question 1A re-write

Media A2 exam – question 1A

For my AS and A2 coursework I had to create a music magazine which went by the name of ‘Ambient’. And a music video in which I used an indie/rock band called ‘Lost Near Blue Ape’. Along with my music video I also had to create a digipak and a magazine advert.   

The research and planning process enabled me to think creatively and come up with my own design, colour scheme etc; taking inspiration from different media texts. These texts included, Billboard, Q, Rolling Stone, NME and Kerrang. Due to me wanting to create an indie based music magazine I already knew that I would be taking my main inspiration from NME, Q, and Rolling Stone. The overall styling and layouts of their magazines stood out to me. For example: in Q magazine they tend to have the beginning letter of that artists name spread out on the page. You can see how this was applied into my own work as on a single page I placed a giant red ‘B’ for Bethany behind the writing.

To help me get a good understanding on how to layout my magazine, we had to do a preliminary task. For this we had to go out and take our own photos of the school, and create a mini magazine. To help plan out my idea I did a sketch of the front cover and contents page. This tasks enabled to get an understanding of the process of making a magazine.

The planning section enabled me to go into depth about what type of music magazine I want to create. At the beginning I struggled with ideas as this was all new to me. To help me be creative I continued to look at the typical conventions of a music magazine. From creating mood boards and analysing various magazines I came up with the masthead ‘Ambient’. In addition, I also decided on some fonts that I could use. These included: Eras Demi ITC which would be for the masthead and subheadings, and for the main article I would use Book Antiqua. For the layout of my magazine I sketched out a possible design. This helped me to see what the magazine would roughly look like. 

As a part of my A2 coursework I had to create a music video, along with a digipak and magazine advert. My A2 task helped me to be more creative and express myself through the music genre, and shot choices.

For the research section of my blog I chose to look at a range of music videos. These varied from performance, conceptual and narrative. To help understand what type of shots to use, as well as the mise-en-scene I analysed the following music videos: Pumped up kicks by Foster the people, The Scientist by Coldplay, and Kathleen by Catfish and the Bottlemen. The Kathleen music video acted as the biggest inspiration. From the shots to the effects that they used. From watching my music video you can visually see where the inspiration came from. As I created an indie music magazine I decided to stick with the same genre and do an indie based music video. To help stick with the typical conventions of an indie music video I noted down the styling of the artist. This included denim jackets, Dr Martens as well as black tops and jeans. I noticed that indie music videos like to use a range of close ups, long shots, especially of the bands equipment. As well as movement shots such as: pans, tracking shots. These are the conventions that I will try to include in my own music magazine.

For the planning section I started to think about what type of songs I could use. I was lucky enough to have a friend who is in a band. They’re called ‘Lost Near Blue ape’ (which is a memorable name), and they have released songs such as Held It Together, and Sleep Deprived. I thought their song Held It Together was catchy and upbeat which is what I’m wanting. Using a real band means that they will have natural chemistry together, which will transcend through the camera shots I use. Moreover, looking at indie music videos I notice that some like to be in dark spaces, as well as showing them perform live. From this I chose to film in the black box room at Haydon School. This is a completely black room and fits in perfectly with the indie vibe. In addition, the band also planned to do a gig. This was great as I’m able to catch the band in their natural element, as well as getting the energy form the crown. Similar to my music magazine I decided to sketch out my digipak and advert designs. This meant that when it came to making them I knew exactly what I wanted to create. 

In conclusion, my creative thinking has improved over the 2 year the course, and has enabled me to create final pieces which express me. The research and planning is a vital part of making a magazine and music video, as you get and understanding of the whole process.