Production Diary Post 8

In today's lesson I came up with a variety of sell lines that would feature on the front cover of my magazine. I did this in order to display a variety of features that would be included in my magazine. I explained each one and highlighted where I would place it. This therefore describes what sort of content is featured in my magazine and which are the most important articles. I chose to present it on Prezi as it is a professional, neat and organised way to display information.

Cover Lines

Box Out Text

I have chosen to have a box out text called 'The File' on my double page spread. It will include specific information on Claudia that the readers may find interesting. I also think that it will help the readers to create a personal relationship with the artist because it will allow them to delve into her life and find out more about her. I feel that this will intrigue them and will also break up the large article by giving them something else to read.

Name: Claudia Rose Dyer

Age: 21

Occupation: Singer-Songwriter

Hometown: London

Gameplan: "to inspire people and to make them feel as strong as I do through my music"

First Gig: The Roadhouse - Covent Garden

First Record: Blind

First Album: The Calm Before The Storm

Idols: Bob Dylan, Jake Bugg, Ed Sheeran, The 1975

I have chosen to have a second box out text discussing Claudia's opinions on other artists. This will allow me to cooperate other artists into the feature which would widen the audience and the readership.

Mumford & Sons: "I love this band, I think that they have a really distinctive and unique sound. I could listen to them all day, they're really chill. They work so hard and you can really tell! Their song 'Sign No More' is incredible! The lead singer, Marcus, has a fantastic voice and I would love to work with him! They're all amazing, 10/10!"

Lorde: "Oh wow, she's so good. She is only 16 and is so savvy and intelligent. Her song 'Royals' decries the enforced fantasies of magazine culture and rap videos full of diamond watches and Maybachs - PERFECTION! Love her."

30 Seconds To Mars: "For me personally I wouldn't particularly download their album as of yet, but I know that they have a huge fanbase so they're clearly doing something right! I would need to listen to a few more of their songs to be able to make a judgement - I'm not hating on them I just don't know their music enough!"

Extended Draft Article

Think of the coolest, sassiest, most audacious person you know. That one person that has the best wardrobe, the greatest hair and the daring looks. Thinking of someone? Well quadruple it, times it by 64 and add a billion. Your answer? Miss Claudia Dyer. With a fashion sense that screams individuality and a voice that seems to be crafted by angels, this 21-year-old beauty is causing a riot throughout the UK. Her first single, Blind, debuted No. 3 in the charts on the first week of release, climbing to the top spot in just the second week. "Well I didn't expect that, when I was told I just laughed, I thought they were taking the piss!"

 

The half Caribbean wonder was brought up alongside her brother in the heart of London by her Mother and Nan, after her father sadly passed away when she was just 4-years-old. "Everything I do is for them. My Mum and Nan have raised me, my brother is my best friend, and I just want to make my Dad proud." Claudia attended Haverstock Hill Secondary School in Camden from the age of 11 until she was 18. Surprisingly, after achieving a good set of A Level results and being accepted into 3 Universities, Claudia rejected all of them. Instead, she took a job working in a local pub; motivated by the promise that she could perform a couple of songs every weekend. "I thought to myself, what's the point going to Uni when I know that all I want to do in life is make music and sing? That's when I'm at my happiest. Not when I'm being bored to death learning about subjects that I couldn't give a flying fuck about." Claudia's late father was an amazing guitarist, and taught Claudia how to play from the tender age of 3. She explains that it was a 'special bond' in which they shared. "We just understood music, and each other. We shared the same passion, the same warm feeling that I still get every time I play. I could never thank him enough for introducing it to me, but he knows how grateful I am."

 

As a young teen, Claudia spent her free time going to local singing classes, playing the guitar, and writing songs. "I wasn't very popular at school," she explains, "people used to call me weird. I didn't like hanging out with the girls there. All they talked about was how sexy our history teacher was and have heated discussions about which was the best soap on TV. I didn't care about all that crap, it just didn't bother me. My main focus was my music and that's why I'm in the UK top 10, and they're out taking drugs and getting pregnant." Claudia performed gig after gig but it was not until she was 19 that she managed to get a spot at The Windmill in Brixton. It was there and then that she was spotted by Adam Tudhope, the same walking brilliance that represents Mumford & Sons, Keane and Laura Marling. It was through his connections that Claudia landed a record deal with Island Records. "It all happened so quickly. He got my number, rung me the next day, and within a month I had a meeting with the managers at Island Records. Obviously it took a while to finalise everything, but where I am now compared to where I was two years ago is a massive leap. Adam has done so much for me, he's like an extra family member now, we're so close. I owe it all to him."

