AS MEDIA

AS UNIT G321

FOUNDATION PORTFOLIO IN MEDIA

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

Candidate Name

Candidate Number

Centre Name

Centre Number

Charley Box

4023

The Leigh Academy

61101

This magazine follows the typical conventions of most

magazine designs.

The placement of titles on the majority of magazines are always

placed at the top and this design is no exception. It is also

placed behind the main image which allows the image to stand

out more. This magazine design also follows the conventions of

colour themes. This is because it uses 3 colours, without

counting the masthead. If anymore than four were used, the

magazine would appear crowded and give the look of it being

unorganised. The strapline also follows the usual conventions

and also uses the same colour theme. It follows the same

conventions as usual. Straplines are used on magazines that

are aimed towards a younger audience. This is why this

particular magazine follows the typical conventions, because it

is placed on a Billboard magazine that is typically read by a

younger audience. On this magazine, the proportion of text is

smaller compared to the image. This shows that the designer

has used typical conventions. In classical music magazines, the

proportions of text is larger when compared against rock and

pop. As this is billboard, as stated before it is aimed at

teenagers, which shows why the image is larger as it makes the

magazine visually appealing. The use of the colour pink for the

text, represents a more feminine side. This links to the

character that Darren Criss plays in the show ‘Glee’.

This magazine has adapted conventions slightly to create different effects for the

audience.

The cover lines around the page, have been placed on a slight slant, which

develops conventions as the typical placing is straight so that everything keeps in

line. This may have been done to fit with the audience of the magazine. As well as

this, the designer has also used 5 colours on the front cover, which is over the limit

for sticking to the usual conventions. This has been done so that it stands out with

all the different colours to appeal to a wider audience. In the bottom right corner,

the website name has been placed in capital letters with a fade on it. This is a

developed convention as the website addresses are usually very small and placed

out of sight so that it doesn’t obstruct other conventions. This makes the magazine

appear more busy as so many things are happening and could cause the reader

to become distracted. This takes away from the main image and cover lines. As

well as having the web address in a larger font, it has been faded so that it is less

opaque, this allows the main image to still pass through and be seen.

Develops and Challenges

This magazine challenges the typical conventions of a real magazine. It doesn't have a

skyline, which keeps the design simple. As well as this, it also doesn't include a date or

issue number. This challenges the traditional conventions and due to this magazine not

having these conventions, it could hint towards the rest of the magazine not following the

conventions. There could also be a hint of surprise and change, which would attract

readers due to it being different. Another thing that challenges the conventions is that the

designer hasn't included any puffs. This could mean that they don’t want to attract

readers just because of competitions, but they want to focus on the articles that they

produce instead.

Occupational Social GroupsSocial Group AConsists of bankers, lawyers and doctors.

Often live in owner occupied houses as well as buying recognised brands.

They hardly engage in social media, film and music.

High earners.

Social Group BConsists of teachers and fairly well paid professionals.

Often own a mortgage and live in their own homes fully independent.

They go on packaged holidays once or twice a year.

Dine at fairly expensive high street restaurants.Social Group C1Consists of junior management, bank clerks and nurses.

Often live in a low mortgage property and receive government benefits.

They spend 2-3 hours per day watching TV and listening to the radio.

They read magazines such as Daily Mail and fitness magazines.

Social Group DRepresent audience stereotypes such as drivers and warehouse pickers.

Often live on a tight budget and a rented property.

Shop from discount shops.

Use public transport and shop online for bargains.

Social Group EIncludes students and unemployed.

Have no pre defined spending habits and shop for discounted food and clothes.

Spend a lot of time watching TV and on social networking websites.

Mostly read free media and watch shows such as Big Brother.

Social Group C2Consists of electricians and plumbers.

They live in rented property and receive government benefits.

Spend leisure on local holidays at the sea.

They own a car which can be used for work as well.

Mise-en-scene has been used to appeal specifically to

social groups D and E as a lot of images have been

used on the magazine to catch the audiences

attention.

