Production diary - Week 10

During this week, I continued to create my magazine scaffolding and completed my box text to put into the article. I also finished creating my subscription cover, however I still plan on using any contingency time that I may have to make the cover to the best of my ability. I've added sell lines to my cover and have applied the colour scheme throughout, as well as adding more photos to my contents page and adding the subtitles and captions for the articles. This will help me to save a lot of time as everything is pretty much in place, so I only have to lengthen my article and add photos as well as slightly improve anything that I do not like and I will have almost completed the project.

Equiptment

Camera / Lights
To takes images for my magazine, I took my model to one of the media classes in our school and we used a variety of different equiptment such as cameras, lights and whitescreens to mimic a professional photoshoot and create the desired look for my magazine.

I used a Canon SLR camera as it enabled me to take high quality images which is mandatory for any successful magazine. As my magazine needed to be completed to the best of my ability, I felt it was necessary to use a white screen as it allows the audience to focus on the model and nothing else. White screens are effective because they are very simple and plain, and can easily be edited on softwares such as Photoshop to enhance the image. The lights enabled me to change the way my images appeared and allowed me to create the best looking images for my shoot, and the lights also allowed me to cast the shadow I wanted so that the editing process was a lot easier and smoother.
The lights and the SLR camera were the most important to me as they created high quality images which made my magazine look professional and realistic.

Computer software
I am currently using InDesign to create my magazine as it is a lot easier to use than Photoshop (which we used for our GCSE magazines). InDesign enables you to view the document as a magazine and you can use various different tools such as the Master page which quickly and effectively adds the same text to all of the pages. This makes adding page numbers and the website name of the magazine very easy and saves me a lot of time which I can instead use to improve my magazine elsewhere. Paragraph styles has also been very effective as it also saves time and matches the fonts up when necessary.
I used Photoshop to edit the images for my magazine as there is a huge variety of tools that you can use to make the images look more appealing and suitable for the magazine. Photoshop is very widely used by successful magazines in the indistry therefore I felt that it was necessary to use it.
I also used Powerpoints, Word documents and Scribd a lot whilst planning tasks and used Scribd to upload the documents to my blog.
As I am not used to using these programmes, it took quite a while to get the hang of using all of the new tools however it was quite easy once I knew how to use them.

 

Contact Sheet #2

Here is the contact sheet of my second mini photoshoot. I needed to create extra artists for my contents page to enhance the new and upcoming acts that are I plan to feature as well as the popular artists so that there is a balance within the magazine. I took various different photos of my model, including shots where he gives direct mode of address and eye contact, as well as looking below and around him portraying that he's superior and shows very little interest otherwise. I chose the location of a brick wall because it's not a very conventional location and it illustrates the artists' edge. I felt that it was mandatory to create as many artists and bands as I can to feature on the contents page to make my magazine unique and fit within the aims that I originally set myself and I feel that I have done this well. I plan on creating a band within the next few weeks and holding another photoshoot that I can feature in my magazine, as well as another shoot with my main artist and model Ruth which will feature props such as guitars and amps.

Drafting #2

Here is the drafting of my magazine that I have completed so far. I have since created two front covers, one being the main front cover and one being a special subscriber only issue. For the main cover, I have included band and artists names that feature inside the magazine as this entices the audience to purchase the magazine as it lets them know who the reviews are about instantly and easily. I also included a cover line of '50 gigs you must see this decade' as it appeals to the audience as they typically enjoy attending gigs and this coverline exposes the most legendary gigs of the past 10 years. My main coverline is about Aurora Storm; I have used this coverline as it is about the main artist that my magazine is dedicated to. The article is about Aurora and her previous life as well as her views on the music industry, therefore I needed a coverline that represented this article well and I feel as though this portrays the article well as it indicates her increase of popularity in the music industry and makes her seem more appealing to the target audience as it foreshadows her popularity. For the special/subscriber issue, I simply combined a bold image with thoughts inside Auror'as head and quotes from the interview which creates a more personal tone and relationship between the artist and the readers. The coverline is a play on the words of 'storm' - I used the word storm as it is the artist, Aurora's surname and it also connotes the chaos she has created in the media as a new sensation of the Indie genre.

I have also put my article draft text into the draft however I still have more text to add. I've also placed images that I would like to feature in the contents page and the main article as well as adding the text into the contents page with subheadings and captions.