 

The first time we meet Claudia is at a delightful little coffee shop in Camden. The crispy autum air combined with the sun shining bright makes a perfect scene over London. It's no wonder that this breath of fresh air is so adored by many. Her intriguing eyes, wonderfully fizzy hair and gleaming smile outlined by a captivating plum-coloured lipstick immediately entice us. She wears tattered jeans, black Doctor Martens and a checkered shirt. It is clear she feels comfortable here. She says; "I wanted you to come here because this is where it all began for me. This is where I discovered my love of music and song writing, this is where I would sit and think about everything in my life that I could put into my music. This is where I would scribble lyrics into my scruffy old journal and improvise melodies in my head which could accompany them." We can see why Claudia loves it here, the huge windows display the hustle and bustle of the area allowing an entertaining glimpse into the lives of other people, and the coffee is marvellous. "We came here all the time with my pap. It was his favourite place ever! There was not a single Saturday morning that he missed his 11:00 cappuccino and brownie." The massive smile on her face reflects the happy memories that she describes to us, and her happiness is contagious as we can't stop smiling either! It's hard to believe that this young woman has been through so much, yet is still so strong. We find ourselves falling more and more in love with her!

 

“I’m really excited about my album, ‘The Calm Before The Storm’. I’ve worked so hard on it and I’m buzzing for all my fans to listen to the finished product! This life wouldn’t be possible without them so I’ve dedicated a crazy amount of time and effort into making my album the best it can be as a huge Thank-You to them. The album features 10 songs, all written by me, and a bonus track that I wrote and produced with the amazing Jake Bugg. I love his sound, we’re very similar so my manager introduced us and we instantly clicked! He proposed that we should throw some notes around together sometime, so I contacted him and now we have a track together! It was so cool.” Miss Dyer explains that it was the first collaboration that she has ever done with another artist, and it went so well that they are thinking of doing another one together soon. “I’d love to do another track with Jake, but I know how busy he is! It would be a dream of mine to create a track with someone like Bob Dylan! He has been such an influential figure in my life since I was little. My Mum and Dad were always dancing around the kitchen to his songs, his music brings back such beautiful memories for me. My Mum still listens to him all the time, I really want to meet him so I can introduce them to each other because I know that would complete her life!”

 

Obviously, Claudia is extremely close with her family and she showers them in compliments. They have had a close bond from the beginning and have always stuck together when times have gotten tough. “They mean everything to me. My brother, Zac, is hilarious – there is never a dull moment with him around. Being older, he’s always been protective of me and he’s always been the first person I turn to. When Dad died, he was the one that kept everyone together – he’s our rock. We get along so well and I’m always in contact with him! He loves my career because it means he gets to meet loads of girls! My Nan is wonderful as well, she’s like a second Mum! She looks after all of us, picks us up when we’re down, always up for a chat over a cuppa! And of course my Mum is amazing, after everything she has been through she is still so supportive of us. I love them to bits.”

 

Claudia recently won the Brit ‘Critics Choice Award’. Previously won by artists such as Tom Odell, Florence and the Machine and Ellie Goulding, the award is an honour and demonstrates the belief that other people have in their music. “I literally couldn’t believe it! It shows that hard work and determination definitely pays off. To be awarded for doing something that I love is incredible, I can’t describe how thankful I am. I feel honoured to be chosen the year after Tom Odell. He is fantastic and one of my idols, so to win what he won a year ago just feels amazing.”

