Foundation Portfolio

Research and Planning

Tasks

1.           Create a mock-up of a music magazine cover.

2.         Review what you have learnt about layout, design, codes and conventions from the mock-up cover.

3.         Carry out audience research and post on your blog:

·       Questionnaire

·       Video

·       Online poll

·       Focus group

4.         Publish the findings of your audience research on your blog. – e.g. Slideshare

5.         Analyse a range of music magazine articles for your chosen genre and post your findings on your blog.

6.         Create a draft plan for your music magazine.

·       Masthead

·       Fonts

·       Cover-lines

·       Image plans

·       List of contents

·       Etc.

7.         Create rough design drafts of your magazine pages.

8.         Create all the images for each page of your magazine.

9.         Edit your images using Photoshop.

10.      Write your music magazine double page spread article.

Deadline: Friday, January 11^th 2013

Foundation Portfolio

Key Deadlines

1.      PowerPoint presentation evaluation of school magazine cover and contents page.

2.      Use Slideshare to upload your presentation on your blog.

Deadline: Friday 23^rd November 2012

Research and Planning Tasks

1.      Analyse music magazines of a similar genre to your own and post on blog.

·         Layout

·         Design

·         Content

2.      Create a mission statement for your magazine.

3.      Create a reader profile for your magazine.

4.      Create a mock up of a real music magazine cover, including images.

Deadline: Thursday 29^th November 2012

Foundation Production

Main Task: Construct the front page, contents and double page spread of a new music magazine.

You are going to have to target a specific audience when you produce the pages of your music magazine for the Foundation Production unit. This means that you will need to consider the expectations of the typical reader for the type of magazine that you are going to produce. Answer the following questions in order to consider your own preferences for music magazines.

1.      What genre of music do you like?

2.     How often do you buy/download new music?

3.     How often do you listen to music?

4.     Do you read music magazines?

5.     How often do you buy music magazines?

6.     Why do you/don’t you buy/read music magazines?

7.     What types of music magazine are you familiar with in the market place?

8.     What is the typical target audience for a music magazine?

9.     How do music magazines use the front cover to appeal to their target audience?

10.   What are the features of music magazines generally about?

You will need to carry out audience research before you begin to plan your music magazine. This is important because you want the form and content of your magazine to appeal to its target audience. Market research could involve doing some or all of the following tasks:

1. Questionnaires
2. Focus Groups
3. Interviews
4. Internet Research

What do you think is the most effective way of gauging the opinions of your audience about the magazine that you produce during the planning and construction stages of the project?

You will also need to analyse real products in order to establish the codes and conventions of content and layout and design that you must follow when you create your own magazine pages

Before you write your own double page spread, you must become familiar with the following technical aspects:

• Conventional content – What are double page spread features in music magazines generally about?
• Layout and design – How is a typical double page spread set out on the page?
• Language and style – How is a typical double page spread in a music magazine written?
• Images and captions – How are pictures and captions used in a typical double page feature?
• Make a list of all the relevant codes and conventions that you have identified in a typical double page spread of a music magazine.

Foundation Portfolio

Tasks to be completed:

1.    Create a rough draft of a contents page - 22/10/12

2.  Create images for the contents page - 25/10/12

3.  Post the draft of the contents page on the blog - 25/10/12

4.  Create the layout of contents page using Indesign and post on the blog - 02/11/12

5.  Evaluate your cover and contents page for a school magazine - Powerpoint

6.  Carry out research into music magazines and post findings on the blog - 02/11/12

7.  Decide on a music genre for your music magazine - 02/11/12

8.  Carry out audience research for your chosen music genre

9.  Create a “mock up” of a real music magazine cover

10.               Design a draft for your music magazine cover

Deadline: Thursday, 8th November 2012

Foundation Portfolio

The Contents Page

Answer the following questions on your blog:

1.    What is the function of a contents page?

2.   How does a reader use a contents page?

3.   What is the conventional layout for a contents page in a magazine?

4.   What is the conventional design for a contents page in a magazine?

5.   How much information does a contents page contain?

6.   What information does a contents page contain?

7.   How are images used in a conventional contents page?

8.   How is language used in a conventional contents page?

9.   What are the key codes and conventions of a contents page?

10.                How does the function of a contents page affect its layout and design?

Think carefully about how you are going to carry out your research.

You should answer some, or all, of the questions based on at least 3 different magazine contents pages on your blog.

Deadline: Update your blog with relevant research by 22nd October 2012.
 

