Planning Task 5 - Photography Planning

 Photography Planning

~ Who will you be using as your models for each photograph?

For my magazine's photographs, particularly the front cover, I must represent two distinct social groups. One way this can be done is by having 2 different genders. As I have to reach a 16-25-year-old audience, my models should be within this age range so the viewers are more enticed into the magazine and its focus on young people's style. 

Once I have selected my two models of choice, we will do some sample photographs so I can get comfortable with directing photos, understand the techniques I need to use, and how I want my models to perform on camera. This is a good idea as I can get many trial shots that I can take elements from when it comes to shooting my final photos for both my print magazine and website. 

My models have different social groups as January's model is a transgender male, while the two February models are male and female. 

"Threads of Resistance" - Why fashion is important for trans rights

For my January 2026 issue, my model will be my friend Elijah who is an FTM transgender person. As a trans person, he is obviously passionate about trans rights which is why I created this main coverline for the January 2026 issue as it links style/fashion with this cultural/political movement. As this is the first issue of 'The OUTlier', I want to show the audience that we are style conscious while simultaneously caring about cultural/political issues involving transgender youth.

"Til' Death Do Us Part" - Matching statement pieces for alt couples

For my February 2026, there will be two models to fit with the mention of couples in the main coverline, as February is the month of Valentines day. The two models in question will be me and my boyfriend Josh. This is suitable because if I selected 2 random models who are not actually a couple, the photoshoot will be unrealistic and possibly awkward to do for the 2 models. Another issue is that I mention the idea of 'matching', so choosing 2 models that do not go together would be rather foolish to do.

Miscellaneous (contents page, website)

In between my front cover shoots, I will be working on miscellaneous photographs which do not appear on the front cover. 

These photographs will be made to have ancourage with some of the other articles in my content creation plan. For example, I may accompany my "Layering Tips" article with photos of winter clothes, 

~ What thought needs to be given to the following elements of mise-en-scene?

Location - My two magazine front covers must each be set in two different locations, the easiest way to do this would be to do one outdoors and the other in an indoor setting. Any photoshoots that take place outdoors must be done in colder weather to be more appropriate for the magazine's release in January.

January: Take place in an indoor setting. Elijah's front coverline focuses on trans rights and the way this political movement ties into fashion. Placing him in an indoor setting will ensure that the weather does not disrupt the photoshoot, such as being too cold or raining

February: Takes place in an outdoor setting. I must do two different locations for each issue of my magazine, so the next obvious choice would be to photograph the 2 models outside. To tie in with the colder season and to not take attention away from the models, this will be a neutral outdoor setting such as a park or forest. This is neutral as I am not intending to make a photoshoot in a sunny environment because it is not appropriate for the season, nor will it match with my other elements of mise-en-scene

Costume - As I am producing a fashion magazine, I would say this is the most important element of mise-en-scene and one I will spend the most time focusing on. As my magazine promotes self-expression and individuality in fashion, I will ask my models to wear something that is appropriate for colder weather while aligning with their personal style. I aim to dismantle the mainstream ideas of fashion which is present in other Condé Nast publications.

January: I will direct Elijah to wear something appropriate for my magazine's theme while being warm and comfortable in what he is wearing. He may embrace parts of transgender fashion by wearing a binder (which is realistic as he wears one regularly) and by embracing trans rights and the pride movement as a whole by wearing pride flags

February: 

Props - Any props that I choose to add to must not take away from other more important elements of mise-en-scene, such as the costume. They will be simple and I aim to make them match with other parts of mise-en-scene so nothing looks out of place and not intentional.

January: I will choose an indoor setting that is a comfortable environment for the model, such as his room. This room may have items inside it that I could use as props, which I can pick out as the director. However, this element of mise-en-scene must not take attention away from the model himself or the costume since my magazine focuses on style. To combat this, I could alternatively put Elijah into a plain backdrop with props inside it

February: 

Body Language - For style magazine photoshoots, models typically look confident and comfortable. I will use the same techniques as well as part of self expression is being confident in who you are. As my 16-25-year-old audience may not see anything relatable or inspiring in most Condé Nast brands that exist currently, I want the models in my magazine to send this message to them and be like role models.

January: To go along with the message that the magazine is advocating for trans rights in the main coverline, I will direct Elijah to show confident body language which suggests that he is comfortable in his identity. If he appears insecure and not confident instead, the intended message will not land with my audience and he could be seen as a bad model

February: 

Lighting - For any outdoor shots, I would like to have lighting be as natural as possible to reflect real life in my images as much as possible. However, both indoor and outdoor lighting heavily depends on the weather and time so it must be planned ahead so I can take pictures as efficiently as I can.

January: I aim for the lighting to be as natural as possible so the environment is as realistic as possible. With an article focusing on an issue as large as trans rights, I don't want to portray unrealistic standards through the photoshoot that aren't reflective of real life

February: 

~ Who will be taking your photographs and what equipment will they use?

I plan to take my own photographs. This is because I am rather keen on photography and I will know exactly what I want as the producer and director. If I did plan to have someone else do the photography for me, I would worry that they wouldn't execute the photoshoots as well as I wanted to -- many photoshoots for style magazine are well thought out and high quality which I want to reflect as much as possible throughout my magazine. In terms of equipment, my desired results can be achieved by using my phone to take many high quality pictures, and editing them in post-production if I deem it necessary. I will, with no hesitation, use more advanced equipment for photography such as lighting setups and cameras if they are available to me. However, this equipment is expensive and really not necessary to make decent photographs especially with the advanced nature of modern smartphones.

Planning Task 4 - Website Homepage and Linked Page

Website Homepage and Linked Page

~ What will your website header on the homepage look like? 

