Coursework: Print magazine research and planning

 Research and planning blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Print brief research and planning' and complete the following tasks to plan and prepare your print work:

1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is a film magazine example but the conventions still apply).

-Logo/ masthead

-Strapline

-contrasting colours

-headline

-image is usually linked to headline

-usually looking at audience

2) Find at least five music magazine front covers (either current or former magazines as many have stopped their print editions) aimed at a similar target audience to your project (mainstream music audience). For each one, pick out one design idea or convention that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off:

The artist is directly addressing the camera with his eyes.

The artist obscures the title. 

The picture is not a studio shot.

The colour scheme is very simple yet striking, magenta always is. 

The cover lines are mostly plain white with statement colours highlighting key words. Also, album art. 

3) Find at least five double-page spread features from music magazines on Google images. How are they designed? How are text and images displayed? What design tricks can you borrow from your examples?

Very symmetrical page layout.

Purposeful use of black and white as well as a reference that will evoke a warm smug glow if you get it. 

4 colour colour scheme. 

Studio image taking up over half of the space. 

4) Find at least five band/artist tour posters on Google images. How are they designed? What conventions do they all feature? How are text and images displayed? What design tricks can you borrow from your examples?

Image that relates to name of album. 

Textured background.

Dates underneath graphic

fancy boarder, relates to the style of the band. 

very dark graphic 

5) Read at least three example music interview features from newspapers and magazines to learn the format, writing style and content for a music magazine interview. You may wish to use the following to help you:

https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/music-interviews/violent-femmes-interview/

https://www.pauldunoyer.com/morrissey-interview-1985/

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/nov/14/popandrock.thewhitestripes

Planning, sketching and writing

1) Plan a title and slogan (sell line) for your new, original music magazine. Sketch out possible designs for the masthead - font, style, colour etc.

title: SCREAM

sell line: A strange and exclusive interview with up and coming artist CYPIS

2) Plan the content for your magazine front cover. Your double-page spread interview will be the main story and image but what other cover lines and smaller images will you include on the cover?

How society brainwashed you into thinking Nickle-back was bad 

"Music gives me a break from my thoughts, listening to it is just as important as the act of making it" CYPIS

Win a guitar 

My chemical romance come back 

3) Plan the content for your tour poster. What image will you use? (Remember it needs to be from a different photoshoot). What cities and venues will your artist play in the UK? This may take some research into venues that are associated with your chosen genre and the right size for your artist.

• The Old Cinema Launderette, Durham.
• St Pancras Old Church, London.
• The Big Comfy Bookshop, Coventry.
• The Old Court, Windsor.
• Stereo, Glasgow.
• Farmers Arms, Penzance.
• The Deaf Institute, Manchester.
• The Salty Dog, Northwich

4) Create a spider diagram or bullet point list of all the issues or topics your double-page feature interview could cover. Remember it needs to include reference to the music video, tour and headphone sponsorship. 

5) Write the text for your double-page spread feature. This needs to be a minimum of 400 words and be completely original and include reference to the music video, tour and headphone sponsorship. Make sure you include a headline, subheading and any pullout quotes or sidebar contents. 


Already having had a hectic day of travelling, Cypis was unsurprisingly keener on conducting the interview in his native tongue, therefore there will be English translations alongside the original Polish

After getting cozy with a cup of tea and chatting about his journey, I began the questioning. 

What inspires you to make music?

Co cię inspiruje do tworzenia muzyki?

Quite often it acts as a way to keep me sane during hard times. When I'm creating I lose track of reality and forget to eat or sleep because it's so therapeutic to focus my whole head on one thing instead of stressing over a billion things out of my control. In some ways this could make me a perfectionist. Mostly, music gives me a break from the drugs. 

