Component 1

3rd draft contents page pdf

What’s new?;

• I’ve gotten rid of the blocks behind the text
• The colour scheme is much different- white and red, to make the text stand out more
• The star has been de-colourised, to make both him and the text ‘pop’ out a bit more
• I’ve changed the layout of the text, and added in a few graphics to differentiate/cordon the text

Improvements;

• I feel like the layout of the text could use some work and change
• I could add in a ‘border’ like I did with the line for “contents” (on the side) for Archives- just to make it stand out a bit more.

What’s new?;

• The background is now black, to make the text and star stand out more, and ‘pop’.
• White and red are utilised much more, being the only colours used for text.
• This draft is more simplistic in presentation, though I feel this works more in its favour compared to previous drafts.
• Other than the red outline and inner ‘circle’ of the vinyl, a black and white filter has taken the colour out of the star image. I feel this adds more style to the front cover, and helps to differentiate the different aspects/elements of the cover.
• Rather than having awkward blocks and circles, I instead used red lines to ‘cordon’ off the different titles.

I will come back to this draft and add in some more elements i.e more text.

What’s different;

• The image used is different
• Segmented into different graphic boxes
• I’ve added a circle (like a halo/crown) around the star to signal they’re the one being interviewed. Their name is also specified.
• I’ve added in the actual article instead of placeholder text.

Targets;

• More variation with graphics
• Make the stars stand out a bit more- I could even add an outline around him/them
• I want to restructure the spread, rearranging some of the layout and text.
• The 2nd page (left) is quite empty; I need to add some more text/graphics.
• Drop capital for where the article starts
• Smaller page numbers in size but larger in quantity as DPS would be further on from this
• The standfirst – the opening to the article needs to stand out and give more information than the headline so make it bolder, bigger and near the main headline.
• Is the main headline King (J)? And if so you need it to make more sense…add some play on words…King J pots the black on the MTV awards?
• the two boxes of copy vary in width which is unusual so why not put it all in two columns?
• could cut the photo in half so that you have white space across the spread in top half for all the copy to go
• why the circle over his head?

Contents Draft 2

What is new?

• I changed the image used to a much more professional looking image, where the lighting is much darker and allows for more graphics and text used without contrasting too much
• Adding graphics, I placed the text onto each block with the opacity lowered.
• I added some colour variation using text, with each different block having a unique colour

Improvements;

• The text need to be spread out more
• Graphics need to be more varied/also spread out
• I need change the layout somewhat to make the contents more prominent in the page

Targets:

• justify to the right coverlines on rhs
• who does the quote belong to re Once you find?
• make archives smaller and no need for the month
• make Ben (that’s Nathan) pop…add some FX or contrast?
• not sure about the coloured texts?
• numbers in a different font to make them stand out?
• dehyphenate

Cover Draft 2

What’s new?;

• I kept the general graphic amount the same
• Overall I changed some of the layout
• Added in a red outline behind the cover star.
• I mostly just changed how it looked, not adding much to information and design.
• There is now a much more prominent contrast between the image and graphics, the tone and the colours used. — I will need to change this so the image fits in much better with the cover, as at the moment it looks very out of place and ‘janky’.

The cover itself is very amateurish, with very out of place graphics and colours used. I much prefer the original draft, however, I feel the neon outline on the star can actually work well if tweaked and fitted better.

Teacher feedback; Like the image but can you sort the hat and red line out there? and perhaps play with the actual image to make it more stylised as it is naturalistic with a neon glow which is an odd juxtaposition?

• Masthead needs to be bigger
• Like the image but can you sort the hat and red line out there? and perhaps play with the actual image to make it more stylised as it is naturalistic with a neon glow which is an odd juxtaposition?
• Main image can be bigger – dont cover the chains as they are key and make a cover line to use them as a hook….chained to the rythmn?
• Not keen on the fonts. with boxes behind them.
• Price and issue
• More cover lines  and look at justification…very near the slug and bleed perimeter.
• Reposition the plug at the top

I wanted to try and wrap the text around the crown, however, this will take some more time to get used to InDesign and gain more experience. I will look into tutorials to learn how to do this for the later drafts/finished spread. I feel that the shots themselves used will help “save” the spread.

• I need to use columns to segregate the text, as the third page contains text which takes up all the room- it also doesn’t “mesh” well with the background.
• To fix this, using blocks placed underneath the text (which will be split into columns) will hopefully make the page look better.
• I also need to use some more variation in font.
• I will need to add in page numbers
• Names of people involved e.g writer of article, models used (as the stars).
• More graphics, images, overall more “substance” needs to be added

Double page spread draft 1

Double page spread draft 1.5

I added in some new graphics, blocks underneath the text which has been broken up into different paragraphs and shifted. I have also added the page numbers at the bottom, including a Drop Capital.

Plan for article

In the article, I want to add on and tell a story that can be denoted through the images/photos taken. I want to hook in the reader, entertain them and provide information about the stars involved/discussed in the article itself. I want the story told to be engaging, and with the themes of decadence and ambition, have the reader relate to the topics discussed- linking to their personal identity.

I want to do a Q&A within the article, taking up a large portion of the page(s) itself, whilst also detailing their recent events and overall give and overview into the star themselves, and hopefully hooking the reader fairly early on. While I want to do a Q&A in the article itself, I don’t want to only do a Q&A. I am considering writing a mini-review for their latest song/album, trying to hook back to the start perhaps later on in the article.

Draft;

“High goals and the ambition to make it big is required to be successful, and in the music scene, this couldn’t be more true.