The language used on the cover is chatty gossip as it

is aimed towards social groups D and E. This appeals

to the social groups as they are a younger audience.

The cover of the magazine features a lot of quotes

from people who are featured in the magazine. This is

used so that the audience can see what the articles

will be about. They include shocking quotes, which is

used to grip the readers and encourage them to buy it.

As social groups D and E spend the most time

watching TV and on social media, this magazine is

particularly aimed towards them as they are aware of

who these people are. Each image used is different,

meaning that it is a mixture of stories that suit different

people. They have done this so they can cater for

different needs rather than trying to reach a certain

age. Students are stereotypically known for knowing

what is going on with celebrities, which is why this is

magazine is aimed towards social group E. In the

main image, the Duchess of Cambridge is smiling,

which is used to attract readers as they want to know

what she is smiling about. The quote underneath goes

hand in han, as it

Technologies and Processes

Physical Technology

Photographical cameras

Studio

A digital camera encodes digital images and videos digitally and

stores them for later reproduction. They allow you to see the

image as soon as it is taken which helps during the magazine

process as you can see whether or not you have the right shot.

Digital cameras are needed so that you are able to take photos

for your magazine.

A studio can be a room where an artist, photographer, sculptor,

etc. works. It allows you to have your own space and to keep all

your work together which can help in the magazine process as

you wouldn’t be distracted.

Digital Technology

Computer hardware

Memory cards

A few of the computer hardware needed for a computer is the

monitor, mouse, keyboard, data storage and hard disk drive.

Hard disk drives are needed to store the photographs taken

for the magazine process. Graphic cards are also needed so

that you can see the photos clearly.

A memory card is an electronic flash memory data storage

and is used for storing digital information. They are most

commonly used in digital cameras which helps with the

magazine process. This is because the images can be

transferred from the camera to the computer, which speeds up

time.

Software

Photoshop

Promotion software

Photoshop is used to edit images and has become the industry

standard in raster graphics editing. It allows you to edit things out,

change the filters, etc. Throughout the magazine process,

Photoshop will be used to enhance the images and change tiny

details that may not look right.

Promotional software can include Billboards. These are larger

outdoor advertising structures that can be found in high-traffic

areas as they present larger advertisements to people passing by.

To promote the magazine, it can be shown on billboards to build

up the advertisement and bring customers in.

Printing

Printing processes

Printer hardware

To print a magazine, a printing press will be used due to the

amount of copies that need to be produced. A printing press is

a device that transfers ink by applying pressure to an inked

surface. This is what is used when creating magazines as

they produce copies quickly and efficiently. The simplest

printing press consists of a large table that is fitted with an

overhead screw. There is a lever mechanism, which forces

the printing plate against the paper. Although, magazines are

are created using the modern presses. These consist of

cylinder mechanisms that rotate at high-speed, where as the

simple printing press’ are hand-operated and can only create

small volumes of printed items.

The masthead is placed at the top of the magazine which follows

conventions. It’s in black capital letters which helps attracts

customers as it stands out. The masthead is placed above the

image so it doesn’t overlap, this helps both the masthead and

image as they stand out without it looking too over crowded and

busy.

Above the masthead, there is a skyline which also follows

conventions. It mentions the activities and competitions in the

article. As this is a school magazine, this has been designed

cleverly to catch the attention of school readers. This shows that the

designer knows how to entice their audience because they have

used the skyline and researched about their target readers.

For the colour scheme, they have used a white font against an

orange background on the skyline. These colours compliment one

another so they work together as the font isn’t too dark to be seen.

Throughout the rest of the magazine design, orange, white and

black have been used. Without counting the school logo, it has

followed the usual conventions as three colours have been used.

This helps give the magazine a clean and organised feel, and can

allow the readers to scan over the cover without becoming

confused. On certain parts of the text, words have been placed in

bold and underlined text. This has been done to make them stand

out so that the readers understand that they are important.

