Article Drafts

This artist has been dominating the charts with 4 of his singles in the top ten on the R&B chart and his new album is currently number one on the album charts. Sizzle caught up with this fresh, new artist who is giving us exclusive details of their upcoming tour.
Waiting in the corridors of a London hotel, knowing that there was only a door between us (the sizzle team) and hot new artist M.R. , we couldn't help feeling excited! He opened the door and let us in his average hotel room. For a fresh up-and-coming star you would think he lives the rockstar life with beer bottles everywhere and balloons from a wild night out but no. Extremely disappointed we walked into a clean room where the only mess was from some empty chinese food boxes in the corner and the bed was left unmade. We asked about how different his lifestyle must be now "Apart from sleeping in different hotel rooms and half the world knowing your name, it's not that different!" He joked. "But seriously I knew this job contained a lot of hard work but not nearly as much as this!" "Talk us through an average day then." We asked curiously. "Well no day is the same! Every day I'm doing something different but each day starts early and ends late. I get up at around 6am and some mornings I have a meeting with the record company or an interview promoting my album, after this I could have a photo shoot for a magazine then I'll be in the studio for the rest of the day recording songs for my next album or I'll be at a soundcheck for a concert on the night. And these normally finish at 11pm but by the time I get to the hotel, it'll probably be around 2am." "Wow! And we thought our schedules were bad!" We laughed. He offered us some coffee and we got talking some more. "I actually put on an act on stage, I'm not normally that confident!" he laughs. "I feel like the world thinks I'm this tough guy that sings R&B but I'm actually the complete opposite. I'm shy believe it or not! Members of my band have much more confidence than me and they always joke around saying they should be the frontmen and not me!" He joked. 
"Are you excited to be headlining your own tour?" we asked. "I am very excited but also quite nervous!" He giggled, "I'm more excited about seeing the fans than actually travelling although it's really awesome that I get to travel the world! That's one of the best things about this job. It gives you amazing opportunities other jobs can't." "We're jealous! Can we come?" We all laughed. After chatting with M.R. and getting to know him more as a person, we realised what a down to earth character he is! He has modesty as well as a good sense of humour and an amazing voice! We love his personality on as and off stage.

Progress Update Post - 20th Feb

There are 6 weeks until the Easter break which means - 6 weeks of lesson time to complete my foundation portfolio.

There are 60 marks available for construction and 20 marks for Research and Planning and 20 marks for evaluation - 100 marks in total

To achieve a grade:

A I need to get 80 marks

B I need to get 70 marks
These are the marks I wish to achieve.
To be in level 4 (grade A/B) my work must demonstrate excellence throughout.

By Monday 5th March I should have a rough cut of my products

By Monday 19th March my products should be completed

From Monday 19th - Friday 30th March I will be working on my 7 evaluation questions.

Then my completed portfolio should be submitted for formal marking on Monday 16th April. I should use the Easter break to make any minor amendments to my work.

In order to meet these deadlines I will:

• Get my photo shoots booked.
• Let my models know where and when they are needed.
• Work within level 4 by looking at the example level 4 blog.
• Check for new information on the blog daily.
• Do as much work as I can outside of lesson as well as working hard during each lesson.

Test Shots

I have taken these practice shots in order to practice the different poses my models will use on the front cover, contents page and double page spread. These will obviously differ to the real shots because I only used one model to do this and all these photos were taken in the studio.

This image is the kind of shot that would be used on a front cover. The fact it is a medium shot and the model is looking directly at the camera which is the type of pose I want on my cover because the model makes eye contact with the reader and will make them want to read on.

These images would be used on a double page spread. They are fun and friendly and they will definitely make the reader relate more to the model. Since my double page spread article is an interview, these poses could show the reader the sort of person my model is and also maybe give them an insight into their personality before reading the actual article. There would be one main image in the middle and then the rest could be smaller versions on the side of the main image like in my flat plan.

This image would be used in my contents page. For my contents page, as I stated in my flat plan, I would like there to be only one main image in the centre which would preferably be a full body shot. This would make the layout easier because the sell lines would just surround the image. 

Costume and Make-up Research

The images below are three different artists that fall into the same genre as the genre for my magazine I am producing which is an R&B magazine. For their costume, it all seems to be simple yet elegant. 

For the male artist, Justin Timberlake, the outfit is very basic. It's a top, with a jumper on top of it and some jeans. What makes this image is the pose that the model is in. The fact that he is leant against the wall with his head tilted slightly and facing the camera is what makes him look like an artist. His hands in his pockets could represent the sort of character he is because you don't get much from the costume.

For the first female artist, Christina Aguilera, it seems that the accessories make the outfit. She is wearing a plain white dress with a plunging neckline at the front however she has various bits of jewellery on. She has earrings, a necklace and a bracelet on. The necklace has a giant red gem on it which is a colour recurring quite a bit in this picture because she has bright red lipstick and red nails. They brighten up the image and add some colour to it.

