Friday 30 January 2015

Draft article - interview

I'm brought here today by the new up and coming artist... Ben Edwards! Following his recent European tour which has been the most successful debut tour in over 30 years, which comes just a month before the release of his second album; Up. I am going to ask him what it is like from turning from a busker on the streets of Leicester to a famous singer in 2 years, and how it feels to finally break onto the music scene.


Me: Thanks for joining us today and taking the time out for me to talk to you... You must be very busy at the moment following your recent fame.
B: No worries, I am glad to be here, I have always been a fan of your magazine. You're lucky I made it, I missed my train this morning and had second thoughts about today.
*Both laugh*

Me: How have you find becoming famous? And in such a short amount of time.
B: It has been a whirlwind of a time, seeing my face everywhere and the excitement it gives to people
when I appear is such a good feeling, there is nothing like it and words just can't describe it. Just the other night I was watching T.V and the adverts where on that I starred in which was a very weird experience because I don't see myself as being famous. I'm just a normal down to earth guy from Leicester.

Me: What would you put your initial success down to?
B: Well like anything, hard work is key. I have been wanting to sing my whole life which helps a lot. I think that my willingness to succeed, the work ethic I have and the support which my family gave me was all down to my success. The main reason to my success was mainly down to one night that I will never forget. It was when I had a small gig in Stockport and caught the train there with my Dad and my performance was average at best. This was the first and only time my Dad ever seen me perform and then he passed away not long after that night and from then on, I was determined more than ever to succeed, not only for me but for my Dad who was my role model. Also, I can't forget about my fans who have been brilliant to me and helped me out so much.

Me: How are you finding day to day life as a famous artist?
B: It's very different to what I was used to. I find it hard to even go to the local shops without being mobbed by my fans, which don't get me wrong is certainly not a bad thing... Well not at the moment.
*Both laugh*
I am still getting used to the new life I now lead and I'm sure I will get used to it soon.

Me: Do you think being an indie pop/alternative artist has anything to do with your recent fame?
B: In recent years indie pop songs have been noticed a lot more and have started appearing in the charts aswell. I think that this is more the music of the now and is really starting to get the respect it deserves and is getting respect from the other genres aswell. So yes is the answer to your question.

Me: Has music always been the dream?
B: I suppose so, I have played football for the majority of my life and went through a phase of wanting to be a footballer just like most other boys but that didn't last long because of the injury I got while playing for my school team and since then I haven't been able to play so I then turned all my attention to making it onto the music scene.

Me: I have heard rumours that you will be touring later on this year? what do you have to say on this?
B: The rumours are true... I will be touring all around the UK! I want to make a statement with my new album 'Up'. The dates are to be released at the start of next month with me closing the tour in hopefully a sell out crown and the London O2 Arena, which is a massive thing for me. I just really hope that my new album is a hit with the public and especially my fans because now I've got here, I want to stay in the music industry for as long as possible, because you know cruel this industry can be.

Me: Wow! Is that an exclusive?
B: Yes, this is the first time I have been able to tell people because everything has now been confirmed with the dates and venues.

Me: What was your reasoning for the album title 'Up'?
B: I chose it because I believe now the only way I can go is 'Up' and I want to strive and do as well as I can in the music industry which is why I called it 'Up'.

Me: Is there any other live shows you will be performing this year?
B: There are a couple actually, I am going to be performing at Leeds Festival in the summer which I can't wait to do because I have been going there for a few years now and to perform there will be amazing. I am also going to be doing some local gigs and appearance in and around Leicester to give something back to my fans who have been buying my first album; 21. Plus, I am performing live later
on in the year which will be televised aswell but I can't say where and when that is right now, keep an eye out.

Me: Finally, have you found that you are getting more attention from girls with your recent rise in fame?
B: Before I became famous I still had a bit of attention from the ladies so it hasn't been a dramatic change for me. Although, I have been that busy recently that I haven't been able to go out as much as I would have liked too, but there is this one girl who has caught my eye, so watch this space.

Me: Haha, well thank you for today Ben it has been great talking to you and getting an insight to your life with your recent fame.
B: No worries, I have enjoyed it too, it has been a pleasure.

