UNIT 51 Magazines- My Ideas for magazine articles and Article plan

1. Biographical Piece on a band/band member- One idea that I was considering was to write a biographical piece about a band. Within the article I would talk about their background, their careers with music and their struggles to rise to fame as well what is going on with their lives nowadays
2. Interview with a couple Band members- Here I would write up an interview with two members of a band to find out the questions that their fans want to ask as well as information that I think would intrigue readers
3. Feature about the bands latest tour and their recent adventures in their lives- Here I would essentially talk about everything that is recent with the band including their latest tours and all the different things that they have been up to on and off the stage.

This will all be written about a One Direction type group. I would like to write this article so that the fans of the band can feel closer to them as a group and as people in general. I also want to showcase the different things that the band would of had to go through in order to inspire readers in the hop that they get something out of it. The types of people that will read will be the bands core audience as they might want to learn more about the band. This will be a target audience of about 12 year olds up to about 30. The band would want to appear in the article so that they can inspire and connect with their fans but also because they may want to change peoples perceptions of them by telling people about their lives and their careers. They may want to let people know about what goes on behind closed doors rather than what people may just see in the public light.

Article Plan- Biographical piece on a (One direction-esque) boy band

Introduction/Standfirst

We learn the real truths behind what drives Can't Say No in their careers and how they came to where they are today. They have taken the 2010's by storm and I finally got a chance to sit down with them and have a bit of a chat about why.

By Daniel Gould

Four years on after initially chasing careers as solo artists who were thrown together as a group act on Britains biggest talent show, Can't say no  have become one of the worlds biggest boybands in history with their fanbase spanning across 120 different countries on 6 different continents. Now tonight they're standing there on stage, with guitars and microphones in hand ready to take down the house at London's O2 arena- only one of many locations on their nationwide tour that they're currently on. Seeing them doing their vocal warm ups and tuning their instruments so wonderfully just goes to show that Can't say no are truly in this business for the love of what they do rather than for the perks that come with the job- although they are an added bonus.

How will the 1000 words be used?
I will use the 1000 words to talk about the careers of the band members pre-fame and how their backgrounds and their attempts at stardom back in the day impacted how they rose to fame and how it effects them as artists. I want to explore their history very briefly in order to give fans an overview of who the band members truly are and to try to get to know them on a more personal level. I will try to use each section to give some information about each band member and each stage in their careers that led up to the bands inception.

UNIT 57 PHOTOGRAPHY- Contact Sheet and Photography Practice

Introduction the task

My task was to take 20 photos of a specific location or object that had a certain subject matter and with those images produce a contact sheet. When thinking about the pictures that I took, I needed to have in mind the rule of thirds and what was going to be my focus/subject of each image. My subject matter that I chose was the London underground and from it I was able to take a lot of photos that allowed me to use these techniques in an effective way.

My Favourite Images from my contact sheet

Image 1- Image 1 was a tunnel leading into the station. As a result there was quite harsh lighting however the overhead lights did illuminate the tunnel for me. In this picture i intentionally split it into three rows from top to bottom showing the floor, the  height at which people walk as well as the ceiling. From this I got better lighting but it also showcased the true distance of the tunnel which if I had just shown the floor or the ceiling there wouldn't have been that sense of distance. What I especially like about this photo is that at the end of the tunnel there are two people who have both turned in opposite directions and in a way these people could be considered the focal point.

Image 4- What I like about this image is the contrast between the left side of the image compared to the right. For one the train doors were open in this shot so the light flows in whereas the right side of the train was backed against a wall. The light flows in to illuminate the carriage. At the same time I took this shot from the end of the carriage straight down the middle to illustrate exact symmetry in the carriage

Image 9- I like image 9 due to the fact that its symmetry is very distinct especially within a train carriage as they are designed to all be the same. The light flows in from outside so it gives the scene a more natural look rather than only having artificial lighting. In terms of how I used the rule of thirds within this picture I tried to make it so most of the seats and window were visible in the shot. I wanted to show some of the scenery that was outside the window so it created a good backdrop for the photograph

Image 19- Since this image is right in the station it was all artificial lighting. This means that some areas of the photo were darker than others which created quite dramatic lighting but also added contrast.The benches in the centre of the image have columns and therefore they drag the viewers eyes right into the centre of the screen allowing them to see all within the image.

Image 20- I liked image 20 because it shows the contrast between being underground and being out in the open. The fact that the walkway is relatively darker than the sky shows this contrast and again the sky gives natural writing to the scene. Also within this image there is a sense of distance and depth as the photo starts from right in front and goes on towards the end of the stairs. The image itself makes it feel like you are emerging from darkness as you can suddenly see the sky.

What did I learn from this task?

• I learnt how to use the rule of thirds, focal points and symmetry and apply it to real life photography
• I also learnt what makes a good picture in terms of real life settings as opposed to something that I have simply set up myself
• A challenge that I faced during this task was that I had to get the timing perfect because a) I was on a train and it was sometimes hard to take pictures when moving and b) Because it was a busy time of day I had to make sure that people weren't obstructing my pictures but at the sam time had to make sure that there were no problems with people if they were in my pictures

How will this task help me in future?

