Coursework: Print brief research and planning

Research and planning blog tasks

1) 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) and research music magazine key conventions. For each one, pick out one design idea, convention or image/text style that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off:

1) i love that it is a close up and her face is the main image

2) The styling of the cover lines and the placement, the fun bubble font, the back and white style

3) I love the consistent use of blue 

4) i love that billboard always have a catchy main cover line that describes their artist

5) i like the placement of the billboard label

2) 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?

 

1) Nicki Minaj placed at the centre of the double page spread with the interview placed around her

2) The colours black, white and pink throughout the print to establish a house style

3) The border of lights surrounding the page

4) How there are smaller images of Ariana Grande at the bottom corner of the page

3) Find at least five magazine contents pages - ideally from music magazines - from Google images. How are they designed? How are images used alongside text? How are page numbers displayed? 

1) This contents page is simple with the image dominating the page. The colours grey and black and present throughout

2) This contents magazine is similar to the first with repeated colours of grey, red and white. The image is also dominating the page with the contents placed over the image

3)This contents page has more than one image and the contents are placed in different sections

4) This contents page has multiple images all spread throughout two pages. The contents are only on the sides of both pages 

5)The last content's page has a nice spin on the design of the heading. 

4) 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. 

Planning and sketching

1) Plan the content and cover lines for your front cover:

• Title: The music journal
• Slogan:
• Cover image: My artist lying down with her guitar surrounded by ripped journal pages
• Main cover story/main flash: Indie Pop's prodigy, Selene Nyx
• Additional cover lines: The female voices podcast discuss the new favourite pop girls climbing the charts, Behind the scenes of Ariana Grande's latest music video, Musician to LV Designer: Pharrell William's journey to conquering Paris Fashion Week, How Tiktok supports indie artists, Exclusive look into the Grammy's 2025: 'Who's sitting where?'
• Additional two smaller cover images: Studio shot of podcast, a studio shot of a fake music video 'behind the scenes' 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects: pinks, red, beige, roses, kiss marks, stamp

2) Plan the images you will use for the front cover - use the elements of mise-en-scene (CLAMPS). One main image and two smaller images required to meet the minimum content in the brief.

front cover

• Front cover: Artist biting a rose
• Behind the scenes of a music video: cameras and lighting props, director and artist discussing scenes
• Podcast: two podcasters in the middle of a talk with a speaker between them

• Double page spread: artist lying on the floor with guitar across chest- close up on her and guitar. Papers with lyrics covered and surrounding her
• Close up of artist

3) Plan the content for your inside page feature:

• Subject of feature: 'From love letters to your playlist', signed Selene Nyx
• Main image: Picture of artist
• Smaller images (need minimum of four across the three pages) 
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects: Grey and green

4) Write the 400 word interview feature you will use for the inside page spread. This must be 100% original and written by you. It may help to use a Q&A approach to this interview.  

Introduction:

She started her journey with lost emotions and scribbles on the page, Selene Nyx is now ready to share her words with the rest of the world as she heads off for her debut tour. Listeners have been enchanted by the indie pop novice's raw vocals and storytelling abilities. Her title track '21' expresses feelings of nostalgia, growing up and vulnerability. These relatable themes have made the single all the more popular. Selene joins us to discuss her creative process, the driving forces of her music and her recent partnership with Converse.

Q:Your Music seems so personal to you Selene, what led you to writing songs to begin with?

A: Well, I was always told to write things down. From journaling about my day to who I had a crush on at school. My journals are almost like love letters to myself. As I got older I took an interest in poetry and they always reminded me of songs because of how deeply personal they are.

Q: Let’s talk about your latest music track 21, what's the story behind it?

A: The song is about losing someone you thought would never leave. I wanted to bring to life that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia and show people that being vulnerable and experiencing those raw emotions in the moment is how you get past things.   

Q: I feel that these themes were captured perfectly in the music video, what was your vision for it?

A: I wanted it to feel familiar for the people watching because this is a topic everyone can relate to in some way. It’s kind of like a home video of my journal as the presence of the person is felt throughout the music video

Q: Do you have any artists that have influenced your creative process?

A: Definitely, I grew up obsessed with Imogen heap. She is a pioneer in production and is the reason I write my own music. Goodnight and Go is one of my favourite songs of all time. 

Q: When making music, are you in the studio with a team or do you prefer producing alone?

A: It’s never the same honestly, sometimes I'm up writing in the middle of the night but when creating melodies I like to have a second opinion. It’s always a team effort, making music is a collaborative art that’s the beauty of it.

Q:  Congratulations on the tour, How are you feeling?

A: I’m so excited but I would be lying if I did not say that I'm also really nervous. I am so thrilled to be meeting and performing for the fans that have followed my journey on social media but it has been me and my journal for a while so it will take some getting used to for sure. 

Q: Touring can be both physically and emotionally taxing, how have you been preparing?

A: I have a great support system with me and I will be touring with my band so it kinda feels like me and my friends are on a road trip. I am also focussing on protecting my vocal cords and that means drinking a lot of warm water

Q: You have partnered with Converse. Tell us a bit about that?

A: Well it was crazy that they reached out and offered a sponsorship deal. I felt that their brand suited my music well. They prioritise authenticity and we definitely have that in common. The grey pair are my favourite and they make an appearance in the music video too.

Q: So looking forward now, what’s next for Selene?

A: Definitely more music, I don't want to give too much away but the album is coming soon and I hope people resonate with it and keep on listening.

Q: Lastly, if you could tell your younger self something you have learnt, what would it be?

A: I would tell my younger self to feel everything, even if it hurts because there is a lesson learnt in every experience. Good and bad ones.

A poetic conclusion to tie things together. Selene’s songs start out as love letters to herself but now she sends them off to you. Signed, Selene Nyx

5) Plan and write the text for your contents page. This will need to include a range of features and interviews that are not related to your artist but that do fit your target audience and brief (mainstream music magazine). 

• Grammy winners
• Best music videos from 2024
• Country music takeover
• Rap Music in the 2000's
• Lady Gaga's influence in the years

6) Research and select the font or typography you will use for your magazine. This is a critical element of your print work - the brief requires a consistent house style running through all of your pages. 

Montserrat black, liber

7) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover design and scan it/upload a picture to your blog.

8) Produce A4 sketches of your inside page feature with clear layout of where headline, subheading, images and text will appear on the pages. Scan or upload a picture to your blog.

9) Produce an A4 sketch of your contents page design and scan it/upload a picture to your blog.

10) Finally, create the pages in Adobe Photoshop or InDesign so you have the documents ready to go in terms of adding your text and images. This will need to include:

• A4 portrait for front cover
• A4 portrait for contents page
• A3 landscape for double page feature

Photoshoot

1) Who do you need to photograph for your front cover and inside page images? Remember, you need seven original images across the whole print production. 

Myself, and two other people for the podcast cut out

2) What camera shots do you need? Write a shot list or draw a storyboard for your photoshoots. Make sure you plan a variety of camera shots you will look to capture - medium shots, close-ups etc.

High angle shot, medium shot for both smaller images


3) Plan the mise-en-scene. What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoots?

• Speaker
• Guitar
• headphones
• ripped notes with lyrics written on them

4) Finally, note down the time and date for your photoshoots. This may be inside or outside school (or a combination of both). You will have Media lesson time for this after the mock exams.
Monday, 3rd of feb- in school

Statement of Intent

1) Once you have completed your print research and planning, go back to your statement of intent and make sure you have included the print brief in your final draft. Then, submit the final draft statement of intent to your teacher. The due date for this will be confirmed by your coursework teacher.