Time Management - 18.12.15

For the past few weeks, I have been conducting final research into my target audience, by creating a reader profile, like the ones NME and Kerrang have. I will be going on break for the next few weeks, and plan on starting my production in January, finishing it by the end of February. Also this week, I created a final piece of deconstruction of an NME magazine, so the layout and thematic styles of the pages I will be creating are fresh in my mind. I now have everything I need to begin production, including my photography, chosen fonts and colour scheme, double page spread article, and flat-plans, so I look forward to making a start.

Reader Profiling

Magazine Deconstruction #3

Time Management - 19.11.15

I managed to take the photography for my magazine this week, and plan on staring the final production soon. I am up to date on most of my work, and this week I have been going back to old posts and adding more detail, since I finished everything I had to do quite early.

Photography Session

I managed to take the photos of my model recently, and have begun to decide which will and which will not work for my production. I used my own camera for the photographs, a Canon EOS D100, which is a DSLR Camera with the ability to take high quality images.

The first issue I faced was that, as I was not using a studio, the natural lighting of the room was not effective and produced tinted, poor quality images. I found that bright white lights around my model created a much nicer effect, and a better standard image, as seen below.

I had an idea for a shot in which my model waved a rainbow ribbon, however after a lot of trying, we discovered the movements of the ribbon were hard to catch on camera, and created a very wide shot, so I decided I didn't want to use these images in my production.

I decided to use a rainbow flag, instead, as it created a similar, but much more effective image. I took a range of shots with this, including mid-shots, long-shots and head-shots. I would like to use some of these in my magazine as I think they turned out really well.

I have put together a collection of some of the photos from the session below, I plan on going through and selecting the best few for my magazine shortly.

Time Management - 12.11.15

I managed to scout some locations for my photographs this week, and published some images and problems I found in my previous blog post. Luckily, I didn't have to travel far and I had few problems, and I am still managing to stay on schedule despite some minor issues. My goal for next week is to take my photographs of my model, now that I have organised a date and time with her, and have a location ready. After this, I should have everything I need to begin my production.

Location Spotting

Whilst looking for locations for my photo-shoot, I initially planned on going to an empty classroom in my college, and found this room, planning on taking down some posters as there was a neutral coloured wall and carpet. I decided, however, there was not enough room here and the part of the wall by the window I could have used would not have been an acceptable option.

After deciding against this, I decided to use a spare room at my friends house. There was a long white wall, and we used a bright white lamp to provide lighting. We had to be sure there were no safety hazards so moved any wires out of the way while setting up the lamp. The room had white walls, and a brown carpet. We moved furniture from one of the walls to clear up space for my model to stand by so the background of the shot would be one color.

Time Management - 05.11.15

This week, I have been working on figuring out fonts and colour schemes for my magazine. I decided having a clear list of fonts and colours would make the actual production a lot easier, so once I decided on fonts I thought would work, I used Facebook to ask my target audience what they thought was best. The feedback helped me a lot. I am planning on looking for a location to shoot my photography in next. I will be using my own DSLR camera (Canon EOS D100) for this, and so far I am on schedule to finish my production soon after Christmas.

Double Page Spread - Font and colour scheme

For my double page spread, I decided to use a different color scheme, following a red and black theme.

I chose this as I wanted my model to wear red and black here, and the shades of grey alongside it would make a nice contrast. I would have my model wearing red lipstick too, to highlight the color scheme more.

For the fonts on this page, I have chosen to again use three different fonts. The main body, I decided, would use Dillenia UPC again to add something that is consistent throughout the magazine, and I also still believe the font is easy to control and follow.
I wanted to use a second font for the heading and wanted to use a theme of a ransom note, inspired by the article title here.

Whilst searching for fonts similar, I found three I'd like to use, eventually deciding to test out the final two when I make my magazine to determine which I like best.

