Unit 2, mood board

location recci

risk assessment

magazine front cover and double page spread annotations

unit 3: codes and conventions of a magazine cover

Codes and conventions- systems of sings, which create meaning. Codes are visual/audio, conventions group together to make a genre. 

Focus on:

Costume

Coverlines

lighting

camera angle

Task:

Masthead;

It is situated in the top left corner to follow the “Z” pattern which is based on how you read it. The colour is white and red. 

Fonts:

2/3. They keep the magazine looking simple and professional. 

unit 3 codes and conventions of a double page spread

2nd February 2017

Codes and Conventions of a double page spread

Title- How big is it? Where is it placed? What does it look like? Colour/font style?

Layout/positioning

Size- What is more important?

Use of columns/Alignment?

Images used - What/who?What are they wearing? Facial expression? What are they doing?

Does the image relate to the article?

Image details: Has credit been given to model/photographer? Why?

Pull quote/messages- from who and why?

Colour scheme - Does it follow on from the cover? What does the colour scheme represent?

Text - Size, Font style, Placement

Contact information e.g: Website - why? Usually situated at the top or bottom.

Magazine logo

Date/Page number- where? Why? What font style? How big? 

Unit 2: Magazine Proposal.

Magazine Proposal

Dear Spori publications, I am writing to propose an idea for a magazine that I would love to see published by your company, please see below my intentions and ideas for the promising concept.

Objectives

The type of proposed magazine that I will be introducing is a football magazine called SportStreet. The main idea is to provide informative weekly articles and evaluate the weeks football matches across the 4 professional leagues in England. However, it will mainly focus on the premier league. 

Concept

SportStreet’s aim is to be a weekly popular magazine distributed around the UK (mostly England) every Tuesday after the weekends games are over, If there are weekday games, the magazine will be distributed on a Saturday morning. The magazine intends to provide weekly news and gossip on the latest football issues, and to gain large readership numbers of young people aged 12-30. It will also provide interviews of a range of many peoples favourite players. Special issues will be distributed during the January and Summer transfer windows to inform readers on the transfer news. The magazine will have a tips and advice section from the premier leagues top players as well as weekly competitions to engage the audience with excitement to want to win, thus they will be encouraged to buy the magazine each week. 

The name of the magazine SportStreet has been decided as a unique and interesting name because it should be grabbing the attention of sport/football fans. The word “Sport” essentially tells buyers the genre of the magazine, and football fans would be lead to understand that the magazine is about football after seeing the rest of the front cover. The word “street” is a carry-on from “sport” insisting that the magazine is a world and “road” of football where it is mainly focused on that topic. 

The focus of the first issue is to create a product that draws the attention of a range of different people within the target audience based on different aspects of the issue. For example, including information, advice, interviews, general articles, and gossip. From there, I will be able to narrow it down and include more of the most popular aspects and less of what people don't want to see as much within the magazine. 

Some of the qualities of the magazine that will help bring it to fruition are based on the effect of the front cover which often leads shoppers to decide whether or not they will buy that magazine over a different one. For example, this magazine will stick to a colour scheme that reflects the typical sporting colours such as blue, red, and green, which will present an ongoing theme for the weekly issues, it will also include bold mastheads, with effective anchorage texts to make someone want to open the magazine and read it. However, the front cover will not be too busy otherwise it becomes too much for the reader to physically consume before they get bored and stop observing the front cover. Furthermore, the magazine cannot be too full of pages otherwise its cost will be higher, meaning there would be less circulation. However, it must have enough content to satisfy the readers. 

Moreover, I will need to find sources of advertisement for this magazine for it to gain awareness. One way of doing this would be to advertise in local newspapers. This would help to grip the attention of regular content readers, however might not be the most effective method as young people tend to not typically read newspapers that often, and this is the target audience that I intend to reach. Television adverts on sports channels might also be a useful method of advertising however it is very expensive for a new magazine. The most useful way of advertisement would be print advertisement, by doing this I can reach a wide range of people within my target audience, that will be lead to buy the magazine based on the advertisement that they see. 

