Blog for media
October 3rd:
Today we have started an introduction to the magazine genre and we started looking at the codes and conventions of the front cover and contents page of magazines. In this coursework we have to produce a magazine cover and a contents page so by looking at the codes and conventions of this genre we can make sure we produce an authentic magazine cover and contents page.
Codes and Conventions of a magazine cover:
The title starts in the left corner
It has bar-codes
Main image in the middle (only one main image, not text covering the face)
Issue date and price go together
Title can be one or two word, usually one
Title uses unique font (gives the magazine its identity/trade mark)
The main image is looking at you, direct address (the image is making eye contact with the reader)
Main cover line goes with the image and anchors its meaning
The issue date and price go under the title or under the bar code
Puff (gives more to the reader)
Simple colour scheme (3 colours)
Web site address
Cover lines:
Cover lines arranged in colours, some intrigue the reader to find out more
· Different colours (couple of words which could be seen as a title/headline)
· Sub lines explaining the article
· Alliteration used frequently
Codes and Conventions of Contents page:
· Large page numbers for contents articles
· Web address in the bottom corner
· Details of company e.g. photographs
· Pictures of varying sizes used – Dominate the layout
· On left page writing is on the left, on the right page it’s on the right
· Number of pages link to written contents
· Consistent use of font (font sizes 0 – 12 for list of contents, title – some appearance as on the front cover, first few words either bold, capital, or both then and explanation of the article)
· Email/web address or mail address
· Credits for cover, photographs
· The word “Contents”
· Buzzword e.g. Exclusive (gets the interest of the reader)
· More images than writing (+50% more)
October 6th:
To make a front cover for a magazine you will need to have pictures on it, today we started to look at the different types of pictures we can take for the magazine. There are different types of shots you can take with a camera each having an effect on the reader and on the fact that if he/she will buy the magazine.
Different types of camera shots:
· Extreme close up
· Big close up
· Close up
· Medium close up
· Mid shot
· Medium long shot
· Long Shot
· Very long shot
· Two Shot
· Over the shoulder shot
· Tilted frame
· High angle shot
· Low angle shot
After we learned of the different types of camera shot we had a go at take some and practice for when the time comes to take the photographs for the magazine cover.
October 7th:
Today we uploaded the photos on a computer and they were assessed by the teacher. He said that some of them were taken in the wrong medium so we had to re-take some of them. Also we had to re-take photos that need to represent frustration and friendship, but we could not use any body parts so we had to use symbolise.
October 8th – 9th:
We started on the preliminary task today; this task is to get us started when it comes to do our real coursework. The real coursework is to produce a music magazine’s front cove, contents page and an article for the magazine. In the preliminary task we practise the skills that will require producing the music magazine. In the preliminary task we needed to produce a front cover for a school magazine and a contents page.
We started on the first four tasks today, these task were:
Task one:
In this task we needed to come up with a title for the school magazine, also we had to think of what the image will be on the front cover and to come up with some cover lines.
Task two:
Now that we finish task one we had to sketch how the front cover might look like and we had to add the issue date, price and cover lines.
Task three:
In this task we had to come up with a list of regular contents that will appear on the contents page. After that we had to come up with ten feature articles for the magazine and think of what picture we might use on the contents page.
Task four:
After task three was completed we had to get on with sketching the contents page remembering to use a column structure in the layout.
October 10th – 13th:
In the following day’s I have spent improving my sketches for the magazine’s front cover and contents page. I have had to change some of my main articles and cover lines to go well with my title and also I had to change some of the regulars of the magazines because I could not get an interview with the head teacher. And after I have finished we started on task five to eight:
Task Five:
In this task we had to take the photographs for the front page and contents page.
Task Six:
Task six is where we started to produce use Adobe Photoshop to produce the final image which will be used in the magazine.
Task Seven:
Now that the pictures have been finished we started using Adobe Photoshop to produce the front cover.
Task Eight:
When the front cover was done we started making the contents page using Quark Xpress.