Something in the way

Earwig Factory

New Facebook

The final font I'd like to use would be for my pull quote and kicker, I decided I wanted it to be formal and easily readable, but still quite decorative, and I eventually decided on using the Sans Serif font, Dream Orphans.

Dream Orphans

Front cover and Contents page - Font and color scheme

The color schemes I have chosen to use for my front cover and contents pages are orange, blue, and grey. I wanted to keep this theme consistent through these two pages to add a flow and sense of organization to my magazine.

I would have my model wearing blue and grey, and the text surrounding it will all also follow these colors, and I am likely to incorporate hints of black and white, too.

I would like to use three common fonts on my front cover. and contents page. The first would be for the heading/masthead, and I've selected three possible fonts to use for it.

Air Americana

RawStreetWall

DK Sensory Overload

All of these texts are quite decorative, so they are suitable for a masthead however I think I like the final one the best. I began designing possible mastheads with the fonts, and came up with possible designs to see any ideas I could come up with using the fonts.

My first idea would be horizontally placed along the top of my magazine and follows the blue part of my color scheme. The text is bold and stands out, however it may be a bit distracting

This masthead would go in the top left corner of my magazine,and although I like it a lot better than the first, it is not bright enough to draw attention to the cover so may not be as successful.

My final design used Air Americana, and I designed it using two different colors to see which looked most effective. I like this design as I think it stands out most, along with the first one.

The next font I'd like to use on my front cover and contents page would be clear and easy to read, unlike the decorative font. This would be used for longer pieces of text, such as descriptions of cover lines, dates, or information.
For this font, I have decided to use Dillenia UPC as I find it looks attractive and is also clear and easy for the reader to see. I considered using Times New Roman, however after contrasting the two, found that Dillenia UPC produced a nicer effect.

Times New Roman

Dillenia UC

The third font I want to use on my front cover and contents page is one that would be used for sell/cover lines, the main article heading, and things I'd like to stand out. I therefore would like to use something bold and decorative but still understandable. I narrowed my options, again, to three possibilities.

Mistral

Colors of Autumn

TrashHand

 After comparing the fonts, I have decided to use either TrashHand or Mistral, and after asking my Target Audience I found that they generally preferred the third one, so I decided to use TrashHand for my final magazine.

Time management - 23.10.15

This week, I started off by conducting research of my target audience, by using an online Facebook group, and recording some of my classmates. I used Sony Vegas Pro to edit the videos of my classmates together, before writing out a rationale to follow. My rationale aimed to clarify how this research helped me in the long run. Although I finished most of this in class, I ran out of time at the end so had to finish editing and rendering my video at home, but it didn't take long, and I found the task quite easy.
Next, I began organizing my photo-shoot by messaging my model to check availability, then deciding what I wanted her to wear, what props to use, and what make-up she would use. Making these decisions was quite difficult for me, and I found it a lot harder than previous tasks.

Organising costume, hair, props and make-up

I have asked my model to wear a red and black plaid shirt, with a grey t-shirt and black skinny jeans. I would like them to wear black Doc Martin boots, too, as all of these are typically associated with clothing worn by my target audience. I have asked her to wear a necklace I provided myself and a bracelet, but no earrings or rings.
With regards to props, I would like them to bring a guitar, electric or acoustic, and I am going to bring in my own CDs to surround the model.
My model already has short brown hair which is what I wanted, however she has highlights which are dyed blue, which I am likely to edit in photoshop to make red to fit the color scheme.
With regards to make-up, I would like for my model to wear red lipstick as the rest of her outfit would have a red theme, however other than that I would prefer little make-up to be worn by my model other than foundation.

Organizing my model

I have sent an Facebook message to my model to check if she is available to be photographed for my magazine, and make sure she is agreeing to do so. I have attached screenshots of my email to her and her response.

My message to confirm availability

The response from my model

Audience research and rationale

I have conducted research into what my target audience like and don't like within a magazine, including things such as price, content, colours and photos. Firstly I made a Facebook group, to ask my target audience some basic questions about what they think makes a good magazine.

