Month: November 2020

The article I analysed:

(Q Magazine (September 2017) James Lavelle, Dorian Lynskey)

This article is a biography about James Lavelle. There is evidence of the journalistic technique that talks about ‘Who, What, Where, When, Why, How’. 

• Who – James Lavelle
• What – He is the founder of Mo’ Wax label. He launched DJ shadow and invented trip-hop.  
• Where – London Met Bar is mentioned. 
• When – 1995,1998,2003 2013,2014.
• Why – How his career developed/the outcomes of it.
• How – His career came about from meeting people.

It engages the audience with a number of catchy words and phrases, such as ‘visionary lightning rod’, ‘ impeccably cool’ etc. It also ends with some questions posed to the star of the article, which provokes thought for the audience. The short sentence after this shows that it is the end of the article and ties it off nicely. This is clearly a biography, we can tell as it is written about a person and the recent/not so recent events of their life.  The columns make it easy to read, and the bold introduction catches the eye and informs the reader. We are aware of the presence of the journalist whilst reading the article, we can tell it is someone writing about another person due to the facts, quotes being written in 3rd person. The impact of this is that we feel the article is being narrated and we can trust the sources given to us. There is a clear structure apparent, with an introduction, middle, and small conclusion. A few swear words have been included in the article, this suits the tone of the article and shows the target audience of the magazine is adults. Quotes are used to tell us more about James, and the article also feels more personal, as if he is involved in the writing of it. This article gives the audience an insight into his life, as well as making them feel like a part of it too. It attracts, informs, and creates desire to find out more. These are all elements of AIDA. The journalist creates the star image of a fun, reckless, bold and inspiring entertainer throughout the description of the star. This portrayal also helps keep the article interesting and unique, it is not like other magazines in the way that it really goes into depth about his life and discusses the ups and downs.

My Draft Cover Page

Peer Feedback

A friend assessed my work so that I can further understand what is needed to improve.

• What type of shots have been used to create a variety of shot distances and how has the camera been used to communicate meaning? 

She has taken a longshot of her model. The shot shows that the model is extraordinary and is showing off her full outfit.

• What choice of Mise en scene is appropriate for the star image and genre?

The model’s wardrobe, makeup, and hair is a good mix of cool and classy. She’s wearing casual jeans and a jacket, but also has silky styled hair and expensive-looking jewelry.

•   How far is the font used readable and reflects the genre?

The font is both fun and bubbly but also sophisticated and sharp. The colour palette is really well applied to create a vibe of girliness but also power, as purple is a very royal and rich colour. 

• What technical conventions of a Contents page are present and used effectively?  

The title ‘what’s inside’ as well as the page numbers are very conventional of the magazine and create the vibe of a classic contents page. The added in pug, as well as a separate heading for more special people in the magazine, is good as it displays their importance.

• How has Indesign been used to layout the page to convey a brand?

The layout is very clear and she has used InDesign to create a gradient background which adds a little something extra to the page. The writing is laid out neatly and is really well applied.

•   How well have the text and visuals been integrated together?

The colours go really well together making the magazine look neat and tidy but also fun and different.

• Where has photoshop been used to manipulate the photos to enhance the star image or genre? 

She used photoshop to cut out the picture of the model which was really impressive. 

•  How is the language used appropriately for the genre and target audience?

Her use of exclamation marks and commanding words such as ‘grab’ as well as words like ‘one of a kind!’ presents the idea of the magazine being fun and youthful which is perfect for her audience.  

5 targets:

• Try different layouts
• Try a different image of my model
• Experiment with colours/gradients
• Talk about music instead of fashion
• Add another cover line.

Examples of Contents Pages:

These are some examples of contents pages in professional magazines. It is clear that they all share certain technical conventions, which is exactly what makes them a content page. Although, a producer does need to ensure their magazine is unique and stands out from the rest.

