Draft Photography

Below are a few of my first examples of photography. I have captured a wide range of different types of photography both that I can use as main images and also smaller side images. Some of them, for example; the last one, I will not be able to use as they are out of focus or blurry.

Double Page Spread - Content Research

Content Research
Through my research so far, I have been able to gain an understanding of the type of content that is included on a double page spread, and also the way in which the text is written. For the most part, music magazines such as; AP Magazine, review and talk about music on a fairly informal level by which their readers can easily engage with. The formality of the text, is quite casual and often even contains colloquial language, this makes the articles much more personal in a way as it asthough it has been written for a specific audience.

Below is the link for my 'Music and Reviews' blog, as a way to develop my writing and anilitical skills, I run a seperate blog in which I aim to weekly write reviews on bands or new EP's/albums that I have listened to. Through a mixture of reading music magazines/articles and trying to do my own write-ups I am able to develop my skills further to make my music magazine as professional as possible.

http://reviewthornton.blogspot.co.uk/

Examples of Pop-punk

Music Examples
Below are links to some currently well known, and well respected bands within the genre. From these music video's and tour diaries we are able to grasp an idea of what typical band members are like, what its like to be on tour and also what the shows they play are like to attend.

What Is Pop-punk?

History and Culture
Pop-punk, is a fusion of two main music genres of 'punk rock' and 'pop music.' When brought together the combined genres create pop-sounding melodies with speedy punk tempo's, pounding drums and loud guitars. The first bands to break through the scene and make the new hybrid genre known, were such bands as Green Day (1987) and Blink182 (1992).

As you can see from the above images, the first bands to establish the 'pop-punk' genre were perhaps not in alignment with most of society. The picture of Blink182 (second picture) shows 3 men who all have their tops off, are all pulling immature faces and two of which have many in-your-face tattoo's. Tattoo's have been increasingly more acossiated with rebelion against society or even parents, which is often what the culture of the genre is about; non-conformity, rebellion and just having fun.

Through recent years, these ethics and morals have been carried with every new band that breaks the scene. Every band however, has their own set of morals and teachings to get through to their fans, through lyrics. More recently pop-punk bands such as Man Overboard, The Story So Far and Transit, are focused on thoughts and feelings of ex-girlfriends/boyfriends, family, friends and society in general who have hurt or disarded them in some way or another, through bitter feelings of discontent.

An example of lyrics which talk angrily about someone, comes from the song 'Rally Cap' by The Story So Far(TSSF);

''You leave me in the deep end with ankles made of bricks, But I'm used to dealing with crooks and p***ks, they fill the minutes while the clock ticks.'' 

According to TSSF frontman, Parker cannon the song is about friends who just leave you without explanation and leave you to deal with everything on your own. It is also about having to deal with 'fake-people' those who want to bring you down. This is a common theme throughout modern pop-punk, those who sing in bands within the genre are usually have lyrics about past experiences that have upset them, people they hate or even feelings about themselves. I believe for the most part, if you attend a pop-punk concert you will experience a sense of 'family' as everyone is there to enjoy the same thing, perhaps people share similar experiences, they are alike.

 



Research - Collage

I have decided to create a collage to show common themes of the music genre of 'Pop-punk' that I am focusing on. In this collage you can see a mixture of; band members, album artwork and fans/shows. From this it is easy to gain an understanding of the culture of the genre, it is quite casual and fun, the band members are never 'fashion conscious' or smartly dressed. The shows that the bands play are usually in small venues and the fan's come together to enjoy it, as a sort of 'family'.

Research

Before I could begin any sort of planning for my own music magazine, I first had to do research into other current magazines so that I could then gain an understanding of common conventions, house sytles etc.