Production Diary

21/11/13- Working On The Layout

 This week, I continued to create my magazine by designing the layout, placing images and adding texts. As I started on my contents page, I started to finish this off by writing out the rest of the text I had thought about in my homework before. After my contents page, I started to design my front cover. I tried to decide on the font I would use for my masthead by going through different fonts I had previously downloaded. I wanted to use an edgy disorted font to go with my indie alternative music genre. When I had thought of my font, I moved on to my sell lines.

 I knew that I wanted to include a list of bands on my cover page of typical artist that will be in my magazine. I tried different styles on how I would present this on my cover such as presenting them in another edgy font in the corner of my page. However I found this might look unclear and messy if I had a close up image for my front cover, therefore I researched more front pages for music magazines and thought that having the list of names in boxes would look more effective.

 

 

Cover Lines

Box Out Text

Vanessa on…

Imagine Dragons – They’re really cool! I like their vibes and the lyric meanings behind the songs are really personal. My favourite single by them probably has to be ‘Demons’ because it means a lot however I think some of their music is too slow for me.

The Vaccines – Ooh, these are definitely on my top list. I think their music is the sort of style I’m into. I think it’s great that they’ve recently become more popular, they deserve the success!

Vampire Weekend – I didn’t really listen to them much before but I brought their album in the summer and I was addicted! Their album ‘Modern Vampires of the City’ is definitely a must buy!

 

 I wanted my box out on my article to include my artist's opinions on different bands as this further promotes different indie artists and also helps the reader to make up their own opinion. I also made sure that the bands Vanessa talked about were included in this magazine issue as the reader may also read them and be persuaded to look at other various features. I will make my box out a different colour from the rest of the text on my article to help it stand out to the audience, especially if they don't want to read the whole article.

This is how I will likely present my box out:

Production Diary

18/11/13- Creating My Contents Page

This week, I have continued to draft my magazine, visually planning what it will look like overall. I started going into more detail with my contents page first as I came up with my contents ideas before I began with my article text. I filled out the pages under the appropriate subheadings and added page numbers to each. I made sure that I included my ideas I previously wrote up for my homework. I also began to consider what photo I would use on my cover page. As I took many pictures, I found it hard to choose one picture therefore I am going to plan out my cover page and then place an image in that goes well with my design.

 For my homework, I wrote out my article text. I included a lengthy article that goes into detail about my artist’s rise to fame, their style of music and the recent songs that have released. I thought I would talk about the artist’s background as the results from my survey prove that people want to hear about the artist’s life as well as the music.

Article Text

Vanessa Wanner is simply the coolest star in music. At the moment her CV consist of a number 1 hit single, a platinum award winning album and even a performance at London's very own Wembley Arena, this young star has her whole future ahead of her and as she says 'this is only the beginning'...

 It was only 6 months ago that Vanessa was introduced into the hearts of many music fans. Before then she was simply unknown. “No one knew who I was” she explains. “I was trying to get into the music industry for so long but every time I was even considered I was let down again and again. It’s a very hard process reaching the top but I think I’ve finally done it”. Today, in our local studio in London, we get the exclusive chance to have a catch up with the star and get to know her from behind the cameras, as well as an excellent opportunity to go ahead with our shoot. It’s easy to tell that this girl of only 17 years is truly passionate about her music. Vanessa has been singing since she was very young (7 years old in fact) so to be where she is today, she herself couldn’t be happier. “I just can’t believe I’m actually being interviewed for a music magazine! Everything in my life at the moment just seems so surreal! Only 6 months ago I was releasing my first single ‘(single name)’ and since then everything just been crazy. I don’t think I've had a moment to myself to just take it all in yet”. Clearly fame hasn’t come at all easy to the indie star but for her age and experience, Vanessa has dealt with it far better than many young music stars we can name!