In today’s issue, someone who’s got little ambition has broken onto the scene, while not giving a f***; King J or ‘K.J’. Combining old style west-coast rap with a new brand of hip-hop, he’s managed to make it big within a short amount of time, though even his new fame hasn’t phased him; so what is his secret? However, the first question on our mind’s when thinking about things to ask relates to the theme of ambition and competitiveness which makes up the music scene was; ‘How long do you think your ‘reign’ will last?’.

K.J – ‘I’m not too bothered about it- someone’ll come along at some point and take the crown. Honestly it could even happen tomorrow. We’ll see’

‘You seem quite relaxed- is that due to your overall attitude to music, or just disregard for titles and fame?’

K.J – ‘Not sure; I’ve always had a certain annoyance with titles and that- ironic given my name. I think it might be a bit of both though, since music is my passion so I don’t wanna get it mixed up in fame so I start hating it.’

‘You say music is your passion, and that you don’t want it to start being just a job. So how do you think it has affected your mentality when going on tour or making/writing songs?’

K.J – ‘I’ve noticed a couple occurrences where it starts to feel more like a job or money maker, but then I usually just get a grip and focus on having fun. Main reason I do it after all…’

Nearing the end of the interview, we started noticing that, while K.J means ‘King J’- it’s more of an intentional oxymoron which contrasts with his personality. We wanted to press more into this part of his character

‘How exactly do you keep so calm?’

K.J – ‘It’s just because- like I’ve said before- I do music for a passion. The tours and events are all just ways of me making music and having fun. Fame and that comes last.’

This unique outlook on the music scene and fame has made K.J attract many fans, who enjoy his nonchalant attitude and view. His recent burst of popularity and continuous successful releases has made us confident that he will continue to rise- and while he appears to not have changed as a result of his new-found fame, he will need to make sure it does not get to his head.

During the photo shoots, I tried to think out of the box when utilising props. I tried to use a mix of close ups and wide shots. However, I feel like I should have included more variety in angles. On the technical aspect, many of my shots’ exposure was too high, or dark, or the stars were out of focus.

I chose these 4 images as a representation of the shoot, as I believe these have been framed, angled, and posed the best, with the props used well. I feel like the 1st and 3rd images are the best, and will most likely use these images for covers, contents, etc. The expressions on both stars’ fits the genre quite well, with one being quite relaxed and laidback, while the other is serious, stern and looking for blood. The two images also tell a story, with the first image containing someone with a crown, implying they are the “king” of the hip-hop genre. The relaxed posture and expressions connote arbitrary indolence, decadent behaviour as he sits on the throne. In the second image, someone is playing snooker, aiming the ball at the crown, implying they have “conquered” or stolen the crown from the previous person in the first image. There’s a theme of continuity and a story in the images, which I think the audience will be able to denote.

We went to several locations, including alleyways, streets, and the snooker room. They all turned out well, with some shots utilising the chain brought quite well, and overall mise en scene turned out well. However, the shots in the snooker room turned out especially well; cinematic, angled well, and overall the most “controlled environment”- which made shooting there much smoother.

(added)

New: Santa hat, bright shirt to wrap around the jacket, crown- The initial costume looks pretty bleak but with some accessories it will brighten it up and make it look more unique.

I want my shoot star to look rough and edgy, but with some more variation in colour and light-heartedness mixed in. I  will bring the additional props e.g crown, jacket itself. The starts are in charge of bringing their clothing tailored to my criteria.

click on for pdf

I chose the “Cash For Questions” Q&A to anaylise,  written by Paul Stokes on the 11th of July, 2018, due to how much information can be denoted. The questions and answers are all on display, clearly, with little else filling up the page(s). Because of this, the information connoted and shown can be used to create a profile around the artist/band. You can learn things such as how they came to create their song names, the band itself, how they choose to portray/represent their genre’s style and theme etc.

The article is a Q&A, structured with questions and answers, being laid out with an intro first, then moving onto questions, then answers, questions then answers etc. Written in third person, it transitions to 1st person (with the usage of “I”, “me”, “we”) when the band answer questions. The writer is prodding often, asking specific, personal questions. It seems like the writer- a journalist- is experienced. Them being a journalist implies that they want more than just facts and information, they want to depict this information in a way to entertain the audience, through AIDA. Grabbing the audience’s attention through the headline, getting fans of the band to read. They also gain attention through the questions displayed under the title itself e.g “Hanging with Miley Cyrus”. Secondly, the desire to read the Q&A is emphasized/enhanced through the interesting facts being detailed. They want to get the reader to act, by enticing them with the information and popularity of the band. Through this, the presence of a journalist is clear with the questions asked. The anecdotes used meet the criteria for “Uses and Gratifications” – with the example given before of “Hanging with Miley Cyrus” relating to Entertainment and information, explaining the facts/story in an interesting way to entertain and keep the audience’s attention on the magazine.

The author asks questions that relate to “who, what, when, where, why and how”- for example; “When you were still called A, what would you say if people asked you what your band was called?”- The writer asks when they were called “A”, somewhat implying that they want to learn when it was (some context/backstory) and for the band to explain, what the band members themselves would say- giving more information, and through saying you and your, hooking them specifically to use first-person terms more often, and to explain their name.

After reading the article itself, the reader will have a much better understanding of the stars/band and feel more connected with them. With using specific quotes to have the band reveal more information, such as “People have criticised alt-J for being nerdy. To dispel that, tell us the worst trouble you got in school”. The answer will reveal personal trouble/experience the band have been through. Giving an insight into their lives, this seemingly “jokey”/lighthearted question actually reveals a lot about them, and how they grew up.

Overall, the tone of the Q&A somewhat fits the genre, with questions like “When you were still called A, what would you say if people asked you what your band was called?” relating to music. However, the tone does not feel like a rock Q&A, but it does feel like a music magazine Q&A. Personal questions link back to music, and how the band came to be/grow.