Here is the first draft of my double page spread. I am very happy with it so far. There are a few things I need to add (such as a by line) and some improvements to be made but I am currently quite pleased how it is going.

Please click on the document to open it up.

After assessing my article, I then edited it using the improvements I decided to make. Below is my new and improved article.

Please click on the document to open it up for easier reading.

I improved my article by:

• Adding a catchy title (linking to a part in the article).
• Made sure each paragraph started off differently and interestingly.
• Making certain sentences shorter and easier to understand.
• Giving some context of where the interview had taken place.
• Improving some vocabulary to make sense or so that it didn’t repeat.
• Added more gossip and personal life in. I hinted about having some bad friends, and changed the name of my boyfriend so that the audience are even more interested.
• I took out most of the brackets as I had overused them.
• Add a closing sentence to finish the interview off from the journalists perspective.

All of these improvements adds more interest for the audience which will hopefully keep them entertained and informed throughout the article. Hopefully it will enable talk to family and friends based on what has been included and released by the artist.

With this article, I could add even more gossip to create even more excitement from my target audience. This will ensure that Blumler and Katz’s uses and gratification theory are achieved; especially the entertainment section. I will also need to make sure that the article is laid out on the double page spread in a way that is interesting and easy to read. The font will need to be clear and the photo used alongside the article will also need to be interesting and must link in with what has been written.

Now I have finished writing up my first draft of my article, I am now able to look for improvements (from personal preference and peers) that I can add or change.

My draft is featured below along side a voice memo of myself reading it aloud. When speaking, I was able to realise if certain sentences didn’t make sense, if words were repeated, if I missed capital letters etc. These mistakes are also spoken about in the voice memo.

Please click on the document to open it up.

As well as reading it myself, I also sent it to be evaluated for any improvements that could be made my teacher. Below shows my drat article after it was commented on. This was helpful to do as although some comments were the same as what I discovered I need to improve, I also recieved new improvements.

Looking at the improvements recommended to be made, I will need to:

• Add a name of my article (the “10 million and counting…” idea I quite like)
• Make the introduction and conclusion set the scene. (presence of journalism)
• Change the openings of some of the paragraphs and certain words as they repeat.
• Reduce the amount of brackets used (as there are a lot!)
• Possibly add some more details of her life to add interest
• Proof read for capital letters and certain punctuation

Below are the contact sheets of the photos I took from the town shoot.

Out of all of the photos, here are my favourites:

My photoshoot was very successful. I was able to take lots of useful photos that I could potentially use in my magazine. Although not planned in my PMA, I used a light box as a prop which I was able to spell out my magazine name. This worked well and added even more lighting to the photos. I could have used more props however I didn’t want my photos to be too busy or staged. I followed my PMA for the outfit plans which added lots of colour to the photos without being too cringe. The shutters and stair well were a great location as they added leading lines to the images, making them more interesting.

After taking inspiration from other magazine articles, I am now ready to construct my own.

Below is a document where I first looked at what articles of the similar genre include; identifying the language, questions and topics spoken about. I was then able to construct my paragraphs which I then put together at the bottom of the document.

Please click on the document to open it up.

In preparation for my photo shoot next week for my music magazine, I have created a plan of where the location of the shoot is, when it is, who I am using as models, what they are going to wear and the props that I may use to portray a narrative in the photos. Below is this plan:

Please click on the document to open it.

From this shoot, I am hoping to get some quality shots to use inside my magazine that portray a narrative. I am planning on presenting what a pop star does behind closed doors. This will show my audience that although pop stars are extraordinarily talented, they also have their own private lives where they have other hobbies than music.

I have planned casual outfits for my models so that this narrative can be told. I may also use props such as a costa drink, mobile phone and a book to show that stars use everyday objects too. and to allow my audience to relate to what they are doing. I am going to find locations such as an interesting corner, a ledge or set of stairs where my model can be sat reading a book or just having some alone time.

Because the shoot is outside of school, below is a risk assessment that has been completed.

To be able to include an article in my own music magazine, I looked at this example which I then decoded to find out the type of features I should include.

This article is about Wyclef Jean and is based on his 10 rules of life. It was published in a September 2017 edition of a magazine. The first page is very minimalist and presents a large image of the rapper the article is based on. It also includes on of his lyrics “What makes a perfect gentleman? Leave big tips, baby!”. This creates almost an ignorant tone however this tone juxtaposes when you read further and you discover that he has put in a lot of work and effort to get to where he is now. There is no presence of journalism and is written in first person from the musicians point of view. This is shown by the use of the word “I”.  This creates the feeling that he is talking to you as an audience which constructs an informal environment. This makes him seem relatable and approachable. Even though he is extraordinary, he is still human just like the rest of us. The article is structured into 10 sections, each with their own headings. Each paragraph is written on a unique life tip/rule that Wyclef believes is important to know in life.

