Student Magazine
Task 1 (a)
The things you can do with Blogger:
Blogger is a website in which people join to post pictures, stories and much more to their account for the entertainment of friends and followers. It is an efficient way of passing on information and work. There is a whole list of things you are able to do…
Task 1 (a)
The things you can do with Blogger:
Blogger is a website in which people join to post pictures, stories and much more to their account for the entertainment of friends and followers. It is an efficient way of passing on information and work. There is a whole list of things you are able to do…
· Share posts, videos, PowerPoint’s, images and photographs, and any information you wish to provide.
· Blog from home! As it is a public website, meaning it is accessible to anyone who wants to see it, you are able to go on it wherever there is a computer; due to the technologies we have seen over recent years, you can also go on it on your phone, iPad, iPod, tablets and many more.
· Customise your blog. When you first set up your blog, you can change the colour, font, background and other things to make it your own. This could make your blog stand out from the crowd!
· You can blog as a group. This means that more than one person are able to post onto the blog and you can have things such as group discussions and photos.
Task 1 (b)
How will Blogger be useful for my coursework?
How will Blogger be useful for my coursework?
First off, by using Blogger, my work is going to be more personal to me and more creative with the way I present it. I will be able to have the colours and the fonts I want. It is a user friendly site, so I can feel 100% sure that my work will be uploaded in the most efficient and possible way. Blogger will enable me to upload any coursework when, and where, I want as I go onto the website on my phone. This is helpful as it means when I have finished pieces of work, I don’t need to worry about when is the first opportunity is to upload it; it will be published at a steady pace.
Task 2 (2)
Analyse a magazine cover and write about the target audience and how they appeal to that audience.
Analyse a magazine cover and write about the target audience and how they appeal to that audience.
OK is a popular, well known ‘celebrity gossip’ magazine. It has a simple layout that isn’t confusing to the reader and also has a synergistic and recognisable font so that the reader knows what magazine it is without having to look at the title.
This magazines target audience would be women, approximately aged around seventeen to thirty. As the stories are easy to read and use colloquial language, this appeals to the younger audience. The images on the cover of this particular issue feature multiple female celebrities (all around the same age as the intended reader); this is to give the audience something to relate to and aspire to be. They would be a lower class audience as the colloquial language isn’t very formal and wouldn’t suit a more sophisticated and upper class reader. As the audience would be interested in reading about celebrities and the celebrity world, they would possibly be into other media products such as ‘The Only Way is Essex’ or Katie Price’s programme, ‘The Next Chapter’. This is because these programmes follow celebrities and tell us about their lives, just like OK magazine.
OK follows many of the conventions of design to appeal to its intended audience. As it is a brand, it has the same layout for every issue: a large Masthead that can be slightly covered by the main image as it is an easily recognisable title and font; the images and text are all square (this gives a straight forward and straight to the point feel); the main image is bigger to the others so the audience know what the main story is. Having a certain layout for every issue of your magazine is a convention because publishers know if you use the same font and styling, then your audience will be familiar with the product and will know exactly what to expect; it makes the product synergistic.
OK magazine uses a variety of techniques to appeal to its target audience; not just in this issue, but with every issue they publish. One of these techniques is their use of colour. Whereas some magazine have a colour scheme – such as More! Magazine – OK has chosen to use colours they may not all go together, but they certainly stand out to its audience so they are drawn to it. The main image on this cover is Jordan, aka Katie Price; she is crying. This makes the reader sympathise for her and it will make them buy the magazine. All the images work as visual aids for the writing; it makes the cover less dull (as no one would want a magazine with just writing on the front) but also help the reader to understand the story. Also, because the cover has been completely covered with images and big text boxes, it makes the audience think that they can read a lot of gossip for their money.
OK magazine uses common conventions of a magazine as a way to appeal to their target audience’s needs. The publishers know what their reader wants and they know just how to achieve that.