 

"I love everything about this career. I love writing down my thoughts and feelings and turning them into songs. I don't feel the need to brainwash young people's minds by constantly singing about provocative partying, fallacious relationships and all that cheesy bullshit. I'd much rather express through my songs the real problems of society like sacrifice, prejudice and the struggles of life rather than talking about a 'shawty' getting drunk in a club. Seriously, who gives a shit about whether or not a guy hooks up with a girl based on the size of her arse?!" The opinionated youngster idolises artists including The Black Keys, Coldplay and The Fray. "They talk about real shit. They are true to themselves and to the world, they don't care about owning a Gucci belt or being voted hottest male of the year. They just want to have their music heard and the message behind their songs received! That's all I could ask for in song writing, none of this fake crap played constantly on the radio. I literally listen to some artist's songs and think, were they drunk when they wrote this? Are they aware of how contradictory and inconsequential they are being? It really frustrates me. There are over 300,000 words in the English language and they chose to throw the most meaningless lyrics together and accompany it with a repetitive 'heard it all before' tune. It's so aggravating! Especially when they actually have a good vocal range!" She laughs off her little rant and takes a sip of her coffee to relax! "I am so sorry haha, I'm just so passionate about music that sometimes I get slightly carried away!"

"Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to be a teen with a thousand problems eating at you night and day. I know what it's like to have a boy you thought you were in love with walk out on you along with your heart. I know what its like to be completely backstabbed by your best friend who you thought would be the one person to never let you down. But I've learnt that these situations just make you a stronger person, and they motivate me to carry on doing what I love, because it's me whos laughing now. That's why I don't write songs about true love or friendships. Yeah I believe in them, and if they happen they happen, but I don't want to give people that have hurt me the satisfaction of knowing it through my music. Its simply not worth it! It makes it seem like I give two shits, when really they've done me a favour and helped me become who I am today. I'm stronger than ever. So two fingers to them!"

 

The singing phenomenon will be touring the UK starting next year, in order to promote her fantastic new album. It will travel the entire country including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Nottingham, Plymouth and many more. Claudia will be performing songs off her new album and a few cover songs with visits from a few surprise guests. “We’ve got so much lined up! It’s going to be epic. It will be my first ever tour so of course I’m pretty nervous but I’m so excited I can’t even tell you!” As well as a tour, Claudia has been invited to perform at various festivals next year. “It will be a really busy year, but I’m looking forward to it. I think it will be really good for me, it will help to gain experience in the industry and meet loads of amazing artists.” She will be performing at festivals such as Latitude, Reading/Leads, iTunes and Glastonbury.

 

We ask Claudia more about her new single, and what inspired the lyrics and the sound. Her unique tone makes the lyrics raspy yet soft, and she also holds a position in a "soprano" which is the highest female voice classification – a very unique talent to possess. “I wanted to express the emotions that I have had to keep bottled up about my family, my Dad, my school life. I wanted people to know what goes on behind closed doors – and why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Hence the title of the song ‘Blind’. So many people are oblivious to what is really going on in the world. They criticise people on how they dress, how much money they have, whether they have the latest gadgets or not. I want the people victimised by this to not be afraid, to want to stand out. The sound was inspired by a song my Dad wrote years ago. He used to play it to me and my brother every night before we went to bed. It was so much better than a bedtime story. I wanted a calm melody, in order for people to listen to the lyrics and think about what I’m saying. I’m proud of it, so I hope my fans are proud too.”

 

Aswell as a perfect voice, a bubbly personality and a gift for music, Claudia is a keen enthusiast on raising money for charity. "Basically, I'm launching a clothing line in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. 90% of all the money received will go towards Cancer Research UK. I know how hard it is to lose someone to cancer, so the more money we raise from the collection, the more we can participate in the search for a cure. It will be available from the 12th December in all UK Urban Outfitters stores. A lot of the clothes have been designed by me or influenced by things that I wear, so I've really put my own personal touch on it. This is the first project I've done apart from my singing and it really does mean a lot to me! I hope that many people will support me on this and help to raise the money. It just feels amazing to be part of something as sentimental as this! I can't wait."

 

Claudia’s album ‘The Calm Before The Storm’ is out December 13^th and her single  ‘Blind’ is out now.

 

Draft article

Think of the coolest, sassiest, most audacious person you know. That one person that has the best wardrobe, the greatest hair and the daring looks. Thinking of someone? Well quadruple it, times it by 64 and add a billion. Your answer? Miss Claudia Dyer. With a fashion sense that screams individuality and a voice that seems to be crafted by angels, this 21-year-old beauty is causing a riot throughout the UK. Her first single, Blind, debuted No. 3 in the charts on the first week of release, climbing to the top spot in just the second week. "Well I didn't expect that, when I was told I just laughed, I thought they were taking the piss!" 

