DRAFT FOR INTERVIEW

When you’re known around the world from the age of 12 no one was surprised when Lexy decided to take a well-deserved career break aged just 18 last year…but now she’s back, better than ever and with a brand new attitude!

So Lexy….you’re back! How does it feel to be working such a demanding schedule again?
I’m so so glad to be back and working again, I don’t regret my past year at all but it’s just comforting to be back out there again, I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received and I can’t wait to release all my new material for the fans!
I’m sure they can’t wait to hear it! So what was it that made you decide to take a year off?When you’re in the industry from such a young age you completely lose a huge part of your childhood and everything becomes about your work…even some things that may seem like fun were still work related and of course I’m really grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given but I just wanted to have a year of my life to myself, before I’m officially an adult, just to be an 18 year old! Also when you’re a young woman in the industry there is a lot of pressure on being how everyone wants you to be and this really affected my self-esteem, so by taking this break it was just to relax the spotlight on myself and really find myself before re-presenting it to the world.
Well we LOVE your new image here at BOOMBOX, what would you say is the biggest change you’ve made to yourself over the past year?It may seem like the easy answer but in all honesty I’ve matured a lot, stripping myself from such a demanding schedule and lifestyle for such a long time means that I had a lot of time to myself to think about what I want to be and how I want my music to reflect this. I wanted to come back as a woman now rather than a girl and I hope that this is shown through my new image and music.
You certainly look the part! your new album ‘Dream Catchers’ is out November 8^th, will we see a big change in the sound compared to your previous albums?Definitely! It’s got more of a soul sound, there’s some dance tunes on there along with some really emotional ballads, I would say this time round there’s been so much more concentration on the lyrics which makes each song so much more beautiful. BUY THE ALBUM PLEASE! Hahaha.
Well I’ll definitely be sure to purchase my copy, sounds fab! So what’s next for Lexy?I’ve just got loads of promotion for my new album over the next couple months, I’m going to be jetting off all over the world and doing loads of gigs so it’s all go! I’ll be lucky to get a good night’s sleep looking at my schedule hahaha but it’s all worth it in the end!
Aww I’m sure it will be, well thanks for chatting to us Lexy! BOOOMBOX wish you all the best and hope to speak again in the near future.Lexy’s album Dream Catcher’s available for purchase November 8^th in the UK.

DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD FLAT PLAN AND RATIONALE.

Colour Usage- For this article I intend to use a whole new scheme of colours but by keeping the consistent banner across the top of the page the magazine’s original theme of colours can be kept and identified. I want to use a mixture of beiges and fuchsia pinks/coral as I think these colours together will really compliment one another and will effectively make the text ‘pop’ out on the page. The main body of text will just be in black or possibly white depending on the background colour as these two are the easiest to read and this is appreciated by the reader.

Image Usage-The main image will be of the artist herself and will take up roughly a third of the whole thing, it will be a photo where she is posing especially for this article rather than using a candid which would probably be better for a smaller image somewhere else within the article. I intend to use a number of small images for my small mini/side article right at the bottom but I am still undecided on exactly what this will be.
Text Usage-The text will include a series of questions and answers but will be typed up in a more casual manner as if it was just a conversation between the artist and the interviewer. It will be in bulk but because of the surrounding images and headlines etc. this won’t seem too much to the reader. There will be a headline that’s broken into 3 separate parts and three different fonts will be used, this is all to make the page seem more appealing an
Layout and Font- As displayed I’ve tried to fit everything I need onto the page without making it look too crammed and I thin the end result will look professional and well laid. I want to ensure there’s an relatively equal balance between text and images so that the reader doesn’t feel there is too much of either media. When coming to the actual creation of the page there will obviously be a few retouches in terms of position and angles etc. so hopefully this will make it look more interesting  and visually creative. I want the main body of text to be in quite a plain and simple font so it doesn’t distract from the other features of the page and it must be easy to read if it is in bulk. The headline will be in a few different fonts that clash but go well together at the same time, ‘RETURN’ and ‘Lexy’ will be relatively large as they are the most important parts of the page whereas ‘of the nation’s favourite blonde’ isn’t as important so it will be slightly smaller to balance out the other text.

