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:

NME:

• Clear brand image, top left corner
• Text style is consistent, use of primary red and white with drops of black and light blue
• Outfits are simple and similar, white or black

Billboard:

• Magazine title name at a consistent place, varies from white to black
• Shots varies from full body shots to close ups
• No clear outfit style, some are more stylish while others are either not visible or are basic

Music Week

• The artist isn't making eye contact with us, looking into the distance.
• Medium shot of the artist emphasising more her facial expression with a bit of the outfit(neckless and the red shirt)
• It has multiple fonts that give it personality

 

• Tells the audience what kind of music this will be(dark/mysterious)
• He is the main focus of the front cover as he looks mysterious
• Has other celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Kanye West

• It has a colour theme of that being black and red with a grey background
• Direct eye contact with the audience
• Artists name at the bottom

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?

Design :Main actress takes bit more then half the double page. The text is concentrated on the right side. The image transcends into the second page. The Title of the magazine in at the top of the second page. It is deliberately made in a bigger font to stand out. This follows typical magazine conventions and will most likely be something I follow. It has a small quote on the bottom left that hints at the personality of the artist.

Design: This magazine double page uses multiple pictures. This is done for the reason of giving the audience more info about the band. It follows the typical magazine conventions of a big picture on the left that is the main focuses with the heavily concentrated text on the right. It has a quote on top that is one of the first things a reader sees. It sticks to to colour pallet of mostly black and red with a bit of white. The name of the magazine is in the left corner and it also follows the black and red theme. This might be something I will use as my artists colour theme is black and red.

Design: This double page spread is the same brand from the previous. They have their name in the top left like before. They kept the same colour theme even though the rest of the magazine is a grey/white colour with a bit of darker pink. Same magazine conventions of the main actor taking up a whole page and being in the front of the page. However, unlike lots of other he stays in the single page without crossing into the second one. The text is concentrated in the lower half of the second page. It also has a quote that is a question and the it gets answered right after. I might use this the create a sense of personal relationship with the audience.

Design: This magazine double page spread is a bit more unique. Its main page doesn't take up a whole page rather it takes up half of the first page and around a quarter of the top half of the second page. It is more text focused the other magazines. However it sticks with the typical magazine conventions of having the title of the magazine being in the top left of the page. It also has a picture in the bottom right. There aren't that many things that I might use from this magazine double page spread considering the things I have imagined.

Design: This magazine cover is different from the previous ones. The main picture goes across the whole double page spread. The name of the artist it across the whole page and it takes priority over the picture as in it goes over the picture. It has a clear color them of red with a mix of black/white. There is no quote unlike the other ones. The text doesn't blend in with the picture. Also there is no name of the magazine. This might be how I do mine double spread magazine as Neon Echo would fit nicely on a double page spread.

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? 

This content page features the artist 50 Cent on the left of the page. He is making direct address to the audience while almost looking over his shoulder at us. On the right of the page there are the his album songs. There are 24 songs in total and they are all assigned numbers.

This content page features two artist on the left of the page. They are making direct address to the audience while almost looking over their shoulder at us. On the right of the page there is another artist. There are lots of songs in total and they are all highlighted.

In this content page there are multiple pictures. One the left is an artist with her songs to he left of her. They are all assigned numbers. On the right there are couple more pictures with paragraphs on the left and under the picture.

This content page has a variety of pictures. It has the big main picture in a typical place that being the left page as well as taking up most of the space. The songs are dividend, half of them are left of the main picture while the other half is on the far right side.

This content page is rather unusual. It doesn't quite have the typical main picture rather bunch of smaller pictures. It also lack the typical big picture on the left page. 

4) Find at least five music artist tour posters from Google images. How are they designed? How are images used alongside text? Which UK venues would suit your artist or band? Some examples:   

Ed Sheeran's tour posters are made with the picture being the main focus. They capture him singing while displaying where he will be singing as well as when.

Billie Eilish's tour posters are unique in a way that they aren't like a typical singers posters as they don't display when they will be or where but rather focuses on her. They are all about the image of the artist.

Psychodrama is a tour poster that is very well designed. The editing of it tells the audience what kind of performance will be at the tour.

Sam Smith's poster is rather typical. It has him as the big picture and has a bunch of information bellow to tell the audience all they need to know.

Stormzy's tour posters have variety of designs. Some are drawings of him with no information about the tour and others are proper tour posters. They have where the he will be performing and when. 

5) 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. You may wish to use the following to help you:

'I'm an alchemist': Nova, the unknown MC with the Scottish album of the year (900 words)

Rapper SL: ‘When I was coming up, there was nobody else on my level’ (500 words)

Davido on his song ‘FEM’ becoming an #ENDSARS anthem: “It’s amazing to see” (1,500 words)

Tom Vek tells us about his surprise album ‘New Symbols’ (1,300 words)

Interview: 'There's something to scream about': Bring Me the Horizon's pandemic political awakening (1,600 words)

Planning and sketching

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

• Title (must be NEW original mainstream music magazine you have invented): Vibe Pulse
• Slogan: Your Beat. Your Vibe.
• Cover image: Full shot of me
• Main cover story/main flash: Backstory of Neo Echo how he became what he became
• Additional cover lines: What's next for Neo Echo
• Additional two smaller cover images: Not sure yet
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects: Black and red 

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.

