Media Platforms

I decided to add the letter S at the bottom of the page onto a red square in a white font 
to make it stand out more.This also responds to Q Magazines conventions of a magazine ( Lana Del Rey double page spread article). This allows the reader to easily recognise the magazine amongst other music magazines. It also gives the magazine a chance to create a brand that can be used to create other services and media products. Using websites and social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram allows the magazine to distribute and share information about the magazine to the audience.Using Twitter and Instagram to connect with the audience and create a relationship as well as easily notify them whenever a new issue is out, information of interviews and most recent photo shoots etc.. Allows the magazine to stay interesting and be exciting therefore attracting more readers. Having the option to also have the magazine digitally accessible targets the younger section of the audience as the younger generation are up to date with the most recent uses of technology, most people use smartphones and tablets, having the magazine available to purchase online allows the audience to access it wherever they are.

Double Page Spread: Final

Interview:

Interviewer: Hi Banks! Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me today.

Banks: Hello! It’s a pleasure, Thank you for having me.

Interviewer: I know how busy you are so I won’t take up too much of your time.

Banks: (chuckles) Don’t worry about it.

Interviewer: I've been obsessed with your most recent single ‘Better’. I'm always listening to it. Tell us a little about the single and what made you write it.

Banks: Well, ‘Better’ is a very personal and deep, meaningful song. I wrote it reflecting on past experiences, (smiles) I've had quite a few… I wanted to connect to people but in a way that felt more reflective of who I was and not just in a way to gain publicity.

Interviewer: I see, Is it difficult for you to maintain the level of honesty in your work? It must be hard to keep a clear vision.

Banks:  I love honesty and soul and melodic beats that move you and make you breathe a little bit faster. It feels like I’ve captured every layer of who I am as a person and an artist … I’m being as honest as I can. I like my fans to see this part of me. Writing and creating music is a way for me to release and let go of all my baggage, I pour my heart out.

Interviewer: Is that the reason behind you working on your own and not collaborating with other artists as much?

Banks: I feel like when I try to talk to people about it they just don't get it (she shrugs) they don’t share the same views , so I tend to keep to myself and share them with my fans instead. Also I'm just quite shy I find it difficult to approach people.

Interviewer: How else would you describe yourself as well as the music you produce?

Banks: I’m a very passionate person, I'm also quite sensitive I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. I try to keep up a guard when speaking to people and can come across as quite aloof which I've heard is frustrating (she grins) seeing as my music is so deep and intimate.

Interviewer: Music is not the only talent you share, You also draw quite a lot, are you working on a project for art too?

Banks: no-no, not at all, I draw during my free time, I find it’s a good way of releasing stress and a good way to escape reality during my bad days. But music is my main focus, art is just a hobby.

Interviewer:  ah how interesting, There are so many people trying to make it in the music industry today. What advice would you give to an upcoming artist dreaming to make it big?

Banks: hmm, it is a really hard process, I wouldn’t even say I've made it too far up in the industry yet myself. I would say patience is key and make sure you remain true to yourself,. Don't hide yourself and most importantly don’t let fame or money sway your beliefs. That’s the best way to make it into people’s hearts.

Double Page Spread Development

For my double page spread I decided to incorporate the same texture and idea that was used on my contents page, for my double page spread too. I wanted the two pages to flow well and not be too different, I didn't want the pages to clash. My magazine has a continuous reference to the same colours; grey, black,red and white. This is shown throughout all pages of my magazine that I created. Using the image of the black and white fabric that I took and edited on Photoshop, I expanded the image to fit nicely onto one side of the page. This would be a very great template for my interview to be placed onto.

After adding this image onto the page I used the original photo,once edited into black and white and cropped it slightly so the subject of the image attracted more focus. I placed the image on the left hand side as it is the first thing the reader will see when they open up the page, attracting attention as they will be more interested to know what is being said about their idol. The striped background is placed on the right as a base for the interview.

This what the page looked like after adding the lights to the left hand side of the page by the image. I decided to place the lights just above the subjects head, adjusting the opacity and selecting the 'pin light' option this made the lights fade into the background and doesn't retract attention from the image itself. I decided to add another set of the lights onto the next page too. I wanted to continue to create a 'flow' with the lights too as well as my magazine theme.

 

A few of the lights were placed onto the subjects head and therefore looked a bit obvious and unprofessional. I used the patch tool to remove some of these unwanted lights by selecting the area and replacing it with hair or the background etc. The ending result was really satisfying and I was pleased with the results. 

After perfecting the base of my double page spread I then added the text (the interview) onto the page. I made the text fairly small to fit onto the page and placed them. The text was difficult to see at first however after placing two white boxes underneath the text, it became much easier to see.I decided to use arial narrow font in black for the interview to make it clear to see on the page and easy to read. After this I added cover lines, information about the magazine and other extra details onto the double page spread to complete it.

 

  

DPS Analysis

These two images are the structures I felt like using for my double page spread.By placing the text in the certain boxes it made the page look neat, organised and professional. I also placed the letter 'B' in a large black font to show who the article is about again appealing to the target audience straight away.This idea is also used in Q magazine. I chose the image where the subject is facing away from the camera in a close up shot,the background is dark and therefore this challenges the usual conventions of magazines where the celebrity or person usually looks at the camera creating a connection with the reader. I decided to not use a usual shot as I wanted my magazine to be different,unique and exciting and not fit in within the norm. With the subject facing away it shows vulnerability, innocence and other emotions that allows the reader to relate to the article or their idol more easily. The uses and gratifications theory could be applied to my ideas (although generally used for advertising). 

Using Photoshop I created boxes to show where the text should or could be placed on the pages.My ideas changed and have developed since.I tried placing the text in a similar way and used the same image in the same size, however I felt this did not really show much potential. It looked very basic and lacked a 'wow' factor. I feel this was achieved later on after making changes to my double spread. I found different ways in deeply attracting and forming a connection with the readers of my magazine.

Here are the experiments I created using Photoshop again and using images of lights, then changing its opacity and selecting the 'overlay' option. This made the lights fade out and blend in with the image.The blurry images of light were taken using the slow shutter speed on the camera. This meant the lights were not as clearly seen. I experimented using different coloured lights. Using the original,red and even blue. However i felt this seemed slightly un-natural and did not correspond with my colour scheme.

Doube Page Spread Drafts

 

 

Double Page Spread Inspo

I researched multiple magazines within the Indie pop genre to see the layouts of their double page spreads. Magazines such as 'Q' magazine and even 'Billboard' magazine reported on such artists and genres and caught my attention; I particularly liked the way 'Q' Magazine used the layout of the spread to create such an impact on their readers. Using an extreme close up shot on the left hand side of the page, grasping all of Lana's features. The image is dark which contradicts the colours used on the second page. Also Lana's eyes are closed in the image, this goes against the usual magazine conventions in which the subject of the image usually stares into the camera in attempt to create a connection with the reader.The writing about Lana is placed completely to one side, the right hand side to be precise.There is a variety of font sizes, (the introduction is written in a larger font suggesting its importance to be read first) again using black simple font up against a white background creates a contrasting feeling.This therefore makes the page look neat and structured. I decided to use this as my double page spread base and inspiration. I wanted to apply the same conventions and layout to Sanity Magazine.