In the article, Wyclef is presented as very informative but creates the feeling of having a conversation so that the mature topic becomes slightly less serious. Each heading is quite short and easy to understand, which means that if you didn’t have time to read the whole article, you would still understand the concept of it. For example in tip number 3, the title is “Music can save your life. Literally.”. This is hugely important advise and the word “Literally” being on its own emphasizes from the artist how much it means to him. This creates trust for us as an audience as we feel the advise is generally purposeful and useful. Wyclef is a rapper which usually comes with connotations of being quite rough and arrogant however in this article, it presents the other side to a rapper; being quite down to earth and human. This allows the audience to empathize and relate to him more which presents him as a positive role model for his fans to aspire to be.

From this article on Wyclef, you are not only educated on his rules for life (that you can use for yourself), but you are also educated on Wyclef himself. As an audience, you are able to learn more about his personality and way of life. You realize that he is also human and that he is a very genuine and down to earth person.

Up2Date draft 2 pdfBelow is my second draft for the front cover of my music magazine.

Please click on the image to see it clearer.

I have made many improvements; from both personal improvements and ones from my peers. They are listed below:

• I have made the plug slightly larger to make it easier to read.
• I have made the masthead larger and have added a pink two behind the yellow one to make it more interesting. (This has created a golden colour)
• I have edited my main cover star photo so that it is black and white but has certain features that pop out. For example the doughnut is still in colour and I have made her top and earrings coloured to match the masthead. I have also made the image larger and have overlapped it slightly over the masthead. This allows even more attention to be drawn to her from my audience.
• I have made the main cover line slightly bolder to stand out and have added a pink strip behind the white text to make it easier to read. I have also played with the doughnut from the main cover star photo to create the 0 in O2. This adds even more detail and excitement to interest my readers.
• I have changed the bar code from the normal rectangle to a more interesting heart.
• I have added a second cover line and have swapped them over to the right side of the front cover. This creates a more structured look and stops it from seeming messy. I also made the already existing cover line shorter and less complicated.
• I have changed my pug by editing the text to be simpler and have added a second ring to make it less boring.
• I have taken the insert off so that the cover doesn’t seem too crowded.
• I have added a pale background so that it isn’t just plain white.
• I have added small details such as yellow lines next to the cover lines (to link in with the masthead font) and a line under the masthead. These lines add extra detail which add excitement.

Below is my first draft of the front cover of my pop music magazine.

Please click on the image to see it clearer.

There are different elements which I enjoy and others that I believe could be improved in my next draft.

Some features that I think are successful are:

• The main cover line font: this is as it is clear and easy to read but still fun at the same time. For my second draft, I may increase the stroke to make it even more bold.
• The plug: it is simple yet grabs the attention of the audience. It is top center and in a simplistic serif font which enables easy reading.
• The masthead: it is very clear to read and has the issue date fitted neatly above. In my next draft, I may make it slightly bigger so that it can fit the entire width of my magazine.

Some of the features I believe are less successful are:

• The main cover star: Although the actual photo is fun, I feel as though the image is slightly too boring and ‘normal’. In my next draft, I will try editing the image more. I could possibly try making it black and white with pops of colour.
• The insert: I feel as though it isn’t placed right. It is adding unnecessary clutter to my magazine. For my next draft, I may not have an insert as not all magazines include them (such as Billboard).
• The pug: this is too simple and doesn’t create interest. I will make this more interesting by adding more to it and possibly make the actual text inside more catchy.

The advise that I have received from my peers includes:

• Make the main cover star larger: I will definitely do this and possibly overlap it slightly over the masthead.
• Add another colour (possibly pink) to masthead to make it even more interesting: I will do this by adding pink to the number two. I will create this by adding a second two slightly in front or behind the yellow two.
• Make the cover line less complicated: I will take out unnecessary words so that it is as short as possible but still getting the message across to the audience. Long pieces of text can bore readers so hopefully a short cover line will create interest. I may also add a second cover line so that one on its own doesn’t seem odd.

Below is the contact sheets with all of the photos I took of my model. As you can see, I used 4 different costumes with a few different props. I found that the neon yellow jumper and denim jacket costumes were the most successful in presenting the pop genre as the yellow jumper presented the fun and cheesy side and the denim jacket showed the more modern, relaxed side.

Out of all of the photos I took, below shows my favourites that could work well on the front of my music magazine. I chose these as they are very fun and have lots of character and movement to them. They also include props to make it even more interesting.

I used my production plan in my photo shoot in that I used all of the outfits organised and made sure that my commands to my model were following what I had planned. I did however change the props slightly. I still used the microphone however I used a doughnut and glasses instead of popcorn and candy floss. I found that the doughnut was quite fun to use as my model was able to do more with it (for example over her eye) than she would have been able to do with candy floss or popcorn. Overall, my favourite photo is the one with my model in the denim jacket outfit with the doughnut over her eye. This is due to it being so playful and interesting. Although she isn’t in the neon costume, it is still very colourful and follows the conventions of pop music.