1. Media Production Photoshoot Planning
What emotional impact do you want your photography do have
upon the reader? How?
I want the images throughout my magazine to be eye catching, attractive and
innovative. They should immediately draw the target audience’s attention, sparking
their curiosity, making them want to pick up the magazine. In order to achieve this, I
will use direct mode of address so my model’s eye line is directly on the camera
lenses. This will make my magazine more relatable for the reader to get involved on a
more personal level. The photography will make the reader feel as though the
magazine recognises them as an individual and is speaking out to them. This universal
feature will make my magazine seem more exclusive than competing magazines.
I want my magazine to stand out from all the other Rock magazines on the shelf
therefore I will have to make sure my photography looks professional and original.
From my research, I have noticed that the majority of Rock magazines such as
RockSound and KERRANG! use images that focus mainly on heavy metal rock.
These include features such as facial expressions that are angry or shouting. For
example:
These types of images are effect at showing the rebellious side of rock and on an
emotional level are quite intense and demanding. I want to be able to portray the
rebellious attitudes of rock to appeal to my own target audience. I will do this through
clothing, facial expressions, tattoos, hair and make-up. My magazine not only will
cover mainstream rock, but also indie and alternative which magazines like
KERRANG! do not cater for. This means whilst creating a thrilling and exciting
emotional impact on my reader, I also want them to feel relaxed and stress-free. I
want my magazine to be something they can read when they just want to chill out and
relax. This means that my photography will include the features such as tattoos and
graffiti to symbolise the rebellious emotion of rock but also have a model that is
relaxed and neutral. I will achieve this by using facial expressions such as practical
and catalogue so my model will be more relatable to the audience. I may also add a
few comic facial expression images so my magazine is light-hearted and funny.
As 46.43% of my target audience is male and 53.57% female, I will have to make
sure I use photography that can appeal to both genders. I want both genders to be able
to relate to the majority of images that I use and not alienate the reader with gender
specifics. As my statistics are slightly higher for females, I have decided to use a male
model as this will evoke emotions of desirability and attraction. To make sure this still
appeals to makes however, the image will be supported by the neutral gender story
that will be appealing to all who love the rock genre.
2. What personnel do you need? Who are you going to
photograph?
My main model that I will be taking photos of is Adam. I spoke to Adam on the
phone and asked him a list of questions about himself which I recorded in an “About
Me Fact File”:
What props will you need?
I am not going to use many props when taking my photos because I want the main
focus to be on my model. I want my model to have the full attention of the audience
and don’t want my page to look too cluttered as this may make it hard to read and less
mature. One prop I will include will be a black acoustic guitar. I have chosen an
acoustic guitar because it is used mostly in indie and alternative rock therefore will be
a suitable sub-image within my contents page. The guitar will be black which links
with my magazine colour scheme and with the genre. I own the guitar myself
therefore I do not need to rely on anyone to bring it to the photoshoot and have easy
access to use it. I have chosen the guitar because it represents the models job and
profession and is also a hobby of my target audience. Before taking my photos, I will
show my model a series of photos of other people holding guitars so that he can copy
the stance correctly. I will take a range of these photos holding it in different positions
and then choose the best one after the shoot.
I have chosen to use Adam as my model because he is a good
reflection of my target audience therefore is suitable to
represent the genre and magazine. When researching other
magazines, I noticed that the models used are mainly older
than the target audience as they represent role models who
people aspire to become in the future. Adam fits within my
target audience age range of 16 – 24 year olds therefore they
will be able to relate to him more which will make my
magazine more direct and approachable. As he is at the top
end of the age range, the audience can still look up to him
and aspire to be like him. It will also make my photos look
more professional, sophisticated and advanced. My models
favourite music genre is Indie/Rock which is effective as
they will have appropriate clothing choices that will resemble
my target audiences likes and interests. This means that when
briefing my model on what to wear for the photoshoot I will
not have to pay for any expenses to be appropriate clothing.
He has his ears pierced which is a common convention in
rock magazines however doesn’t have any tattoos or further
piercings. To make my model look more rock, I will add
tattoos to the photographs using photoshop.
3. How are you going to emphasise colour?
The colour scheme of my magazine is black, white, red and yellow. I am hoping to
emphasise this scheme, not only through my Photoshop work but also when taking
my photos. The backdrops and locations of my shoot will help to emphasise my
colour scheme. For instance, the graffiti location I have chosen features the colours
yellow, blue and red. My model will be wearing mostly black and white clothing so
when stood against this background will stand out effectively and the colours will
complement one another. Against the white background, my model will be wearing
red, white and black clothing. The red here will stand out from the white background
and be more effective. I do not want my colours to clash however want them to
appropriately represent the rock genre which is why I’ve chosen stereotypically
relatable colours.
To enhance the colours of my photos even further, I will alter the settings on my
camera. Using selective focus on my camera, I will slightly blur the backdrops and
brighten my model so that his colours stand out more.
Have you briefed your personnel/models?
I have briefed my model numerous times before starting the shoot. To begin with, I
sent a text message to my model asking if they were willing to take part in my
photoshoot and briefly describing the brief. Later that day I phoned my model and
asked them to give me a bit of information about themselves and their
hobbies/interests as well as what days they might be available for the shoot. After
confirming the days via the phone, I sent an email to my model which highlighted the
schedule of the photoshoot day including times and locations. I sent them a list of
appropriate clothing styles and hair styles for them to prepare in advance. I created a
collage of facial expressions, poses and stances that I would like my model to copy
from and practice. I think this will be beneficial as when it comes to taking the photos
my model will be prepared and organised meaning it will take less time and I will
achieve the outcome that I want. I also sent a consent form to my model so they were
aware of the purpose of the photos and what they will be used for before committing.
What lighting will you need? Any other equipment?
The majority of the photos that I take will be outdoors therefore will rely on natural
lighting. In order to ensure that my photos are bright enough, I have checked the
weather forecasts to make sure the shoot takes place on a sunny day with a clear sky.
As my magazine is of the rock genre, it doesn’t matter too much if the background
isn’t bright enough as it would add to the grunge effect. Despite this, I want my model
to be bright and stand out as it will make it look more professional. This means that I
will use the camera flash in circumstances that are not bright enough. When taking
photos indoors, I am relying on using indoor lightbulbs as well as camera flash. If this
makes shadows on the wall then I may have to use floor laps either side of my model
to increase the brightness. The equipment I will be using during the shoot is my
camera which is a Canon EOS 700D. I will practice the different effects my camera
4. has before the photoshoot so that I have it on the correct setting to get the best
outcome of photos.
Where will you shoot? Will you need a backdrop?
I have created a location scout which consists of various places I have arranged to
shoot such as Roker Beach, Portobello Lane and My House. I don’t wish to use a
backdrop as the locations I have chosen have natural landscapes that look effective.
For instance, Portobello Lane has a graffiti background that links to the rebellious side
of Rock and Roker Beach has a relaxing and calm background linking to indie Rock.
Make-up? Costume?
I have gotten a lot of costume inspiration from other magazines such as KERRANG!,
RockSound and NME. I have found that the majority of male clothing includes, tank
tops, skinny jeans, ripped jeans, baggy tops, leather jackets, flannel shirts, converse,
vans, and doctor martins. Many models also had no top on showing their tattoos. The
colours of the clothes are dark, mainly black. Due to this, I have chosen 3 different
outfits that I would like my model to consider and wear. I sent these outfit choices to
my model via email so they can prepare for what to wear. As my model is male I do
not require him to wear any make-up however will smooth his skin on the Photoshop
editor to give it a catalogue appearance. My model is not required to bring any of his
own props.
