Portfolio

Portfolio

EmmaDickinson

Communication, Marketing, Branding & Photograpghy

Snap shot of me I grew up in the small city of York, which meant I was lucky enough to be emerged

within culture, history and beautiful, inspirational surroundings. I have always known

I have had a creative streak within me. My background was very much fine art based,

which led me onto an art foundation betwen sixth form and university. This taught

me how to transfer these skills into many different outputs.

Since being at Northumbria on Fashion Communicaion, I haven’t lost my creative

streak, but developed into a more structured format, This Portfolio is o show my skills

of Marketing, promotions, branding and business. The creative process of generating

ideas and developing them into a product, concept or outcome is what excites me and

expresses what I love to do. Simplicity speaks volumes.

Photography

Own photograghy

Photograpghy, in many ways, helps you

see what you don’t always notice. I love

travelling to new places and seing the

layers and contrasts of textures that make

up that city.

The pictures I have taken are from

Barcelona, Berlin, Venice, New York,

Northumberland, Paris and London. Texture Cities

Own photograghy

Bold line, broken, damages, layers, shapes, dynamic, soft, smooth, harsh, everyday objects, what we see, nature, elements.

Fashion Shoot Opus Magazine

Music and fashion go hand in hand, its all

about people expressing themselves in an

indivdual way.This photo shoot explores

mens style for music gigs. Clothes are

from a selection of river Island,

Topman, Converse and Target.

Own photograghystyling & artistic direction

Own photograghystyling &artistic direction

Lifestyle Shoot, Lake Store concept

As part of my Final Major project I cre-

ated a store and brand concept for twelve

to sixteen year old girls. Giving them a so-

cial and reatil hub within the highstreet,

exclusively for their age group. I felt as

though there was a gap which needed to

be addressed, the photo shoot revolved

around the lifestyle of the target audi-

ence, focussing on what they enjoy doing

instead of the clothes. This is to address

them personally.



Projects

Fashion publication

Colour is around us everywhere, whether

we notice it or not. My concept for Opus,

blures the lines between moods drawn

from music and fashion and how this

relates to colours, which subsequentially

define your mood.

Fashion, Music reviews and original

artwork, build Opus into a publication.

All work within Opus has been produced

by me.

Nothing in life is simple, here at Opus we like to embrace this.

Welcome to the first issue.

Take a seat, relax and take in the colours around you.

Colours have a dramatic effect on our mood, even if we don’t

notice. Our aim is to take what the colours represent and play

upon that through music and fashion.

Opus like to inspire and open your minds to the broader spec-

trum of what you see around you. Our inspiration was to fill the

void of combined fashion and music publications, but with a

slight twist.

Our fashion segment is always based around music and this

month we focus on the boys and the perfect gig wear, as its

always a time consuming task.

Art, Music, Fashion on a rollercoaster through colourful emo-

tions, what more could you want?

Emma Dickinson - Editor

Own photograghyall own work within photos

Promotions

A promotional campgain I designed for

OnePiece, a onsie company. The concept

was aimed at first year students, as the

product was created for ultimate comfort

amoungst students after a heavy night of

drinking.

OnePiece would tour the country putting

on special club nights, bringing them-

selves hype as well as the club the hosted

at. They currently only have one pop up

store which is in Shoreditch, London.

The idea was to have a pop up at each

city alongside the club night. Offers, com-

petitions and lots of other social media

based hype would be created, to hope-

fully bring OnePiece to many different

cities throughout the UK for good.


This booklet represented the work of a PR company I devised and then led into a promotional campaign. After a visit

to Berlin I saw the OnePiece pop up shop they had there. The clean sophisticated layout of the store worked really

well, but after some research into the project I felt it was a good contrast against the fun playful company behind the

OnePiece phenomenon that was starting to creep into the UK. This gave me the initial idea to use them as a company

to work with.

Their company was set up from the idea of being comfortable after a heavy night of drinking, by sewing ‘sweat pants

and a hoody’ together. As well as this there was a lot of plans around at the time at the University where I study for

the new students starting in September. The concept grew from there, by combining both students and pop up stores.

In keeping with the target audience I developed it into a club night, creating a specific night within fresher’s week for

a Onesie party, based around OnePiece. Upon development, I chose to tour the club nights around the UK at differ-

ent Universities. This was because OnePiece only open pop up stores. This way they could easily pop up anywhere

and move easily. It would also reach out to a broader audience in a shorter amount of time.

The concept was split into two OnePiece teams. One for the Southern part of the UK and one for the Northern part,

as fresher’s week/s only last for one or two weeks at the start of term. To compete with other club nights and fresher’s

events, social media campaigns would be set up to involve the target market by having competitions and getting them

to design a OnePiece for sale. The pop up shop would open for a week in each location, with opening night having

live music and student discounts, they would then lead the people from the store to the club night, with discounted

entry.