Task 3 (1)
Find 5 examples of magazine covers for magazines aimed at teenage girls. Study what seem to be the conventions of this genre of magazine.
Find 5 examples of magazine covers for magazines aimed at teenage girls. Study what seem to be the conventions of this genre of magazine.
The main image on this cover is of Vanessa Hudgens. She is well known to teenage girls for playing the lead in High School Musical. This makes her a role model and gives the audience something to inspire to be. They have used a bright yellow for the title and also for some of the cover lines and puffs; this will stand out to the target audience and attract them to the magazine. By dressing the star in dark colours, it makes her stand out to the writing. There are stories such as ‘4 Steps to Summer Lovin’ and ‘Sexy Texts’, which suggest that this magazine is aimed at an older audience such as fifteen and sixteen year olds.
This magazine features Hayden Panettiere as the main cover image. She is well known for a number of different films and TV shows. This magazine may be aimed at more of an American audience as she is more of an American star. This issue has stories based on image and romance, which gives it a target audience of around fourteen to seventeen. It wouldn’t be for teenagers any younger than this as they may be a bit too young for certain features, such as the cover line ‘The Kissing Disease’. As this is a summer issue, they have used colours to represent this. By using orange, pink and yellow, it shows it is a girls magazine and also that it is fun and shows happiness.
This issue has Rihanna as the main cover image. As she is a present and worldwide star, this magazine could have an audience internationally. Its cover stories are all about giving the reader something to aspire to be or do: ‘Get Your Fashion Dream Job’; ‘Pops New Princess; and ‘Recharge Your Style’. Similar to the Seventeen magazine issue I have written about above, this issue of Teen Vogue also uses pink and orange to show who it is aimed at. To make the cover slightly edgy, there is a cover line on a tilt. This suggests that the magazine is not quite straight forward and there could be surprise elements within the magazine.
This magazine has a much edgier look to the three magazines I have analysed above. The main image is of Leona Lewis, who everyone knows as the winner of X Factor in 2006. However she is currently better known in America and has become a big star. Therefore that might give this magazine more of an American audience. She is wearing a black lace garment which looks more ‘dangerous’ and ‘daring’ against the bright, young colours of yellow and pink. This cover has writing on the bottom that has a UV lighting feel to it. This can make the reader feel older than they are and make them feel mature; UV lights suggest clubbing and partying. This issue is more revealing than some of the others I have analysed with stories such as ‘Lad-Mad’ women and talking about puberty and virginity; this shows it won’t have a young audience of thirteen/fourteen year olds.
This magazine would have an older audience of sixteen and seventeen year olds. This is because it has Christina Aguilera, an older woman, as the main image (compared to the other covers that have used cover girls no older than twenty four). It is also the only magazine out of the five to use red. This adds an air of sophistication to the magazine. The use of red for the title and cover lines also matches the cover girls lipstick. Cosmo Girl has used a colour scheme for their cover – not only with the red. The Star’s dress matches the background. The cover lines are aimed at an older audience as they are about holidays and tattoos.
All five of these magazines follow similar conventions. There is the use of bright and female colours to reinforce who the target audience is. They use bold colours that will attract the reader and that stand out against the background. They feature celebrity women as the main cover image so that young fans will know they know their role model is inside. The majority of the cover lines are about fashion, image and romance. This is something all teenage girls can relate to and they can use the magazines as a type of help guide. It helps them when they are growing up.
Task 3 (2)
“To what extent should magazines be held responsible for the social ramifications of the representations they offer?”
“To what extent should magazines be held responsible for the social ramifications of the representations they offer?”
There is an on-going argument about how young girls are growing up
too fast and beyond their years; wearing make-up and clothes that make them
look too much older than their actual age. Blame is constantly being shifted
between their parents, and the media. Magazines and television programmes often
feature image-conscious celebrities who only care about the way they look. Which
brings me to the essay title, to what extent should magazines be held responsible
for the social ramifications of the representations they offer?