Dość często działa jako sposób na utrzymanie mnie przy zdrowych zmysłach w trudnych chwilach. Kiedy tworzę, tracę poczucie rzeczywistości i zapominam o jedzeniu lub spaniu, ponieważ skupienie całej głowy na jednej rzeczy zamiast stresowania ponad miliarda rzeczy poza moją kontrolą jest tak terapeutyczne. W pewnym sensie może to uczynić mnie perfekcjonistą. Przede wszystkim muzyka pozwala mi odpocząć od narkotyków.

What was the concept behind the new album and the tour? 

Jaka była koncepcja nowego albumu i trasy?

Growing up, I was increasingly getting surrounded by abuse. If not in my own relationships, then I saw the people around me being hurt. The album came from a place of depression where there wasn't really anyone I could go to because they were all dealing with the same issues but worse. I want people to know it gets better and there is support for them out there. The video for "Gdze jest bialy wengorz" touches on those issues. I think it's particularly important for Polish people in the UK to see it because they're in a foreign country where they might not know the language too well, possibly stuck in toxic relationships where they're completely dependent on their abuser for communication. This has definitely become an even greater problem due to COVID further isolating a lot of these people from the outside world. 

Dorastając, coraz bardziej otaczały mnie nadużycia. Jeśli nie we własnych związkach, to widziałem, jak ludzie wokół mnie są ranni. Album pochodzi z depresji, w której nie było nikogo, do kogo mógłbym się udać, ponieważ wszyscy zajmowali się tymi samymi problemami, ale gorzej. Chcę, żeby ludzie wiedzieli, że jest coraz lepiej i że jest dla nich wsparcie. Wideo do "Gdze jest bialy wengorz" porusza te kwestie. Myślę, że jest to szczególnie ważne dla Polaków w Wielkiej Brytanii, aby to zobaczyć, ponieważ są w obcym kraju, w którym mogą nie znać języka zbyt dobrze, być może utknęli w toksycznych związkach, w których są całkowicie zależni od swojego sprawcy w zakresie komunikacji. Z pewnością stało się to jeszcze większym problemem ze względu na dalszą izolację wielu osób ze świata zewnętrznego przez COVID.

When I first heard your music it really connected with me but you were still quite underground, how have you grown into an up and coming artist in such a short time? I hope you don't mind me saying but you've been making music for quite a while. 

Kiedy po raz pierwszy usłyszałem twoją muzykę, to naprawdę łączyło się ze mną, ale nadal byłeś dość undergroundowy, jak w tak krótkim czasie stałeś się wschodzącym artystą? Mam nadzieję, że nie masz nic przeciwko temu, że mówię, ale tworzysz muzykę od dłuższego czasu.

Thank you so much. Well, one of my songs blew up as a meme and was spread around in the 11-20 age bracket in the west, which really supercharged my career. Sony saw the potential and picked me up for a contract. Then weirdly I got a sponsorship from Samsung and double checked my contract to see if that was allowed, it was, so I had the extra money to make the music video and tour in the UK and hopefully I can connect with some more people. Whatever profit I make goes back into my music. I think one of my main selling points is that it all comes straight from my heart and lived experience, so people can project themselves onto the songs even if it doesn't quite match their lifestyle. 

Dziękuję bardzo. Cóż, jedna z moich piosenek wybuchła jako mem i została rozpowszechniona w przedziale wiekowym 11-20 lat na Zachodzie, co naprawdę przyspieszyło moją karierę. Sony dostrzegło potencjał i wybrało mnie na kontrakt. Potem, co dziwne, otrzymałem sponsoring od Samsunga i dwukrotnie sprawdziłem, czy moja umowa jest dozwolona, ​​tak było, więc miałem dodatkowe pieniądze na zrobienie teledysku i trasę koncertową po Wielkiej Brytanii i mam nadzieję, że będę mógł nawiązać kontakt z większą liczbą osób. Każdy zysk, jaki osiągam, wraca do mojej muzyki. Myślę, że jednym z moich głównych punktów sprzedaży jest to, że wszystko pochodzi z mojego serca i przeżywanego doświadczenia, więc ludzie mogą projektować się na utwory, nawet jeśli nie do końca pasują one do ich stylu życia.