Production Diary - Week 9

Throughout this week I have completed a lot of work, including my coverlines, box out text and continuing to improve and design the scaffolding of the magazine.

As I have chosen to use two covers for my magazine, a main cover and a special fan/subscriber edition, I have had to balance time between the covers in order to create them both. For the main cover, I added a masthead as well as the full bleed image which includes the coverline and band names on the front. I plan on adding other coverlines in my next lesson where I also plan on improving the design again as I still feel as though it needs a bit of improvement. I have chosen this image of my model, Ruth (Aurora Storm) for the front cover as she is giving direct address of eye contact to the audience which draws them in, and her bold eyes and red lips connote her danger and seductiveness which appeals to the target audience of the magazine as well as matching the house style of the magazine. Ruth is portrayed as bare which indicates how she's being honest in the article as well as moreso attracting the target audience.


For the special fan/subscriber edition of the magazine, I first used a special device where I had to draw on a pad with a pen which was connected to the computer, so that when I drew on the pad it would appear on Photoshop and transfer the writing to the cover image of that edition of the magazine. I struggled whilst using this device, so instead I wrote various lyrics and quotes from the aritcle on a piece of paper, scanned it into the computer and used Photoshop to brighten and remove the background from the text to later add it to the image. This worked quite successfully and I am happy with the outcome of this cover of the magazine, however next time I need to bring the image in front of the text as I ran out of time to do this. I plan on using any contingency time on improving this cover as it was quite difficult and time-consuming to create, however I think it was worth it as it will overall increase the readership and circulation of the magazine.

For the coverlines and box out text, I simply did some research as to what my audience would like to read about and reflected this in the articles featured, such as the 'Top 50' and various band and artist reviews. The content in the magazine is especially important as it is essentially the main purpose of the magazine, therefore choosing the correct coverlines was important as it could make or break the magazine however I feel that the coverlines that I have used appeal to the audience quite well as they want to hear about arists and new, upcoming music within the indie genre. The box out text was also important as it gives the article an exciting twist which creates a personal relationship with the audience as it impacts hugely on their views and perceptions of the music industry and other artists.

In my next lesson, I plan on continuing to construct my scaffolding and replace the placement texts with my article and images to begin slowly constructing my magazine.

Coverlines

Box out text

Aurora Storm gives her opinion on some of the most well-known Indie artists of the generation:

The 1975:
The 1975 are one of my favourite bands!!! I especially love their song 'The City', it's so catchy and always stuck in my brain. The impact they have made in such a short time really reflects well on the type of band they are, and I encourage everyone to buy their debut album otherwise you'll regret it!

Ed Sheeran:
Ed is actually one of my close friends, he's an absolutely amazing artist and we actually plan on working together in the future! But shhhhhh... you didn't hear it from me!

London Grammar:
I've heard some of their stuff - they're great, but a little bit overrated. Maybe that's just me but I personally think that they haven't quite produced the life-affirming set they may have bee capable of... But don't get me wrong, I think that Hannah (lead singer) has an absolutely beautiful voice, however there is always room for improvement with anyone, including me. London Grammar have the potential to be a chart-topping, tear-inducing live act – but when I saw them live at Brixton, it was not their time or place.

I decided to use a box out of  Aurora Storm giving her personal opinion on other artists for many reasons; including how it further promotes the many Indie artists that my magazine intends on reviewing. It also creates a personal relationship with the reader as it makes them feel as though they are talking to Aurora and it can influence their opinion on the arists too. Using a box out feature in my magazine is effective because it increases the interactivity between the reader and the magazine as well as the artist which is one of the main goals that I strive to achieve.

Editing images

Here is one of the photos that I have selected to use for the full bleed image of my main cover. I edited the photo in Photoshop and used a variety of tools such as the brightness levels and the patch tool. This enhances the image to make it more appealing towards the target audience.

Contents ideas

In addition to these contents page ideas, I have also chosen to include a social media port at the top of the magazine. I felt that it was essential to include social networking to increase personal relationships and interactivity within my magazine. It is also a main convention of contents pages therefore it has made my contents page look more realistic and professional. I included Twitter, Youtube and Facebook.
In addition to the social networks, I have also included a reviews area. This gives a glimpse of what reviews are inside the magazine and introduces the main review (which is about The 1975). It makes my contents page look more interesting and it appeals to the audience.
Another convention included is the issue number. This informs the audience what issue is currently available and also makes the magazine sound more authentic and reliable as it has been running for a long time.