Firstly, most
magazines work with the Hypodermic Needle Theory, also known as the Effects
Model. They inject ideas and information into the readers mind to make them
think in a certain way. This is why I can
argue that they should be held responsible. They supply these representations
to their audience, who in this case are young teenage girls, and don’t think of
the consequences of what they publish. They are perfectly aware of whom their
intended audience is, yet they carry on publishing stories that shape and alter
the youth of today; such stories about sex, body image and make-up. These aren’t
the things children should be reading about. If teenage magazines didn’t publish
a large extent of information that is simply too mature for their audiences,
then I believe youth would be different. Due to what they are able to watch in
films and on television, they wouldn’t be kept completely pure. However it
would make a difference. Magazines do have the power to control a person’s
opinions and interpretations, to some extent. Whilst they realise this, they
need to understand that they are influencing children in the wrong way.
Although on the other hand, there are many different types of
genres in the publishing industries. There are magazines aimed at adults that
do hold mature stories; magazines aimed at men about sports and cars; magazines
aimed at much younger children about cartoons. The reason young teens around
the age thirteen and fourteen are picking up the magazine aimed at an audience
older than themselves is because they don’t have one aimed at them. There is
also the argument that a publisher can’t control who picks up and buys their
magazine. If a parent isn’t happy with what their child is reading, then they
should have more control over what magazines their child buys. Magazines respond
to what they know their audience wants and it isn’t there fault if someone
outside of the intended audience decides to pick up their magazine and read it;
be it unsuitable or not. Therefore, it can also be argued that magazines should
not be held responsible for the social ramifications.
Personally, I think
that they should AND shouldn’t be held responsible. It is agreeable that they
can sometimes publish things that are a bit too mature and they need to
consider who might see their magazine; but they cannot control who buys their
magazine and therefore shouldn’t be subjected to not having an opinion.
Task 4
IPC Case Study
IPC Case Study
IPC is actually a variety of different publishers that have come together to form this one company. As the publishers of over 60 iconic magazine brands, IPC’s portfolio undoubtedly has a little something for every audience. However it particularly focuses on three core target audiences: men, mass market women and upmarket women. The 1800’s saw the launch of such magazines as The Railway Magazine and Shooting Times. The 1900’s had Woman’s Own, TVTime’s and the most iconic music magazine to date, NME. Despite all of their successes, they have begun focusing on a smaller pick of genres for which they aim their products specifically at certain intended audiences.
Target Audience’s:
Because IPC is a large business and have had a collective amount of products, they have had a wide range of audiences. However they have begun to target three particular target audiences
· Men
· Mass market women
· Upmarket women
The men’s portfolio, run by a smaller company called IPC Inspire, includes Rugby World, NME, Nuts and Mousebreaker.
The mass market women’s publications, run by a smaller company called IPC Connect, are those such as Look, Chat, TVTimes and Now.
The upmarket women’s portfolio, run by a smaller company called IPC Southbank, has luxury fashion magazines like In Style and also features lifestyle brands like Essentials and Ideal Home.
The mass market women’s publications, run by a smaller company called IPC Connect, are those such as Look, Chat, TVTimes and Now.
The upmarket women’s portfolio, run by a smaller company called IPC Southbank, has luxury fashion magazines like In Style and also features lifestyle brands like Essentials and Ideal Home.
New Music Magazine:
IPC are familiar with publishing music magazines as they own the most iconic music magazine made, NME. This gives them an advantage to making a new music magazine as they already have the pre-existing knowledge of what their audience what want and expect. They would have the contacts, the ideas and the resources needed to produce a successful music magazine.
However, it could be argued that IPC would not be the right company to produce this kind of magazine. This could be due to their success with NME. As they know it is popular, they may stick to the foundations of this magazine instead of branching out and creating a completely new one.
However, it could be argued that IPC would not be the right company to produce this kind of magazine. This could be due to their success with NME. As they know it is popular, they may stick to the foundations of this magazine instead of branching out and creating a completely new one.
