In this task, I went to Beau Sejour and the skatepark to take pictures for my double page spread. I used Nathan and Elliott as my models, this meant that I had to use mise-en-scene to try and make them fit into my chose genre (rap). I decided that I would use yellow as my main colour throughout the images, for example Elliot wore a yellow puffer jacket, whereas Nathan wore a yellow basketball jersey. This worked well because the vibrant colour made them stand out, this is important as many people look at the images while skimming through a magazine.

I liked the pictures that I took at the skatepark because I think that it fit in well with the rap genre. I used a skateboard and a bag as my prop for this part of the photoshoot as it suited the location well.

I took the images on my iPhone, however the images still came out well.

Below are my four favourite images from the photoshoot:

I like these images because they are suitable to use for my suitable double page spread, next to my model there is a room next to them to write an article. For example in the second image there is lots of room on the left to write and it would be clear. I think that the relaxed body language of my models is perfect, this is important because rap artists tend to be rather laid back people. The contrast between the blue sky and yellow jacket is good because it makes the picture stand out.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think that this was a successful photo shoot. I was able to get images that are suitable for my double page spread, which was the aim of the task. This task was very useful because if I had not done it then I would not have any images to use for my magazine. To improve next time I would take even more images, this means that I would have no faults in my photo shoot.

In this task I started to plan/draft my magazine article. The type of article that I decided to write was a top ten, this is because I think that it fits in my genre well. My target audience would not necessary want to read a two page biography, therefore I have chosen this type of  article as it is short but really effective. Below is my first planning document (click to make full page):

Next, I decided that I needed to come up with a hook that is suitable for my magazine, this is what I have thought of. “Harris joins Rap Capital today to tell us his favourite songs of the last decade!”, I think this is a suitable hook for my target audience because they will be interested to see what music their favourite artist listens to. Many will see this rapper as a role model and they will want to listen to the same music as him. Top 10’s of the decade are a fairly trending article in 2020 because it marks the end of a decade.

Below is my draft article:

Here is me reading my article:

Targets:

Some targets that I have set myself are:

• Make sure that the article flows properly and is an easy read.
• Correct use of grammar.
• Add a bit more of a clear ending to the article.

Conclusion:

This task was beneficial for me because I was able to write my desired article. I was then able to review what I had written, after that I knew what I had to improve on. Overall, I believe that this was a successful task because I was able to write a suitable article for my double page spread.

Below is my production meeting agenda for the my second shoot.

For this shoot I am going to use Elliott Harris and Nathan Bromley as models, I have planned what I would like to them wear. I have also listed some places that I could get some images for my double page spread.

This task was useful because I was able to plan where I was going to take my photos for the double page spread. I was also able to plan what my models would wear and how what props they would need. Now I have done this task I feel that the chance that a fault will occur has been reduced.

For this task I planned what my cover star would look like on my magazine cover. I looked at the different features of Mine-en-scene, and decided what I would need.

This task was very useful for me because I was able to decide how I was going to dress my cover star. Beforehand I just had many different ideas and was uncertain on which route I would go down. If this task was not done, I wouldn’t have had any idea of what I was going to do on the day of the shoot, and it would not be perfect. Doing this task also allowed me to find out when I would be ready to book a place in the studio and what equipment I would need to make it as professional as possible.

Moodboard

The first thing I decided to do was make a moodboard on Pinterest. This enabled me to start planning ideas of what I would do in my own music magazine.

I decided that this was a great opportunity to look at other music magazines within the same genre. To do this I just searched up a specific artist names, and then magazine cover afterwards. An alternative way is just searching rap magazines, however I found this to broad and generic.

Another thing I looked into was the fashion by these artists. Many of them just wore streetwear however for some magazine covers or performances they did wear a suit. I think that retro football tops is a quite a cool trend that these artists go for, I think I will go down this route as well. Some of the clothing that they wear does stand out due to the colours, I will keep this is mind when making the costume for my cover star.

I also got some images of the festival lifestyle. I think that I will use this within my magazine and was intrigued on what I could do with it. I mainly looked at what the audience were wearing at the festival, this is so I could get an idea of what sort of people I would be dealing with. I found that guys at festivals usually wear football tops/ summer shirts, coloured lensed glasses, and shorts.

I did quite a lot of research into Santan Dave, this is because I did my star image work based on him later on. I got pictures of his album covers, fashion, live performances, lyrics, etc. This will benefit me when I come to make my own music magazine because I will know the sort of things that I need to incorporate.

Star Image

I researched into how Santan Dave is portrayed in the media. The reason that I will be doing this is because I am interested in seeing how Santan Dave is as an individual. I am aware that not everything that the media is true however this task should prove that star images are both present and absent. Richard Dyer proposed a theory that a star is an image and not a real person, this suggests that they have different sides when in the public eye. For example a magazine is a perfect way to create the perfect image for a celebrity/star. Dave has to appear both ordinary and extraordinary, this is so the audience love the extra bits about them. To try and find the most useful bits about him I researched a number of ways the media show him off for example: tweets, news stories, etc.  Below is my research:

My Star Image

After doing this research, I decided that I should begin to plan my own star image. I will take advantage on my knowledge of Mise-En-Scene to create a star which perfectly fits the genre. Using my moodboard and star image research on Santan Dave, I have a good idea on what I would like to do with my cover star.

