Task 5: Meeting the client brief (M4, D1)

How does the exported media product meet the client brief?

The products that I created had a lot of detail and thought involved when creating them, my aim was to follow the client brief to detail, to get the best outcome from my work.

The first way in which it meets the client brief, is through the way that the magazine is based on a genre of music chosen by myself. The brief states that there is a vibrant music culture, therefore clearly states that the products must be linked to this. Furthermore, the exported media products are well linked to North London, which was one of the main focuses of the entire brief. 

There were many important steps taken to ensure that I stuck to what the brief required, for example, I went and took photos in an underground station that is in North London, so the target audience can recognise the magazine as a product specifically aimed at them, in this part of the city, at a place they know of well. I then named the magazine “NorthCityGrime”, because I wanted to reference the genre and area of focus in one name, to ensure that it was effective. 

The brief also required me to showcase the talent in the area, therefore I focused the front cover and article on the same artist, in which I had gathered information before the photoshoot, and found out that he is from North London and performs at venues round the area, so it was clear that using this artist would be a very good talent to showcase for this magazine. I also needed to showcase some of the venues round that exist in the area, so I decided to visit 3 different locations and take photos. I then included an article on them within the double page spread, and at the end linked it to the artist because I believe that it was important to reference the fact that the artist does perform at these venues, and it also informs the readers of North London that these venues are easily accessible and they should visit them. See a photo that I took of one of the venues below:

Additionally, I wanted to make sure that the photographs of the artist were taken in typical grime scene locations, therefore I took my photos in alleyways and tube station platforms because they’re often dark being underground. This ensured that I was following the brief because I was portraying a specific genre that I chose to use. 

Analyse how post-production techniques and processes create meaning in the media product to meet the client brief.

During the production of the magazine and double page spread, there were many techniques that I had to use effectively, to be able to meet the requirements of the client brief, and to create meaning in the products. I will analyse this below.

The first technique that I used was within the photoshoot. I took a range of photographs from different angles and heights to reflect different messages within each photo. For example, low angle shots give the artist power. However the images that I actually used in the products were mid/long shots, to allow the body language and facial expressions of the artist to portray the strong emotions associated with grime on the front cover and article. He also appeared to be very photogenic, making the images fit the emotions of grime in an even better way.

I then needed to use some good techniques during production to create meaning. The first part was to use fonts that had a messy and grimy feel to it, so I downloaded rap and grime related fonts from online, one very good one that was different to the font that I planned to use, as this one stood out more. It is called "Overdose Sunrise". I used them for the masthead and cover lines, and then changed the texts colour to red to show the anger associated with grime music. However, to make the text look better I changed some words to white within cover lines, so that red wasn't the only consistent colour, otherwise the front cover would seem boring. I do have the artists head covering part of the mast head for effect, but hid that to take the screenshot of the font. 

The other process to go ahead with when creating text was the added effects. I added a black outer glow to most of the text, because without it, the text blended in too much with the image background, and did not stand out enough. I also added a stroke effect, inner glow, a drop shadow and a change of saturation in some pieces of text. This was all similar for the left side of the double page spread.

The next stage was to make use of the magnetic lasso tool. I used this to make the artist larger on the front cover, because the photo that I used was taken slightly too far away making the artist too small on the front, therefore I used the lasso tool to make a selection round him and then make him larger to stand out more, suggesting to the target audience that he is one of the main focuses of the front cover. 

Another tool that was key to making the products effective was the rubber tool. I used this to erase parts of images that I didn’t want included. For example, I had to use it to make a part of the white background of the barcode invisible, otherwise the barcode would be taking up too much space in the lower corner. Furthermore, it was used to cut off the edges of smaller images included in the products (e.g. and image of a venue). The brief asked me to showcase venues, therefore it is clear that when including photos of these places, I should make sure that they look professional even though it did not require too much time to do so. 

On both the front cover and double page spread, one of the most used tool was the text box tool. I used this for every cover line, title, paragraph and everything else. The text box tool is useful for lining words and sentences in the way that you want, allowing you to change the format and style of what the box contains. For the double page spread using text boxes were vital to the look of the of paragraph layout, because I was able to line the columns well, separate the questions from the answers and so on. This was very important to the article because it contributes to making the magazine look as professional as possible.

Task 4: Evidence of post production techniques (P5)

Below is a full explanation of my evidence for post production, with a commentary of all the tools used on Photoshop. The work below has been written to meet the client brief. 

Task 4: A review of the front cover and double page spread for the target audience (P5).

Shown below is a review of how suitable the front cover and double spread are for the target audience, based on my opinions. It is important to do this as a way of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the products that I have created.

Task 4: Post production techniques and processes (P5)

This blogpost includes both the front cover and double page spread that I have created. I have exported them in JPEG format, in order to meet the client brief.

Task 3: Photos of setting up the camera. (P4)

Below are some images of me setting up the camera to take my own photos, in which I used for the front cover and double page spread, these images provide proof of the use of my own photos and were taken to meet the client brief.

The first photo above shows the tripod in place and the camera in my hands, with the cap off ready for a photoshoot. 

The second photo shows me checking the camera, to make sure everything looks correct before locking it onto the tripod. I wanted to ensure that the camera was on the correct settings that I planned to use for this photoshoot, to make sure that I get the best possible outcome. 

The final photograph above shows the camera firmly in place on the tripod, ready for use. 