The make-up on Christina is bold. The lips are a bright red which is a bold colour that captures the readers attention but then the eyes are not as heavy but they have a subtle amount of eye shadow that can be noticed but not too overwhelming. This is the sort of make up I would like to use on my front cover model because it is bold and it attracts an audience which is the sort of result I want my model to have on my target audience. For my magazine I might also use the colour red as a recurring colour in the image and use lighter colours to compliment it and so that it's not too bright.

For the next female artist, Rihanna, it is similar to the image above it as accessories also make that outfit. You can't see much of the outfit because it is a medium shot however what you can see is a very plain outfit. Without the jewellery which in this case is much less than the amount  Christina had on, it would be a very boring costume but that one necklace livens the outfit up just a little.

The make-up  she has used it quite subtle. She's used either a little bit of lipstick or some lip gloss to make her lips shiny and some subtly blusher. Also she has probably used some mascara but not massive amounts, just enough to outline her eyelashes. This is a look I might use on my contents page. Subtle yet still attractive.

Font Research

For my mast head, the writing in the icon will read 'Play' however I want it in a cursive way. I went on 'DaFont.com' and searched for a font in the Calligraphy section. I picked the font named 'English' (4th one down). It was out of that one and the Chopin Script (top one) however I thought that the Chopin Script was too curly for an R&B music magazine.

The font I am going to use for my sell lines and my articles is going to be a basic font because I want the mast head to stand out and be the only 

Model Release Forms

The following forms are my model release forms for the models I am going to photograph for my front cover, contents page and double page spread. The form contains their signatures which contains their consent for me to use their images in the production of my magazine and to be published online or in this blog. 

At the top of my model release forms, it provides the magazine name and 'logo' which identifies which magazine and production company the models are signing too. 

Call Sheets

The below call sheets are for my models I am using for my magazine photography. They include an identity photograph of each model, along with shooting date, shooting information and their role within the photo shoot. It also ensures that they have their model release forms signed so that their permission is granted for me to use them for my photography, which will be published online and printed.

Flat Plan Feedback

The following images are the flat plans for my R&B music magazine. It is important to create a basis of what I intend to produce as my finishing product. I have created a flat plan for my front cover, my contents page and my double page spread which are based on my own ideas however inspired by professional music magazines I looked at whilst doing my research.

• I decided to name my magazine 'Play' because it is a word related to music and I thought it would work if I made the mast head a giant "play" sign with the word 'Play' written in it. 
• The colour scheme was inspired by 'Q' magazine because it also uses a small mast head in the corner of the page however because it's simple, it's effective and memorable which is why I attempted to almost replicate it when I made mine. 
• When doing the audience research, I found that most people found the 'Q' mast head quite boring which is why I added a little extra to mine (the 'play' symbol) instead of just having a letter in a box. 
• Also when doing the audience research I found that on the cover of 'Q' magazine with Adele on it, when she was looking directly at the camera, they found it almost compelling and wanted to open it and read on. The sell lines I chose relate to things you would hope to find in a music magazine. I could probably change them slightly to make them more persuasive and exciting because at the moment, they are rather dull.

• For my contents page, I thought I would try to make it simple by just having an image in the centre and my sell lines surrounding the image. This idea was inspired by the contents page in 'Vibe' and 'Q' magazine. 
• I thought having a smaller version of the mast head in the corner would be good because it would show some consistency between the front page and the contents page. 
• Also I am going to use the same colour scheme on the cover and contents page and also possibly the double page spread. That way I could show consistency throughout and it would be easy for the readers to always know what magazine they're reading no matter what page they open it from. 
• I chose to have sub-titles to separate the sections on the contents page to make it easier for the reader to navigate through the magazine. 
• I have also added a subscription section in the corner because all the professional magazine's have it. 
• I might add some images underneath their relevant sell lines so that it does not look like there is too much writing on the contents page.

• For my double page spread I have decided to write an exclusive interview with a new artist called 'M.R.' 
• In the top of the page it will say 'Exclusive..." to let the reader know that this page will include an exclusive article, in this case, an interview.
• Also in the top of the page, there is a small icon of the mast head to keep with the consistency throughout the magazine.
• The first page will include the interview article and it will be split into 3 columns because 2 columns would be too wide and 4 columns could be too narrow.
• The page next to it will contain pictures of the artist 'M.R.' There will be one main photo that takes up most of the space on the page and then surrounding this main image will be smaller images of M.R. or relating to things mentioned in the article on the adjacent page. 
• I have chosen to use quotations because most magazines do this. The quotes will include interesting bits of information that will make the reader want to read on. The quotes on the side with the article will be taken from the article however the quotes on the picture side will be side quotes the artist may have mentioned during the interview.

