Pre-production Planning - Interview

The content of the interview must cover at least one full page, as well as giving an insight into the artist's life. A clear purpose should be maintained, with all questions relating to the music industry and/or significant current event.

As we are able to construct an artist for the purpose of the magazine, the focus of the article will be about the artist's recent career success and the challenges from their peers which they faced along the way. Open-ended questions which offer scope for a long answer will be used.

Main Article:
• With a grammy and two gold discs, do you feel you've succeeded?
• Do you think that being on the cusp of an increasingly popular mainstream genre helped your success?
• Do you think that fame is a burden?
• Are you really that ruthless?
• Why do you not like doing interviews?
• How do you deal with the negativity?
• Do you care what people think about you?
• Did you ever doubt yourself?
• What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Pre-production Planning - Classic Rock

From looking at various print publications, it is rare to have the questions written in bold exactly as they were asked. In this article from Classic Rock, the questions are blended seamlessly into the article, or simply left out and replaced with a background to the answer.

My favourite article structure is that of Classic Rock's, which uses third person (shown in red) to offer a background of an answer, before switching to first person (shown in blue) for the answer, and occasionally the injection of a question. The juxtaposition of these two offer varied viewpoints, with the third person giving insight into the situation, and the first person giving the artist a voice, bringing the article back to the present. Should the whole article have been in first person, the focus of the article would have been shared between the interviewer and the interviewee. This conflict would have been distracting, and obscured the purpose of the article.

Despite this, I believe a more structured question and answer model would be more effective for my target audience. By keeping the information in chucks this breaks up what could be a daunting body of text.

The fluidity of this extract has inspired me to ask questions in a chronological order, with the questions eventually building to the main chunk of the interview; relating directly to the cover line and contents page text.

At the same time, this extract has shown the importance of long answers from the artist, so open-ended questions which I already have an idea of what the answer will be allow me to structure the article further.

Pre-production Planning - Time Magazine

The interesting format of this interview is unique and one which could be replicated within my own publication. By limiting the interview to 10 questions, this relieves pressure on the artist to give lengthy answers, as well as providing a wealth of information for the reader. 

Constant reference to the artist's career and previous work maintains the purpose of the article; to inform. This reiterates the importance of maintaining a clear focus of the topic of the interview, as music magazine readers intend to read about music - rather than lifestyle or fashion tips - hence staying true to the genre.

Emma Watson's recorded interview with Time Magazine is interesting in many ways. As well as being physically able to see the reaction of the interviewee, the questions subtly add a comfortable pace to the interview. I intend to include interactive features, perhaps a link to either a video or podcast of my own magazine interview would add a further connection between the artist and audience.

Starting with more physical-orientated questions which have a simpler answer, to later developing more meaningful questions which require thought, the interviewee is not immediately pressured into giving lengthy answers. Furthermore, the first question focusing on appearance - "You look amazing in your new do! What made you cut it?" - addresses current news as well as being an obvious compliment, once again making the interviewee feel at ease.

Perhaps most interestingly is the origin of the questions, all of which come from fans. The inclusion of a sidebar with fan-written questions would involve the readers further, enhancing the crucial sense of loyalty with the fans which is essential for the success of the magazine. With 84% of those questioned confirming that interviews the the most important part of a magazine, I believe it is crucial to involve them in this way.

Pre-production Planning - Dropout UK

Entitled "On The Spot" this very candid interview method is appropriate for the younger, more carefree target audience. Relaxed questions such as: "how do you start your day?", "biggest fear?", and "who do you call the most" offer interesting information which fans may not have previously known about. This very informal nature would perhaps not be entirely suitable for a full double-page spread, as the answers received are generally quite limited and not very in-depth. However this open-ended style of questioning could easily be applied within my own publication.

This has inspired me to include questions or 'quick facts' which are more for entertainment purposes to interest the reader further. From a quick brainstorm, I believe the possible feedback received from these sorts of questions is something which could be expanded upon as well as being nuggets of information;

• "Most embarrassing moment?"
• "Time you've felt most happy?"
• "Your favourite musician?"

Continuing this, considering my target audience of 16-21 year olds, similar questions relating to culture and brands which they are interested in would be of interest;

• "Are you fast at messaging people back?"
• "Favourite fast-food restaurant?"
• "Favourite thing to order at Starbucks?"

Pre-production Planning - Poses

I used a wooden model to depict some poses which I was planning to try with my real life model. By doing this exercise I was able to see which poses are more effective, as well as disregard any which would have taken valuable shooting time away.