These are some sketches of contents page layouts:

A contents page is essentially a menu that informs the reader what the magazine will contain. For example, in all of these contents pages, short coverlines are shown with a page number to tell the reader what will be on that specific page. These are a common convention. Page numbers are also important to help the reader know where to turn to, to read a chosen article. A main cover star is also normally featured, or a selection of images to help create interest as lots of writing will not generate attraction to the magazine. Although, captions are needed in order to provide information and entertainment, depending on the topic. These things all promote AIDA (Attract, Interest, Desire, Action). So the images and main cover stars attract the reader and create interest in the magazine. Then, as they read the captions and index, the desire to read on is made. And finally, they take action by investing in the magazine and reading more.

5 catchy headlines:

• How Frank Ocean rose to fame!
• 7 things you didn’t know about Beyonce’s album!
• SZA’s top-secret song revealed!
• Rihanna was seen doing what in LA?!
• The truth behind the album – Jorja Smith tells all!

1st Draft Front Cover

1ST DRAFT

Doing a draft before my final cover will be really helpful with trial and error, whilst finding out what I like and dislike.  I have tried out a few different layouts, colour schemes, and fonts. I also tried to include colloquial language that will create interest and desire.

Assessing my work

My 5 Targets

• Try different layouts to see what works best visually.
• Try different colour palettes.
• Edit model on Photoshop e.g. colour of lips.
• See what different backgrounds would look like.
• Include more colloquial language.

This is the contact sheet from my front cover photoshoot. I tried to get a wide variety of angles, poses, and I asked Amber to wear the costume in different ways. I tried to consider elements such as her star image, how to present her as both ordinary and extraordinary, as well as the genre I had chosen. I wanted to present her as down to earth and casual, as that is often the vibe you get from R&B stars. I tried to communicate this through her costume (bandana, baggy denim jeans, chunky white trainers, and gold chain). This will help connote the ideas of a friendly and confident star who’s just like us due to the relaxed outfit. Mise en Scene was also considered when doing my photoshoot. I thought about how I could use costume, lighting, and props to communicate her star image. I think it has encapsulated my Unique Selling Point which is based on youth, casualness and, ’90s fashion.

My Contact Sheet

We were given a set of questions to consider and answer regarding our competition with other magazines. This was to help us understand what exactly we are up against and what is necessary to stand out from the rest.

The Questions

Then, I made a Piktochart to display my answers to these questions, whilst showing examples of other professional R&B magazines and what they contain. This has given me a much better understanding of how I can make my magazine unique, whilst conventional. I know what I need to include to give my target audience a preferred reading.

My Piktochart

My plan

This plan will help me to understand what I need to prepare for the photoshoot in advance so I can be ready on the day. I now have a better idea of how I want my model to appear and what I need to make this happen. Looking at different poses has given me some different ideas I would like to try out in the White Room.

My Masthead Ideas

These were my different trials of mastheads for my R&B magazine ‘Motion’. I wanted to have a range of ideas to see what best suited my genre. I spent a while altering sizes, spacing colours etc. I decided to keep it black and white to stand out and avoid clashing with other colours I will be including. I tried to use some fonts that appear relaxed and laid back, this ties into my genre which is very cool and casual. I have kept AIDA in mind, this means Attract, Interest, Desire, Action. My masthead needs to be eye-catching and bold to attract my audience. If the font is too small then it will not catch attention and will be much harder to read. It should be attractive, an easy to read font with clear lettering will be much more popular. If the design is done well and goes with my genre, it will make the cover look well produced and interest the reader. This creates a desire to read on and find out more about my magazine.

My Final Masthead

I chose this masthead to go on the cover my magazine when it comes to producing it. I chose this because it stands out and is easy to read. As it is representing my brand and the genre I have chosen, it needs to be memorable and unique. The typical conventions of R&B connote the ideas of relaxation, uniqueness, youthfulness, coolness etc. So I chose this font as I think it represents these things.