OCR Media Studies – AS Level

Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media

Preliminary Task, Log Book and Evaluation

Name: Eleanor WatsonCandidate Number: 6278Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic CollegeCenter Number: 64770

Set Brief - Print

Music Magazine – Production

Preliminary Task Progression, Log Book and Evaluation

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceFront CoverStep-by-step

The first step is to create the canvas which had a width of 20.99cm and a height of 29cm.

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The first thing I added to my canvas was the header in the colours of the school. I used the shape tool to create the box then used the warp too to change the shape.

I then added the masthead ‘College Life’ in a bold, black font from dafont.com and created a stroke effect around the verbal code in white to make it stand out and I also added the school logo in the corner of the masthead to show it was an official St Pauls magazine

4 5 6

I then added the main image and cropped out the background to leave only the image on the page, I used the quick selection tool to crop this. I placed the image in the centre of the page and made it very large to make it stand out

I then added my main headline above the main image. I used the word ‘exclusive’ to make it stand out and appeal to the reader by having a story that is only in this

magazine .

I added my barcode, social network logos, price and website in the bottom corner of the page

so they are out of the way but are still visible

7 8 9

I added my puff in the space next to my main picture. I used

the shape tool to create a shape tat stands out against the rest of the front cover and used

the dropper tool to use the same colour for the shape as

my main header

I added a smaller image to support one of my cover lines. I used the

quick selection tool to remove the background from the image so it fits the rest of the page. I added

this photo to add to the story and make it look more appealing to the

reader

I added my cover lines around my main picture. I

used the pen tool to create a text box around the main

image so that the picture and text are linked together

After corrections I change the layout of the main headline and placed it across the body so it was clear that it related to the main image. I also changed the colour of my puff to make it stand out since there was not as much blue on the page. I then added more smaller images to relate to the cover lines

I added my strap line under the header an used the stroke effect to make it

stand out.

This is my final front cover after I have

corrected everything that needed to be

completed.

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceContents PageStep-by-step

The first step is to create the canvas which had a width of

20.99cm and a height of 29cm

I duplicated the header shapes and coped them

over to create constancy in my magazine and to also create brand recognition

within my magazine

I then placed in my my contents title and the name

of the magazine in the corner so that is was clear what the

page is

I added in my sub headers to separate the different stories so that the reader can chose which stories

interest them. This creates a personal relationship with he reader (Katz)

I then added in the contact details, signature and the title for the editorial in a

designed way. Chose to use this layout since it looks

professional and looks nicer than just being flat

I then added in my editorial and photo. I used my college photo since it looks professional and suits the genre of the magazine. I made some of the words bold to stand out and exaggerate the key points

I then placed in my subscription and a picture of my front cover to add to the

advertisement.

I then started adding in all the different stories under the sixth form section. All

these stories were side stories that related to the sixth form as a whole and contained

notices and competitions. I did this to make it easier for the reader to find what they are looking for. I then changed the

colours of each story to make them stand out and become differentiated form each

other

I then added in all my main stories under the heading which were all bigger than notices and were related to bigger events. I used the colours to fit in with the colour scheme and keep it

simple

I then added in all my page numbers leaving gaps in between to allow for more stories that are not listed and for double page advertisements that are usually

found between stories. I made sure that the page numbers were all in ascending order for each sub

heading since it looks more professional and coherent

I then added the website address in the corner of the page so that the reader will always be reminded of the magazine website and follow the conventions of

magazines. I then added the Facebook and twitter logos to promote the pages on both Face book and twitter

Section 1) – Log Book

Music Magazine – Genre research

“Q, the UK’s biggest selling music monthly magazine, sits at the heart of a cross-platform brand that celebrates the biggest stars in rock and roll and brings you the most exciting new artists. The Q brand has developed a worldwide reputation as a trusted and premium quality voice of musical authority amongst fans, musicians and the music industry alike - one that is founded upon Q's unrivalled access, world-beating exclusives and outstanding production values. This reputation is extended not only through the magazine but across online, radio and on into Q's unique events, which encompass exclusive, intimate live shows with major stars and the world famous annual Q Awards.”http://www.bauermedia.co.uk/brands/q

http://www.qthemusic.com/Official website:

Established Magazine for my Research

The main headline is linked with the photo, which ‘informs’ (Katz) the reader of the main story in the magazine.

This advertises a new column that has never been seen before.

Large poster with all the gigs for the year which appeals to everyone who wants to follow their favorite band at their gigs and also when they want to see new acts live.

Added humor within the cover line make the magazine more friendly to the audience, as well as conveying some much needed ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer)

The masthead and a strap line tells the buyer what the magazine is and what its about

I researched this magazine since it has such a wide target audience so the codes and conventions used in this magazine would appeal to a number of different age ranges which has worked and become very successful which inspired me to focus on a broad target audience

Target Audience –The target audience for Q can be denoted as 15 – 30 and mainly read by males (Hartley) who form a strong person relationship (Katz) with the band or artist in the magazine. ‘Survivors’ (Maslow) are the main readers of the magazine as they would want to know all the latest information about their favorite bands or singers. Research denotes that the main readers of Q are in the A, B, C1 social group because of the wide range of music that suits all the readers, for example the range of music changes from Skrillex (Upbeat and fast paced) to Florence and the Machine (slower and more relaxed music)