Many other Condé Nast brands such as Vogue and Tatler feature a simple and timeless header on their websites. This can be recognised with a black and white colour palette and the magazine's masthead to establish their brand. This masthead must have the same appearance as the print edition to have digital convergence with the print edition.  

The way I brand my magazine is important, so I have started off by compiling a list of fonts (off of Microsoft) I could potentially use. I picked out a total of 8 that I both personally liked and thought would be appropriate to use for a style magazine. All eight of these choices are serif fonts which signify elegance and traditionality. This is not a thorough plan of what typography I will use, just a rough idea of the fonts I personally like. As suggested by its name, I do want my magazine to stand out from other established Condé Nast brands. For example, I may play around with some colour schemes during my production phase or include graphics. 

With my 16–25-year-old audience in mind, I will include plugs for The OUTlier's social media accounts on the website. This is going to be a key part of my website’s header as my research has told me my target audience finds reading media online more practical than its print counterparts.

  ~ What contents will be on your homepage and linked page?

From my style magazine website research, I can recall that many of them heavily rely on images instead of text/copy. These images will be original and based on articles that are present in my magazine's contents pages and any online-exclusive content. Any textual elements must also be very intentional with consistent typography and copy that goes along with any images and other content in my articles. These articles are going to have topics that resemble other Condé Nast publications, so they will truly appeal to a style-conscious audience. For example: styling tips, advice about trends, and product recommendations.

My linked page is going to be one of the featured topics on the header. Examples of this that apply to my magazine's contents are: Fashion, Beauty, Accessories, Music, Celebrity, Editor's Picks, and Video. Out of these sections, I will choose Fashion as the linked page. I chose this because style magazines are usually centred around fashion, my magazine in particular will focus on subcultures within the fashion industry -- I will use this opportunity to show off many of these, some articles will be online-exclusive to give my readers more content if they desire it. 

~ What original audio or audio-visual content will be included on your website?

This is a piece of media which combines visual and audio elements, this can be used to entertain or inform my website's visitors about the magazine. To grab my audience's attention, this content will be short-form videos -- no more than two minutes. Examples of audio-visual content may be a welcome to the magazine from the editor, content with a celebrity like interviews or games, or a behind the scenes of a magazine photoshoot.

Planning Task 3 - 60 Second Pitch

60 Second Pitch

To prepare for this 60 second pitch, I have written a script for myself so I know what to say and do not get lost. By having a planned idea of what my pitch is about, I looked more professional and prepared for my pitch. Here are the notes I used as guidance on what to say:

I started with introducing myself because I am in charge of every stage of magazine production, so I must establish myself as a professional media producer. To attract my desired audience of 16-25 year olds who are style conscious and an upper/middle market, I established the genre of my magazine and who it will appeal to. When planning the name, strapline, and contents of my magazine, I wanted to produce a style magazine that is out of the mainstream and easily distinguishable between all other Condé Nast brands. Publications such as Vogue and GQ aim their content towards a certain gender and an older demographic. Overall, my pitch was valuable as I successfully described the typical conventions of a style magazine while showing that The OUTlier's topics are more niche than what is seen in more well-known Condé Nast publications.

Planning Task 2 - Content Creation

Issue One - January 2026

~ FASHION FEATURES

"New Year, New Fashion" - Immerse yourself in the world of subculture this year

"Layering Tips" - 5 ways to make a statement without freezing to death

"Concert Style 101" - How to replicate iconic concert looks, featuring celebrity stylist Zoe Law 

~ MUSIC

"Post-Festive Chords" - Editor-curated rock playlist to put Christmas anthems to rest

"The Return Of Records" - Why many are shifting to this timeless music format

"Second-Hand Sensation" - Visit your local thrift store and discover new pre-loved tunes this year 

~ CULTURE 

"Threads of Resistance" - Why fashion is important for trans rights

"Get Educated" - Editor-curated library of the best historical novels

"Game Night: Beta" - Be in the know and play these 6 games before their official release

~ OTHER

First Issue (puff)

Issue Two - February 2026

~ FASHION FEATURES

"Til' Death Do Us Part" - Matching statement pieces for alt couples 

"Kiss Of Death" - Viral kiss-proof lipstick that is worth the hype

"Gothic Glam" - Express love differently this season through darkness and lace motifs

~ MUSIC

"Tried And Tested" - High-quality headphones for your next private jam session 

"For The Lovers, And The Haters" - 8 Valentines anthems that suit any situation

"Scene Revival" - Music-based subculture has been taking the UK by storm, here's how

~ CULTURE 

"Streaming Superiority" - Why cinema date nights are a thing of the past 

"Paperback Passion" - 5 romance novels that show true couple goals

"Right or Wrong?" - How to distance yourself from misinformation on social media

~ OTHER

I <3 OUTLIER (puff)

Planning Task 1 : My Magazine Title and Strapline

Magazine Title + Strapline

I produced this mindmap to assist me with finding a working title and strapline for my style magazine. This decision was made with my target audience and themes of the magazine in mind: they are mainly style conscious young people 16-25, many expressed their interest for alternative subcultures of fashion, and have a varied range of genders.

Title - 'The OUTlier'

I like the word 'outlier' as it reflects people who do not fit in to regular society. I intend to destigmatise the idea of not fitting into society by celebrating unique fashion and style. Other than fashion, we will also cover other niche subject matters that appeal to young people.

Strapline - 'Independence is Stylish'

This strapline encourages the reader to express themselves and be independent through style. Both this and the title also destigmatise the idea that being an 'outlier' means you are a societal outcast -- framing it in a positive light instead. As the editor, I believe that 'style' is very subjective and so the readers of my magazine can curate their own tastes.