Tips to consider when designing

print media

We need to consider the following aspects when designing and creating our practical piece of coursework. 1) Research, analysis and planning 2) Linking to our research investigation – Via Genre/Representation/Narrative 3) Design, quality of images, composition, integration

Research and Planning

1) Research and Planning

Get to know the genre of text you are creating and its key conventions and mode of address. Audiences understand familiar combinations of signifiers. We need to conform to this approach. The exam board should be able to easily recognise the genre of magazine, advert, film or TV program from your use of convention, iconography, font, lighting and mise en scene.

1) Research and Planning Options You can adopt different approaches to your practical coursework. They still have to follow typical conventions, but you could, for example, create 2 mainstream posters and 1 niche for the same genre. You would not reinvent the wheel, you would research the two different approaches.

Mainstream Rom/Com

Typical conventions •  The back to back lean •  Use of the colour red or pink

•  Big smiles •  High key lighting •  Studio shot •  Key/familar iconography  

Mainstream Rom/Com

Pastel colour schemes Quirky facial expressions

A more niche Romance film poster. It still connotes romance but there is much more attention placed on artistic quality and highbrow aesthetics. The image used also gives a sense of the narrative themes and that all might not end well unlike the equilibrium mainstream rom/coms tend to end on. A film poster should give the audience a clue of the gratifications that they will gain from the text it advertises.

Linking to investigation

2) Linking to your investigation It is vital your practical coursework links to your investigation. Be it via your main focus being representation, genre or narrative. Again you can adopt different approaches. For example a negative hyper real or objectified representation of females for a magazine cover or a more dominant, contemporary and complex representation of females on a DVD cover.

Representation of females in the action genre. The Action genre has various common representations of females. For example the genre often represents females as needing a males protection and guidance. Another negative example is how the genre hugely under representing females. You should read your conclusion and ensure your practical piece reflects your main findings.

Another type of representation within the genre is female objectification. Iron Man, The Avengers and the student created poster “Dirty Sexy Lies” all contain negative representations of females But you oppose your findings and create more positive representation.

Still male dominated?

A wholly positive representation?

Magazines often represent females superficially, as objects of desire and visual pleasure. You could air brush skin to help adopt a hyper real representation.

Design tips Researching genre and convention alongside ensuring your work

clearly links to your investigation is vital. It is also important to make your piece look professional and sophisiticated.

You should have clear visual influences whilst desinging. Here are

some design tips.

The use of Silhouettes are often used to make up for the lack of high quality images that are sometimes unattainable to students with time restraints.

Silhouettes can also be filled with images/layers of locations or scenes to help project the narrative content to the target audience.

The use of still life can also be an innovative way to promote a narrative and assist in the feasibility of the process. Connotations and considered iconography is essential. Alongside that difficult task of minimalist and careful composition.

Shallow depth of field is useful when capturing images. Cameras such as a Canon 5D with Apertures of F1.4 will help blur the background helping text to be more legible

If photographs are to be used they must be striking and catch the audiences eye, alongside giving clear indication of narrative themes. Print Media prime purpose is to promote and attract. How do you make an image not look amateur? Using, directing and manipulating light. High contrast and hard light is a common strategy to add a cinematic style.

Image and background tend to blend together rather than one simply stop and the other begin. More than one image can be used but it must “blend” or fit together in terms of the design/theme and lighting. Images can be separated by use of text or purposely placed lines. The colour palette must also be considered so images and text belong together rather than look out of place, unless intentionally and consciously designed to do so. Use the 3 main colour pallet formula

The use of font and its connotations must allow the audience to understand the narrative and theme of the text. Colour of images, choice of locations and style of dress will also help to do this. Subjects in images must be directed in terms of body language and facial expressions to help gain the desired look.

Consider what is in the background of a photograph when capturing a subject. This will leave room for text. Unusual vantage points could help to do this.

Framing Be conscious how much of your subject is in the frame in comparison to the typical technique adopted by the product/genre you are creating. For example the majority of mainstream films tend to have either close up or mid shot portraits acting as their main image.

The rule of thirds In terms of composition we as an audience enjoy to look at design split into 3 sections. Here is an obvious example, but you could consider your placement of text to meet this rule.

Print Media such as Film posters and CD covers should contain a credit block, details of production companies which relate to the genre and a caption containing an enigma code. Promotional reviews or award logos could also help promote. Again this must be appropriate to your text.

Variety of font is often needed. Print Media will rarely ever only contain one type of style, colour or size of font. For magazine covers do not forget the conventions such as bar code, price, issue number and date if appropriate to the genre. Websites tend to contain dates on articles.

Don’t forget the genre and target audience you are designing for. Remember to apply a typical mode of address in order to satisfy their needs. This could be in terms of genre conventions, types of stories, busyness, colour, price, content and location. White backgrounds are not as common as many people think in design. They tend to be chosen to accommodate busy print with lots of text. The main image must be strong enough to carry the piece of print if a white background is used. White backgrounds are rarely from photoshop cut out and more commonly shot in a studio with soft lighting.

Or the minimalism of high brow;

Frame, circles and banners can be a good method of design for text and images to coexist successfully. Age of subject within images is crucial to making the text genre specific. For example having a teenager in a suit holding a gun for a action film or a 16 year old “rock star” is going to scream amateur. In this case you might want to return to a innovative method such as a silhouette to help solve any feasibility issues you may have.