October 14th – 15th:
After I have finished my sketches I started taking pictures for my magazines front cover and contents page. The picture for the front cover had to be a medium close up of a person and for the contents page I was allowed to take the pictures in any frame I wanted.
This is the picture I have used for my front cover. It is a medium close up of a person on a plain background so that it would be easier to take the background off in Adobe Photoshop. I have meat the requirement for the project so I did not have to take the picture again.
These are some of the pictures I have taken for my contents page. The brief did not specify in what frame to take these picture so I was allowed to choose the frame I thought it suited best.
October 16th – 17th:
After I have taken my pictures and was happy with them I started to design my front page and contents page on the computers. For the front page I used Adobe Photoshop as it is the best software to use when creating a front page. I have had some trouble with taking the background off my main picture on the front page. When I used the magic wand option where it takes out one specific colour out of the picture, the problem was that it not only took the background off it also took some parts off the person so I had to use the rubber option and go around the edges and take the background out “manually”. Apart from that small problem I found using the software easy and was finished with the front cover and when on to produce my contents page.
The contents page was straight forward I just had to import some text that I wrote in a word document and then add the pictures and the title “Contents”. The only thing that I have found a bit difficult was where could I put the pictures and in what way to arrange them to look appealing to the target audience. Apart from that the rest of the task was easy and I finished the contents page.
After I used Adobe Photoshop to change my picture I ended up with the picture having no background and used it on my front cover.
After I finished my front page I went on to produce my contents page and on the left it’s the finished product.
Evaluation of the front cover and contents page:
Being that we had to produce a magazine front cover and contents page we had to be aware of the codes and conventions of this type of genre. The products that I have produce follow these conventions such as the front cover picture is making eye contact with the reader like in most magazines. To produce this product I have used new software that was unfamiliar to me and I did not know how to use it very well. We use Adobe Photoshop to make our font cover and to change the pictures that will go on it, I took the background off my picture leaving it with just the picture of the person and I could put another background that I found suitable. Apart from the Adobe software we also used Quark Xpress, which again is unfamiliar software to me, and I did not feel too confident with using it. After we had a lesson on how to use the software I started feeling more confident with it and started to produce the contents page. Again we had to think of the codes and conventions of the genre and we had to include them in. I followed the codes and convections of the genre for then contents page such as pictures of varying sizes used that dominate the layout, consistent use of font (I used 18 font size for the numbers to make them stand out and font 12 for the words) and the word contents on the top.
The strengths of my product are that it is original and nobody else has thought of it. The weaknesses of my product are that I did not order my pictures in the contents page in a way that it will grab the reader’s attention. In terms of my strengths and weaknesses in using the software to produce my products I think that my major weakness is that I did not know much about the software’s that we have been using and if I knew more about them then I could have produced a more professional piece of work. The strengths of me using the software is that I caught on quick to how to use the basic of the software and I could produce a good quality piece of work. I met most of my deadlines that were set by the teacher, the ones that I missed were taking the photographs but I did finish the project by the last deadline. I mist the photographs deadline, because I took my photos after school in my house instead of taking them in school so I was behind the other people.
I have learnt new skills in using the software from this preliminary task that I could use when it comes to producing my main task which is a music magazine. I have also learned the codes and conventions of the genre and I know on which ones I need to focus on so that I can produce a professional music magazine.
November 3rd:
Today as a class we picked out the codes and conventions of a music magazine’s front cover and contents page. This involved looking at the codes and conventions of a regular magazine and just amending it for a music magazine.