The main image takes up the whole space with text placed on top. It

clearly shows a girl laying in bed on her phone, which represents

the readers as again, it is aimed towards school children. It is a mid

shot/close up but is placed at an angle due to the girl laying on her

side. This doesn’t follow typical conventions as it is an action shot.

This can make the magazine appear unprofessional but also unique

at the same time.

This magazine does not have a skyline anywhere, which already

shows that it doesn’t follow typical conventions of a magazine.

Instead of a skyline, they have placed the date at the top. The first

thing that stands out to me is the masthead. It is in red capital letters

that stands out against the cream background behind. The main

coverline also stands out as it is in blue text. It states that it is the

‘cover story’, which allows readers to know but is also unnecessary

because if the whole text was in blue, it would appear obvious that it

is the main coverline.

The main image is a mid shot of a girl holding books. This relates to

the theme of the magazine well as it represents a student. It’s been

placed on the left side of the magazine, which allows for the text to go

on the right side. This could be so that the text is visible to the readers

and not hidden by the image beneath. This is because sometimes the

image can make the text harder to read.

Aside from the main image, there are also three smaller images that

may have been used to break up the main coverline along with the

other pieces of text. Although, they have used images to relate to the

other coverline. This is a good way to entice readers because it is

giving them a glimpse of the sort of things they will see.

The anchorage text below one of the coverline stories, is in black text.

This may have been done to contrast against the coverline and make

sure that it doesn’t overpower the actual story. Although, it is still a

good thing to have because it relates to the what the coverline is

about and provides the reader with more information about the topic.

The designers also placed the rest of the coverline stories in red. This

ties up the colour scheme consisting of red blue and black. They

match the masthead and can show that they have clearly thought

about colour scheme, which follows typical conventions.

On this contents page, it sticks to three main colours throughout,

with the exception of the different shades of blue for the numbers

on the left. There are four images on the right hand side, which

show what some of the content may be about. This is a good idea

so that readers can see and decide whether or not they want to

read that page.

The masthead has been created in a bold font. This stands out

against the page and allows readers to clearly see what it is. The

page numbers are each in different shades of blue and are bold.

This helps them stand out so that the readers can clearly see what

page the stories are on. The titles next to the page numbers are all

in bold white text. This contrasts well against the pink, which makes

it eye catching. The text underneath that have been placed in black

font colour. This doesn’t work as well when put against the pink as

they are both quite dark. As this has been done, it means that the

reader needs to pay more attention to try and read what it says,

which could lead to them not bothering at all.

The designer has also covered one half with the pink and the other

half with purple. Depending on the colours used, it can create a nice

contrast. For example, black and white would create a good

aesthetic but, the colours are too similar and along with the blue

masthead, it makes the contents page appear chaotic.

Which forms and conventions will be used in my design and why?

• Skyline at the top of the page to show important information that can be found in the magazine.

• Masthead to lay over the image, this will make the masthead stand out more.

• Main coverline will be on the left side, with a slightly larger font. The larger font will represent that it is the

main coverline.

• Medium shot of a school kid working. This shot will indicate that it is a school magazine when seen in a

quick glance.

• Fun and part serious language will be used as it is a school magazine and the audience will respond more

to this language.

• The colour scheme will include blue because that is the main colour for the school. Red, white and black will

also be used to stand out against the blue background.

• Coverline on the opposite side of the main coverline, still in black text but a bit smaller. This is so that it

won’t take up as much room and isn’t as important compared to the main coverline.

• Puff in the bottom corner in white. The star will be in the corner with text inside mentioning a competition.

This will attract people because of the contrast between white and black.

• Issue number placed underneath the title but in very small font size. This is a basic thing to include so that

people will know what issue it is to differentiate between similar ones.

The masthead is white text on a red background,

this allows the reader to see it clearer as it jumps

out at you on the page. On this contents page,

there is a clear colour scheme of red, white and

black. This doesn’t make the page appear over

crowded as the colours compliment each other.

