Represent Revisits: Studio 83
Some of you will remember an interview with “The Cut” contestant Gorgeous George in January – my how time flies. With the phenomenal proliferation of blogging, online mags and offline mags, we caught up with him to discuss where his magazine journey has taken him and to check out his June 16 special edition. We fill you in on the “Creative Editor” – thanks to AmorAmor for the interview. PS: Click on the flyer to see Represent’s latest ad featured first in S83. Comments?
Click here to fly to Studio83.
1. The magazine has been running for a few months now. Has your readership increased and how do you measure it?
Well it’s not really about the readership _ it’s about doing what you really want and others appreciating it. The last couple of months of the magazine have been about growth not numbers. After this one we can start talking about numbers.
2. How do you source your contributors?
Before you go to bed with S83 Magazine, you have to love it first (no sexual connotations intended). This means that before you can write for S83, you have to love the magazine first. Most contributors are in love with S83, so that makes a lot easier for them to write for the magazine. Most approach S83 to see if they can write for the magazine and they mostly do.
Sometimes S83 bumps into creative lifestyle igniters then the usual happens – they hook up.
3. Your graphic and photographic contributors are amazing. Have you considered running a design competition to source new designers?
Well S83 is looking for sponsors for that idea. S83 is a magazine where you will find your black diamond talent and it will be great to reward the designers and photographers. That is still work in progress.
4. I showed your mag to a cousin from Cape Town who was very impressed. Being an aspiring young entrepreneur himself, his first question was, “how do you make your money?” Has the magazine become an income stream for you? I’m sure it’s not your only source of income. Care to share your secrets?
It’s not a secret really. The 1st six months was all about growth. Now that S83 has grow(n) the next step is to take it to the next level. S83 does not generate income yet. It will be very soon. No, S83 is not the Creative Editor’s Source of income.
5. Are you happy with the way the magazine is evolving?
Yes.
6. In terms of exposure, do you think you are reaching your target audience?
S83 target audience is not everybody. So yes, we are reaching our target audience.
7. I liked the variety of perspectives presented by the articles in your last edition. However, do you feel that the magazine is solely aimed at young ‘black’ South Africans or do you think that it has reach beyond?
S83 targets creative lifestyle igniters, in terms of the articles – yes and no.
Yes S83 is aimed at young black South Africans. No, some of the experiences that young people (hence articles on S83 last issue) go through are the same whether you are black or white.
8. This last edition was refreshingly intimate in its opinions. Do you personally think it is possible for young South Africans to have a clear idea of their own identities beyond just their cultural background?
Yes
9. Putting together a magazine of such high standards must take a lot of your time. Do you still have time to explore other interests? What else are you working on?
The Creative Editor doesn’t have much time for himself. Maintaining a career at the same time doesn’t help the situation much. He is living is his dream today, that feeling for him is priceless. He doesn’t have time to explore other things but he is doing one project at a time.
10. In your previous interview with Represent you mentioned how much talent is to be found in the South African townships. Do you think enough is being done to find and promote that talent? Would you have any ideas on how to empower young people from the townships?
To empower the youth is to give them education as cliché as that may sound – its true (tertiary is the most crucial in terms of showcasing mad talent from the township). 80% of the contributors of S83 are from the township one way or the other. Enough is not being done that’s why S83 is doing its little part. Education is the future, period.
11. In the past, achieving success in fields such as graphic design, writing or arts in general seemed to be a question of being able to afford the tuition of a good institution. Do you have any advice for young people out there who do not come from cash, so to speak, on how they can overcome that obstacle?
The creative Editor always says “if you got talent, it will show”. For young people to over come those obstacles, older people should assist a bit too. If Dj Fresh didn’t source out varsity fees for the Creative Editor, S83 would not exist. Information, information, information – without information you won’t get access to scholarship and bursaries. The Creative Editor does not have a solution to this problem but he is working on it.
12. If you look at where you were two years ago and where you are now, what do you think your greatest lesson has been thus far?
Listen to your heart – it won’t shut up, so you might as well listen. Live your dreams no matter how big or small they are. The greatest lesson in life is – the little things in life count. The little hyphen on your tombstone between your birth date and your death date. The little smile you get when you call someone – just to say hi. Believe in God – he already believes in you.