 Vanessa’s first single was released in the summer of 2013 and from the beginning the whole world could tell there was something special about her. Many reviewers agreed that her style of music sounded different and unique. “I didn’t want to be like everyone else" says Vanessa seriously. “I mean don’t get me wrong I enjoy chart music and everything but I wanted my songs to sound a bit more quirky and I wanted the lyrics overall to be more personal. I think it’s good that people can relate to your songs and really I guess, just have fun! That’s why I wanted the balance between both. I want my music to be catchy of course but I also want people to listen to it and think ‘oh yeah that does sound like my situation, this song is important to me’”. Personally we think Vanessa’s aim to make everyone happy seems to be working as her hit single was number one within its first week of release however she doesn’t think everyone can enjoy her indie vibes. “Of course not everyone is going to like my material, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if they like it and even go on to purchase my music then that’s fucking awesome” she laughs.

 As Vanessa answers our questions, it’s immediately noticeable to see how open and calm she is. She's clearly one confident chick for her age and we wanted to know how she was so relaxed. “I wouldn’t say I’m that confident, to be honest. I might seem like I’m alright but most of the time I’m shitting myself. Whenever I get interviewed at important events and especially when I’m on stage in front of thousands of people, I get so nervous beforehand that my body starts to shake all over. However when I’m finally up there singing my songs, all my worries seem to go away”. Although Vanessa confesses to us about how nervous she gets, she is seen as one of the most outrageous and lively souls on the planet. Her crazy performances definitely show her bold character which makes her a prime target for the music tabloids all around the world. “The attention thing, yeah that’s something I still can’t quite understand. To me my performances are just a way to express myself but my style is seen as unusual to many. My style just completes who I am. Everyday I’m just being me…what you see is what you get!”

 Speaking of style, not only is Vanessa seen as one of the hottest new music stars, she is also a style icon, making her a role model to girls everywhere. “It’s amazing to think I have fans that look up to me- not only for my songs but for my fashion too. Fashion is definitely important to me, after music of course! My style defines who I am, whether it’s my make-up, my oversized jewellery or my quirky clothes…they all link to my music, giving it an edge”. As far as indie goes, Vanessa definitely goes with the individual look. “I mean, it’s not something overly crazy. I wouldn’t go as far as Lady Gaga but it’s just more interesting than your everyday stuff” she smiles.

 So has style always been a main aspect for this artist? “Absolutely!” Vanessa exclaims “ever since I was little I always felt I had my own style but to me, music was always first”. As Vanessa brings back the subject of music, she again backs up our idea of how important this industry is to her. “Music has always been my life” she begins to explain. “I was born into a family full of musicians so in a way, I was lucky. I guess you could say I was forced into music but personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way. My siblings all play musical instruments and all have many different tastes in music – rock, pop, country – you name it! But for me, I always enjoyed the alternative indie stuff and I preferred singing on stage to learning how to play an instrument!”

 “My mum though, was also a singer; she’s probably my own role model. I definitely look up to her!”. Suddenly a big grin is planted on Vaness's face as she lets us into her past, going through her childhood and school years, we can tell she is still grounded. “My mum used to sing to me when I was a baby all the way through my child years so I guess it came natural to me. It’s like learning how to speak a different language when you’re little; it’s just automatic. When I was in primary school I entered the school choir. Now, it seems pretty silly because that wasn’t my style at all but we all have to start somewhere. When I went to high school, I even joined a band for a couple of years. We were mainly rock focused. To be honest, I thought it was really cool and we all got on really well. We had a lot of fun but I just realised it wasn’t for me, I was born to be a solo artist.”

 “Even though I’ve been through some hard times getting to where I am today, I’ve always had my friends and family behind me and that’s all I can really ask for”. As we continue to discuss the positives of being born into a strong musical family and the security of great friends, we ask Vanessa if she has any new friends on the scene… “You mean any famous people? Ha! Well yeah, I know a few” she smirks. “I'm quite close to Hayley from 'Paramore'. She’s so lovely and I adore her music. I’ve always been a fan of Paramore, ever since I was a young teen so to become good mates with the lead singer, is really amazing. Surprisingly, we have a lot in common too like our backgrounds and stuff and the type of music material we like. I’m also good friends with Taylor from 'The Pretty Reckless', she’s so stunning! However, I think the most exciting person I recently met at Wembley was Rihanna. I saw her outside her dressing room; I was so star struck I couldn’t even get my words right. She seemed like a down to earth girl, you know just normal. I think she’s fucking amazing. Yep. She’s definitely one of my idols.”

