Author: sylvierouget

Draft Feature Article

Click here to read through the first draft of my article

Voice memo

In order to make sure my magazine reads well and flows I recorded myself reading it aloud for errors:

From doing this, I noticed a couple of places where the article does not read as smoothly as I would like. This means that I can make improvements to my next draft which wouldn’t have been obvious from just reading it in my head.

Teacher Comments and targets

  • seems very autobiographical
  • more gossip/exclusives needed
  • add a sense of conflict, gives the article some drama so the reader is interested in reading on

 

Article Idea Development

Who am I writing for?

My target audience are young adults interested in the most current and upcoming music, as well as being well-versed in current affairs and public issues such as the fight for gender equality and the awareness of mental health. This is why my article is about two new, young, female artists. This will interest my audience because it includes promises of brand-new releases and tours, as well as some more in-depth information on the artists themselves, with a feminist theme of independence throughout the story.

Article Development

Click here to view my article development document in full

Language Analysis

In order to write my own article, I need to analyse an existing magazine article which I’ve chosen as ‘Billboard, (June 15),Dance Power Players ‘.

This article is structured as a biography to introduce a new band, with the reporter narrating the interview in third person and present tense. This makes it seem as if the reader is the reporter, placing them inside the story and making them continue to read.It only becomes apparent that the journalist is present after most of the story when they begin asking the artists questions. There is a clear introduction which is written aligned with the title of the article, giving the audience a taster of what and who the article is about. However, there isn’t a clear-cut conclusion which makes this particular article seem a bit less structured.

The scene for the article is set immediately, with the first sentence for the piece describing the location. The location itself is described positively as a “sunny Memorial Day afternoon on a patio” which connotes the feeling that this interview is casual and relatively informal because it’s taking place outdoors rather than in a studio or conference room. As for the musicians, the journalist introduces them each separately with an impressive fact about each of them. For example, Martin Garrix is named as achieving “viral stardom” and Steve Angello’s ex-band is referred to as a “supergroup”; these introductions give these artists a sense of importance and impressiveness to the reader.

The overall style of writing of the article involves long sentences made up of multiple lists of imagery and hyperboles, for example ” nothing less than a redefinition of success in EDM, emphasizing original music and brand-name, pop-style superstardom”. This style fits the dance music genre because the genre itself is very energetic which does come through in the article through the vocabulary mentioned above. In relation to quotes from the artists, there aren’t many but towards the end of the article there are a couple from Scooter Braun which centre around the new artists he’s managing. These quotes are utilised to promote the artists in question’s new endeavours, naming one “a legend” and the other a “rising star”. This means that through reading this piece the reader becomes invested and interested in these artists’ future careers and music because their manager is so complimentary to them, showing the confidence he has in their success. This also shows that the writer enjoys the artists’ music, showing this article is written by the fans for the fans.

Overall, the journalist represents these artists as the ‘next big thing’  and people to look out for in the future by the way they are described. They are also shown as one unit by wearing the same “all-black” ensemble and being described as sharing a vape as they sit together. Both of these points give the reader the impression that these artists are down to earth by the way they speak and the relaxed/informal environment the article is set in.

 

 

PMA For 2nd Photo Shoot and Risk Assessment

Before going on my location shoot I need to organise what I want to achieve from it in terms of setting, lighting and the styling of my models. Click here to view my PMA document for the shoot.

Another important thing that needs to be done before going on location is an assessment of potential risks, this is done in order to keep both the models and photographers safe during the shoot. Click here to view my risk assessment for the day.

 

 

Design Skills 1

From doing my studio shoot I’ve learnt that a lot of things need to be taken into consideration for a shoot to be successful. These are mostly down to production and catering to the audience; for example MES is essential for a successful cover image because without interesting/relevant clothes and makeup their will be no interest from the audience. The aspects of AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)  also need to be taken into consideration because these are the components that a good front cover needs.

From editing my front cover model I’ve learnt new photo skills on both InDesign and PhotoShop, mostly ways to really enhance my images to make them more bright and exciting. I also used the editing software to perfect things that couldn’t be changed in real life.

One tool I found really useful was the ‘curves’ tool in PhotoShop which can be used to change the lighting of an image.

