Practice

Testing my cover

In order to have a better idea for the cover of my magazine I have put together a test cover to help me decide where to position text, images, masthead, etc...

I drew an image of an ideal cover model in Photoshop using a graphics tablet and then took it to Pixlr where I added the text and extra images (which were found on Google)

I'll probably use a very similar design for my final outcome, sticking with the dark colour palette and general text arrangement. I'll also need to get a photograph of a real model looking similar to the one in the picture.

Alternative Music

The reason I have been looking at grunge is because it is listed among other alternative music types, including rock, punk and Indie rock.

I intend for my magazine to contain elements of a few different alternative genres, mostly Indie rock however.

LIST OF TYPE OF MUSIC | MUSIC GENRES

• Alternative
  • Art Punk
  • Alternative Rock
  • College Rock
  • Experimental Rock
  • Goth / Gothic Rock
  • Grunge
  • Hardcore Punk
  • Hard Rock
  • Indie Rock
  • Lo-fi
  • New Wave
  • Progressive Rock
  • Punk

A lot of elements of the grunge era have also been carried into todays youth, and are widely popular among my 'struggler' audience. Some music today also contains features of the genre and incorporate them into modern music.

 

History of Grunge

The History of Grunge

Grunge is associated with the alternative music genre, particularly alternative rock with first emerged in the mid 1980's in America, especially in Seattle, where its other name (Seattle Sound) originates from. It revolved around the independent record label and in the 90's it had become widely popular. Bands most famous for contributing to this movement are Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Grunge rock became the most popular form of hard rock at the time. 

Grunge is often identified for its guitar sounds that use high levels of distortion, and also 'fuzz'. However, it also involves much slower tempos, dissonant harmonies, and more complex instrumentation—which is reminiscent of heavy metal. Lyrics are typically angst-filled,often addressing themes such as social alienation, apathy, confinement, and a desire for freedom. This fits in with my target audience, the 'Strugglers' and 'Explorers' as they seek escape. 

A man named Paul Rambali first used the term 'grunge' in 1978 in an issue of NME to describe mainstream guitar rock however Mark Arm, the vocalist for the Seattle band Green River—and later Mudhoney—is generally credited as being the first to use the term grunge to describe this genre of music. 

Grunge

Grunge

Looking at the Grunge style, I have done some research and recreated some images in this style as I will be using it for my magazine.

The images I have found usually show dark colours with a faded effect and rarely ever contain bright, vivid tones. Usually quite dark in nature as well, with a slight hint of underlying bliss or peacefulness.

My own 

I have done some images in the style, to try and experiment with what I'll need for my magazine. Grunge is all about looking depressing and 'edgy'. Using Pixlr I gave the images a more gritty look and darkened the colours, adding filters and dusty-looking overlays.

The cigarette is NOT real it is in fact a lolly stick from a Chupa Chup but I used it because it added to the 90's, rebellious grunge vibe.



Experimenting

Experimenting with image editing 

After:

Before:

Using Pixlr I have done some more experimenting with editing my own photographs, just to get some more ideas for the images that will be included in my magazine. 

Before:

After:

Photoshop CS5

Using Photoshop I have made more
drastic changes to images, as it has a wider range of tools.

For this particular edit, I cut out the background and added an image behind. After this I added transparent gradients to make the lighting appear on the upper layer (Containing the floating, cut-out image of the person) . I added a microphone to the hand and also made the lights appear brighter and more blurred by adding a layer of white paint and using a gradient blur to give them more of a glow.

For background image used:

( http://www.lizzydavisphotography.com/sites/default/files/photography/P1290126-Edit.jpg ) 

More content

Making-up an Artist

In order for my magazine to only use primary content that I have acquired myself, I must invent a person to feature on my double page spread. 

And so, Jonathan is born.

 Using the criteria for my target audience, I created a character who would appeal to them. A lot of Indie music is done by male singers and features a grungy, 'edgy' looking crew or solo singer.
By creating this character, I can now produce my own content including my own images, interviews, songs and so forth.
His personality

• Pretentious
• 'Edgy'
• Dark
• Emotional
• Struggler 
• Rebellious 

Jonathan Samn is meant to be a representative for my audience to give my magazine the 'Indie grunge' vibes and also allow me to experiment and create a lot of content.