What is the USP of this magazine?I think the USP is that it has such a wide range of music that many people enjoy and want to read about, it also contains unique and exclusive articles in all of the magazines which is a huge selling point for all the readers, for example the reference to a ‘new’ Simon Cowell which would draw in readers since he is a very famous man in the music industry

Publisher researchThe main age group that reads this magazine is between 15-24 with 35.5%. The cover and the language used in the magazine is aimed at younger people, for example the 16 page gig list would appeal to a younger audience because they would want to keep up with all the latest gigs and concerts

The majority of the readers are male with 68.3% and only 31.7% of females read the magazine which connotes that it is aimed at males, this is show through the imagery and language used on the front cover as it casual and simple without using any sophisticated language

70% of the readers have a A,B and C1 profile which means they are higher up the social standing and have more powerful jobs like a doctor or a manager. This can be represented by the bands and artists in the magazine as the type of music they play are not the typical ‘pop band’ style

Source: http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/magazines/detail/Q

Conventions of a Music Magazine

Large image in the centre of a well known artist to denote some‘star appeal’.

Main Headline, similarly to Q, anchors the main picture. Verbal codes such as ‘special anniversary issue’ and ‘the birth of the legend’ attracts the reader as it is not in any other magazine

Sub stories in the magazine with ‘star appeal’ attract readers to buy the magazine.

Free gift connote that is a rare edition as you can not buy it in the shop and no other magazine is giving away a free CD.

Masthead for the magazine so people know what it is called, which is presented in a bold white writing to stand out on the grey background.

Target Audience –The target audience for Q can be denoted as 15 – 54 and is mainly read by males (Hartley) where the reader can escape from reality and enjoy the life stories of artists or bands (Katz). ‘Explorers’ (Maslow) would be the main readers of this magazine as they want to discover different artists and Mojo has such a wide range of music that it has plenty for explorers to discover. The main readers of Mojo are a mixture of all the socio-economic groups, which is shown by the different types of music that anyone can enjoy.

What is the USP of this magazine? I think the USP is that the magazine offers a chance to gain exclusive gifts for example to free CD that is not available on the shelf which also has ‘star appeal’ (Richard Dyer) which would interest all the fans and supporters to buy the magazine just for the CD, and is also has music stories and life stories that would appeal to all ages.

Publisher research

http://magazines.bauermediaadvertising.com/magazines/detail/mojo

The main age group that reads this magazine is between 45 – 54 with 28.8%. This connotes that the magazine is aimed at middle aged people which is shown by the type of music displayed on the front cover.

The majority of the readers are male with 73.1% and only 26.9% of females read the magazine which connotes that it is mainly aimed at males with the darker colours and the male artists that are shown on the front of the magazine.

59.5% of the readers have a A, B, C1 social profile which corresponds with the age range as people between 45 – 54 are more likely to have a higher up job. This connotes that the magazine is aimed towards higher business people.

Source:

Name ideas

Parade

E

Highlights

Buzzz

Beat

The name I have chosen for my music magazine is Beat as is stands and represent the genre of my music magazine. It also has a catchy feel and represents the sound of the music as it “beats”.I also chose this so I could use my strapline ‘feel the beat’ as it sounds like it is meant for the genre of music and it unique since no other magazine has the strapline

Ideas for Magazine names

Inside the magazine

interview

Gigs and festival

New artists

New releases Win tickets!

Ideas for stories and promotions for the Front cover

From my brainstorm I decided to use most of my ideas since they all have their own unique selling point that would draw in many readers. I believe that all these ideas should be present on a front cover since most of the magazine already on the shelves include all of these features which make It more successful and attractive

PRIMARY RESEARCH - Questionnaire and Results

This is an example of a questionnaire that I have created and handed out to 10 different people that were fro a range of target audiences so I could find out peoples opinions on music magazines and their contents. I asked questions that were aimed mainly towards the type of magazine that I was interested in and targeted certain people that would be interested in my magazine

Questionnaire results

40%

60%

Are you male of female?male female

80%

20%

Do you read music magazines?yes no

under 15 15-20 21-30 31+02468

1012

How old are you?

under £1 £1-£2 £2-£3 £3-£4 £4+01234567

How much do you pay for it?

From the first 4 questions I have learnt that the majority of the people I asked where female and most of them read music magazine and they are all between the age of 15-20. the majority of people would pay between £2 and £3

20%

80%

Do you think it is too expensive?yes no

1 to 3 3 to 6 6 to 9 9 +01234567

How many stories do you like to be on the front?

one main image

one main and 2/3

small

several small no images only images02468

10

How many photos do you like to have on the front cover?

10%

20%

50%

20%

What sort of colours are best for the front cover?

simple bright dull bold colourful

only 20% of the people thought the magazines are expensive which shows that people are willing to pay for the magazine if they like what is inside.

Most people said that there should be between 3 and 6 stories on the front cover with one main image and a very bold colour scheme. I will use what i have found out and apply this in my own magazine

simple informative vague picture based full0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

How do you prefer the contents page?

1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6 6 to 7 7+0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

How many stories would you like in the magazine?

From the last two question I have found out that people like their contents pages to be simple but informative and for the magazine to either have 7+ stories or 4 to 5 stories. I will use what I have found and apply it in my own magazine and will have between 4 and 7 stories with a simple and informative contents page