• I will be able to apply these techniques in a more professional manner when it comes to my assignment
• In future I will plan out more what I will be going to do as this task also taught me about planning because it was difficult to take these pictures at a moments notice

UNIT 57 PHOTOGRAPHY- Composition of Photograhs

Focal Points

• Most pictures will have a point that will be focused on
• This is known as the focal point and is useful because:
• It is what the viewer is drawn to
• Adds a sense of depth 
• Constructs the photograph
• A focal point also gives a picture a sense of perspective and how different objects will relate to one another within a picture
• Focal point does not have to be big
• Colour can help here, a splash of bright colour will always attract attention. Colour stands out
• A picture can have more than one focal point
• Two or more focal points can produce a more powerful image because the viewer doesn't know what to look at

Rule of Thirds

• The basic principal behind the rule of thirds is to image breaking an image down into thirds both horizontally and vertically so there are 9 parts.

• You do this either in your mind or using framing features on displays
• The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines than the photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally
• Using the rule of thirds comes naturally to some photographers but for some it can take more time
• The most important questions to ask when learning the rule of thirds are:
• What are the points of interest in the shot?
• Where am I intentionally placing them?
• Breaking the rule can result in some striking shots, once learned it is good to experiment with it
• Keep it in mind when it comes to editing photos later on
• Post production editing tools have good cropping and reframing tools so they fit in within the rules

What makes a good photograph?

• Photographs that stand out from the crowd usually have three elements in common:
• Good subject
• Good Lighting
• Good composition
• What follows are principals of composition that explain some of the ways photographers and artists have composed images through the centuries

Leading lines- If a scene has strong lines make sure the lines lead the eye into the frame rather than out of it

Viewpoints/Angles

Angles should be varied. This is so subjects can be captured from different viewpoints. The camera should be moved higher or lower. For dramatic effect take photos from a birds-eye (looking down).

Lighting

Dramatic Lighting- Adds interest into the photo

Silhouettes- Subject made dark by photographing it against a light background

Symmetry- An identical or near-identical image of its other half. Use of symmetry provides balance

Music Magazine Genre Research

MOJO Magazine

• Debuted on news stands in Britain in 1993
• The first story was about the complex relationship between Bob Dylan and John Lennon
• Ever since the magazine has basically been about all time greats, legends of music and recommended new music of quality and integrity
• The magazine is about the classics of now and tomorrow
• It essentially explores what made music great and the type of music nowadays that is similar to that
• MOJO has been online since 2001

Rolling Stones Magazine

• Bi-weekly magazine that reports on music, pop culture and even politics
• It was founded in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who was a former student at the University of California and Ralph Gleason who was a Jazz critic for a San Fransisco newspaper
• The first issue came out Nov 9th 1967 with John Lennon on the cover
• The magazine was originally a Rock and Pop magazine and help to define trends within the genres. 
• The covers usually featured up and coming musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Madonna. It also featured significant actors, writers and politicians such as Jack Nicholson, Susan Sontag and Bill Clinton

NME Magazine

• Launched in 1952
• NME or New Musical Express is a world known and influential weekly music magazine
• They created the first UK singles chart
• They hosted the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks at live shows
• Brought Punk into the wider world
• They brought light to artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Sex Pistols, The Cure, The Stone Roses, Nirvana, Blur, Oasis and the Arctic Monkeys
• Throughout their time as a magazine they covered a variety of stories:
• The break up of the Beatles
• The death of Elvis 
• The Sex Pistols
• They also covered the death of Kurt Cobain
• Today NME cover different types of agendas such as the growth of Dubstep, Indie music and Indie rock.

Billboard

• Founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegen
• It became about entertainment in the 1900's
• In the 1920's after Donaldson's death the magazine went on to primarily focus on Music especially as they were trying to compete with Variety
• The magazine's brand is built upon it's exclusive charts and reporting ont he latest news, issues and trends across all genres of Music
• They don't just focus on the music and artists themselves but also on the technology surrounding them

Vibe

• Vibe was launched in 1993 in partnership with Time.Inc
• It is an American Music and Entertainment magazine however it predominantly features R&B and hip-hop music artists

David Bailey- UNIT 57 Photography

Introduction to this task
My task was to do some research into the iconic British photographer David Bailey. I had to find out about his history and what it was that inspired and led to him becoming a photographer. I also researched the techniques he used and how he applied those techniques by looking at some examples of his work.