Evaluate feedback



I received 5 comments on my 25 word pitch. The comments given for my target market were all correct so I feel that I had success with my intended target audience within my 25 word pitch. The artists which they anticipated that they would see were all right also. I feel that I got my featured artists across well to the viewers of 25 word pitch because they knew who was going to be featured. The improvements that I was given were mainly to do with picking a colour scheme for my magazine and stating it on the 25 word pitch. Also, the comments were saying that I should maybe re-think my pricing strategy because of the frequency of my magazine coming out once a month. I am now going to change the price from £2.99 to £4.99 as I feel the 16-25 age range will mostly have jobs and won't be put off by a slightly higher price. Overall, I feel I pitched well but I could have not used as many words in some areas and therefore state my colour scheme. This would then have all the key information needed to let my viewers know what specific things are in my magazine within the 25 word slot.

Thursday 29 January 2015

Page harmony


This is a page harmony that I have produced while using Photoshop. The top left box is the highlighted with the start of the mast head saying 'Bil'. Also, the main box in the middle which is called the central visual interest is the main thing on the page that the reader see's. As you can see it is over most of 'Drake's' head while covering one of his eyes. This is to draw the reader in and have contact with the reader. The triangle on the left has the majority of the text in as it catches your eye. this is meant to be in the place where it can draw the attention of the reader the most to draw them in.



Van De Graaf Canon


This is a picture of the Van De Graaf Canon which shows you all of the points of interest on that page. This is performed on an A3 piece of paper and the two red boxes show the main visual points of interest.

Wednesday 28 January 2015

Language register

Magazines have a certain language style which they go by and use for their magazine. This is done so that the reader can relate to the magazine and the genre of the music within the magazine. Some of the bands may come across as being arrogant if they are being interviewed because they don't want to give away any information about some of their new releases. A magazine like NME will use the current language but will change it to suit the band because of the way this magazine is set up. The magazine vibe uses more of a modern language and also uses the up to date slang as the magazine is hip-hop based. The language which I will use will be a mix because of the rang of genres that I have. When speaking about hip-hop artists, I will use modern language with slang and when I am speaking about indie/alternative I will use current language and will change it to suit the bands on that page.




60 minute cover page


60 minute cover page step by step







20 song playlist

Monday 26 January 2015

Audience research

The target audience for my music magazine is 16-25 year old males. The people who will buy my magazine are within a few categories including; Stylers, Trackies, Indie Scenestars and Young Alts. This is due to the mix of hip-hop, indie and alternative music within my magazine.


The Sytlers and Trackies are the hip-hop lovers. These people tend to stay out late and always be on the lookout for new and coming hip-hop artists. However, some love the old school hip-hop so they will be listening to the likes of Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Biggie Smalls, Tu-Pac, Snoop-Dog and 50 Cent. The clothes and brands associated are trackies, snap backs, Nike, Adidas. Usually you will find them wearing Adidas tracksuits with box fresh creps. These people are under the main tag of 'Urban'.




The other target audience I have is Indie Scenestars and Young Alts. These people are dedicated to finding new music and exploring all avenues to get there. Staying ahead of the curve is a must, but it's borne out of a genuine love for music. For the Indie Scenestars there is nothing better than discovering new artists and spreading the love. boys and girls rock similar looks with skinny jeans, vintage and Converse/Vans. also, Cheap Monday, Uniqlo and American Apparel.
Young Alts are the tribe for young people who 'want out' of the mainstream. Individuality is key, and tribe members will experiment with looks that will make them stand out from the Townies and the Trendies. Music-wise, Young Alts will listen to a wide range - from heritage bands like The Smiths, to scene kids favourites Bring Me The Horizon and even the occasional urban sounds like Joey Badass and ASAP Rocky. This links in with the urban tag of the Stylers and the Trackies.

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Update

Tasks Completed


  • Examples of other texts
  • 3 x Analysis of magazine covers, contents pages and double page spreads
  • Analysis of colour palettes, fonts 10 examples of each
  • Decide on style of music magazine based on research carried out
  • Analysis of existing magazine titles
  • Decide on title of magazine
  • Research relevant fashion/styling associated with genre
  • Mood boards
  • Audience profile
  • Research relevant photographers, graphic designers, magazine creators
  • Analysis of institution that would publish your magazine
  • Preliminary magazine
Tasks Uncompleted

  • Language register
  • Audience research
  • Preparation of a 25 word pitch
  • Compose 20 song playlist of tracks that have inspired you (extension task) using sound cloud
  • Read and comment on peer blogs (extension task)
Organisation and time management
I found the schedule pretty tough going and have a little work to do which I have left. I need to ensure I leave enough time to complete the work and allow for some errors to occur in the process.

Research and planning
I have learnt a lot about music magazines as I researched into them and have been able to gain inspiration from looking at the variety of magazines out there. I feel I could produce a good piece of work through my research that I have done.

