ship away. The son becomes stranded on a deserted islands where the only other life form is mermaids. He falls in love with one of the mermaids but there are obvious complications in their relationship...he lives on land and can't breath underwater. They have the option of overcoming this though as true loves first kiss can turn her from a mermaid to a beautiful woman. They are about to share their first kiss when... His fathers ship tracks him down but he refuses to go with them. So they capture the mermaids. There's a big sword fight, the father loses his balance and falls back, in to sea. The boy reaches out to save him but can't reach and the father dies. But I'm not sure I want the father to die because of the son. It's mean. However, if the father were to die, the ship would become the sons responsibilities. Then he has the choice of whether to honour his fathers dying wish which is to give everything up for the mermaid he loves, for love is hard to find and he loved the mother.

For the actual double page spread this will be written out properly. Possibly not as much detail of the story though. For example, I might not put the ending in, leave it on a cliffhanger to make the reader want to see the musical and find out. Also some songs and actors/actresses will be reviewed, with a full list of cast and information on the production side and cost.

First Pirate Picture

Below you can see three pictures. The first two are my originals...the third is my edited, super-imposed one. Due to difference in pixel sizes the pirate in the final picture is slightly blurry. Luckily I wasn't planning on having this particular picture very big anyway. So for now, I shall leave it. However, if it becomes a problem during the actual construction of the magazine then I will try again.

Pictures and Edits

Following the black and white contents page montage idea I have used picnik to edit the following pictures. Obviously they are not yet a montage and as you will see, I have left a detail from every picture in colour, just testing things :) If these are used in the actual magazine then I will crop directly around the people.

I've put the originals followed by my edits.

Review of a Review

I've had a look at the following review which is of the musical Les Miserables. http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/reviews/lesmis04.htm

It is a very positive review and so there is a lot of positive language. For example : masterpiece, powerful, solid and moving performances, intense, superb, seamlessly.

There was also a strong lexical field of words and phrases related to musical theatre like: full house, matinee, seats in the stalls, cast, part, scene, set design, production.

This works well and the review serves it purpose as it makes me want to go and see the musical...again. The review explains the synopsis but the audience is expected to have some prior knowledge as it mentions the French Revolution. Also, the audience is aimed at musical theatre people due to the specific lexical field language relating to musical theatre. The review mentions most details of the production as it also talks about the set design but a majority is about the actors.

I will consider the use of language and lexical field in this review when I write my own. But I will also have more detail, more like the layout of the reviews in Musical Stages magazine. I will list all the cast and have several pictures as well as having a section covering more details of the production.