Wonderful. I definitely get a sense of kinship from your music. Lastly, What are your next steps? 

Wspaniale. Zdecydowanie wyczuwam pokrewieństwo z waszą muzyką. Na koniec, jakie są twoje następne kroki?

 

Hopefully I can keep doing what I love and get a core following of listeners. I've never been too bothered about being rich or famous but I do want people to remember me for my music. Although my life has improved drastically since the memeing and I truly am privileged in my day to day life now, I'd still like to share stories from people who haven't been so lucky. Look forward to some harrowing collaborations.

Mam nadzieję, że będę mógł dalej robić to, co kocham i zdobyć grono słuchaczy. Nigdy nie przejmowałem się zbytnio byciem bogatym lub sławnym, ale chcę, aby ludzie pamiętali mnie za moją muzykę. Chociaż moje życie drastycznie się poprawiło od czasu memowania i jestem naprawdę uprzywilejowany w swoim codziennym życiu, nadal chciałbym dzielić się historiami od ludzi, którzy nie mieli tyle szczęścia. Czekamy na wstrząsającą współpracę.

Thank you so much for your time this has been wonderful.

Dziękuję bardzo za poświęcony czas, to było cudowne.

6) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in planning task 1 above.

7) Produce an A4 landscape sketch of your double page spread design now you have chosen the subject matter and planned the photoshoot.

8) Produce an A4 sketch of your tour poster including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing tour posters and then planned in planning task 3 above.

Music Video Mise-en-scene planning

 Costume

Domestic clothing.

Pajamas, bathrobes

Lighting

Low interior lighting to reflect dark cold winter months. Will be in Black/White so lighting will be important in framing the characters. Lighting behind the woman will silhouette her and create atmosphere. 

Actors/performers

My mum: slow and sad movements while getting out of bed. 

Mannequin head to dehumanize abuser 

Make-up

bruise/ red mark makeup 

Props

bathrobe

pate 

knife

plate

chair

laptop

earphones

Setting
all int

bedroom

stairs

kitchen

living room

Music Video Treatment

 washed out colours, tons of close ups on movement to highlight the tiny detail changes between the cycles

BLACK SCREEN WITH NUMBERS FOR HELP HOTLINES BEGINNING/END

scene 1: 

woman waking up in her bed, husband sleeps facing away, gets out of bed gently to not wake him, puts bathrobe on, goes to make a sandwich, takes plate into living room to watch news (aim to match lyrics TV to shot of TV), turns news on, sleeve moves slightly to show bruise/red marks while changing channel, different shots of her in the same place? to keep movement while showing she's static, passage of time

scene 2:

Cut to her getting up again at the chorus, husband still sleeping facing away, going to get breakfast, breakfast is a pot of yogurt, taking spoon out of drawer, opening the family laptop to turn the news on with headphones on

scene 3: 

Getting up again on 3rd chorus, this time waking the husband up, close up of him grabbing her night dress violently, cuts to eating sandwich in the living room, red eyes, red marks on neck from hand, shaking a little and watching the news.

Music video

preliminary music video planning

Now complete the following tasks:

1) State the song and genre you have chosen for your music video.

Rap/Electronica, Social Realism 

2) Choose at least three music videos similar to your song or concept and watch them several times. Make bullet-point notes on everything you watch, commenting on camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene.

-close ups to domesticity

-cuts from face to face

-bright, fun, colours, irony

-concept of them playing a game because they play mental games in the relationship

-black and white

-dancing

-simple back and forth editing of close up to mid shot

-spliced in with a movie narrative

-contrast between film and cher dancing because of colours, I want to use black and white

-whole video is made of close ups and extreme close ups

-destruction, matches tone of song, I could have a cut away shot of something getting destroyed

-instead of being edited to the beat, the shoe is moved to the beat

-the timeline of shots is not chronological

3) Write or edit your treatment just to include the 30-60 seconds you will make for this preliminary exercise.

scene 1: 

woman waking up in her bed, husband sleeps facing away, gets out of bed gently to not wake him, puts bathrobe on, goes to make a sandwich, takes plate into living room to watch news (aim to match lyrics TV to shot of TV), turns news on, sleeve moves slightly to show bruise/red marks while changing channel, different shots of her in the same place? to keep movement while showing she's static, passage of time

4) Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find an example here. 