I have selected the regulars and features that I plan to use in my magazine as well as including the band index of the artists that my target audience generally listen to. The tag lines appeal to the target audience therefore they will be intrigued to purchase the magazine; I have included features such as a guide on how to play the drums and an interview with Ed Sheeran as well as the artist that I have made up, Aurora Storm. Some regulars that I have also included are quizzes, The Top 50 and what's new in the world of Indie. These regulars entice the audience to buy the magazine as it creates a personal relationship with the audience as they feel as though can rely on the magazine to keep them up to date with music as well as providing them with trustworthy reviews. I think that the regulars and features that I have created will appeal to my audience quite well as it fits within the demographics and stereotypes of the indie genre.

Production Diary - Week 8

Drafting #1

This is the first drafting of my magazine. I have created my contents page as well as my article draft. This is the basis of my magazine which enables me to get through the project quicker - as soon as I have all of the materials, I will be able to quickly and effectively drop in the information. I used the box tool to indicate where I would like to place my images, as well as placeholder text to fill the space where I will later on add my article and contents information. I also used the paragraph and charater styles tools to follow the regular house style that my magazine will follow. I used the colour scheme of red as it's the most relevant and effective colour scheme for my audience and it represents my indie genre well. I have based my magazine upon the very successful music magazine Q.

Article draft

What with her eccentric, controversial yet iconic style - and music and match - 20-year-old Aurora Storm is currently causing a sensation in the UK, where her vivid indie-edge debut single ‘Smother’ has charted in the Top 10. Her sassy, bad-girl act echoes that of childhood idols Janis Joplin and Madonna. "I look to Madonna for her philosophy about music and fashion," she admits. "If I'm going to get compared to any music artist, I sure as fuck want it to be her."

Raised in the heart of London, Aurora attended the £17,000-a-year Sylvia Young Theatre School in Marylebone, where she studied music and performing arts alongside Rita Ora and Tom Fletcher. 'I didn't hang out with all the popular girls," she says, claiming to have kept her head down and focused on her art and theatre studies. To the humiliation of her parents – extremely successful lawyers - she ended up moving downtown at just 17 years old following a serious argument she had with her family. Aurora did everything she could to get by – working in a small café at minimal wage and occasionally partaking in nude modeling and busking on the streets of London to songs that she had written in her spare time, just so she could have a roof over her head and place food on her plate every night. “I was doing drugs, I was really out of control," she says. "But what made me different was that I was making music, too. I wasn't just doing drugs."

Her antics caught the eye of musical-director Caius Pawson, (Founder of The XX, Sampha) who found her busking at Camden Lock, before bringing her to the attention of Young Turks Records. Aurora’s debut album Porcelain is released in the UK this month, and she plans to take just herself, her guitar and her music worldwide. But Aurora insists that it’s not all about the marketing and publicity. “I could end up in America selling thousands of records or I could go back to how things were before when no one really knew my name and few people purchased my music, and it wouldn’t matter to me. All that matters is the music. I don’t give a shit about how many records are sold – as long as I am making music for the people I love, then I’m happy.”

  

There’s no denying the fact that Aurora is all that everyone is talking about right now – her seemingly overnight success is what has got her to where she is now. When asked if this is the “most insane year” of her life so far, the singer-song writer says, “Everything is so chaotic and crazy right now and it’s so much all at once, but I’m living for it. I’m just having the best time ever and everything’s falling into place like it’s supposed to. I don’t really care if people hate me. I think anyone wanting to pursue a music career would have given anything to be me at that very moment where I blew up, because I was being one hundred percent true to myself… and not many people can say that.”

But it’s not all hate for Aurora. This fact is a kind of icing on the cake for some, who have greeted Aurora not just as the latest, new, indie sensation to appear freshly baked off the assembly line, but as a kind of Trojan horse come to deliver us from the saccharine smiles and full-frontal sexual provocation clogging the charts. “The charts are constantly filled up with pop songs with no meaning, no real passion… just a different combination of the 26 letters in our alphabet accompanied by a stupid tune. Who wants to listen to that?! That’s what I want to change.” Aurora’s sharp narrative observations – on both the single, and her critically acclaimed follow-up album, Porcelain – have led to her being labeled the voice of her generation.

