Year 12 Media: 2011

Sunday, 18 December 2011

Final Work: Double Page Spread

The interview reads...

In a quiet café just off Camden Market..

Ava - We’ve finally caught you! So what is it you’ve been up to that’s made you so eternally unavailable?

We’ve been touring America, mostly playing at these insane dives to blind-drunk middle aged men. It’s pretty cool though – at least then they’re focussing on the music! Ava laughs as pours herself a cup of tea.

Wow! What made you go across the pond so soon after your breakthrough here?

I guess it’s nice to go somewhere and be entirely anonymous. I suppose in a way me and the guys are reluctant to push forward any further in the UK – it seems that once people get “found” by the mainstream music industry, they lose themselves and any individuality entirely. I think our fans appreciate us because we’re a bit alternative – I don’t want to let them or myself down by changing who I really am just ‘cos some big shot record producer wants to make more money!

So what is it you miss about being anonymous in the UK?

It just grates a little bit the way Ezra and I are expected to give a f*ck about what everyone thinks – it’s like, awkward! I’m writing a song about it for the new EP actually—It’s called “Humble Beginnings” … It’s all about getting back to who we really are! It’s out next month actually - Sorry for the cheeky plug Ava laughs

So a bit different then.. “The Void” are renowned for writing about some fairly bizarre subjects – not necessarily “Humble Begininng” What inspires that?

Just life I guess - I know it’s such a massive cliché... I suppose we like to write about the little things that people don’t always appreciate – like witty graffiti and hitting the library! We don’t wanna write about flashy cars and red carpet shows—there’s more to life than that. It’s great to have dreams, but ultimate happiness comes from simply being fulfilled—not necessarily filthy rich or whatever. That’s what we wanna get across! That’s why it’s so awesome that we have the freedom to create whatever sound we want—that’s why we like being on such a minor label!

So you’ve got freedom.. But what do you plan to do with it—what kind of sound can we expect from The Void’s new record?

We’re working on a series of acoustic songs—a bit different from the kind of electro rock and roll we had going on before! There are some covers, some old songs and some new stuff too—I’ve even recorded a few little riffs on my guitar at home I think we’re gonna throw in there. We don’t want people to overlook the fact that Ezra and I are actually true musicians and have been jamming together since we were 14! Plus I suppose we want to show a softer side to ourselves—we’re not all strobe lights and leather!

So does this change in sound reflect any changes in you and Ezra as artists?

Don’t get me wrong—it’s not a complete change in sound! We just feel there’s so much to explore! We have the power to delve between genres and try all these amazing new things—Sometimes it sounds great, other times we sound truly dismal. It’s just learning I guess. We’ve brought in lots of different people to feature on tracks—some old friends from where we grew up in Devon are truly inspirational musicians, it’s been rad working with them. It doesn’t even feel like work!

And will you be touring with this new EP and new sound?

We’re gonna save it for some festivals next summer, which I’m already hugely excited for! We’re contemplating a tour this time next year.. I think that’d be fun, I miss connecting with the fans. Like when we were starting out, and these people would turn up to sweaty little pubs in the West Country, with no idea what to expect.. They were so amazingly open minded and would literally dance to anything! That’s my favourite thing about Devon—people my age are so thirsty for new things!

So we’ve heard plenty about the music.. What else has been on your mind lately Ava?

It sounds so lame, and the tabloids will be p*ssed off I’m not doing anything scandalous, but all I’m about right now is the music. I’m fed up with other things coming in the way of what I really want. I think we’ve grown up a lot this year. Ezra and I have both been pretty infamous for our off-stage antics, which, as I’m sure you’ve heard, all got a bit much for me. Ezra’s still a notorious party animal though—nothing illegal don't worry! I don’t know how he does it, he’s a machine! And me… I’ve been clean for almost 18 months now and I’ve discovered I’m one of the lucky ones: I don’t need blow and litres of vodka to get by—I just need music and love! laughs Check me out; I’m the next John Lennon…

Final Work: Contents Page

Final Work: Cover

Friday, 2 December 2011

Permissions

By exploring the necessary permissions needed when putting together a project like this, I feel I have learnt much about the "real world" of media. I am glad I chose to use music as, despite the extra time it required, it means I have learnt more about the general permissions, and haven't missed out on this important knowledge by choosing to use print media for my coursework.

Thursday, 1 December 2011

Creating a Masthead

In experimenting fully when creating a masthead, I've learnt that it is always worthwhile to spend time on the important things. In my research I've learnt how much we judge the worth/style/content of a magazine on the masthead, and I feel confident that my masthead presents Shuffle in the manner in which I would like it to.

Manipulating Images

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Editing photos using Adobe Photoshop was a great learning curb for me, and I learnt a wide variety of techniques. When I hit a stumbling block and was unsure of how to progress with my editing, I learnt that researching on the internet is definitely the fastest and simplest way of developing new skills. I've also learnt that experimentation is exceedingly important, and how a more effective end result can be achieved if once spends time experimenting with a variety of options.