-medium shot of woman sleeping in bed 1

-extreme close up of eye opening 2        

-zoom out to her turning in bed gently 3

-shot from the side of her getting up 4

-close up of her sliding feet into slippers 5

-match on action of her turning 6

-shot of empty beer cans by bed and empty crisp packets 7

-long shot of her walking to door 8

-close up of her taking her bathrobe off the door 9

-match on action medium shot + putting it on 10

-close up on door handle being opened gently 11

-long shot of her leaving door 12

-pan to her walking down stairs 13

-bottom of stairs 14

-walk to kitchen 15

-close up of kitchen handle up close 16

-match on action of walking in 17

-camera in the fridge as she opens it 18

-match on action of her bringing pate out 19

-camera in bread bin shot 20

-extreme close up of butter being spread 21

-extreme close up of pate being spread 22

-walking to cupboard 23

-getting plate out of cupboard shot in cupboard 24

-bringing plate back to sandwich POV 25

-close up of putting sandwich on plate 26

-close up of chair being pulled out 27

-zoom out of hand to sitting down 28

-opening laptop POV 29

-close up of typing in BBC news 30

5) Plan your mise-en-scene: what iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre or narrative? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. For this preliminary task, use just one location to keep it simple.

cast: 

       Mum and Stepdad

Costume: 

        Stepdad- Bed sheet

            mum-Primark Pyjamas and a bath robe

Make up: 

        Bruising and red marks (eye shadow could be used)

Props: 

         Sandwich stuff (Polish ingredients, contrasting with BBC news), laptop

lighting: 

          in the dark, so yellow domestic lighting

setting:

          In my house, Bedroom, stairs, kitchen, living room (?)

Summer project tasks

 1) Research: music video analysis 

You need to write a 200-word close-textual analysis of five (or more!) music videos in your chosen genre. For each music video, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:

Music Video 1: Narrative
How is narrative used in the music video and what impact does this have on the audience? Can you apply any narrative theories to the story in the music video?

https://youtu.be/K1xJSV6Mrco

The music video follows a simple narrative of two people who have known each other since childhood. The video starts with one of the three time zones in which we see the characters interact. Using a bracelet as a macguffin, the narrative guides us through time skips to navigate their relationship with each other. Another way the bracelet is used is as a way of linking the 'present' with the far past and establishing that this is a time skip instead of entirely fresh characters. Every segment from the past is played in reverse as a way to symbolize the characters retracing their time together. The order of the narrative is cyclical as we end with the start of the first scene. In terms of Todorov's theory of equilibrium, the equilibrium is the pair being in a relationship, the disequilibrium is them being broken up, and the new equilibrium is hinted at by their meeting at the park. 

Music Video 2: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Use CLAMPS to help you here and think in particular about how mise-en-scene is used to communicate the genre of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4LOTTRoNNc

The music video inspires uncanny valley. The setting of the world is hyper realistic yet the characters we see are isolated in their framing. The way they move isn't natural yet they're all dressed conventionally walking around in their conventional world. The decision to have the skin be shiny relates the characters to dolls more so than people, which is where the uncanny valley feeling is derived from. The setting is a nondescript personality-less city which the characters that are hinted to have depression interact with. The use of such a background makes it so that it speaks for a generation of people all over the world, which wouldn't have the same message if it was set in Paris or somewhere immediately recognizable.  