[From left to right]
1 - I intended this pose for the cover page. Conventionally, a mid shot would be used, meaning only the headstock would be visible in the final crop. This was not my intention, so the suitability of this pose would perhaps confine itself to the contents page.
2 - The most expressive pose, this would rely on the model lifting the guitar above their head at an angle. The angle created mimics that of the double page spread, and a slight crop to a mid shot could be equally effective. I am definitely going to experiment with this pose further to see the effects I can achieve.
3 - As I want the cover page to feature the letter 'A' in some way, by the guitar facing horizontal, the middle bar of the letter is implied. This pose is my most favourite for the cover due to this reason, and one I will try to recreate.
4 - The model itself was quite limited for this pose intended for the double page spread. I wanted to have the model leaning over in the same angle of the A, looking either meaningfully to the guitar or to the camera, as if they were playing it. This gives a sense of energy which much of the alternative rock genre possesses.
5 - Proposed for the contents page, the placement of the guitar in the foreground and the model in the background offers depth, with often the whole image encompassing the forward plain. The placement of the model's hand on it's hip adds attitude which could be addressed later on in the publication in the double page spread. As the guitar is level with the head, this could connote that the artist is putting their music first. I would like to try this pose with the model using both hands and the guitar centred, which could make an interesting cover photo. Also, if the guitar was titled to the right, the same photo could be used within the double page spread, making this a very versatile pose.
6 - Quite similar to number 5, this stance is less aggressive, with the guitar firmly by their side. I don't think this pose is as expressive as the others, although this did inspire me to think about the model leaning on the guitar, offering a casual pose.

Pre-production Planning - DPS Flatplans

See revised flatplans here

Originally, I had multiple ideas for the layout of the Double Page Spread. Firstly, I sketched six original designs, completely from memory. They all contain three very important elements, the title, article columns, and image.

[Going from left to right]

1 - This is a fairly unconventional layout with the image placed at the bottom, and a double page of three-column text above. I was particularly fascinated with partially overlaying the title with some subtitle text. This juxtaposition opens a wealth of opportunities, from making the subtitle partially transparent, to using contrasting colours to make either text stand out. I was planning to have the column text justified to create cleaner margins. Also, I thought it would be unique to have the model laying down stretching across both pages, adding a quirkier attitude which could be reflective of the artist's personality.
2 - More of an experiment, I wanted content to prevail over images, so included a full page of 4-column text. The top-left text box would include information about the images. I find this design too rigid for the publication, and the multiple images do not possess as much impact as a single image.
3 - Taking a more minimalistic approach, I think this layout would be more suited as an introduction page due to limited text space. I do admire the clean lines which are created from the alignment of text, and the full page image allows more creative freedom.
4 - Perhaps the most unconventional, this layout allows multiple stories and perhaps is more suited for a band offering different viewpoints. The odd shape of the image space would be difficult to work around, although the image transferring over two pages could create an interesting visual.
5 - Quite a conventional layout, I am not overwhelmed by this design. Whilst there's room for font experimentation and pull quotes, I think the design is quite limited. Once again though, the large space for the image offers a lot of freedom.
6 - Perhaps my most favourite of flat plans, the slanted image border mimics that of the letter 'A', which forms a major part of my masthead. I have multiple ideas as to how I can model the artist to incorporate this element, as well as possible ways to justify the border. The inclusion of a pull quote adds visual interest, and the large title demands attention. Furthermore, there is enough space for a full article, as well as possibilities to move various borders.

Above is my chosen flatplan for the double page spread. I adapted my sketch to include a subtitle and 3 columns, as well as moving the pull quote to the bottom and in-line with the article text, creating cleaner lines. Depending on my image (either full-shot or mid-shot) I may include another pull-quote or other text in the lower-right corner, as I did on my original draft. I used the same 'A' from the cover page flatplan, adding a sense of continuity throughout the publication. Whilst I am pleased with the overall conventional nature of the layout, I am concerned with the white space towards the top of the 'A'. This may compliment the chosen image, or could be distracting, leaving the spread look unfinished. If it is the latter, I will have to revise the border, and attempt to create the 'A' shape another way, even if it involves a transparent overlay.

Dimensions:
Column Margins: 15mm
Inner Margin: 5mm
Gutter: 5mm
Bleed: 15mm

Pre-production Planning - Contents Flatplans

See revised flatplans here

When creating my College Magazine, I designed two contents pages; an unconventional and design-focused one, and a more conventional one. Ultimately, I ended up using the conventional layout as it was familiar to the readers. Learning from this, I have sketched three designs, all of which use a conventional list and feature at least one image. All designs will feature 20 article titles.

[From left to right]

1 - The most rigid design, all 20 articles are featured in a list in chronological order. The left-hand column features both an editorial and flannel panel, which I really wanted to include. Although, I am worried that the page will look too busy, and the only way to highlight feature articles is by colour, which could have varying degrees of success.

2 - Simplified for effect with a similar design to number 1, the gaps between the article names break up the composition, but limit space. I find the inclusion of the image a slight afterthought, and overall the design a bit bland. I did consider adding texture to the bars, but this would be inconsistent with the rest of the magazine.

3 - Actually quite a minimalist design, the clear focus on images will brighten the page adding a wealth of visual interest. Whilst the article list may not be very wide, the 1 column width paired with the full page length offers enough room for clear 'feature' and 'regulars' section. Triangles derived from the letter A aid consistency whilst adding an edgy touch, reinforcing the modern feel of the publication.

Paying close attention to the triangular angles of the letter 'A' which plays a considerable part in the magazine, I included subtle varying triangles which act as a background for the featured page numbers. Adding to this continuity, the largest box at the top will feature an image of the cover star, and the others relating to their corresponding article and page number. I am concerned that I haven't included a flannel panel or editorial section, and depending on how much space the contents list takes, I may be able to place a small flannel panel towards the bottom. Should there not be enough space for this, or there is more space than anticipated, I would also like to include a social networking panel with links to online sites.