 Speaking of idols, are there any other music inspirations of Vanessa’s? “Growing up I was always a fan of 'Evanescence' and bands like that so Amy Lee was one of my greatest role models, I really got into the goth-pop sort of sound as I liked how original and different it was and that’s what I plan to make others think of my own music”. She continues: “Recently however 'Artic Monkeys' and 'Two Door Cinema Club' have definitely been my favourites. I’ve attended loads of their shows and I just think they’re amazing live. The tones of their voices and the way they sing sounds really good, I like the edginess. I also think the overall sound of their songs is really interesting and this is something I have considered during my own trips to the studio”. 

 If her great music tastes are anything to go by, take it from us that Vanessa’s new album (that has yes, already gone platinum may we repeat) is a cool mix of alternative and rocky sounds giving bands such as ‘The Killers’ and indeed ‘The Artic Monkeys’ a run for their money. As well as the music and overall sound being up to scratch, the lyrics involved are also pretty great. As every song on the album has been written by Vanessa; each song has an individual meaning and message. “Yes some songs might be about generally having a good time with your mates” she confirms, “yet others really are about personal issues, the kind of problems you go through in your life. I wouldn’t say I’m as deep as ‘Evanescence’ are or as fun going and up beat like ‘Parmore’ and ‘Two Door Cinema Club’…just a bit in between”.

 It seems like talent just comes naturally to this young star so we had to ask is there anything this girl can’t do? “Don’t be silly!” she shouts. “I’m far from perfect. There are many things I can’t do and I’ve experienced many embarrassing moments in my career already!” Well, seeing as the topic of embarrassing situations has already been brought up, there was no need to urge Vanessa to reveal. “For my first TV performance, I was on a breakfast show singing my first single. I think the performance actually went alright, especially as it was my first one on live TV but the interview after was so awkward! I had to do my best to promote my music but I completely forgot the release date, my tour dates, everything! My mind just went blank. In the end one of the team members from my management had to whisper to me live on air. It was so obvious and everyone in the studio was laughing including the presenters”. If that wasn’t bad enough, Vanessa goes on to tell us about her recent famous wardrobe malfunction. “Oh god” she hangs her head in shame. “I don’t even know what to say, all I can remember is I was really nervous so I wanted to get myself ready, you know to calm myself down but I didn’t realise I had my shoes on the wrong feet till I started singing on stage. Everyone noticed but I tried to save myself by acting like nothing was wrong”.

 Interview nearly over, Vanessa relaxes on the sofa with a cup of tea in one hand. She seems close to world domination but really she’s still a family girl at heart and we can safely say fame hasn’t changed her.

Check Vanessa’s new single ‘single name’ as well as her new Album ‘album name’, both available to buy on iTunes now.


-The pieces of text that are highlighted above are ideas for my pull quotes in my articles-

 

Drafting 4

 

 This is my last piece of drafting I produced. Here you can see the drafting for my third double page spread - this will be where I wrap the whole article up, include a wider selection of images and also write about the artist's interests in the red box in the lower right corner. I thought this was a great way to end my article plus it is also an excellent way to include exclusive information. I may also include an image of my artist on the left so the text can wrap around my photo. I think this way of presenting an image is perhaps more interesting than the box examples therefore I will include one example of this.

Drafting 3

 

 I then produced the drafting for my second double page spread. I thought I would have a large image of my model on the left and then text of the article on the right. I wanted to have a short paragraph at the top to briefly describe what the article will be about/who my artist is, as well as a lengthy piece of text, again with an interesting pull quote to stand out to the reader.

Drafting 2

 

 

 This is my daft for my first double page spread. The large black space represents the large image I will later use for these two pages. I wanted to include a big photo of my model who is the artist in my magazine over two pages as I thought this looked effective in other examples of magazines I had seen. I also wanted to include a pull quote from the article to make it look even more interesting and also appropriate for the feature. I will include a quote that is entertaining or looks of some interest to the reader.

Drafting 1

 This is my first drafting double page spread that I created in InDesign. This draft was based on other contents pages I researched from other music magazines. The black boxes represent images I will later place. I also thought it was appropriate to include an editor's note on the bottom part of my content's page to make it more personal for the reader as well as heading and subheadings for the pages. For now, I have gone with red as my main colour in my colour scheme however I may change this later on if I think another colour looks more suited as this is just my draft.