I felt on a whole the concept really connected with the target market and gave them something fresh and new for their

new chapter of university. It approached them on a personal and involved level, as well as being something accessible

for the company to realistically achieve.


Marketing and Events Business

For my final year, through young enter-

prise a group of 6 of us set up an events

company. We saw a gap in the market to

bring live music events to Newcastle of

an alternative genre. We all had a keen

interest within music and used our skills

as individuals to bring a series of events

to different venues. I took on the role

of marketing manager. This involved

everything from promotions, to marketing

techniques, target audience and making

sure the running of the evening went as

smoothly as possible. Making contacts

and connections with bars and clubs was

a crucial part of making this successful.

All own work within photosPhotography by external person

Brand Concept

After a research project into the over

sexualisation of girls with the way they

dress and present themselves, it led me

onto a project I feel very passionately

and strongly about. There is a huge gap

within the retail market for a store exclu-

sively for teenage girls between twelve

and sixteen.

I have put together a brand concept for a

social hub which encompases everything

a teenager enjoys to do wit their free time,

alongside a retail outlet suitable for their

age group.

LAKE isa scrumptious new brand concept store, exclu-

sively for twelve to sixteen year old girls; giving them a

social shopping hub in the heart of Manchester’s bustling

shopping centre. With its alternative vibes reaching out

to the teens and parents its aim is to please both and cre-

ate somewhere teenagers can feel their age and express

themselves.

LAKE will fill the gap in the market on the high street

that seems to have been left out. There are many stores

that incorporate clothing for teenage girl up to the age of

sixteen, but they are always within another store, usually

aiming their products to adults. It will also give new de-

signers of small clothing and accessory businesses to buy a

space within LAKE to sell their products.

LAKE is all about encompassing everything teen; to bring

them somewhere they would be proud to shop in. Using

research of teen blogs; travel and being social was a key el-

ement in their everyday lives. Either exploring new places

or dreaming about escaping to them and LAKE has built

this into their concept and design.

In a nutshell...Own photograghy

all own work within photos

Music Review

Having a love for music, I based my

magazine project around music and fash-

ion. I also incorperated how colour effects

mood and how this is translated through

both mediums. Its something that really

interests me and I wanted to explore it

further.

Muse are a British band will a huge repu-

tation for putting on a show musically

and visually. The reviews however, takes

a bit of spin of how the colours seen very

much reflective of how Muse want you

feel when you hear their music.

MUSE –ical InspirationAfter the long anticipated sixth album from the acclaimed British band

Muse, twenty one thousand people filled MEN Arena, Manchester

to experience ‘The 2nd Law’ album tour. But was it as colourful as we

were expecting? By, Emma Dickinson

Muse are often described as one of the more extravagant, energetic and truly grip-

ping bands to see live. Alternative rock, with pop and electrifying guitar and bass

shredding is what has made the band so recognizable for planting a colourful story

within our minds through music. The distinctive tones of Matt Bellamy’s voice

are so captivating to your imagination, no wonder they recently picked up the ‘Q’

Award for, Best Band in the World. Having five previous albums under their belt

with accompanying tours, this was certainly nothing new to them.

As the lights dim around us and that feeling of anticipation starts riddling our bod-

ies, glimpses of the stage are seen from the thousands of camera flashes around the

arena. The roar of the crowd starts bouncing off the walls, the beat drops and you

finally get to hear the opening song, as you are stood, not only mesmerized by the

spectacular unfolding in front of you, but being fixated by the lights and the dra-

matics of the set. Surely there is nothing more theatrical.

Already transported to another world after listening to the album, the fans knew

there was going to be visual experience unfolding in front of them. As the video of

a girl running fills the pyramid structure of screens, your mind is made to race along

with it. Anticipating what is going to happen next. Red lights fill the stage, spill-

ing over into the two front rows, a colour associated with a lot of Muse’s songs. Red

is known to symbolize action, confidence, courage and vitality. On going themes

throughout much of The 2nd Law album, especially with Chris Wolstenholme

(Muse bassist) writing and singing two songs on the album for the first time ever,

one being titled ‘Save Me’, even more fitting alongside his personal triumph of

overcoming an alcohol addiction, which he has proceeded to comment on out in the

public eye. Whilst the action unveils around you, it starts to conjure many ques-

tions, a lot of them being why?

Matt Bellamy commenting on the stage set, starts to concrete these ideas in our

minds, “It’s basically an upside-down pyramid which is a very symbolic gesture.

A lot of people think the pyramid represents power structures, you know, in every

walk of life. Anything from basic corporate structures with a top down system

where CEOs take all the profit and get paid more than the people at the bottom,

which is the kind of down to earth version, to the Illuminati, you know”

When colouring the stage red alongside this, you start to realise the symbolic ges-

tures Muse make, even on a subtle level, to not only the power they hold over the

methodical structure of their songs, gripping the audience and the powerful con-

nections they make to the action you see. Bellamy adds after, ‘The pyramid seems

to represent the power structures of the world. Turning it upside down is a gesture

as to what we think of that.”