Pass Criteria

A Brief History of David Bailey

• David Bailey was born January 2nd 1938 meaning he is now 78 years old. He was born in London, England 
• He is a British photographer who is best known for working for British Vogue from the 1960's onwards. He worked in fashion and with celebrities. He transformed British fashion and celebrity photography with his use of dramatic lighting effects and backgrounds
• Bailey came from a working class East London Background. He left school at a young age and work in a series of different jobs and served with the RAF.
• As a youth he was told that he had very limited jobs choices. He has said "You could become a boxer, a car thief or maybe a musician". 
• From when he was young he was interested in painting and photography and in 1959 he worked in an apprenticeship at the John French studio where he became involved in photography
• In 1960 he began to work for British Vogue where he worked for 15 years both as staff and freelance. This would mean that he would not be restricted to one magazine or one style of photography and freed him up to whatever kind of work he wanted
• He essentially became a celebrity himself to a certain extent. He was known for his affairs with several known women among them being model Jean Shrimpton and actress Catherine Deneuve whom he married
• He has actually been married four times and has three children

Examples of Baileys Work

The Kray Twins

The Beatles

Michael Caine

Merit Criteria

Techniques

• One of David Baileys methods was to get to know the person he was taking a picture of. He would spend up to two hours getting to know the person and around 5 minutes simply to take the pictures. He would do this so that he could capture that persons personality in the image.
• Bailey's main techniques are his use of background and dramatic lighting effects. This is why his work is highly regarded. He would use these to inject a working class sort of look into his photos
• Bailey always understood lighting greatly, he was not amazing technologically speaking but understood how to take a photograph

Style

• His pictures are black and white
• Graphic
• High contrasts between lighter and darker tones
• Mixed white backgrounds with harsh lighting

Distinction Criteria

Baileys Inspiration and how has he inspired others

• Bailey's inspiration has come from past art and photography
• One person who really inspired Bailey was Picasso and his works
• David Bailey's life and works inspired the character within a movie that came out in 1966 called 'Blow Up (1966)'. The main character is about a fashion photographer called Thomas.
• His work reflects the 1960's British cultural trends and broke down the class barriers by giving his photos a working class look to them. In a way culture and society was also an inspiration of his

Examples of Picasso

Boy With Pipe

My Opinion on David Baileys Works

I feel that his works/photos are quite iconic and very distinct in how their shot and presented. His works would be instantly recognisable to those who are knowledgeable in the mainstream world of photography and that is because of his own unique style. In his works the people he is photographing stand out and this is because of how he has used the lighting and the background in order to bring out specific details in the foreground. As a result it causes very high quality images.

What have I learnt?

• I learnt about David Bailey and his methods
• I learned about his history and what it was that led him to becoming a photographer
• I learned that Picasso was Bailey's inspiration for becoming a photographer
• Bailey was a celebrity photographer who took pictures of some of the most iconic people between the 1960s and the present.

How will this help me in the future?

By looking at David Baileys techniques, style and his portraiture closely I will be able to imitate all of this when it comes to taking my own portrait pictures as it will mean that they end up looking more professional. By using Baileys method of getting to know his models on a personal level this can be something that I could do in order to capture my models personality in the images. I will also look at his dramatic lighting effects and apply this to my own work

Information to Research for the Unit- UNIT 57 Photography

Pass Items

• Name of photographer and brief life history, include dates, places etc
• Examples of their work, include good/bad examples, experimental work, famous/iconic work

Pass tasks plus merit

• Techniques the photographer uses, type of equipment they use, studio/locations, how is their work presented and where?
• What style does your photographer use? Give examples i.e. black and white, specific subjects, special effects etc

Distinction

• What or who has influenced your photographer? Has your photographer influenced other photographers?
• Include examples of where the influences came from i.e. people, music, drugs, lifestyle
• Compare your chosen photographers and give your own opinions both positive and negative on their work and style

Double Page Spread Analysis and Audience Profile

1. Our task was to take a double page spread from a magazine and to analyse the different conventions that our chosen spread has used. I had to use my knowledge that I learned about the different conventions in order to apply them to what I could see within this double page spread. By looking at the spread I could see that it used a number of different conventions
2. I have learned that most double page spreads within magazines use similar techniques and conventions to one another. Most magazines are generic and have a formula that works for them so therefore they have learned what appeals to readers and what will attract them to a specific article. In this case they have used some of those techniques knowing full well that it would attract someone to read it. 
3. This will help me in the future as I will know to apply similar techniques to my own double page spread as well as write my articles in a similar way. I will use these conventions when I make my own spread so the standards of it will be as professional as possible

Audience Profile for a Mayhem Magazine


Who is mainly interested in celebrity news, celebrity culture and trends- Teenagers and young adults


Age- Between 12 and 25


Gender- Any Gender


Class- Working and Upper Class


Interest- Celebrities, Current trends, Social Media, Current Fashion and Music


Why would they be interested?- All people who fall into these different categories will be interested in these sort of things as well as the magazine itself because they will want to stay up to date with all the latest fashion as well as find out what kind of music is current. They might find that music interesting to listen to. They also might learn new things about their favourite social media sites that they will be able to use.


What kinds of things will they want in the magazine?- Exclusive interviews with celebrities either about their lives, any upcoming work or events that are going to be a part of, fashion experts to get an insight into what kinds of fashion is current/no longer current, interviews with music artists in order to find out about their upcoming work or who they could be collaborating with. Artists could also talk about the songs they have written and what it meant to them. Especially now as well I think that readers would want to see interviews with Oscars 2016 nominees and winners to get their reactions