Task 3: Create production materials. (P4, M3)

Below are a selection of materials that I intend to use during the production. I have completed a photoshoot, and now have a selection of images to choose from to use for the front cover and the article. Furthermore, I have also created a rough template of where I plan for the different parts of the front cover and article to go. For example, the masthead, images etc. There is also an idea for an intended font and the script that I will be using for my double page spread. With all of this material, I will be able to have everything organised and ready for production during task 4.

Photoshoot images:

Here are the selection of images that I believe were the best from the photoshoot, and I will likely be using at least 2 of them during production. The photos are posted here in order to meet the client brief.

I then needed to plan a rough idea of where each part of the front cover and double page spread will be placed, so I have created a template which I will likely stick to using. However the final products are likely to be subject to change because I might decide to add or change features.







Lastly, part of task 3 is to write a body copy of the script for the double page spread (articles). This is so that I can that place the completed script into photoshop where the editing process will take place. The copy of the script was also typed up to meet the client brief.

So who is he? 

Avelino is an upcoming grime artist from Tottenham in North London, and tends to base himself right here north of the river! Currently he is performing at many venues around the North of London, where he raps at open mic nights and other shows. We interviewed him and found out about his career, life and where he likes to perform!

When did you first realise that you wanted to create grime music and how old were you?

“I was about 16 years old when I first heard english rappers on the radio such as Tinie Tempah. I thought that the music was so good and in a way, I found it addictive to listen to because it was something that I had never heard before and it then made me think about creating similar music myself, but it wasn't until a few years later, having still maintained love for the genre, that I realised I could create my own songs”. 

When did you start performing?

“I started to perform when I was about 20 years old. I had been listening to grime artists for a while, and there was now new talent within the genre, and I realised that music was the career for me. I wanted to perform on stage so I started attending shows at the venues round the area, and have been doing that ever since. I have performed at many locations around North London and I am currently looking to create songs with other artists”. 

What’s your favourite part about performing?

“Definitely being able to sing my songs in front of the same and new audiences. Every time I perform the reaction from the audience is great, because it might be something that they have never heard before. I love visiting different places as well. It would get boring if I was performing at the same place each time”.

How often do you go to gigs or open mic nights and perform?

“I normally try to go at least once a month because if I went every week it would become repetitive and I believe that I would lose the love for it. The other reason that I choose to go once a month, is because I am often working on new songs meaning that I need to focus on doing that instead of performing. However, I think for upcoming artists like me it is important to maintain the balance, so that I can maintain my local audiences in North London as well as find new ones when performing locally”. 

How often do you release new songs?

“Releasing songs is key to growth for the work that I do. Bigger grime artists such as Stormzy, Skepta and Chip can easily go a while without releasing tracks, and still remain popular. For me, I need to be making music as much as I can. My last song was released in early February, and I plan to record a new song in the coming weeks, so about every month or 2. I am always thinking of new ideas and lyrics that could make an interesting grime tune”. 

Was it difficult to get into the music industry?

“For many artists starting up, they find it extremely hard to grow, but for me, I have been luckily enough to get asked to perform in some venues however I had to start by asking for slots on open mic nights when I originally started out making songs. I hope to carry on with this but and will hopefully be able to perform to larger audiences in the coming years”. 

What are your songs about?

“My tunes are often talking about casual life issues. I like to make them relatable for the young audiences that I have so I think that is important to relate my lyrics to life rather than fictional stories about my own life. It makes the songs come across as more understandable, sometimes I like to change my lyrics though, if it benefits the emotions of the sound”. 

Do you like producing songs with other artists if so why?

“Yeah I love doing that, it means that the rap has more than one voice rapping different verses throughout, I think it is good to build friendships with other artists as well because it means that more music can be produced in the future and it will genuinely help for the long term. You might  even see a collaboration with me and somebody else quite soon!”.

Lastly, where do you see yourself in the future?

“I see myself hopefully performing at larger locations in front of a bigger audience, I think grime will continue to be a growing genre, especially here in London and even elsewhere, so with that in mind I could potentially be very lucky, as long as I continue to do the work that I am currently doing and continue trying to progress. Look out for me in 3 years time I could be performing at the O2 arena”!

(Venues, 2nd article)

The Roundhouse is a venue for performing in Camden, North London, where different artists perform each day. It gives young artists a chance to perform and show their talent. The artists performing attract audiences that wish to see the talent in the area, so why not take a trip to camden and see a performance?

KOKO is a venue in Kentish town, where different artists perform each night to show their talent to audiences. This venue is differs from the roundhouse as it focuses on allowing artists of any age to perform, rather than just youths who are starting up and the talent varies in music genre, so there is always something for everyone! Head to KOKO and enjoy a fun night out!

The O2 Academy Islington is a venue is slightly further away than the Roundhouse and KOKO. This venue hosts live music and club nights. In recent years Grime artists have begun to perform there, after many years of popularity for artists in other genres of music. Londoners have found a love for attending the O2’s events, so hop on the tube and take a trip to Islington!

Avelino’s favourite place to perform?

“My favourite venue is definitely the O2, because of the great atmosphere when rapping in front of an audience. I think the O2 academy’s popularity makes it a great venue to go to”.

Task 2: Tech Recce (P3)

Below is a Tech Recce sheet, which provides all the details of the tech being used during the shoot, and the times of when each part of the photoshoot is due to take place. This helps as a reference to use when any details need to be found out.