Questionnaire Template

1. What Year group are you in?

·          Year 7

·          Year 8

·          Year 9

·          Year 10

·          Year 11

·          Year 12

·          Year 13

2. What Gender are you?

·          Male

·          Female

3. Which of the following mastheads do you prefer?

·          Henry

·          KHS

·          Schools out!

·          VIII

·          Kings Head

·          Other (please state)

4. Which of the following slogans do you prefer?

·          For the students by the students

·          Saved by the bell

·          Too cool for school

·          Not so St Trinains

·          History is no longer a mystery

·          Happenings in Henry

·          Other (please state)

5. How much would you pay for a school magazine?

·          Less than 50p

·          50p - £1

·          £1 - £2

·          £2 - £3

·          £3 or more

6. Please circle five of the following stories that you would be interested in reading about in a school magazine?

·          Uniform

·          Sporting success

·          Teachers (secrets)

·          Exam success

·          New lifts/buildings

·          Clubs and activities

·          School trips/visits

·          Canteen food

·          Resources

·          Next Drama production

·          Other (please state)

 7. Which of the following images would you want to see on the front cover of your schools magazine?

·          School teams/clubs

·          Teachers

·          6^th formers

·          Year 7

·          Year 8

·          Year 9

·          Year 10

·          Year 11

·          Year 12

·          Year 13

·          Mixture of years

·          A school band

  

8. Which of the following colours do you associate with KHS (circle as many as you want)?

·          Red

·          Blue

·          Yellow

·          Gold

·          Black

·          White

·          Other (please state)

9. Who do you think the magazine should be aimed at?

·          Parents

·          Teachers

·          Students

·          The public

·          Other (please state)

10. Would you want to buy a school magazine?

·       Yes

·        No (state why)

School Magazine Cover Key Tasks

AS Preliminary Task

School Magazine Front Cover

The preliminary task is designed to help you learn the basics of page layout and design. You will not achieve a mark for the finished product, but if you do not complete the task, then fifteen marks will be deducted from the main task, the four pages of the music magazine.

You need to think about the following codes and conventions when you design your front page.

The Masthead

·        What is the name of the magazine?

·        What are the connotations of the masthead?

·        Is the colour scheme of the masthead appropriate?

·        Is the Masthead a sufficient size?

Images

·        What is the main image on your cover?

·        Is the main image an appropriate or conventional size?

·        Does the main image give a clear indication of the story that it is representing?

·        Is the composition of the main image clear on the page?

·        You should include at least two subsidiary images.

·        Are the subsidiary images an appropriate size?

·        Have the subsidiary images been placed in an appropriate position on the page?

·        Do the subsidiary images give a clear indication of the stories that they are representing?

Language

·        You should use strap lines and sell lines on the front cover in order to give the reader an idea of the stories that can be found in the magazine (Should be at least 3).

·        The strap lines or sell lines should give a clear indication about the main stories within the magazine and should appeal to the target audience.

·        The language should be informative and entertaining.

·        You should try and use literary devices in order to make your cover more interesting. E.g. puns, alliteration, etc.

·        Spelling and punctuation must be accurate.

·        You should use a range of appropriate fonts. (At least 2)

·        The font size should be clear and appropriate.

·        You should use a consistent and appropriate colour scheme that appeals to the target audience.

Layout and Design

·        The layout of the front page should be clear and well organised.

·        The front page should appeal to the reader.

·        The design of your front page should be recognisable as the front cover of a school magazine.

 Key Tasks to Complete During the Planning Stage

1.    Analyse the front cover of at least three different types of magazine. Try to identify the key codes and conventions of layout and design.

2.   Plan your ideas for your front cover. Think about the following: Masthead, Sell Lines, Strap Lines, Slogan, Main Image, Subsidiary Images, etc.

3.   Find out what the target audience for your magazine thinks about your ideas for the front cover. Create a questionnaire in order to help plan the content of your page.

4.   Create a rough draft of your magazine front cover.

5.   Complete the planning documents to plan your photo shoots.

6.   Take your photographs. You will need to book the camera if you are using school equipment!

7.   Edit your photographs using Paintshop Pro. You should spend a minimum of 1 hour using Paintshop Pro.

8.   Create your cover using Adobe Indesign or another suitable Desk Top Publishing Programme. You will need to book your sessions in the media room. You should aim to spend a minimum of 3 hours using Adobe Indesign.

9.   Evaluate your front cover.

10.                You should update your blog at every stage of the production process.