Some of the problems that I foresee are important to be aware of because they could prevent the possible level of success for this magazine. The main problem that is an important issue to be aware of, is the number of competitors and similar magazines already on the market. The reason that this is a problem is because they could prevent my own magazine from selling as many copies because the target audience might be a lot more familiar with other magazines of the same genre. Examples of similar magazines include “FourFourTwo” and “Match of The Day”. Additionally, other problems that I can foresee are based around start-up costs, selling prices, and the ability to create weekly issues of good quality. 

It would be greatly appreciated for you to consider discussing this plan further as I believe this idea has a great potential and succeed based on its attractive design and direct influence on young people, helping to earn their respect and love for the magazine. With the editing skills of this board, I will be able to reach the primary target audience in the most effective way possible by selling copies in corner shops, supermarkets, and newsagents.

Organisation

For this magazine, I intend to include a great variety of different types of articles. These will include Interviews, Q&A’s, Football gossip, Weekly articles on our opinions of where the top teams are likely to finish, what teams are doing well, player stats, manager stats, quizzes, giveaways, articles on star players, transfer news, and weekly fixture lists. This is so that there is something for every type of reader meaning I can gain more weekly readership figures. The major departments and sections within this magazine will be a weekly interview with a player who made a great impact on the game in the previous week, a competition section, and stats on the upcoming fixtures, meaning many readers will be drawn into wanting to read the magazine as they're going to be able to read what they want to see the most. This does apply for the slightly older people within the target audience. 

As mentioned above beforehand, the competition will be close as I will be selling copies alongside similar magazines within the focus of football and the genre of sports in general. Therefore I will have to overcome this by inventing as many different ideas for this weekly product as possible to help encourage shoppers to buy it. Furthermore, by actually selling the magazine weekly I will be able to keep an active business whilst simultaneously earning customer loyalty, meaning that they might prefer to spend their money on the weekly issues rather than monthly issues of other magazines. Likewise, this magazine will be different from other magazines because of its variety of interesting and engaging content which will entice a wide audience within the target audience. For example, many other magazines will not include weekly competitions, opinions from football officials, and as much exclusive news as this will. I intend to make sure that it actually does include this through the use of joining with other businesses who can help boost the content of it. 

The audience demographics are centred around the typical football fanatics. For example: White, British, Males. However, all races are regularly interested by the sport. The demographic table might link to who this magazine would appeal to, such as people within category C2,D,E. These are jobs which would typically pay less meaning many young people with less job experience and working time might be involved in this type of employment, and since football is usually associated with middle or working class people, the demographics of target audience suggested suits the magazine perfectly, especially as I am aiming to target the younger readers. My assumptions about this audience, is that they're looking for an affordable product that interests them through the content and style of the magazine making it as good as possible. It should contain real information allowing all readers get what they expect from it such as information on their favourite teams or players. 

Based on this, I will try and make the magazine appeal to the target audience through the use of many magazines codes along with eye catching themes and ideas, such as the colour scheme and using a variety of features on the front cover such as puffs, bylines, anchorage text which will all excite the audience, promoting an increase in readership and circulation numbers. I will also ensure that I include advertisement and promotion that will appeal as much as possible to the target audiences needs and interests. Currently, Gillette sponsor Sky Sports for their weekends football, therefore this company might be a good advertiser, especially as their products appeal to men. I will also use advertisers from the big football clubs themselves, advertising football T-shirts and other products that they sell on their websites. The general type of advertisement will be linked with mens products and sports products, as it is men that I am primarily looking to target. 

The qualities of my editorial board will be of a very good standard to produce a good quality magazine. The cover will be made through the use of photoshop for the best outcome possible, and will be completed by professionals so that nothing looks out of place or unprofessional. The editorial board will also assist their authors by helping them to write manuscripts in a way that is communicated best to the target audience, for example, the use of informal language. 