In order to get audience feedback, we got into groups and evaluated each others flat plans. We know what the level 4 grade descriptors are so we used them to help with the evaluations.
My peers commented on my work and told me that for my front cover, I need to add a skyline to occupy the white space that was above my image. Also I have to use a model that fits the genre of my magazine because the model on my flat plan doesn't look like an R&B artist so I might have to find a way either to make her suit the genre, e.g. changing the costume or pose, or I might have to find a different model. Also I have to change the size of my barcode because at the moment it is almost the same size as my mast head which needs to be the biggest thing on the page and the second biggest thing should be the main sell line. However when it came to the size of the text, it was obvious which sell line was the main sell line because it was bigger than my other sell lines. For my contents page, the colour scheme and was consistent with the cover and the double page spread so it showed that they are all linked together. Also the small mast head in the corner of the page was good. The writing surrounding the image in the middle is also a good part of my contents page as well as having a subscription advert in the corner of the page. On my double page spread, I have a skyline that lets the readers know that this is a page for exclusive interviews with artists however it looks a bit odd because it just says exclusive and has a blank space next to it so I have to either add more detail or scrap the whole idea. The use of various images and columns is good.
From evaluating my peers assessments I have decided to add some adverts on my contents page for example, one of for HMV or a music related shop. Also one of my peers had an editors column on their contents page of  their magazine which is a common thing in professional magazine so I might add one to my magazine as well. Another one of my peers had a band index on their page, however the band index would probably be for more of an indie or alternative genre and not so much a R&B genre. 

Article Planning

Article

• My article will be about a specific artist that has recently entered the music industry. 
• It will be an summary/interview of a new artist's experience so far in the industry  will allow the readers to get to know this new artist and find out about their journey so far. 

Style

• The narrative voice it will be written in is 1st and 2nd person. 
• The sort of words used by people into this kind of music featured in the article and magazine would probably be slang and informal language. 
• Other words related to the music industry will be used in this article as the interview will be about the artist that has recently entered the music industry. These words will be for example: performances, gigs, venues etc.

Beginning

• I may use a summary introduction for my introductory paragraph.
• I will exaggerate a lot in my introductory paragraph to make sure that the reader will read on.
• I will make the content sound exclusive by saying things like: "Secrets that have only been revealed to us!" 

Extra text on the page

• Since my article is about an artist that has "made it" in the music industry, I will add other text related to the artist somewhere on the page.
• I will add some singles that are out now and when their debut album will be released.
• I might also add some gig schedules so that the readers would know where to go and what date they will be performing if they want to go see them
• I shall also post a web address so that they can access more content and find out more about the artist online.

Mood Board of Inspirational Images

These are various R&B artists and some of these pictures would be great on the front covers, contents page images or double page spreads. For my magazine, I may try to get my models using similar poses to these real artists so that my magazine looks professional.

Image Analysis Composition

This could be a good image for the front cover of a magazine because there is room around her that could be where the sell lines go and the mast head could go in the top left hand corner without having to overlap the image or the image overlapping the mast head. Also the fact that it is a medium shot which is what is used on most front covers. 

Her eyes are in the top third of the picture which shows that she is a dominant character and the fact that she is looking directly at the camera creates direct address and helps her connect with the audience. 

From the image you can tell that she is not a pop artist because she is not wearing any bubbly, bold, bright colours. The costume she's wearing is dark yet slightly sophisticated which shows that her lyrics will have some meaning behind them and she won't just be churning out manufactured lyrics that are catchy yet have no meaning or sense behind them. The earrings and the jewellery shows that she is fashionable and professional because she can afford to wear such large jewellery.

This has inspired me for my front cover. I will use a model that does not always have to represent a sex symbol like the models used for pop magazines. The fact that this model doesn't look threatening means that fans and readers could relate to her and also look up to her as a role model. This is the sort of model I could use on the cover of my magazine.

 This would be a good image to use on a double page spread or contents page because normally long shots would not be used for front covers. The amount of white space left around the image would be a good place to put sell lines for the contents page or quotes from the artist for the double page spread. 
In this image, the model isn't looking directly at the camera and their eye line isn't really in the top third of the image however his pose and the fact that he is dancing shows that he is a confident person. 
Also the use of the white background makes him stand out as he is wearing dark clothes. You can tell that he is a dominant person because of his pose, for example, the way his right arm is places by his pocket, he is almost subtly showing off his muscles and his tattoos. 
The fact that the image is in black and white could show that he is a simple character and that this could be reflected in his music. Like that he is all about the music and not the flashy things like cars and girls etc. It shows that he could almost be humble and friendly person which would attracts the viewers because they would want to know more about him.


The first image has inspired me for my front cover. I will use a model that does not always have to represent a sex symbol like the models used for pop magazines. The fact that this model doesn't look threatening means that fans and readers could relate to her and also look up to her as a role model. Her eyes are looking directly at the camera which creates direct address and synthetic personalisation. This is the sort of model I could use on the cover of my magazine. The second image has made me think about definitely using a long shot for my contents page. However for my double page spread I might use a long shot as well but then I will also add little pictures around the side of the image if it is a long shot picture like the one above to get rid of the white space surrounding an image.