Pre-Production Work

Photoshoot

After planning my photoshoot I took a series of photos of my chosen artist in several "costumes" in order to portray a personality of a pop artist both glamorously on stage and in more casual attire to represent the two different sides of the artist to make her more relatable to my niche market: someone to admire and look up to; and someone who is more down to Earth and more like my target audience.

Along with the initial photoshoot I have decided to edit a couple of images which I think could be suitable for the front cover, contents page or double page spread in order to see how they would possibly look once edited completely.

Pre-Production Work

Photoshoot Plan

For my photoshoot I have decided upon using a simple studio style set up in order to create the most versatile background for my subject. I plan to use a tripod and Nikon D70 camera in order to attain the best quality photos to use for my magazine. My magazine is going to be of the Pop music genre and therefore the style of images I am after is something that feels almost alive and happy. Because of my genre of magazine, I have selected a couple of outfits for my model to pose wearing which help display the style and "attitude" I want my subject to express. The floral dress with the pearl bracelets will be used to add a feminine quality to the photographs and well as showcase a more formal outfit perhaps worn on stage. The tan jacket, boots and blue top will be used to add a sense of the subject being more casual and therefore more like my target audience. By showcasing both sides of my model I will show two different sides to the same artist showing how the artist, although famous, is still a person and is therefore still relatable to my niche market.

Pre-Production Work

Flatplans

Front Cover

My front cover flat plan plays with the stereotypical conventions of a normal front cover of a published magazine: by keeping the masthead at the top of the front cover I am allowing the new magazine's title to be the main focus of the magazine and to allow it to be seen easily in a magazine wrack; I have kept the majority of the cover lines flushed left on the left third of the cover in order to allow them to easily be read by the target audience and I have added some cover lines on the right third in order to add further interest and dynamics to the front cover; I have used the majority of free space around the artist photograph to include the main cover line so that it stands out on the page, and; I have opted to use a Puff to add interest in my front cover and force focus on that particular element to the magazine. 

Contents Page

The contents page has been planned to take up an entire double page of the magazine so that the information does not appear cramped, such as it would do if it was on a single page, and so my target audiences attention will be caught and kept through the use of the visual images that would highlight the main articles, features, and furniture throughout the magazine. By bannering the contents page title across the two pages I am separating the sections of the contents page clearly as well as creating white space on the page so that the magazine does not appear too crowded and messy. I have also drawn attention to specific articles more than others by increasing the the size of the chosen pictures on the contents page. I have also included a letter from the editor to add depth to the magazine as well as aiming the make a further connection to my target audience.

Double Page Spread

Finally, for my double page spread I have kept a similar appearance and theme to my front cover and double page spread by allowing the double page to include some white spaces so that the magazine looks less messy and cramped. I have sectioned the double page spread so that the majority of text, and the whole article, is easily read on the right page of the double page spread with the artist sectioned mostly on the left page showing a higher importance to the artist with the fact that they have an entire page just for their image. I have also decided to include an artist signature at the end of the main article to add a personal touch to the interview and give the interview a greater feeling of true authenticity. 

Pre-Production Work

Written Interview

The new chart topping single “Here We Go” from the classically fresh new album “Unstoppable” by Ella-Naomi has caught the attention of the new generation and has spoken volumes in a world too loud to hear your own thoughts.

I was lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with Ella-Naomi just after her advertisement on KISS Radio where I was able to get an insight to the real life behind a new artist reaching for fame in this fast pace world and what it truly means to “make it”.

The charismatic singer left the studio in her favourite tan, waterfall jacket and tan, heeled boots with her makeup completely done despite being simply on the radio. When we got settled in a dressing room, the youthful singer was able to relax and seamlessly settle into the calm one-to-one environment of the interview.

“Sometimes it’s difficult”, the singer admits after taking the time to sip a glass of water, “But nothing worth doing is ever easy. You just need to find something to keep you anchored enough to keep things in perspective, without losing the drive to reach for the stars.”

Ella-Naomi spoke passionately about her influences and what truly drives her to create and share her music with the world,              “Occasionally I will write about a personal experience of mine, but most of my songs are inspired by my friends, family and things that I can relate to in some way.”

““Unstoppable”. I chose the title as it shows how nothing finishes and there is always something to do and something further to gain,” The singer explains about her first album title, “I believe you chose to make of yourself what you wish, and I wish to be remembered. Not only for the good, but the bad as well, because I want to be remembered for being me, and being real, not what someone has made be become. “Unstoppable” explains how I will never stop being me.”

“And “Here We Go” was inspired by the recent changes in my life that have taught me to progress no matter what life throw at you.”

The singer then continued to speak passionately about her fans and how much they mean to her and her new success saying they are the “backbone to [her] success and the only reason [she is] where [she is] today”. 

“Mistakes are there to make, and there to learn from” Ella-Naomi continues from talking about her momentary slip during her first supporting act to Ella Eyre where she missed the last verse to her new single, but let the crowd join in and share the “electricity”  and atmosphere of the stage with her. “I don’t think I make mistakes, because they become a part of the performance when I am live and they improve the authenticity of the performance.”

Growing up without siblings, Ella-Naomi found inspiration from her favourite singers such as Arianna Grande for her “soulful and relatable” music and wishes to be able to do a collaboration with Chris Brown in the future as “it would bring a new feel to [her] music, allowing [her] to further explore the way [she] makes [her] music and [her] mark”.

Along with the influence of her favourite artists to inspire her, Ella-Naomi also draws inspiration and help from her creative partner rapper Spenny B who “supports [her] through tough times and is an influence in all of [her] decisions”. Their bond is obviously strong with the way Ella-Naomi speaks and “having him with [her] gives [her] confidence whatever the new day may throw at [her]”. 