There are a range of jobs amongst the editors, these include authors who are the writers of the articles and information within the magazine. There are also front cover creators who are the people that design and create the cover of each weekly issue. Their job is to add all the features to a page and create the front cover using their knowledge and skills. Article arrangement and design. These people place the images within articles and decide where they go, as well as editing the actual images. This suggests that each job is responsible for itself however in my opinion, they are flexible and people can complete multiple tasks. One main issue within the editing process, is that weekly issues might not be completed in time for when they need to go on sale, this could be due to lack of working efforts or difficulty creating a certain part. To overcome this I would need lots of editors from the board to be working each week, or I would have to reduce the number of times that a magazine is actually created and sold. For example, instead of a new issue each week, I could make it a fortnightly magazine when necessary.

Magazine front cover and double page spread draft

Unit 1 Section 6: Copyright and intellectual property

Unit 1 Section 6 Task 5

Copyright and intellectual property

User-generated content - Content created by non - professionals who then distribute their work online. 

One of the arguments that wired uses to give its opinion on copyright is about why the law is there in the first place, suggesting that cover songs on youtube actually promote the track itself and shouldn't really be seen as a negative thing.

In my opinion, UGC artists covering songs should not be subjected to copyright law. This is because I personally don’t understand what harm it does to the actual creator of the track. In a way, it seems like it’s just a way for them to get money. Any song should be allowed a part of a UGC video on youtube, because it helps the video gain likes and so forth. 

The video maker is being sued because she used someones music in one of her videos in which she did not own the rights to use.

The opinions differ because the artist does not want dispute and is happy for the video creator to use the song as it gets his music more awareness. The record label has to agree to sue the creator for money otherwise they could be in trouble with the law and court. Therefore, they are just trying to follow laws properly. 

Unit 1 Section 6: Regulators and Self-regulation.

Unit 1 Section 6 Task 4

Regulators and self-regulation, ASA, IPSO. 

ASA: Advertising Standards Authority. This organisation is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. The service applies advertising codes in which any media that wishes to advertises must follow to avoid offending anyone, being misleading or even being unethical. They have many values that need to be respected by advertisers.

IPSO: Independent Press Standard Organisation. They are the independent regulator for newspapers and magazines in the UK. They have to ensure that all newspapers and magazines follow the editors code, they investigate complaints about any articles that may have violated the code. They also operate a 24 hour anti-harassment service. 

Self Regulation: This is how the media watches itself, for example when it has to solve its own problems and prevent harmful content. They rectify their mistakes. 

Unit 1, Section 6: Regulators

Unit 1 Section 6 Task 3

Regulators. 

Censorship: When speech, public communication or other content is considered objectionable or harmful by regulators and is then cut or edited from media products. 

Classification: The decision made about the suitability of a media text for a particular age range after the content has viewed by regulators. The classification will be in the form of an age certificate (Film and video games), warning signs (Music, video games or broadcast time (TV,film)

IPSO: Independent Press Standard Organisation.

They are the independent regulator for newspapers and magazines in the UK. They have to ensure that all newspapers and magazines follow the editors code, they investigate complaints about any articles that may have violated the code. They also operate a 24 hour anti-harassment service. 

ASA: Advertising Standards Authority. 

This organisation is the UK’s independent regulator of advertising across all media. The service applies advertising codes in which any media that wishes to advertises must follow to avoid offending anyone, being misleading or even being unethical. They have many values that need to be respected by advertisers.

OFCOM: Office of Communications. They regulate the TV, radio and video-on-demand sectors, fixed-line telecoms as well as mobiles and postal services. They're jobs include protecting people in the UK from scams and make sure that they get the best from communication services. The organisation also has a wide range of duties to follow such as ensuring that television viewers or radio listeners are protected from harmful content. 

PEGI: Pan European Game Information. It was launched to help european parents to help parents make decisions on buying computer games. For the games that they regulate, there are 5 age rating categories: PEGI- 3,7,12,16,18. The ratings are provided based on the type of content and the amount of violence, bad language or other harmful types of in-game scenes. 