This was a closed/private facebook group, and I invited a number of friends who are in the age range and specifics of my target audience so I can gather their opinions.

By doing this I aimed to discover directly  from my target audience what would encourage them to buy a magazine. Within today's society, young people are generally drawn to online media and are becoming more and more less likely to buy a physical copy of a magazine from a store. Because of this, I felt it was important to conduct this level of research into my direct audience as it is more important than ever to understand exactly what it is that would be enough to actually encourage the sale of my magazine.

From this research I learned that my audience would be more likely to buy my magazine if they believed the content was interesting enough to read, and if there was a cover that attracted their attention. I realized the importance of my front cover and the impact it has on my audiences decision to buy.

As well as this, I recorded some interviews with my target audience to find out what they felt made a good magazine.

I used a Canon DSLR camera to record these responses and asked three people who are in my target audience the same questions relating to my magazine. After the initial recordings, I used Sony Vegas Pro 13 to put the responses of my target audience into sections of a video to make analysis easier. 

I learned from this that the responses of my participants, although different, included certain common themes. Two out of three participants said that the image on the front cover is the thing most likely to cause them to buy a magazine. Participants agreed they'd like to see both a mix of stories and interviews within the magazine.

My final audience research took place using a survey I created with survey monkey. I asked five different questions and had people of my typical target audience respond.

Rationale

This feedback has helped me by showing me what young people actually find interesting in magazines, and it ensures that whilst making my own that I have a clear image in my head of what I should be designing as I know who I am designing it for. 

I gained confirmation for my ideas, including that I need a bold cover image and a good color scheme. A lot of people seemed to agree that the content of the magazine is the most important feature, however it is the price that is the second determiner of whether or not someone would buy it, meaning I should keep my price quite low. As quite a few people have said they enjoy seeing bright colors I may rethink the color scheme of my magazine, which is primarily grey, as I believe it would make it more appealing now I know what my target audience are looking for.

Time Management - 16.10.15

This week I had to complete my research on double page spread articles, making a post to document what I found and common patterns and themes within. We also received feedback on our preliminary tasks, which I responded to with regards to what I would like to improve on and change for my final magazine piece. This feedback proved to be quite helpful and I am now mindful of what not to do in my final piece. I am still coping well with the workload and have completed everything I need to in class.

Feedback on preliminary task

Preliminary Task Mark Sheet: Demi Anderson

General comments	Front Cover:  Well done – you appear to understand all of the conventions of front cover design. Your images are appropriate for the publication and target audience. You appear to understand the need for a variety of font size and style. Your sell lines are also appropriate for both your target audience and your publication. Contents Page: I absolutely love your contents page; It is really neat and tidy and would be easy for the audience to navigate. The organisation of your articles and page numbers is superb and your images and sell lines are perfectly appropriate for your target audience. Well Done!!!!
Areas for improvement	Front Cover:  Your font could maybe do with standing out a little more as the more vibrant the font the better for your readers, especially when you are dealing with such a young target audience. Contents Page: As I said absolutely love your contents page; - you maybe could have experimented with anther colour to add a bit of variety in colour.
Overall grade	B
How I will improve	I will improve by changing my font style and  color in my actual magazine so that it stands out more. To further improve, I may also change the color scheme so that it is also more vibrant and is likely to work better for a younger audience.

Institutional Research

Double Page Spread Article - First draft

This is the first draft of my article text for my double page spread. I plan to re-draft this and make final corrections before putting it in my magazine.

The legacy of Lennox

“I only started getting an education after I left mainstream education.”

School dropouts are labelled in our society as failures, but with millions of pre-orders on her debut album, Legacy, Lennox Lupin is anything but a failure.