*******************************************
I’m sure you guys all remember Gorgeous George from the first season of reality series The Cut South Africa; well we thought that perhaps we should catch up with the Alex born super- talented creative and find out what he is up to after the show.Born in ’83 Gorgeous George is only 24 years old and already has quite a few notches in his belt. In 2003 he won the Big Dawg Scholarship run by DJ Fresh’s Big Dawg Productions and he studied Graphic Design at Boston Media House, then last year he got picked as a contestant on The Cut, and now he has just launched an online magazine called Studio 83- impressive!
RR: Why do you call yourself Gorgeous George?
GG: I got that name while I was studying at Boston Media House a friend of mine Inky got the name from a movie called Snatch by Guy Ritchie, there’s a big guy called Gorgeous George in that movie.
RR: What is Studio 83 all about?
GG: Its creative lifestyle magazine which deals with what creative people get up to… where they hang out… and basically anything that is creative. Well it’s for the creative …
RR: What’s the significance of the number 83?
GG: I was born in 83, anything that I own will have an 83 somewhere. It’s my trademark. I think I was born at the right time.
RR: What inspired you to start a magazine?
GG: I love magazines. I once approached Y- mag to design their covers and I did three covers for them as samples of what I can do, after that they still wanted me to prove myself. I don’t like proving myself and that is when I got the idea to do my own.
RR: What is your goal with the magazine?
GG: I want to explore South African culture and the rest of the world. I believe that I live in a country that has raw talent and all that raw material is not exposed to the world. I just wanna show the rest of the world what the rest of the world is not showing to the rest of the world.
RR: When did you start designing?
GG: When I discovered that I could draw, then my skill progressed as I grew. I was inspired and guided by my best friend Kagiso, at that time he knew more than I did about design. I do feel though, that the Big Dawg Scholarship really helped to launch me and I have mad respect for DJ Fresh, because he gave me the biggest opportunity that changed my life completely. He gave me a kick start in life I will be forever grateful for that. Trust me this only the beginning ….
RR: Do you think design is the future and why?
GG: Design rules the world- without design you would not have brands and when you don’t have brands you don’t have different lifestyles and you don’t have people expressing themselves through design. Everything you see and touch has been designed by someone. Design is the future!
RR: Do you think that online publishing is the future?
GG: Yeah no doubt- printing a magazine would cost me a fortune but online is cheaper and it gets around faster- everybody’s got Internet. With online you can also experiment better with ideas and stuff.
RR: What are your thoughts on South Africa?
GG: Mzansi is my home there is no place I’d rather be. There is much talent in this country is not even funny. This country is like a “pay as you go” network- we are discovering new ideas as we “grow” as a nation- trial and error type of thing. Proudly South African, better recognise!
RR: Coming from Alex, what would you have to say about the talent coming from South Africa’s townships?
GG: I can’t speak for any other township except of my own- Alex aka Sandton ext. is the next big hood even though it’s small by size. The talent that I have seen ko kasi is mind blowing and seeing that I’m from Alex that should say a lot about the talent in my township, actually I’ve met people who have even better ideas than mine ko kasi- there is just too much talent there!
RR: What makes a designer excellent?
As a designer you can never be excellent. You can be good, but never excellent. I believe that as long as you are happy with what you’ve got then that’s all that matters- the thing is you can’t please everyone and you shouldn’t try to. Just do your thing- if people appreciate it, good and if they don’t, well life goes on.
RR: What are your New Years resolutions?
I’ve got one: Do what you want, not what you can.
Inspired by the simple things in life like family and friends it seems Gorgeous George will never run out of inspiration- and even though he didn’t win the series, he definitely makes The Cut and he has already stated this is only the beginning- the future seems quite bright for this Alex boy!
Check out the Studio 83 website on http://www.studio83.co.za/ and you can download the magazine, it’s really quick; and watch out for a new edition on the 15th every month.
This month’s edition has some really interesting contributors, some of which you might have seen around town or read some of their blogs, and just to wet your appetite (you know Represent’s got the 411) February’s theme is sex, love and money… so watch this space!