Despite being only 16, Ella-Naomi has captivated us and has achieved so much in such a short space of time that we are sure she will continue to rise through the charts with her upcoming “Unstoppable” Tour coming this year.

Pre-Production Work

Interview Questions

1. What is the name of your new Album?

2. What is the name of your new chart-topping single?

3. Why did you choose a career in the music industry?

4. Have you always wanted to be a singer?

5. Is your family generally musical?

6. What influences the songs you write?

7. Who is your biggest musical influence?

8. Who is your biggest personal influence (family, friends, etc...)?

9. Where do you see yourself in a year? Five years? Ten years?

10. What's your favourite song of all time? Why?

11. Who would you most like to do a collaboration with? Why?

12. How does it feel performing on stage?

13. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?

14. How much do your fans mean to you?

15. What's the craziest thing a fan has said to you? Done for you?

16. Do you play any instruments? If yes, which ones?

17. How often/ how long do you practise for?

18. What has been your biggest "Diva" moment?

19. How do you handle all of your obligations in your life?

20. What do you do to relax after a long day of work?

21. How have you stayed humble? What's your secret to keeping your feet on the ground during your rise to fame?

22. What's your favourite colour?

23. Do you have any pets? What do you have?

24. Do you have any siblings? What is your relationship with them?

25. What three words would you use to describe yourself?

26. What is the first thing you notice about someone?

27. Are you quick to judge a book by its cover?

28. What's your biggest pet peeve?

29. What do you least like about yourself?

30. What do you most like about yourself?

31. What is your eye colour/ natural hair colour?

32. What was the last thing you ate?

33. Favourite smell?

34. Favourite food?

35. Last movie you watched?

36. Are you a summer or winter person?

37. Favourite dessert?

38. Favourite book?

39. Favourite place to visit?

40. Any special talents?

I have used these specific questions in order to interview and further understand my chosen artist. The first 21 questions are more specifically career based so that I could find out the main facts about the Artist and add relevant information about the music industry and their career within my double page spread. The remaining 18 questions are more trivial based around what my chosen artist likes and dislikes and would be included as added information about the artist on the double page spread in order to add a more personalised interest in the article and the artist themselves to my target audience.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE OF A NEW MUSIC MAGAZINE "POPILLUSTRATE" ON: MONDAY 11TH JANUARY 2016. TO MAJOR RETAIL STORES ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM.

POPILLUSTRATE is a new music magazine for the young generation, teenagers and young adults, combining interests from the unique and modern lifestyles of the readers such as social media and technology as well as sport, gaming and other teenage pass-times within this diverse and accessible music magazine containing new, up-and-coming, classic, modern and unheard of artists.

The new monthly magazine will begin in the new year and feature both well known artists from the charts as well as a new artist exclusive to PopIllustrate. The unique and stylised magazine will begin in the new year and feature a collaboration of well-known artists and a new artist exclusive to PopIllustrate over 34-glossy-pages. The first issue will feature: an exclusive interview with Ella-Naomi, a new artist rising into the public's view with her soulful voice and kind heart; an inside look on the newest chart topping singles; a collaboration of unlikely artists; and a match up of the best gigs, concerts and festivals to attend in 2016/17.

A digital edition of PopIllustrate will be available via the App Store/ Good Play or on the new website once the magazine is published.

For more information contact:
Dawn Allen, Editor of PopIllustrate
dawn.allen@popillustratemagazine.co.uk

Design Inspiration

To begin, from my magazine questionnaire, I discovered that my chosen audiences favourite colours consist of blues, purples and greens, with a few reds, showing how I can incorporate these three main colours to create an analogous colour scheme for the magazine. By using red, it would allow any puffs or important information to stand out on the front cover of the magazine. Also, by using edited colours - not pure colours - would allow my magazine to have an edge and create contrast and sophistication to the design of my magazine. I have looked at the possibility of using deep navy as a backdrop to my magazine to allow lighter colours to stand out as cover lines on the page.

Along with the colour scheme of my magazine, I have also considered the use if graphics on my magazine cover and contents page to highlight specific aspects and add further interest to the magazine. I also feel that the use of graphics would appeal to my target audience as it plays to the idea of a younger audience whose attention is caught through strong graphics and images rather than heavy text. I have considered the use of arrows to help highlight articles throughout the magazine as well as separate images and text more thoroughly so that the magazine flows better.

Along with overall colour schemes, I have looked at some magazine covers that I like in order to inspire my music magazine cover and design. All four of the magazine covers show an image of someone significant to the magazine in a mid-shot to highlight what they are wearing and how it responds to the contents of the magazine. This has given me the idea to show my subject, who will be displayed on the magazine cover and feature within my magazine, using a medium shot to capture their clothing and how this links to what is inside my magazine as well as the genre of my magazine.

Along with magazine covers, I have looked at double page spreads to help inspire my designs. I like the use of having one or a few images taking up one page of the double page spread to highlight my subject as well as show them in a number of ways that help relate to the article. I also like the use of different size typefaces and different fonts to almost decorate the page and help to force interest and attention onto specific details of the magazine and articles.

Finally, I looked at varying decorative fonts and typefaces to add interest to specific aspects of my magazine. I like the handwriting styles of some of the typefaces which creates an almost undone finish to the work and looks more informal - specifically than serif typeface - allowing it to appeal more to my younger target audience. I also like the bolder text which is able to stand out more than the wispy handwriting style font and is able to capture the attention of my audience.

Overall, the layouts, colour and typeface I have looked at will help to influence the design and layout of my music magazine as they have helped accumulate my ideas of what styles to include within my magazine. 

Audience Profile