Hayley Williams of Paramore is unarguably the most influential female pop-punk star of our time, and if you were to combine her voice with the tone of the music of Panic! At The Disco, you may just create a sound similar to that of upcoming star, Lennox Lupin. We’d watch out if we were you, Hayley! We sat with Lennox today, to find out how she has, in a matter of months, progressed from posting covers on YouTube and bringing in fewer views than a cat hanging from a ceiling lamp, to announcing her new album on her weekly radio show, with over five million followers.

It’s not an uncommon thing to dream about ditching school to record an album with your mates, but it is an uncommon thing for these dreams to become reality. One year ago to this day, Lennox Lupin was just a regular kid, blasting music through her headphones on what seemed to be a regular Monday morning, but it just so happened that on this particular day, she decided not to go to school. “It just wasn’t for me, y’know? All that academic crap, it’s not who I am.” Lennox told us, before explaining how she went home to record a video of herself singing a cover of Casual Affair by Panic! At The Disco. Brendon Urie, lead singer of P!ATD himself would later stumble across this cover, sharing it on twitter and sending it viral. “Yeah, that was a crazy f*cking day.” Lennox laughed (we did tell her to mind her language!). “Brendon sharing my cover was definitely a turning point, I got so much positive feedback, it was the happiest and most accepted I’d felt in years, it was pretty much in that moment that I realised I wasn’t gonna’ go back to school, it was wasting my time, time I could spend promoting myself and progressing as an artist.”

Lennox spent every day afterwards recording videos for YouTube, both of covers and songs she’d written herself. With the ability to play piano, guitar, bass and drums (and the triangle!), she had no problem recording her own stuff, pretty impressive for someone who couldn’t remember her name on national television. “Oh man, that was embarrassing. [laughs] It was an interview for the BBC, I was so intimidated, they asked me to introduce myself and I froze up, I knew my name started with L but anything past that was totally gone!” Don’t worry, Lennox, we’ve all been there... (I hope!)

After racking up over a billion views on her YouTube channel, LupinSings, Lennox was recognised by the BBC as having potential as an upcoming artist, and offered a weekly slot on Radio one, to feature her own music as well as showcase other artists she felt deserved the recognition. “Being on the radio is kinda surreal, man. It sorta doesn’t feel real, I mean... I can’t imagine people driving home from work or school on Tuesdays and hearing me going on at them, I know that I for one would hate that [laughs].” Lennox’s radio-show is aired live on BBC Radio 1 at 4pm every Tuesday. We’d recommend checking it out!

Lennox’s successes didn’t stop there, only last week, Lennox announced on her radio-show that, with the help of Fuelled by Ramen, she will be releasing a full length album next month, Legacy! “I’ve never worked so hard on anything in my life.” She told us, on making her album. “I never focused this much at school, it’s funny, I only started getting an education after I left mainstream education. Yeah, making my album has really helped me settle down and it’s given me something to be passionate about, I’m really excited for everyone to hear it, honestly, it’s pretty sweet.” We promise you, we’re excited to hear it ourselves, Lennox!

Spending the day with Lennox really gave us a look into the personality behind the star – a popular opinion among the pretentious older generations is that any young artists are in it for the cash, overcome with fame and fortune with no real care for anything that matters, but with Lennox, it couldn’t have been further from the truth. Every penny made by her album will be donated to charities to help LGBT youth, such as Stonewall and the Albert Kennedy Trust – “I was never in it for the money, I mean yeah I want to make a living off of this, but if someone else can make a living off of my work as well as myself, it seems senseless not to help ‘em out a bit, y’know?” We totally agree, Lennox! Miss Lupin is by far one of the most down-to-earth and generous stars we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, she’s taken the industry by storm and we expect as much from her in the future. “My future plans? Oh, you’ll have to wait and see, I’ve got quite a bit to reveal, maybe even a tour, who knows! I’m only just getting started.”

Lennox’s album, Legacy, is available to pre-order from her website now for £7.99. All proceeds will go to select charities. Lennox’s radio-show can be found on BBC Radio one on Tuesdays from 4pm.