As for the image, the designer has included one

long shot image on the right side of the page.

This makes for a nice focal point because it

doesn’t cut off any text and as well as that, it fits

nicely in the space. The layout of the magazine is

clear and nothing overlaps. This could be used to

fit in with the type of magazine. For example for a

rock magazine, the layout may be messy with a

dark colour scheme, whereas for classical music

the colours could appear neutral. For the page

numbers, they are the same layout as the

masthead. This has been done so that readers

can clearly see what is on what page. As for the

actual content, important words have been

underlined. This is to engage the readers and

show that it is an important or exclusive part of

the magazine. The designer has also included a

quote from one of the interviews, this is to entice

readers by giving them a glimpse of the content

featured in the interview.

Researching your main task

The masthead on this contents page is a

lot smaller compared to the first contents

page. This is so that it doesn’t take up as

much room and become the main

attraction of the page. The contents page

follows conventions with images, as the

majority of other contents pages are

image heavy. A reason for this could be

so that readers aren’t put off by the

amount of text used and become bored,

therefore not continuing with the

magazine. The image is a close up shot

which again, follows typical conventions.

The designer has used a large close up

shot to attract the readers, as well as

weigh out the heavy text on the left so

that it doesn’t become too much. The

colour scheme that has been chosen is

black, grey and white. These are all very

neutral colours but a pop of red to match

the magazine logo is also on the page.

They’ve stuck to basic colours so that it

doesn’t appear chaotic with the large

amounts of text. For the sub-headings,

the red has been brought in to make

them stand out as that’s what sub-

headings are intended for.

On this double page spread, a medium shot

takes up one page. The colours used in the

image also match against the text used on

top. These colours compliment one another

and make the magazine appear aesthetically

pleasing. The language used in the article is

serious and proper as it is an interview. The

designer has also used a large typeface at the

beginning for the ‘A’, this matches the colour

scheme going on between the image and text

on the page before. The large typeface

follows conventions as it is typically found in

all magazine spreads at the start of the

article. It is also used to attract readers

because it stands out against the smaller font

underneath.

Throughout the article, they have used another large typeface, this time, for the ‘F’. This

is so that the chunks of small text are broken up and don’t appear too daunting for

readers. In the center of the page there is a quote. As well as the large typeface, this also

follows typical conventions of a magazine. The quote has been placed in a larger font

compared to the rest of the article meaning that when a reader scans the page, the quote

is one of the first things that they see. This is why the designer has done this, as it gives

the readers a glimpse of what will be in the article. It is a good way for the readers to see

if it will be interesting or not, without wasting time reading through the whole thing. In the

bottom right corner, an image has been placed there. This could be to again, balance the

text and images out so that the page doesn’t appear too cramped, or it’s the same as the

quote box in the middle. To show in a visual way what subject the article touches on.

The first thing that I notice when

looking at this double page, is the

quote. It instantly grabs your

attention as soon as you turn the

page, due to the large font and

colours used. As the designer has

used white against black, it

catches the readers eye. They

have then used a pop of colour,

which is the pink, to make it stand

out even more. These colours

make the reader want to stop and

read what it is about because it is

visually pleasing, hence why the

colours have been used together.

The colours used together may

represent the type of music that

the artist makes.

The background is a light grey

colour, which works well and

doesn’t make the spread seem

overcrowded. The colour scheme

follows the typical conventions as

three to four colours have been

used throughout the article.

For the questions in the article, they have been highlighted using white.

This is so that the black and white contrast against one another, making it

even even more straightforward to read. The font is also bigger than the

answers underneath. The answers could have been placed in a smaller

font so that it encourages the readers to read the article properly to find

out what was said.

The image has taken up the whole first page and is a medium shot of the

artist standing with what looks like his hands in his pockets. Although this

can not be seen, this is the impression we get from the shot. The body

language can represent the type of music that is made and gives off an

almost ‘don’t care’ attitude.