SIXTH FORM

THE PROBLEM

Is print dead? With the majority of millennial’s getting news through their phones and magazine subscriptions at an all time low, to some it may seem that way. Many magazines, like Nylon for example, have switched to a completely online format.

While the interest in print material may be waning, my idea was to explore ways to bring magazine journalism to the 21st century. Most “online” magazines have the same format as their print counterpart. The digital version may provide links to outside sources, but in my opinion, magazines aren’t taking full advantage of the digital medium. I explored using moving photographic elements to use the digital format to it's fullest capacity.

WHY SIXTH FORM?

"Sixth Form" is a senior section in some British, Australian, and New Zealand schools, in which student do specialized work and figure out if they are going for their "A-levels."

Since this was my "magnum opus" for my photography degree and I was deciding on Graduate School, the name seemed fitting!

THE COVER

The cover featured a shot from the shoot: Vintage Vogue.

My professor was able to borrow a Phantom Camera for my shoots and I experimented with high speed photographic capture. However, since there was so much detail captured there was a grain to the video. I enjoyed the effect and embraced it.

COLOR BLOCKING

The aim for this shoot was to create a series of .gifs of color blocking makeup.

The intent was for the .gif to feel very stop motion like as a harsh contrast to the fluidity that the Phantom slow motion camera was able to capture.

VINTAGE VOGUE

Using my previous knowledge in graphic design, I kept the layouts fairly simple. I let the photos, or rather, videos speak for themselves. They are impactful enough and I didn't want to overwhelm my reader.

VINTAGE VOGUE

Something I was fascinated by, was having interactivity between the two pages. In this set it almost looks like these two could be on the same set and I captured their reactions individually. In reality these were two different shoots on two completely different days.

THE RESEARCH

RESEARCH

My research was to find magazines that used a digital platform or were strictly digitally based and evaluate their use of video/.gif/other media instead of just still imagery. Lots of site are starting to integrate .gif imagery and even video, but it doesn't feel intentional. Are they just doing it for content to share on social media or does it flow as well as a photo story does?

NYLON Magazine.

As of 2017, NYLON Magazine is completely digital-there is no print format in circulation at all.

While they will insert a .gif in the stories every so often, the digital magazine doesn't feel like a magazine- it reads more like a long-scroll blog.

issue.com

Issue is more of a platform for people to publish their digital magazines.

However, unlike NYLON, their magazines look like a handheld magazine and they "flip" pages. There is not any ability for video or .gif elements, though.

Wired Magazine

Wired Magazine has both print and digital subscriptions.

They include external links on their digital platform and their layouts are optimized to load very quickly. But they still are getting most of their digital sales with print issues attached.

WHAT I LEARNED

This was a large undertaking, more than I expected. Creating video is infinitely more time consuming than creating still imagery. Instead of capturing a perfect moment you're capturing a perfect series of consecutive moments which is much more difficult.

NEXT STEPS

My next steps are to include more experimental media. What could an Augmented Reality magazine look like? Or how can we integrate 360 photos? With technology that is ever changing, the options for improving digital magazine platforms are endless.