This work has been very beneficial for me because I have been given a clear image of what I want my cover to be/look like. I know sort of thing rappers wear and how they are presented in the media. When creating my cover star, I will come back to this so I can make them fit the role perfectly

One of the most important features of a magazine cover is the masthead, therefore I went onto InDesign to create some of my own. I used ordinary font on InDesign and started using some of the tools that it offers you to add drop shadows, inner glows, etc. You can also change the horizontal and vertical scale of the masthead, which is beneficial as you can make it fit the page well.

I did some research on what sort of fonts major magazine companies use for their mastheads, and too inspiration off of them. This was helpful as it gave me some ideas of what sort of thing I wanted to do with my masthead.

After creating a few samples, I had to decide which one I wanted to use. I decided to use the first design because it is very clear. This is beneficial on a magazine cover because the audience need to be able to tell what company it is straight away. I also like the shadow behind the font as it adds some depth to the masthead. I chose the colour blue because my cover star will be wearing blue, therefore when I have the image the shading of the blue will change.

Here is my final design:

Overall I found this task very helpful because it helped me increase my skill levels on InDesign, which will be beneficial in the future. I also created the masthead which I am going to use for my magazine cover.

Language Analysis

Introduction

I have decided to analyze the double page spread that was featured in a Maverick magazine, which was published in September 2017. This double page spread was written in a biographical format surrounding James Lavelle, which was the title of the article. The photographs were taken by Rachael Wright, meanwhile Dorian Lynskey was the author of the article.

It is made very clear from the start that this is a biography because of the introduction that is given beforehand. The author then went on to listen to his story and then write it, however it is not clear that the author is present at the time of James Lavelle telling the story, although the text is written in 3rd person.

This article was written using the journalist technique 5 Ws and a H (who, what, where, when, why and how). This allows the author to really tell the story of James Lavelle’s life.

How?

The author does a great job of telling the story of the artists lifestyle, in the first couple sentences of the article the reader is able to understand the sort of life that James Lavelle used to live. Throughout the article there were dates used so the reader could understand what happened throughout his life, the article is written in chronological order meaning that it works well as a biography.

Who?

At the beginning of the article other big names in the music industry were used, for example the author mentioned when James Lavelle went partying with Liam Gallagher. This could attract readers to read more of the article as they have an interest in Liam. 

Where?

The readers are made aware that James Lavelle lived in the United Kingdom, it is mentioned throughout the article that he lived there and was a big hit in England. This may be important because some may feel that they can relate with people who live near them more than they can with others.

What?

James Lavelle tells the interviewer that at a young age he was in a massive amount of debt, and how he was able to financially recover. He told her that it was tough overcoming the debt that he had put himself in and that he had to sell some of his prized possessions, however he turned his career around for the better and became financially stable. 

Why?

I believe that this article was written to motivate people to never give up even when it looks impossible. James Lavelle wanted to tell his story specifically because many people would have given up when he was at his lowest point, however he showed that it was possible to get through it. The reader will experience a fascinating story, that will make them want to achieve more in their life that day. Therefore, I believe that this was a motivational biography.

The author did a great job of representing the story that James Lavelle had told him. It is interesting to read and tells a great story with a lot of meaning behind it. The writer only included relevant facts and information, this meant that the reader did not have to take in too much information at once.

Conclusion

I found this task very useful because I was able to really understand what a good biography looked like in a magazine. I was able to take notes on what worked for the author, this means that when I come to writing my article I have an idea on how to write it. There were so many different techniques that I learn during this task which will be useful later on when making the double page spread.

Below is the link to the article that I used:

James Lavelle Bio

In this task, I decided to make a first draft for my contents page. This task was helpful for me because I was able to see what worked and what did not work too well, this meant that I now know what to include on my final contents page. Below is my first my first draft:

CONTENTS PAGE PEER ASSESSMENT

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

A mid-shot was used for the image in this magazine. This picture portrays the models upper body and face, this is used to emphasize the model.

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

The star is wearing jewelry which is often a common sight in this genre. They are also wearing an old fashioned football top which is also fairly common.

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

The font reflects the genre fairly well, however it is quite hard to read from a distance. At a shorter range, the text is fine.

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

• Page numbers
• Heading
• Subheading
• Descriptions of important pages

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

 The transparent RC (the initials for Rap Capital) in the background, shows that the magazine wants to become well recognised. The exclusive bar along the bottom shows that the magazine has content that no other magazine has.

 How well have the text and visuals been integrated together?

I think that the text and images could integrate better, however the colours did stay similar throughout.

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

Photoshop was not really used other than cutting the image out.

 How is the language used appropriate for the genre and target audience?

I think the language used was appropriate for the desired target audience, for example it was not too formal. The audience which this magazine would be looking for an informal magazine.

Fails to convey, lacks, insufficient, minimal, satisfactory, functional, adequate, staid LOW LEVEL 4/ TOP LEVEL 3

I have given this contents page that because it was fairly hard to read the text, and the page was not filled as much as it could have been.

Targets

After receiving this feedback, I have decided to set the following targets:

• Use an image that it is more appropriate for a contents page.
• Make sure that the text is easier to read, this is because the text is the most important piece of information on the page for a contents page.
• Insist that there is a consistent colour scheme throughout the contents page.

Conclusion

I found this task to be very helpful because I was able to see what went well on my contents page and especially what did bot go so well. When I make my final contents page,

I will be changing the style quite a lot because I do not like this draft. I have taken more images therefore I have a wider selection of images to use.