The half Caribbean wonder was brought up alongside her brother in the heart of London by her Mother and Nan, after her father sadly passed away when she was just 4-years-old. "Everything I do is for them. My Mum and Nan have raised me, my brother is my best friend, and I just want to make my Dad proud." Claudia attended Haverstock Hill Secondary School in Camden from the age of 11 until she was 18. Surprisingly, after achieving a good set of A Level results and being accepted into 3 Universities, Claudia rejected all of them. Instead, she took a job working in a local pub; motivated by the promise that she could perform a couple of songs every weekend. "I thought to myself, what's the point going to Uni when I know that all I want to do in life is make music and sing?That's when I'm at my happiest. Not when I'm being bored to death learning about subjects that I couldn't give a flying fuck about." Claudia's late father was an amazing guitarist, and taught Claudia how to play from the tender age of 3. She explains that it was a 'special bond' in which they shared. "We just understood music, and each other. We shared the same passion, the same warm feeling that I still get every time I play. I could never thank him enough for introducing it to me, but he knows how grateful I am."

As a young teen, Claudia spent her free time going to local singing classes, playing the guitar, and writing songs. "I wasn't very popular at school," she explains, "people used to call me weird. I didn't like hanging out with the girls there. All they talked about was how sexy our history teacher was and have heated discussions about which was the best soap on TV. I didn't care about all that crap, it just didn't bother me. My main focus was my music and that's why I'm in the UK top 10, and they're still living off their parents money." Claudia performed gig after gig but it was not until she was 19 that she managed to get a spot at The Windmill in Brixton. It was there and then that she was spotted by Adam Tudhope, the same walking brilliance that represents Mumford & Sons, Keane and Laura Marling. It was through his connections that Claudia landed a record deal with Island Records. "It all happened so quickly. He got my number, rung me the next day, and within a month I had a meeting with the managers at Island Records. Obviously it took a while to finalise everything, but where I am now compared to where I was two years ago is a massive leap. Adam has done so much for me, he's like an extra family member now, we're so close. I owe it all to him." 

The first time we meet Claudia is at a delightful little coffee shop in Camden. The crispy autum air combined with the sun shining bright makes a perfect scene over London. It's no wonder that this breath of fresh air is so adored by many. Her intriguing eyes, wonderfully fizzy hair and gleaming smile outlined by a captivating plum-coloured lipstick immediately entice us. She wears tattered jeans, black Doctor Martens and a checkered shirt. It is clear she feels comfortable here. She says; "I wanted you to come here because this is where it all began for me. This is where I discovered my love of music and song writing, this is where I would sit and think about everything in my life that I could put into my music. This is where I would scribble lyrics into my scruffy old journal and improvise melodies in my head which could accompany them." We can see why Claudia loves it here, the huge windows display the hustle and bustle of the area allowing an entertaining glimpse into the lives of other people, and the coffee is marvellous. "We came here all the time with my pap. It was his favourite place ever! There was not a single Saturday morning that he missed his 11:00 cappuccino and brownie." The massive smile on her face reflects the happy memories that she describes to us, and her happiness is contagious as we can't stop smiling either! It's hard to believe that this young woman has been through so much, yet is still so strong. We find ourselves falling more and more in love with her! 

"I love everything about this career. I love writing down my thoughts and feelings and turning them into songs. I don't feel the need to brainwash young people's minds by constantly singing about provocative partying, fallacious relationships and all that cheesy bullshit. I'd much rather express through my songs the real problems of society like sacrifice, prejudice and the struggles of life rather than talking about a 'shawty' getting drunk in a club. Seriously, who gives a shit about whether or not a guy hooks up with a girl based on the size of her arse?!" The opinionated youngster idolises artists including The Black Keys, Coldplay and The Fray. "They talk about real shit. They are true to themselves and to the world, they don't care about owning a Gucci belt or being voted hottest male of the year. They just want to have their music heard and the message behind their songs received! That's all I could ask for in song writing, none of this fake crap played constantly on the radio. I literally listen to some artist's songs and think, were they drunk when they wrote this? Are they aware of how contradictory and inconsequential they are being? It really frustrates me. There are over 300,000 words in the English language and they chose to throw the most meaningless lyrics together and accompany it with a repetitive 'heard it all before' tune. It's so aggravating! Especially when they actually have a good vocal range!" She laughs off her little rant and takes a sip of her coffee to relax! "I am so sorry haha, I'm just so passionate about music that sometimes I get slightly carried away!"