INSPIRATIONAL DOUBLE PAGE SPREADS.

I really like the layout of this double page spread, there is a lot going on but it doesn’t looked crammed or overdone which I think is important for the final visual effect. I’ve noticed that one thing in common with nearly all double page spreads is that the main subject of the article is always displayed through a huge picture that takes up nearly a whole side and therefore there is no mistaking who it is about. Although there are a few different fonts used they are all very similar and don’t clash at all therefore keeping it looking neat and professional and there have been a numerous techniques used to emphasise certain parts of the headline for example ‘BUT NOW I WANT MY JOB BACK’ is in a whole different colour, all in capital letters and with an exclamation mark as well, the ‘BACK!’ is underlined to show this is the most important word in the headline. The fact the headline is in quote marks makes the actual article seem more genuine and as though they have a reliable source that has given them true information. I think that it’s good how all of the pictures are relevant and although there are quite a few this doesn’t seem too much as they have been balanced out by the equal amount of text, I also like how the main body of text has been centred to the page as I’ve often found that all of the text gets crammed on to one side of the A3 therefore leaving less room for extra pictures etc.
Although this is from a fashion magazine it is specifically a music interview which I have found really helpful as it’s something I would usually read anyway and therefore appeals to me. I like how there is a huge main image which is almost introducing the artist to the reader for the first time so it’s important that this displays her image correctly and that the reader can see her clearly. I like how they have given her a big introduction, including how she arrived to the interview and what she was like whilst answering their questions as this builds up character and allows the reader to know more about her personality which is especially important when it’s an up and coming artist that the public aren’t too familiar with yet. I read the interview and I really like the way the questions are asked, obviously the interviewer would have had some guidelines and must ask questions but most of the stuff asked all link in with her previous answer which makes the interview seem much more like a conversation and therefore more interesting for the reader. I like how this is a very simple layout with plain fonts as it makes the main image a more important feature and the focus is more on the actual content rather than the visual representation which can have its drawbacks but in this case I think it works well.

Firstly I love the font used for ‘Beyonce’ in this as although it’s a completely different font to the second part of the headline the clash works really well, I think this font has been chosen purely because it looks most appropriate for her name, almost like the font reflects whatever the actual word is. Once again there is a huge main image of Beyonce herself to break up the page and balance out the text, this is along with the two other large images which are both relevant, I also like how the main image is a professional photo taken while she is posing on the red carpet whereas the other two images are more like candids showing the reaction of her husband and friend when she broke the news. By using photographs that are more personal and natural of celebrities the reader almost feels like they are getting a deeper insight into their lives and this is therefore appreciated. I’ve noticed how on almost all articles there is a small introduction in a larger font to the main body of text which is almost like a sell line itself, as although the reader is on the page itself they can sometimes just look at the pictures and then skip to the next page so by using big headlines and introductions it’s almost dragging the reader’s attention to the text. Also, all of the images have brief captions which I think will be a good idea to use in my double page spread to make it seem more authentic.

MOODBOARD

My moodboard demonstrates a collection of colours, fonts, images and magazine clipppings that inspire the look of my magazine, I have annotated everything that features on this page with why I particularly like it and what I can take from it to apply to my magazine.

FEEDBACK OF FRONT COVER FIRST DRAFT

I am really pleased with all the feedback I recieved as there were plenty of really positive remarks along with alot of constructive critism of how my magazine could be improved. I have read each comment individuallly and plan to take all of the advice on board and apply it to my front cover in order to create the best possible version of my front cover. Things suh as applying more sell lines and text to the background are definitely aspects that I will experiment with as these could change the whole layout and look of the magazine and therefore won't be a definite changeto be made.

IMPROVED FRONT COVER

FRONT COVER FEEDBACK