Technology
I struggled when first using photoshop and have now came to know the basics of it, but I feel I will need to learn how to use it better before I won't require any help. Also, I am starting to get better with using the camera and exploring all the facilities it has.


Sunday 18 January 2015

Media institution

Time Inc. UK formerly known as International Publishing Corporation and IPC Media is a consumer magazine and a digital publisher in the United Kingdom. It has a very large portfolio by selling over 350 million copies every year. Time Inc. UK are owners of many magazine's which include NME and Now magazine. In April 2012, IPC Media won an award for the best production team of the year at the Professional Publishers Assosiation Production and Environment awards 2012. This is inspirational as it is a British company and I want to use this institution when creating my magazine.



Magazine creators

Danyel Smith

Danyel Smith was born on June 23 in 1965. She has worked for some of the top magazine companies as an aditor the the magznine. The magazine's that she has wored for are Vibe and Billboard. These magazine's are both associated with hip-hop. As I am doing a general music magazine then I can use some of her work and maybe have the front cover or a double page spread on hip-hop. She was the first African-American to be an editor of the magazine Billboard and also the first female African-Ameican female to be an editor of the magazine Vibe.

Graphic desingers


Armin Hofmann


Armin Hofmann was born on June 29 in 1920 and is a Swiss graphic designer. The work which Hofmann does is very good I think and I like it because he sticks mainly with the black an white theme which I believe looks very professional. There is a simple but edgy look to Hofmann's work through the images used and the shapes that are used. The use of these make a statement by standing out and by the white on black background which makes the images and text stand out. The font which is used by Hofmann is there to also stand out, not only by making the text large but by also the font used. Hofmann makes things his own and his work has its own spin on things which I like and think that it is good to be unique in the work that you produce.

Photographers

Steven Meisel




The main thing that I liked about Steven Meisel's work is the way that he likes to make his photo's black and white. I think that photo's look better when in black and white as it gives it a vintage feel. I also think that when shooting in black and white it brings out certain features a lot more than in colour. Steven Meisel is one of the most famous fashion photographers of all time. People say that Steven shoots in black and white because it brings out the natural beauty in his pictures. He only likes to have one model in his pictures and doesn't like it when there are more than one. I like the way that he uses plain backgrounds because i think it brings out the model a lot more and has all the attention on them. 

Audience profile

Name: Tom Brown

Age: 18

Occupation: Tom is studying a college course in media which he loves. Also, Tom works at the local newspaper shop in his spare time, usually at weekends, to earn some money which can go to his funding for media equipment.

Interests: Tom's interests are going to pub and clubs with his friends, he plays for a local football team, he loves listening to the latest music of all genres which is why he would love to read my new general music magazine.

Favourite brands: Supreme, Palace, Ralph Lauren, Bathing Ape and Billionaire Boys Club.

Favourite magazine: Clash

Favourite music: ASAP Rocky, J Cole, Schoolboy Q, Kasabian, Crystal Fighters and Peace

Favourite activities: Football, listening to music and going out to pubs and clubs.


Saturday 17 January 2015

fashion associated with modern hip-hop


I am doing a general music magazine so I could have chosen any genre to do for the fashions. I chose hip-hop because this is the music genre I listen to most, therefore I know the modern fashions in hip-hop more than I do in indie rock or alternative. Within modern hip-hop, it has seen a resurgence of old fads coming back into fashion aswell as the emergence of new ones.

The first fashion that is about in modern hip-hop is tattoos. Tattoos have always been a part of hip-hop but more so now because some artists are now getting all 'tatted' up and having tattoos all over their body from head to toe. Artists that do this are Lil Wayne, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa and Soulja Boy. Mainly tattoos covering the face and the head have become increasing popular within modern hip-hop. As you can see i the pictures above, Lil Wayne who is the top left has tattoos all over his body and face which. Also, Schoolboy Q in the top right corner has tattoos on his arm and face which is now becoming the fashion within modern hip-hop.

Another fashion which is within modern hip-hop is wearing 'bling'. This can be chains around your neck, rings on your fingers or even gold/silver plated teeth. The fashion with having chains on is a fashion which has been around throughout all hip-hop era's. This is to make a statement and to show that you have the best chain which obviously cost thousands of pounds/dollars. The gold/silver plated teeth has become a rising fashion with some artists doing it now such as Lil Wayne and ASAP Rocky. As you can see in three of the pictures above that they are all wearing chains around their neck which is Lil Wayne in the top left, Tyler The Creator who is in the bottom left and ASAP Rocky who is also wearing some rings on his fingers in the bottom right.