I used curves to brighten up the image whilst also adding depth to other areas, this is why curves was better to use than changing the exposure because you can lighten an image without it starting to look faded. Curves is a good tool to make it appear as if the perfect lighting was used when the picture was taken, making my star look as good as they can.

 

 

A tool in both InDesign and PhotoShop that I’ve used a lot is the ‘eyedropper’. This picks up a colour from your image and lets you use it in other areas.

I found this helpful to find the perfect typeface colours for my masthead and cover-lines by picking out colours from my star’s top or jacket and making them brighter; this made my front page look more put together and professional because the cover star matched the front page really well and there were not too many different colours used.

 

 

 

A New Improved Front Page

Original Draft

Draft 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In response to the targets from my first draft I’ve moved my cover line downwards to show my model’s face and also changed the colouring of the typeface to make it pop more. I’ve also retouched my cover image to make her look more vibrant and healthy, this also makes the cover a bit more exciting. Some changes I made were re-colouring her eyes and hair to give them more impact; I also saturated the whole image to get the brightest colours I could out of the image. Another piece of criticism I responded to was changing my masthead colour however this could still be deliberated depending on the feedback I get on this draft.

Draft of Front Page

My First Draft

Peer Assessment

I really like the writing as it’s catchy and exciting. Have you tried adding a pink background and having white writing it may make your front cover look more colourful  (just a suggestion) maybe move the Jess lane in huge writing a little more down so you can see her whole face? I’m happy with the amount of writing you have done as it’s not too much but it’s enough. “

Targets:

  • try a different coloured masthead
  • move the cover line downwards
  • retouch the model’s colouring
  • add a sense of urgency

First Shoot Contact Sheets

Contact Sheets

My Favourite Images

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve short-listed all of my favourite photos to a list of four but I think the last photo will be the last one because it fits what I set out to get the most.

Overall I achieved most of my aims from my PMA but I had some trouble with the lighting equipment being compatible with my camera so I didn’t have enough time to experiment with any other poses. This is something that I would like to do in my next shoot when I have more time and I am more prepared with the equipment. Apart from this mistake I’m happy with the images that I did get because they’re all in focus and good to use for my cover because I wanted a close-up for it, however in my next shoot I’d like to use a different camera which is compatible to I can experiment with lighting more. Another thing I’d like to do is change up the distances and angles I shoot from to get more variety throughout my images.

So, I am ready to photograph my star

To photograph my cover star I need to make sure I have a good idea of my magazine’s mission statement and its’ brand ideals, this is so I can make sure my model is styled in a way that fits my magazine. My mission statement uses statements like ‘cutting edge’ and bringing ‘the fun back into music’ which means that I have to make sure my model looks young and trendsetting; I also need her to look happy and bubbly to fit in with the fun-loving aspect of my mission statement. I’ve also been suggested to play music from my genre on the shoot to create the right environment for the photo shoot, it also demonstrates to my model what I’m trying to achieve.

In order to display this through the photos mise-en-scene is really important. For example, I’m dressing my model in a costume which a trendy young person would wear including bright colours in order to connote the ‘fun’ element. To further display this I want to direct my model in poses which show movement and energy (eg. something standing up) so she doesn’t look bored. The use of props like holding a microphone can also show more clearly that it is a music magazine, props also help to create a narrative which helps a photo communicate meaning. Another way in which meaning can be communicated is through the camera and how it is placed. For example, I can use the proxemics of the camera in relation to my model to highlight specific things like using a close-up to show the model’s emotion through their facial expression. I can also use different angles to produce the same effect; a canted angle would make the image seem less static and more fluid whereas a low angle of the model would make them seem strong and confident. I’ll use all of these ideas to communicate my magazine’s brand through its’ cover star.

Masthead Designs

The masthead of a magazine is really important because it’s the first text that’s read, this means that in order for a magazine to be successful it needs to have a impactful  masthead. However, it needs to also fit the magazine’s brand and genre. In order to do this I’ve made multiple mock-ups of my masthead to see what kind of typeface would fit my magazine the best.

I’ve concluded that I want a typeface with very sleek look and so I thought a serif font would be best because it adds a touch of elegant formality to an otherwise more informal genre. Because of this I decided that the second typeface on the list would be best because it’s reminiscent of ‘ELLE’ which is also seen as a elegant and stylish magazine however I experimented with different styles to make sure I’ve seen all my options.

Masthead drafts

Click here

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