Production Diary

10/11/13- The Drafting And The Photoshoot

I have now started to think about the actual product of my magazine and how it will finally look like. In class, we started a rough template of our pages we will create including the front cover, the contents page(s) and the various double page spreads. Firstly I researched other music magazines for ideas to help me make my contents page. I liked the idea of including many images, different subtitles for sections and an editor's note to make it personal for the reader therefore creating a closer relationship. We created our templates in InDesign so we could place boxes where our images would later go.

This week I also had my photoshoot with my model Vanessa. I made sure I brought in appropriate outfits and props to make my photo shoot look realistic and interesting. I took a range of shots including close-ups, mid shots and long shots as this would create different effects and I needed these to use on various pages of my main article. I thought my photo shoot was an overall success as I ended up with many great looking photos, all ranging in facial expressions and body language.

After, I also made note of what I would write on my contents page and what sort of text I would include. I therefore wrote the title of certain sections of the magazine and their subtitles explaining what each page would be about. I also typed up what would be on the cover and my editor's note.

Contents Ideas

 On The Cover:-
 .Top 10 Tracks of 2013
Who's made it onto this years list?
.A-Z Of Gig Listing
The only gig listing you'll ever need
.The Fray
The meaning behind the lyrics
.All Time Low reveal all
The band reveal all about touring, shows and fame
.Indie Queen Vanessa Wanner (the main feature)

(also have a list of artists on the cover including Mumford and Sons, Of Mosters and Men, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, The Script, The Fray, Imagine Dragons, Arctic Monkeys, Rihanna, Lawson, The Vaccines, Evanescence, Bastille, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Paramore, The Pretty Reckless, My Chemical Romance)

Regulars:-
.The Ultimate Fan Review
Fans from around the world share their opinions on this week's most exclusive indie album
.Rate Or Slate?
We give our reviews on the biggest indie stars of all time
.The (magazine name) Test
Take our quiz and find out how much you really know about your music
.100% Gigs
We head to the latest gigs and supply all the inside gossip
.Lives
Reviews from this month's London shows
.The Last Word
Fans send in their letters to (magazine name)
.Win Win Win
Your chance to win this week's hottest prizes
.Artist Of The Month
Who proved to be succesful this issue

Features:-
.View The Music
The greatest music videos ever
.One Republic: Living The Dream
One Republic tell us all about their experience within the music industry and life in the lime light
.Mary: Rise To Indie Stardom
The stylish star talks about her latest single
.A Trip To Reading
Our writers head down to the most famous festival in history
.You Me At Six
Behind the scenes on their world tour
.Lawson
Lawson get down and personal
.Paramore
The coolest band around give us a lesson in music
.Upcoming Bands
The artists you need to hear!
.(magazine name) Awards
Your votes are in
.The Pretty Reckless
We get to know Taylor
.Lorde
The young star on her hit 'royals'

Editor's Note: Hello readers! This fortnight we've had the exclusive chance to interview new indie queen Vaneesa Wanner. We get the lowdown on her latest album and talk to her about her successful rise to stardom. Make sure you also check out our gig listing on page 24 and let us know about your own opinion on our cover star by getting involved on page 72. Hope you enjoy the latest issue, till next time! Chelsea x

Production Diary

03/11/13- Learning About New Media

During this week, I did a lot of research into new media and the ways I can gain distribution through my music magazine. I researched how new media is affecting the youth today and looked at shocking figures of how much teenagers and young adults use this type of media daily. I also found out about how social media websites like Facebook and Twitter are so popular by the way they help people get involved and interact with others. Moreover I researched more websites and computer multimedia such as Youtube and how this is important in the way it contributes to the music industry.

 I then linked all these aspects of new media which I learnt about to how this would help me when making my own target audience get involved with my magazine, if it’s through the magazine’s own website or their various digital interactive content.

New Media

New media from chelseaharper

Proposal Feedback

 

 This is my proposal feedback I received from a fellow student. By gaining feedback from others, I can see on the ways I can improve my work and look at this for future reference. It is also good to receive opinions from other media students as they know about the topic and will be able to give you useful and relevant information.