Clothing brands which are fashions within modern hip-hop are Bathing Ape (made popular by artist and producer Pharrell), Billionaire Boys Club, Nike and Adidas. Other brands that are popular within modern hip-hop are skateboarding clothing brands which are Vans, Nike SB, Obey, Stussy, Supreme, Supra, DC and Emericas. Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Tyler The Creator all wear these on their music videos and concerts.

The last fashion that I am going to show within modern hip-hop is wearing snapbacks. There has been a rebirth of the 90's snapback caps which is the most noticeable sign of the new school throwback image. The rise of snapbacks are credited a lot to Mac Miller by realising a song called 'Snap Back' in 2009 with the rise of snapbacks occuring in mid 2010. The artists which usually are always wearing a snapback are Chris Brown, Jay-Z, Big Sean and Tyga. There may be a new fad with another type of hat which is called a '5 Panel'. This is a hat associated with skateboarding but hip-hop artists have started to wear them with the main artist being Tyler The Creator who is wearing one in the bottom left picture. 

Friday 16 January 2015

Magazine title

The title of my magazine is called 'Cross'. My reasoning for this is because I am doing a general music magazine which is a mixture of different songs. The word 'Cross' fitted the bill I felt as it is catchy and has relevance to the magazine and its content. The font that I want to have my title in is 'Traveling Typewriter' which is shown below:

Analysis of existing magazine titles


I like the way that the font of this magazine title is basic and simple because it gives a professional and sharp look it it which i like. Also, the way that some of the letters are filled in with bright, bold colours makes it stand out more and will catch the attention of the reader. Plus, the name of this magazine is good because a billboard is a big advertising board which you find in big cities. This therefore is making a statement by wanting to be something big.


The use of the title 'Clash' to me is saying that something stands out, therefore this is a good title and a catchy one because its a word which is used daily so when you use the word in a different context you will think of the magazine. The basic font is in black so it doesn't stand out but it does look professional which is a look you want on a magazine.


The red background in this title makes it stand out which would catch the reader's attention. Also, the white and red contrast well so it gives a professional look to the title. The name of the magazine 'Q' originally was called 'Cue' but this caused a lot of confusion so it settled on calling the magazine 'Q' which I like because it is simple and effective.


The name 'Vibe' is very effective because it makes people think of good things while listening to music and therefore puts them in a good mood. The font has a hip-hop feel to it which is what is within the magazine and you can tell by the title which is a good thing as it would appeal to their target audience. Vibe change the colour of their title according to the colour palette on the magazine which is a good thing because the title will always fit in. However, in other ways it could be bad because the title may not stand out as much as it would if it was a different colour to the colour palette.


'New Music Express' is a good name for the magazine and looks effective when shortened to 'NME'. The colour palette which is black, white and red all contrast very well and are the three main colours you will see on a magazine. The font is big and bold which stands out to the reader which is the aim for the magazine.




Style of magzine

The style of music magazine that I am going to produce is a general magazine. My main reasons for choosing this are that I want to have a large target audience instead of a restricted one which can therefore get my magazine out there and generate more reader's. Also, the magazine 'Clash' influenced me in this decision because I like the way that the magazine is set up and by having a general music magazine you can change the front cover from indie one month to hip-hop the next. This then can appeal to a wider audience so therefore more people will like my magazine and more people will read it. Another reason why is because I listen to and like lots of different genres of music, not just one in particular. Therefore, I will enjoy producing this magazine a lot more than being restricted to one music genre and then hopefully produce a better quality of work through my enjoyment and willingness of doing it. This way also, the thoughts and ideas I have will come more naturally than doing one genre which I would have to force ideas and they might not be as good. Hopefully this way more people will buy my magazine and it will be more successful.




Font analysis









The font that I like the most is the last one which is called 'Traveling Typewriter'. The reason i like this is because it is an old style font but being used in a modern era so i think that it would look good for my magazine.


Colour palette (2)



Colour palette (1)


This darker green would be good on an indie magazine because of its darker colours. They would go well with a white background to make the green text stand out and catch the reader's attention.
This colour would be good with a pop magazine because of the bright colour it is in your face from the off. It can be made to highlight important things on the magazine.
This colour can be used in all magazines because it is a versatile colour. However, it would go well with a rock n rock magazine because of the edgy look it has to it.
The colour black can be used on any magazine there is and is used in every magazine. The colour is best used for text and can also be used for mastheads.
The colour white is best used for backgrounds as it can bring out colours better and get things to stand out. i like this colour as it has a simplistic but professional look to it.

Moodboard


Double page spread analysis (3)