The genre of music they would more than likely work towards would be ‘punk’ and ‘rock’. They are very similar to what can be found in NME and it is what they are comfortable with.
If they want to create a magazine of a whole new genre, they could experiment with ‘indie’ as it isn’t too dissimilar to the previous genres and it is becoming increasingly popular.
If they want to create a magazine of a whole new genre, they could experiment with ‘indie’ as it isn’t too dissimilar to the previous genres and it is becoming increasingly popular.
Skills Audit
How to use a computer
How to use a computer
Yes
|
No
| |
Are you confident on a PC?
|
O
| |
Can you insert text and image into a Word document?
|
O
| |
Can you find relevant documents and articles on the internet?
|
O
| |
Can you find images of different sizes on the internet?
|
O
| |
Have you ever used a Mac?
|
O
| |
On a Mac, do you know how to open an application?
|
O
| |
On a Mac, do you know how to cut and paste text?
|
O
| |
On a Mac, do you know how to copy images from the internet?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to scan images to a Mac?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to upload photographs to a Mac?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to Bluetooth files?
|
O
| |
Are you confident using PowerPoint?
|
O
| |
Do you currently have a blog?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to burn data to a disc?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to upload files to email or a blog?
|
O
|
Taking photographs
Yes
|
No
| |
Do you have your own digital camera?
|
O
| |
Does your mobile phone have a camera?
|
O
| |
Do you know how to take photographs in B&W?
|
O
|
Using applications
Yes
|
No
| |
Have you ever used Photoshop?
|
O
| |
Have you ever used InDesign?
|
O
| |
Are you able to crop images?
|
O
| |
Are you able to apply any special effects to an image?
|
O
|
Preliminary Brief
Initial ideas
Initial ideas
· Use an image of a student, not inside the college
· Use warm inviting colours to attract an audience
· A bold font that stands out against the image
· When taking the image, picture where everything will be placed on the final product
· Use more than one image so the cover is balanced
· Make sure the cover lines are relevant to the audience and consider what appeal to them
Proposal
As my student magazine will be about how to choose the right AS courses and how to survive your first year of college, it is aimed at teenagers aged 15 and 16. This is the age when they have finished school; they have to begin to think about what they want to do after school, and even the future. But it will also be aimed at any person who chooses to come back to college – such as people who have taken a leap year. Or even adults who want to go back to college. Therefore, I am making a help guide.
As my student magazine will be about how to choose the right AS courses and how to survive your first year of college, it is aimed at teenagers aged 15 and 16. This is the age when they have finished school; they have to begin to think about what they want to do after school, and even the future. But it will also be aimed at any person who chooses to come back to college – such as people who have taken a leap year. Or even adults who want to go back to college. Therefore, I am making a help guide.
My magazine will be called ‘SDC Central’ as I want the students to know that by reading my magazine they will know everything they need to know about South Downs College and that it would truly benefit them.
I would like it to have cover lines with things such as: the grades achieved in previous years, showing the colleges success; upcoming events at the college; and any other useful and important information that I feel is vital for the reader.
As I want my magazine to look professional and to show it is about a serious topic, I will use a simple, basic font such as Arial or Calibri – this will ensure they are clear and easy to read. The Masthead will be bolder than the cover lines; however it will be in the same font. By having them the same (and they would be the same for every issue made), it would give a synergistic feel to the magazine.
My magazine is for students joining college. Therefore it will be published in the spring term. This allows plenty of time for the students to take into account everything that the magazine has stated and to really think about what they want to do for their future. It will certainly be published every year for the new students that apply to South Downs College every year. There could also be a spin-off magazine that will feature competitions and college news; this would be published every month, if not every week.
The image on the cover of my magazine will be of a student, although I don’t want her to be pictured in college. I feel if I put an image on the cover of a student with a book or writing, it may slightly frighten the audience and put them off the idea of college. If the image is of a girl smiling and having fun, it will attract them and make them feel more positive towards the prospect of joining the college.