The picture of me looking over my shoulder making direct eye contact

3) Plan the content for your inside page feature:

• Subject of feature: Neo Echo
• Headline: Content 
• Subheading: 
• Main image: Me looking over my shoulder
• Smaller images (need minimum of four across the three pages) Not sure
• Font style / colour scheme, additional design aspects: Black and red

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.  

Neo Echo: THE NEXT WAVE

"I just want my music to make people feel alive."

We caught up with Neo in his West London studio, where he opened up about his journey, influences, and what’s next.
VIBE PULSE: You’ve had an incredible rise over the past year. What’s been the most unreal moment so far?
Neo Echo: Honestly, performing at Wireless Festival. A year ago, I was in the crowd watching my favorite artists. Now, I was the one on stage, and the energy was unreal. Seeing thousands of people enjoying my music was like a dream.
VIBE PULSE: Your music blends a lot of different genres. Who are your biggest influences?
Neo Echo: I grew up on everything. My parents played classic soul, my brother was into UK garage, and I fell in love with artists like The Weeknd and James Blake. I think that mix was what shaped my music.
VIBE PULSE: Your style has also been making headlines. You’ve got a collaboration with a sneaker brand coming up. What can you tell us?
Neo Echo: Yeah, I’m teaming up with Adidas for a limited edition sneaker drop. Appearance is a huge part of my aesthetic. I see it as an extension of my music. The designs reflect that neon-lit, late-night energy I love.
VIBE PULSE: What’s next for you?                                      Neo Echo: The album is coming. I’ve been pouring everything into it, and I think it’s my best work yet. I’ve been working with some incredible producers and collaborators, pushing myself further than I’ve ever gone before. This is a body of work that really reflects who I am. Both as an artist and as a person. It’s been a journey, and I want people to feel something when they hear it, just like how music does it for me. I’m not slowing down anytime soon, either. There are plenty of surprises ahead.

With the album on the horizon and exciting collaborations in the works, Neo Echo is setting the stage for a massive year ahead. Stay tuned, this is only the beginning for the rising star.

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). 

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. 

Cyberpunk fonts for the futuristic style (Refinery)

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.

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.

• A medium shot of me sitting down
• A behind shot of me looking over my shoulder
• A regular medium close up of me
• A full body shot of me

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

Black trousers, a black shirt, red gilet, a pair of sun glasses.

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.

05/02/2025 at 11 am.

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.

For my music video, I’ve chosen the song “Blinding Lights”. The name of my artist will be Neo Echo. I chose the name as it reflects the colouring scheme of the artist’s music. The video will also feature a sponsorship by Nike. To combine everything together, the title of my music magazine will be Vibe Pulse.

For the music video, I plan to follow the brief by creating a three-minute visual that mixes performance with a bit of storytelling. The focus will be on self-expression. For locations, I will be using neon-lit London city streets at night and an interior of a house. These settings create a cool look, which highlights the energy of Neo Echo’s music.

The lighting will feature plenty of neon colours— mainly blues, reds, and purples—to keep the visuals bold and exciting. The artist and dancers will wear simple yet stylish outfits, mostly black with a bit of red, allowing the trainers to simultaneously blend in and stand out. The choreography will be simple, no dancing sequences but it will have performance elements inside it. I’ll use close-up shots of the trainers to bring a bit of light to them but not make them the focus so it won't be feeling like forced product placement. It’s important that the footwear feels like a natural part of the video’s style.

For editing, I plan to use fast cuts to match the upbeat tempo of the song, a montage, alternating between shots of Neo Echo's journey through the city streets. I’ll also include slow-motion shots at certain points to focus on movement and draw attention to how sleek and comfortable the trainers are. This will help connect the video to the idea of self-expression through both style and movement.

The social context of the video is about individuality, confidence, and moving forward. Based on Stuart Hall’s Reception Theory, my preferred reading is for viewers to interpret the video as a journey of self-expression. I’m also using Uses and Gratifications Theory by aiming to give my target audience something they can relate to(personal identity and relationship)—whether that’s the music, the style or the theme of expressing yourself.

The target audience for the video will be 16 to 25-year-olds who enjoy music, street wear, and urban culture. It’s aimed at people who appreciate fast-paced, visually engaging videos.

If I were to consider who would promote Neo Echo, I’d choose Warner Music Group, as they have a history of working with artists who have bold and artsy styles. Neo Echo’s brand identity is all about being unique, stylish, and focused on self-expression, which I believe goes well with my target audience. To engage with fans, I will promote the video across social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, with sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes clips to build hype.

My magazine will feature a double-page spread with an interview with Neo Echo, giving fans a glimpse into the artist’s creative process. I’ll also highlight the collaboration with Boss trainers. For the cover, I plan to style Neo Echo in a smooth, modern look, using bold lighting to emphasise the artist’s features while keeping the trainers in the focus. The magazine will appeal to the same target audience, focusing on the crossover between music, fashion, and street culture.

For my brand image, I will try to create this persona of mixing old and new, a bricolage, the 80's music with modern beats. Mixing old fashion with new. This will help me differentiate from other as there is a lack of brands that are similar to what I'm trying to create. Creating my image like this will allow me to be able to represent Neo Echo in a way that will attract people who are in need of music that will speak to them and their souls.