Working together with my friend who plays the role of Jonathan, Sam Pidgeon, I have also created a pretend album to use as reference in my content.
'Cloud 9' is an Indie pop album featuring nine tracks, three of which we have named. This 'album' is again meant to appeal to my target audience, especially the 'Strugglers'. The 'Explorers in my audience will also enjoy the character and his album as it is intended to be new and niche.

Content

Content

Front page

• Mid-shot image of a model who represents the target audience, sporting the Indie/grunge style
• Cover lines 
• Yusuf: The facts
• An interview with Jonathan
• Ironic Shout: On Tour

Contents
Images of models/artists and a list of all the pages along with information about the magazine and a note from the author.

Double-Page spread

Interview with made-up artist, Jonathan Samn, about an upcoming album. For this I shall interview a friend who will play the role of Jonathan to allow me to create a realistic, authentic interview. He will also serve as a model for the images on this page and for the album cover of the made-up album I will create for this project. 

Interview

Me: Okay hello, I'm here with Jonathan Samn, the one and only!
Jonathan: Hey.
Me: So you've got a new album coming out, haven't you?
Jonathan: Yeah, pretty excited. It's quite auto-biographical I must say. It's very emotional.
Me: So what are the songs featured on the album? I know there's 'Tripping Off', which everyone is very excited about.
Jonathan: Yeah, it's about my descent into a pit of unhappiness. It's very emotional. It details a very important moment in my life, I don't want to go into it but basically my mum died. Yeah, died of a pretty gruesome car accident. I said I wasn't going to go into details but I think it's too late now. 
Me: If you don't want to talk about it that's fine.
Jonathan: No I'll talk about it more. She was in hospital, dying a lot. I don't care, you need to hear my story. If you don't want to hear about it it's in my album. Listen to it, it's £12.9, a bit pricey but that's the price you pay for a harder life.
Me: Did it take you a lot of work for this?
Jonathan: Yeah, all my life basically. For this. It's an artists dream to be able to produce something which puts your soul into it. I feel like without this album I am nothing.
Me: Your fans are very excited, can you tell them anything about it?
Jonathan: There's a bonus track, about my rebirth. 
Me: That's very deep.
Jonathan: Yeah, a rebirth into my new life, that I am in now, or will be going to soon. You better be excited for it, it's called 'Death'.
Me: So what was your inspiration for this album?
Jonathan: Basically some hard times in my life, a sequence of events which lead to my downfall, it's b****y hard. 
Me: So it's called 'Cloud 9', what's the meaning behind that?
Jonathan: Well when people are happy they say they're on cloud nine. I've never been that happy. But I feel like I was that happy last year, but now I'm not that happy an it's about my descent into that unhappiness. 
Me: That's very deep. How does this album differ from your previous releases?
Jonathan: It's a bit more auto-biographical, a bit more grungy, got harsher sound to it to reflect the harsher stages of my life but I think this is my best album yet.
Me: I think so too.
Jonathan: Thanks, you should think that.
Me: When do you think you'll be going on tour again?
Jonathan: Oh I don't know if I can manage a tour, but I will manage it for my fans. March 25th to August 28th, that's my tour dates. But I don't think I'll be able to make it, I'm not sure, but make sure you come. I'm in Birmingham, London, Glasgow, all around the UK and Worldwide. But I don't know because I'm so sad at the moment.
Me: Well I hope you're able to make it that tour. 
Jonathan: The tickets are on sale tomorrow.
Me: What can you tell me about the other songs on your album?
Jonathan: 'Rock Bottom', it's got a few euphemisms in there about my life and who I am, and 'Falling Slowly', ah that song. It's a slow song, it's a break in the middle of my album from all the harshness, a kind of euphoria in falling into this sadness when I liked to be sad and I was fine with it. I was kind of falling slowly into a depression and it's very deep.
Me: I feel like this album really reflects what you're going through.
Jonathan: It does.