Undertones of sharp blue lights echo a shadow of intuition, meditation and deep

contemplation juxtaposing the harsh reality of the red. As well as the confliction

of hot and cold the colours represent in everyday life. Chris describes the theme of

the album as, “everything is falling apart and life that we know isn’t sustainable.”

Watching this live helps you to live out the thoughts and feelings of the band and

see their visions unfold in front of you. Being something exceptionally special if you

are a truly avid Muse fan, as well as being just as engaging if you don’t know the

music. It draws you in and holds you there until the end, much like life does from

birth to death. How disturbingly brilliant?

Obviously Muse played a number of songs from previous albums, tying the past

and present together. Taking us on a journey through their, what only can be

described, as truly epic career so far. Wrapped around the old and new rock songs,

starts to creep a novel version of dubstep. They have taken elements and transferred

these to what they know best. Strong influences from Skrillex and Nero seem to be

apparent, after them saying they went to see these bands perform live. When the al-

bum was released this gathered a diverse response, from love to hate and not much

inbetween. Once seeing it live it most certainly has confirmed that feeling and also

changed a few along the way. With it all being ‘played’ in front of us, how can you

put down something so innovative and clever? At this point, not only are we being

taken on a journey through their musical creativity, but also in front of our eyes the

colours are transporting us out of the compression of conflict and thrusting us into a

new place.

Purples, pinks and yellows are bolted around the room in strong lines. Royalty,

magic, mystery, love, beauty, wisdom and intellectual energy being shone upon

and around us are the connotations held with these colours. This takes away the

subdued mood Muse put us in with the majority of their music. Emotively the new

element they have twisted in starts to uplift the music. One of the first songs on

the album where we see this element is ‘Follow Me’. Although the lyrics are still

emoting a dark struggle, “when darkness falls and surrounds you” they are suddenly

picked up with the bouncy beat and lyrics such as, “follow me, you can follow me,

and I, I will not dessert you now.” Its like the lights are a strong signal of help to be

saved.

Alongside this great British theatrical performance unfolding on stage, this year we

also celebrated best of British with England being host to the Olympics. With the

release of their album and tour coming soon, Muse were asked to write a song to

accompany the summer event. It most certainly, once again, gathered an extreme

mixed response, splitting people to either end of the love it, or hate it spectrum.

Muse focused the song around the Olympics and not themselves, whilst keeping

in tune with their unique music style. True to this they decided to take on the dark

side of the competition and the not so showmanship attitude of beating everybody.

‘Survival’ was slated for not having the ‘chorus’ element to grip people, however

with lyrics such as, ‘

I won’t forgive, the vengeance is mine,and Iwon’t give in,because I choose to thrive’.

Surely that’s gripping enough. With the enhancement of the choir and foot stomp-

ing beat, you can’t escape that rock band Queen and their uplifting, yet dark

anthems must have been a great influence upon Muse. So what isn’t to love?

Finishing the concert with the melodically satisfying ‘Knights of Cydonia’, shunned

into complete obscurity, as the stage lights disappear, the crowd begin to think

what is possible for them to do next. How can they take this to the next level?

After seeing a truly amazing band perform live, its hard to go back and listen to

the album without being transported back to the rollercoaster of Matt Bellamy,

Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard’s rapid imaginations. With The 2nd

Law album it feels like we have been led down the path to the world of Oz. The

previous albums have always seemed to be full with dark black waves of colour,

accented by the negative vibes of red. Whereas now it’s almost like we are taken

on journey of colour and triumph, into the harsh realisation that at the end, the

blackness sets back in and we are shown the darkness, like Dorothy with her red

shoes. Speaking to a ‘real’ Muse fan, as he described himself, who had flown

from America to watch his favourite band perform live for the fourth time when

leaving he only had three words to mutter, “epic, powerful and masterful.”

Referencing a more obscure approach to a standard review, Opus wonderers if

this could be taken to a stage a little more out of the bands comfort zone? Has

this been the intention of the band all along? The inspiration they give to so many

people could be translated onto the bright lights of the West End. American rock

band Green Day ‘managed’ it successfully. Muse not only tell a story through

music but also colour, as stated before. Surely this British groups theatrics should

be seen in a more classic environment? Something so gripping, I personally feel,

needs to be more accessible for a wider audience. I wonder if this is something

they have considered? Opus is holding out for the review, if that happens!


Own words

Emma Dickinson [email protected]

07813597105

@ERDickinson - Twitter

uk.linkedin.com/pub/emma-dickinson/47/916/86/

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Portfolio