Music Video 3: Camerawork
Here you are looking for particular camera shots and movement. Remember that movement is a critical convention of most music videos and camerawork can contribute to this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpxJHblYEU

The close ups in this video are particularly interesting because they match with the music to give the vampire a narrative. Similarly, when close up into the eyes, the filter over the video changes as an homage to old horror movies that it's emulating. When the vampire goes on his rampage, the camera movement goes from stable to handheld and gives urgency to what's happening on screen. 

Music Video 4: Editing
Analyse pace, transitions, the number of shots and juxtaposition. How does the music video create pace and excitement - or does it create a different effect for the audience? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAkg4cwJp1Y

 

The fast pace editing with the closeups at the beginning add to a sense of urgency to his situation before the video goes psychedelic with the layering and skeleton after effects. You really get a sense of being trapped through the constant closeups that restrict the amount of negative space in the shot and the fast cutting between faces to establish a connection with the characters.



Music Video 5: Conventions
Think back to our Introduction to Music Video and our work on Andrew Goodwin's theory on music video conventions as part of the Ghost Town CSP. How many key conventions of music video can you find in your fifth music video example?

You can find a range of notable music video examples in this blogpost or you are free to select videos of your choice. You may wish to write more about one video than another but as long as you have 1,000+ words of research in total you will be fine.

2) Planning: music video treatment (concept)

In order to produce a successful music video, you will need to write a treatment. This is like a script - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need choose what song you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's track but it needs to be appropriate for a mainstream audience. 

You can find further music video treatment guidance here plus an example of a genuine director's treatment for the brilliant alt-J video Breezeblocks.  

washed out colours, tons of close ups on movement to highlight the tiny detail changes between the cycles

BLACK SCREEN WITH NUMBERS FOR HELP HOTLINES BEGINNING/END

scene 1: 

woman waking up in her bed, husband sleeps facing away, gets out of bed gently to not wake him, puts bathrobe on, goes to make a sandwich, takes plate into living room to watch news (aim to match lyrics TV to shot of TV), turns news on, sleeve moves slightly to show bruise/red marks while changing channel, different shots of her in the same place? to keep movement while showing she's static, passage of time

scene 2:

Cut to her getting up again at the chorus, husband still sleeping facing away, going to get breakfast, breakfast is a pot of yogurt, taking spoon out of drawer, opening the family laptop to turn the news on with headphones on

scene 3: 

Getting up again on 3rd chorus, this time waking the husband up, close up of him grabbing her night dress violently, cuts to eating sandwich in the living room, red eyes, red marks on neck from hand, shaking a little and watching the news.

3) Statement of Intent

Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.

Although the video will go over the suggested length by a minute, I intend to promote the band through a touching music video intended to sympathise with people living with abusers during lock down. This social consciousness would be an excellent marketing move to make the band appear as if they care about current issues. I will use a wide variety of camera angles and shots in order to highlight how trapped the main character feels within the walls of her house, such as lots of close ups to remove negative space and make everything feel cramped together. Additionally, I will feature the band's sponsor with Sony Headphones in the video in a subtle way to not take away from the intended message. My music video will bring the subject of abuse to the foreground, subverting the media's tendency to create panic about issues instead of aiding in the fight to prevent them. I will be using a stereotypical 

Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this).


4) Ignite presentation

Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:

• Your music video concept: artist, song, genre, narrative/performance/effects etc.
• Media language: how you will use music video conventions, camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene to create meanings for your audience. Remember the key word: connotations.
• Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes in your music video; applications of representation theory.
• Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures - why they would enjoy your video; audience theory.
• Media industries and digital convergence: the potential record company that would sign and promote your band or artist; how fans could watch the video; other ways you could promote your artist (e.g. the headphone sponsorship in the brief).

Ignite presentations have very specific rules: you must create exactly 20 slides with each slide set to 15-second auto-advance. This means your presentation will be exactly five minutes followed by questions and comments from the class. You will deliver your presentation on your coursework planning in the first week back in September.

Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):

1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog) 
2) Music video concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations
5) Audience and Industry
6) Delivery

Introduction to radio: blog tasks

Introduction to radio: blog tasks

Create a new blogpost called 'Introduction to Radio' on your Media 2 Coursework blog and complete the following tasks:

BBC Sounds

Read this Guardian feature on the launch of BBC Sounds and answer the following questions:

1) Why does the article suggest that ‘on the face of it, BBC Radio is in rude health’?

"It has half the national market, with dozens of stations reaching more than 34 million people a week. Radio 2 alone reaches 15 million listeners a week and for all the criticism of the Today programme (“editorially I think it’s in brilliant shape,” says Purnell), one in nine Britons still tune in to hear John Humphrys and his co-presenters harangue politicians every week."

2) What percentage of under-35s use the BBC iPlayer catch-up radio app?

"just 3% of under-35s use the iPlayer catch-up radio app"

3) What is BBC Sounds?

"a new app and website that formally launches on Tuesday with a glitzy event at Tate Modern. It will bring radio livestreams, catchup services, music mixes and podcasts together under one roof."

4) How do audiences listen to radio content in the digital age?

"Convincing people to break their existing habits and put their trust in a BBC-only app will not be easy. Spotify has started to include a large number of podcasts – including BBC material – directly in its app and a growing number of people listen to the radio via voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa. Although there is the prospect of commercial radio being added later, industry voices have raised concerns that the app is a solution in search of a non-existent problem."

5) What does Jason Phipps suggest is important for radio and podcast content aimed at younger audiences?

"He says there is a need to reconsider the entire tone of how the BBC tells stories, shifting away from rigid formality if it wants to attract the precious under-35 audience: “It has to be a warmer, more story-led journey. You need to report the very personal experience of it.

BBC Sounds listeners will get personalised recommendations.Photograph: BBC

“The very best stories are fundamentally anchored around the personal experience. You’re trying to find the human in the machine. Journalists have a process but younger audiences can find that very cold and want to access the actual response of human beings. They really want to understand the heart of the story.”"

6) Why does the BBC need to stay relevant?

“You have to win the case for free speech over and over again,” he says. “For the last few generations people have taken it for granted. It’s absolutely core to us to present everyone with that wide range of views. That doesn’t mean you have to suspend your judgment.”

Now read this review of the BBC Sounds app.

7) What content does the BBC Sounds app offer?

"The big idea is that you download the app and then go to BBC Sounds for anything audio (apart from long-form audio books). Music, news, drama, documentaries, true crime, comedy – if you want it in your ears, you start with the orange button."

8) How does it link to BBC Radio?

Lets you listen to live BBC radio

9) What are the criticisms of the BBC Sounds app?

"The BBC has thousands of amazing audio programmes! If you browse podcasts via, say, the Apple Podcasts app, you have 16 categories to choose from, and within each, at least 20 series to try. Sounds needs to feel as packed as Netflix in order to properly work."

10) Two new podcasts were launched alongside the BBC Sounds app. What are they and why might they appeal to younger audiences?

End of Days and Beyond Today

ShoutOut Network

Read this Huffington Post feature on the Shout Out Network and answer the following questions:

1) What is the ShoutOut Network?

a London-based network of diverse podcasts

2) What podcasts are offered by the ShoutOut Network?

They have seen continual growth to their roster of conversational shows adding pop-culture literature podcast Mostly Lit, carefree comedy duo Two Fools Talking, theatre and music aficionados Artistic State of Mind and brand new football show Top 4mation.

3) What audience do they reach?

20,000 listeners per month, of which 92% are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities

4) What are the 2015 statistics on podcast listening in the UK?

from autumn 2015, 3.7 million adults listen to podcasts which equate to around 6.5% of the adult population.

5) The article suggests podcasts are ‘picking up more steam’. Do you think podcasts the future of radio?

I really do believe podcasts are the natural evolution of Radio as they can be consumed on demand and do not require the listener to sit and watch. Quite a lot of people are making a U-turn back to audio based media because of the convenience.