"Don't get me wrong, I know how hard it is to be a teen with a thousand problems eating at you night and day. I know what it's like to have a boy you thought you were in love with walk out on you along with your heart. But I've learnt that these situations just make you a stronger person, and they motivate me to carry on doing what I love, because it's me whos laughing now. That's why I don't write songs about true love. Yeah I believe in it, and if it happens it happens, but I don't want to give people that have hurt me the satisfaction of knowing it through my music. It makes it seem like I give two shits, when really they've done me a favour and helped me become who I am today. I'm stronger than ever. So two fingers to them!"

Aswell as a perfect voice, a bubbly personality and a gift for music, Claudia is a keen enthusiast on raising money for charity. "Basically, I'm launching a clothing line in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. 90% of all the money received will go towards Cancer Research UK. I know how hard it is to lose someone to cancer, so the more money we raise from the collection, the more we can participate in the search for a cure. It will be available from the 12th December in all UK Urban Outfitters stores. A lot of the clothes have been designed by me or influenced by things that I wear, so I've really put my own personal touch on it. This is the first project I've done apart from my singing and it really does mean a lot to me! I hope that many people will support me on this and help to raise the money. It just feels amazing to be part of something as sentimental as this! I can't wait." 

Contents Page Ideas

For my magazine to look as professional as possible, I needed to include other features to display the variety that my magazine offers. Therefore, I have come up with a few ideas that I can use on the contents page to make it look as if I have a full magazine. I researched artists from my chosen genre of Indie, and used the information I found to come up with short descriptions introducing that particular feature. I found the MTV website and the Guardian music pages very useful to do this. I gathered inspiration for some of the features from previous submitted magazines using last year's coursework blogs, and I also found it helpful to look at the type of features included in magazines like Q and NME.

Front Cover Image

After looking through the images taken from my photo-shoot, I decided to use this image. I feel that is an extremely effective photo as my models hair is big and wild which connotes youth and fun - which is strongly associated with my target audience and the genre of music that my magazine is based on. The bright lipstick on my model's face draws attention to her lips - emphasising the vocal aspects of music and drawing the reader in. I think the close up angle works well as it allows the reader to engage with her as they feel as if they are exchanging eye contact with her. Her flowery top furthur connotes the 'indie' audience base my audience aims to appeal to, as it can be seen as a popular pattern in that grouping.

I used Adobe Photoshop to edit the photo in order to make it look more professional and appealing. I wanted to get rid of the dull/grey effect that the original photo had, in order to make it look more joyful and pleasing to the eye. In order to do this I played with the saturation and the brightness until I was satisfied with the appearance. I also wanted to get rid of the shadows and dark marks on her face, therefore I used the patch tool to lighten these parts. I also used Surface Blur in order to smooth out the image and improve how professional it looked.

Here is a video created using Cam Studio to show the different effects that I used to edit the photo.

Draft Layout

In order to get an idea of how I wanted my magazine to look, I created a draft layout using Adobe InDesign. This allowed me to place boxes where I would like certain aspects of the layout to go e.g. text, images, pull quotes. By doing this, I will be able to drop my chosen images and actual text into the places already set out for them - which will make it easier for me to finalise and organise. I have 11 pages all together: a front page, double page contents, a double page introduction and three double page spreads. I think that this is a good amount of pages as I will be able to spread out my texts and use many of the best images from my photoshoot in various ways e.g. collage, full bleed, boxes. It will create a more interesting experience for my readers. I have started to create my front cover by chosing the image I find most effective and editing it to make it more professional and to my satisfaction. I have chosen to use the font 'American Purpose' as I feel that is bold and will catch the attention of readers, and it is also clear to read and is therefore more effective to the audience.

Production Diary Post 7

During the half term, we were given the task to complete all the research/planning for our magazines. We're allowed to go back and improve on them when we have spare time. This week, we started to think about the layout of our magazines. We created the pages on Adobe InDesign and began to organise how we would like them to look. Using black boxes, I outlined where I would place certain things ie. pictures,text,pull quotes and labelled them to make it clear. I also started to look through the images from my photo shoot in order to gain an idea of which images I wanted to use.

Chosen Images