I want to use colours that represent fun and liveliness, such as pinks and yellows. These may seem a bit girly, but I feel they can represent the summer and they will stand out to my audience.
Flat plans:
When thinking about how I wanted to lay out the front cover of my music magazine, I decided to make 2 flat plans as a basis or possibilities to consider. Although they may not seem helpful, they will help me not only to save time when it comes to making my cover (as I will have a something to follow), but they also make me think about where my image will be placed; and therefore what type of image I will need to take.
When thinking about how I wanted to lay out the front cover of my music magazine, I decided to make 2 flat plans as a basis or possibilities to consider. Although they may not seem helpful, they will help me not only to save time when it comes to making my cover (as I will have a something to follow), but they also make me think about where my image will be placed; and therefore what type of image I will need to take.
Flat Plan 1
Flat Plan 2
Flat Plan 3
Music Magazine
Research tasks
Music'>http://prezi.com/oofm-ygrvgo2/music-magazine-target-audience-research/">Music Magazine Target Audience Research on Prezi
http://prezi.com">Prezi
As the prezi wouldn’t work for me, just like the PowerPoint below, I
have added the link in the hopes you will be able to see it on the website.
http://prezi.com/oofm-ygrvgo2/music-magazine-target-audience-research/
Target Audience Questionnaire
There is supposed to be a PowerPoint of a survey about my target
audience. I have tried using SlideRocket, SlideShare and SlideShark, however
none are working. I will have it on my memory stick if you wish to see it after
Easter.
I have added the link below to my SlideRocket. i am hoping you will be able to view it this way.
http://app.sliderocket.com/app/sliderocket.aspx#
I have added the link below to my SlideRocket. i am hoping you will be able to view it this way.
http://app.sliderocket.com/app/sliderocket.aspx#
3) Anaylsis of a music magazine
4) Conventions of
Music Magazines.
As a part of my research into music magazines, I looked through a
selection of varying magazines and found that they all have some common
features and conventions found in all of them. These are:
Magazine cover –
·
The use of bold Mastheads
·
Cover lines
·
Main cover image being of a person, more often than not looking
towards the camera
·
On the plugs, there is contrasting colours that make them stand out
·
Well thought through placement of all content (including the rule
of thirds for the cover image)
·
Images to go alongside the cover lines
·
Price and barcode – in a clear and visible spot for the reader to
see
·
Colours that often work well together and stand out
Magazine content –
·
For interviews, quotes are pulled out to captivate the reader and
to make them read the article
·
a similar style, colour scheme and layout to the front cover
(giving it a synergistic feel)
·
Eye catching colours
·
Page numbers
·
Images to lighten the read (often photo shoots of said artists)
In most cases, a magazine will have a certain style (be it font
type, layout or colour scheme) that will make their magazine different to
everyone else’s. Also, by having this synergy to it, it makes it easily
recognizable to the audience. They all use bold colours to make them “stand out
from the crowd” - but another way they
have created this is by using a range of celebrities on their covers as they
know this will draw the readers in to buy their products.
One aspect that has
started to take place in magazine lately is the use of technology – most
commonly mentioned are Facebook and Twitter. This is a good way to create viral
marketing and start appealing to a different type of audience.
However, despite
following conventions that they know will help towards selling their magazine,
all of the magazines I looked into were all still so different. They had found
their place in the market and they wanted to be different from magazines
already being published. Thus why there are so many, varying types of magazines
today.
Preliminary Brief
Initial Ideas
Magazine cover:
Initial Ideas
Magazine cover:
·
Use bright colours such as purples, greens, oranges and pinks as to
make the product stand out to its audience.