When we meet, Aurora can barely sit upright. “I came down with a kidney infection just as I was about to get on a plane here,” she says. “They took me into hospital and put me on a drip and now I’m on heavy-duty antibiotics.” With her gothically pale skin offset by dark, red lips, black-rimmed wide-set eyes and her bold, statement full fringe, it’s not hard to see why she attracts the attention that she does – even when she’s ill she manages to look flawless. She looks much older than she is, a perception reinforced by the deep, commanding timbre of her sonorous voice.

On stage the previous night at Brixton Academy, Aurora had betrayed no sign of her illness, or that she had only 20 live performances under her belt. Aurora performed a mix of emotional ballads and when she reached the dramatic climax of the song, she vaults to the top of her range and produces a piercing sound that shakes you to the core. That is the power of the whistle register; the ability to control that part of the human voice is quite rare (think Mariah Carey) and even when ill, Aurora is able to hit way beyond the whistle register. In performance, Aurora has a goofy theatricality: one minute she is indulging in closed-eyed singing whilst simply sat with her guitar, shaking her hair and flicking her hands out; the next, she’s all broad smiles and wisecracks, jokily mocking her audience. Aurora was born with the ability to be a performer and that’s quite hard to find these days.

‘‘Songwriting is so weird because you are writing down intimate things and then you go into a studio with someone you have never met,” she says. “But it was a strange situation where something just clicked. My team were very good at being perceptive and figuring out what I do, which is quite a raw, impulsive thing.”

Over the past year and a half, from 2011, Aurora and her team came up with the 10 songs for her debut album, but Aurora says it never crossed her mind that one might become a worldwide hit. She insisted her first songs be put out on free streaming service SoundCloud without any videos or photographs to promote them. “I put my music out with no kind of commercial expectation, and found out I was a ‘star’. I didn’t see my music as number-one Billboard chart selling music,” she says. “I tried to market my music the way my favourite indie producers did. I care more about giving back to my fans and the people that I love than selling my music worldwide – don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolute honour to be doing what I’m doing but I don’t want to become a marketing product like most pop artists these days. I’m much deeper than that.”

While other mainstream pop acts such as Katy Perry, One Direction and Britney Spears turn to the same small pool of producers in London, Stockholm and LA who deal in radio-friendly generic dance styles, more-experimental acts such as Kanye West or Lady Gaga elect complicated, flamboyant and ostentatious compositions. By contrast, Aurora’s sound is simple yet cinematic, spinning tales of real teenage realities – penniless but happy nights out full of longing and loneliness – that reject clichés of mindless fun and decadence.

“I don’t intend on selling dreams to young people. We’re now brought up believing that you have to live and behave in a certain way to get the best out of life – but that’s completely wrong. Look at Disney for example; as a child I thought I was going to be a princess, just like most little girls do… but that’s not going to happen. Being a teenager and growing up in this generation isn’t what people expect. Y’know, constant partying, your first kiss, being prom queen, falling in love… it’s not what it seems. It’s all bullshit. Growing up is one of the most difficult periods of time that you can experience – yes, it can be great, but just like everything there’s a downfall and people need to be more aware of that. That’s why I write about my experiences. I’ve gone from rock bottom right to the top; I want my music to reflect on this – not everyone is perfect and I want my music to help people through the reality of life… not this perfect picture that generic music seems to constantly portray.”

Aurora possesses a maturity that is, for now, inoculating her from the madness growing around her. “What I am doing now, I am learning so much that I couldn’t learn at any university at any age,” she says. “Every time I get on stage I learn something new. I’m evolving all the time. My next record could sound completely different.”

Aurora’s album, Porcelaine, is out November 26^th.

On Location: Camden

I went to Camden with two of my models, Ruth and Elsie, where I took various photos of the location, fashion, food and style of Camden. Here are a few images that I have gathered from the mini-photoshoot. I plan on going back to Camden to take more images to use for my magazine as Camden represents the genre of my magazine very well, and it helped influence more ideas for my magazine.

Production Diary - Week 7

In the last lesson, we began to create our magazine on InDesign. We created simple, black squares to indicate where our images would be placed as well as including title names and placeholder texts. This makes the project a lot more quick and easy to make when I have all of my materials ready as everything will be in place already. I have started to create my contents and article spreads as these are very significant parts of my magazine with a lot of text and images featured inside them. I have used he colour scheme of red, black and white as this is a very classic and professional colour scheme which is gender neutral and fits well within my target audience. This colour scheme is also used by Q, a very successful music magazine. I have enjoyed creating the template for my magazine as it is very practical and fun, and I look forward to continuing to make this in the next few lessons.