BBFC: British Board of Film Classification. This is the board in the UK that regulate all films being shown in UK cinemas or sold on DVD. They have 6 main age categories. U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18. There is also an R18 category for other circumstances. The rating that they provide is based on how appropriate the film is. For example, if its rated 12A that means that a child under the age of 12 should not see the film unless they're accompanied by an adult. If its rated 12 then they should not see the film at all unless they are 12 or over. 

Unit 1 Section 6: Moral Panic

Unit 1 Section 6 Task 2

Moral Panic

Moral panic: When the media creates fear in the population over an issue that appears to threaten or harm normal social order. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33960075

Based on the article, it is relatively easy to tell that video games being linked with real life violence is often talked about as an issue. It is clear that the writer thinks that video games cause people to be violent through the way he is showing many quotes of people who also agree, he also doesn’t mention why it might not have any effects on real life. 

In my opinion, each person is effected differently. I would personally be able to play video games for as long as I want and not be lead by the content of the game. However, some people can easily be influenced by what they're playing. Sometimes the in-game activities are so intriguing and fun that somebody may take in all the content to their brain, and the thoughts don't leave their minds once they finish playing. It also depends on the game. Grand theft auto takes place on a fictional island with a city, making it seem like a real place, including cars, roads, buildings, and houses, allowing the ability to cause whatever grief a player wishes to cause. Therefore, they may lose the ability to realise what they can and can’t do in real life compared to that in the game. Especially if they're playing too much instead of going out in the real world. 

Unit 1 section 6: Effect theories and types of audiences.

Unit 1 Section 6

Task 1

Five films that include violent content

1. Saw
2. Rambo
3. Kick-ass
4. Cannibal holocaust
5. Django Unchained

Age certificates:

Saw: 18. The age certificate for this film is appropriate as the film is very gory and has aggressive content that many viewers could find disturbing. 

Rambo: 18. This may also be rated 18 due to violence. However many people under the 18 would have watched it and probably been okay with it, therefore it should probably be a 15. 

Kick-ass: 15. This is because the content of the film is slightly less effective than the two films above therefore its more appropriate. 

Cannibal holocaust: 18. This film contains strong sexual violence therefore its given an 18 rating, which is probably most appropriate, however some 15-17 year olds could probably watch it without an issue. 

Django Unchained: 18. This is also a film that contains strong scenes of different aspects therefore the age rating is best suited to it. 

One of the three theories from section 5 was the Hypodermic needle theory suggesting that the content is “injected” into the audience manipulating the thoughts in the brain. 

All the films above can apply to this theory, however the three films out of the five that may have the greatest links with the theory could be Saw, Cannibal holocaust and Rambo. This is because the scenes within this film are so strong and effective that some people watching them may be sucked into the actions that take place causing their ideas and real - life actions to reflect what happens in the films, such as going out and attacking someone or sometimes even worse. This is a highly negative situation linked with audiences and film content. 

Unit 1 section 2: Advertising

Unit 1 section 2

Advertising - Just do it

Most advertising today is about communicating the complex range of messages about a product known as branding. 

A brand is a product or range of products that has a set of values associated with it that are easily recognised by the consumer. 

Brand identity is created by using the following elements:

1. Brand essence: A way of summing up the significance of the brand to the stockholders and consumers alike of the brand in one simple sentence
2. Brand slogan: A public way of identifying the brand for consumers - often associated with a logo. 
3. Brand personality: Marketeers can describe their brand as though it were a person, with likes and dislikes and certain behaviour.
4. Brand values: What does it stand for/ against? 
5. Brand appearance- What does it look/sounds/taste like?
6. Brand heritage- How long has it been around? Does it have customers who have been loyal to it for many years?
7. Emotional benefits- how it avoids/reduces pain or increases pleasure 
8. Hard benefits- bigger? better? cheaper? washes whiter? 