The codes and conventions are as fallowed:
Front cover/ cover lines:
The title starts in the left corner
It has bar-codes
Main image in the middle (only one main image, not text covering the face)
Issue date and price go together
Title can be one or two word, usually one
Title uses unique font (gives the magazine its identity/trade mark)
The main image is looking at you, direct address (the image is making eye contact with the reader)
Front cover/ cover lines:
The title starts in the left corner
It has bar-codes
Main image in the middle (only one main image, not text covering the face)
Issue date and price go together
Title can be one or two word, usually one
Title uses unique font (gives the magazine its identity/trade mark)
The main image is looking at you, direct address (the image is making eye contact with the reader)
Main cover line goes with the image and anchors its meaning
The issue date and price go under the title or under the bar code
Puff (gives more to the reader)
Simple colour scheme (3 colours)
Cover lines arranged in colours, some intrigue the reader to find out more
Different colours (couple of words which could be seen as a title/headline)
Sub lines explaining the article
Alliteration used frequently
Web site address
Poster + CD’s giveaway inside the magazine
Main image usually a close up or medium close up
Use of contemporary fonts (such as sans serif )
Strip at the bottom of the cover with singers name and extras (gives the reader more for there money)
Main image in the middle with the text behind it (only well establish magazine can do this)
Main cover line goes with the image and anchors its meaning
The issue date and price go under the title or under the bar code
Puff (gives more to the reader)
Simple colour scheme (3 colours)
Cover lines arranged in colours, some intrigue the reader to find out more
Different colours (couple of words which could be seen as a title/headline)
Sub lines explaining the article
Alliteration used frequently
Web site address
Poster + CD’s giveaway inside the magazine
Main image usually a close up or medium close up
Use of contemporary fonts (such as sans serif )
Strip at the bottom of the cover with singers name and extras (gives the reader more for there money)
Main image in the middle with the text behind it (only well establish magazine can do this)
Contents page:
· Large page numbers for contents articles
· Web address in the bottom corner
· Details of company e.g. photographs
· Pictures of varying sizes used – Dominate the layout
· On left page writing is on the left, on the right page it’s on the right
· Number of pages link to written contents
· Consistent use of font (font sizes 0 – 12 for list of contents, title – some appearance as on the front cover, first few words either bold, capital, or both then and explanation of the article)
· Email/web address or mail address
· Credits for cover, photographs
· The word “Contents”
· Buzzword e.g. Exclusive (gets the interest of the reader)
· More images than writing (+50% more)
· Monthly issues usually tend to be two pages while the weekly ones are one page
· Typography reflects the genre (“Indies” magazines usually straight forward while other magazines form unique identity’s)
· A large picture dominates
November 12th:
Today we started to look at the codes and conventions of a double page spread for a music magazine. We individually have to produce a double page spread for our music magazine and knowing the codes and conventions is a good start so we can produce a professional looking music magazine.
Codes and conventions of a double page spread:
One main image dominating half of the double page spread.
They all start with drop capital to signal to the reader where he/she should start reading.
Image usually on the left, dominating most of the page sometimes bleeding on to the second page or cover the whole two pages.
An insert in the middle of the article to break up the text (e.g. quotes, images, or extract from the article).
Quotes beneath the stand first (can be provocative or sensational to get the reader attention), they can also be on the main image acting as a caption to anchor he meaning of the picture.
Posed picture where the light is used to give the picture more effect
Creative use of framing for the picture with the picture having direct address.
Mise –en-scene constructive frame.
They have a stand first (and introduction to the article usually contains by line, working with the headline to tell what the article is about)
The headline doesn’t tell what the article is about; their creative using puns and can bleed across the page.
Other design features are used in the first paragraph (not just drop capital), other examples are: all the first line is written in capitals, use of colour, bold type, slightly bigger size than the rest of the article.
Bold writing sometimes used for questions when the article is a question and answer article.
Personality of the journalist comes through the article
– He /she can give a personal opinion
– Descriptive/creating writing
The first paragraph should grab the reader attention, 11–12 point size for the feature article.
Page number and title on the bottom of the page
Simple colour scheme
November 25th:
Now that I have conducted our research into the magazine market with the questionnaire now I am in a position to make detailed decisions on my magazine. For this I have produce a publication plan Publication Plan.doc.
November 27th:
After the publication plan I have started to make decisions about the cover lines for my music magazine, the contents page, pictures that I would have to use and on what the article will be on my double page spread.