·
Use “urban” type fonts to give it an “edgy” and different look
·
Use outlines on the plugs so that they don’t merge into the main
image
·
Ensure when I take my images, I take into consideration how they
will be placed on my product
·
Use more than one image as visual aids to support the plugs
·
Think of plugs that will appeal to its audience – such as up and
coming bands/artists, competitions, exclusive interviews
Magazine content:
·
My genre: urban, chart/pop
·
Interview with artists (the main story also being the main cover
story.)
·
News about the music industry (album rankings, reviews, photo shoots,
festivals and concerts, celebrities, etc.)
·
Use of girly colours (such as
pinks, oranges and purples) to appeal to a female audience
·
Stories that will appeal to my target audience (love, romance,
celebrities, sex, etc.)
Proposal
My music magazine will be aimed at an audience young adults, around
17-22. The issue I will be producing will be aimed at a female audience more
than male, as the main image on my front cover will be of a female. I chose
this age as my target audience as I feel I know what appeals to them, being
this age myself.
My magazine will be about new, upcoming acts in the music industry. It will be to introduce artists who want to be known and will feature an interview will a ‘New Act of the Summer’. It will also have a competition to entice the audience to buying the magazine.
It will be called ‘F.N.M’, which is an acronym for ‘Fresh New Music’. I want the title to be straight to the point so that the audience know exactly what to expect. However I chose to use the acronym as I feel it is easier to remember. When a title is short and simple, the audience are more likely to remember it, just like ‘NME’.
The cover lines I am going to write will be about a new artist, offering an exclusive interview with them; a competition to win tickets for summers hottest festival; featured set lists for the tours of well-known artists; and much more.
For the font of my masthead, I want something that will look different to everything else; something that stands out. I want it to give an urban feel. However for the font of my cover lines, I will use something basic; such as Calibri (Body) or Ariel Rounded MT Bold.
My magazine will be published in the summer term, in the run up to summer break or possibly when colleges and school have broken up for the summer holidays. This is because teens won’t be busy with education and will want to know all about the latest music buzz. It will be published every week, most likely on the Friday, so that buyers have it to read over the weekend and also so they have something to look forward to at the end of the week!
The image on the front of my magazine will have lots of vibrant colours, to add to the urban feel I’m hoping to achieve. In order to get this, I want to find works of graffiti around Portsmouth. As my friend has bright red hair, I am hoping to use her as my model as I feel her hair would help to make my magazine stand out. It will always look good against the other colours in the image and the colours used for my plugs and masthead.
My magazine will be about new, upcoming acts in the music industry. It will be to introduce artists who want to be known and will feature an interview will a ‘New Act of the Summer’. It will also have a competition to entice the audience to buying the magazine.
It will be called ‘F.N.M’, which is an acronym for ‘Fresh New Music’. I want the title to be straight to the point so that the audience know exactly what to expect. However I chose to use the acronym as I feel it is easier to remember. When a title is short and simple, the audience are more likely to remember it, just like ‘NME’.
The cover lines I am going to write will be about a new artist, offering an exclusive interview with them; a competition to win tickets for summers hottest festival; featured set lists for the tours of well-known artists; and much more.
For the font of my masthead, I want something that will look different to everything else; something that stands out. I want it to give an urban feel. However for the font of my cover lines, I will use something basic; such as Calibri (Body) or Ariel Rounded MT Bold.
My magazine will be published in the summer term, in the run up to summer break or possibly when colleges and school have broken up for the summer holidays. This is because teens won’t be busy with education and will want to know all about the latest music buzz. It will be published every week, most likely on the Friday, so that buyers have it to read over the weekend and also so they have something to look forward to at the end of the week!
The image on the front of my magazine will have lots of vibrant colours, to add to the urban feel I’m hoping to achieve. In order to get this, I want to find works of graffiti around Portsmouth. As my friend has bright red hair, I am hoping to use her as my model as I feel her hair would help to make my magazine stand out. It will always look good against the other colours in the image and the colours used for my plugs and masthead.
Flat Plan 1
Flat Plan 2
Flat Plan 3
Examples of my photography