Traditional advertising is on:

Radio

TV

Magazines

Leaflets, flyers, postcards

Posters

Billboards

Unit 1 Section 5: Conducting research for a teen magazine.

Unit 1, Section 5  - 16/12/16

Teen magazine:

Gaming magazine targeted to boys aged 11-18, students and all ethnicities 

Primary Research 

Questionnaire:

1. What content would you most like to see in the magazine?

1. Gaming tips 
2. Latest news on upcoming consoles and games.
3. Game reviews 
4. Giveaways

2. What colour scheme is best suited to a gaming magazine

1. Red and green
2. Green and Black
3. Blue and red
4. Blue and green 
5. Black and red
6. other 

3. What kind of advice do you wish to see the most inside the magazine?

1. Best games to buy 
2. Rating of a particular game
3. Tips and tricks

Person 1

1. B
2. B
3. A

Person 2

1. C
2. A
3. C

Person 3

1. B
2. E
3. A

Interview person 1:

1) What would you like to be included in the magazine?

Reviews, latest trends, advice and competitions.

2) What kind of front cover do you think will be best for a magazine?

Simple and reasonably basic but it should include a fair amount of detail and colour. 

Interview person 2: 

1. Answer: Good information on games and real opinions of different people. 
2. Answer: It should include detail and colour but not too much where it stands out a lot. 

Focus group:

What do you think are important elements within magazines?

Answers: Information, facts, tips, help, prices, reviews and giveaways.

How often do you think a new issue should be printed?

Answers: Weekly, Monthly

Whats the most important element of the front cover?

Answers: Main image, Masthead, colour, Bylines.

What colours would you associate with a gaming magazine?

Answers: Green, Black, Red, Blue. 

What additional information should be on the front cover to appeal to the target audience?

Anchorage text, Skyline, Strap line, page references linked to interesting information.  

Secondary research:

Different gaming magazines: 

  

Reviews of gaming magazines:

Xbox magazine: 

"Is it just me or is this magazine getting better every time I buy it? I have every issue since the very first one and I will continue to buy it! These guys are doing such a fantastic job, considering I am studying computer games and multimedia development at university this magazine adds some sort of sanity to my busy and stressful life! Thanks Guys!"

"Really like the mag. I never miss an issue keep up the good work!"

"Excellent magazine Excellent magazine great value"

PC gamer magazine:

"I've been reading PC Gamer for seven years now, and keep coming back not only for the content, but the quality of writing that sets it apart from nearly every other magazine out there"

"Read my first issue back in 2004 and haven't stopped buying it since. One of the best magazines around for fair accurate reviews and interesting articles on games and gaming culture."

"Essential reading for any PC gamer.”

Data of readership:

Over the last few years, the readership of gaming magazines has been changing, PC gamer:

Circulation: “19,125 print 2,929 digital

22,054 total (Jan – Dec 2013)

21,272 print 3,241 digital

24,513 total (Jan – Dec 2012)”

Xbox magazine:

425,000/month (US) and 66,894/month (UK)

Unit 1 Section 4: Uses and gratifications

5/12/16

Uses and Gratifications. 

The uses and gratifications theory focuses on the consumer rather than focusing on the message by asking “What people do with the medIa” rather than “What media does to people”. 

In other words, the audience uses media to meet their needs and to fulfil specific gratifications. 

Blumler and Katz first began studying this theory in the 1940s. 

Personal identity:

• Finding reinforcement for personal values
• Finding models of behaviour 
• Identifying with valued others (In the media)
• Gaining insight into ones self. 

Entertainment 

• Escapism, or being diverted, from problems
• Relaxing 
• Filling time 
• Emotional release 
• Sexual gratification

Integration and Social interaction.

- Gaining insight into circumstances of others; Social empathy.

• Identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging. 
• Finding a basis for conversation and social interaction 
• Having a substitute for a real life companionship

Unit 1 Section 1 Disneys production process

Unit 1 Section 3: Representation

Unit 1 section 3: Narrative

Unit 1 Section 3: Radio