Music magazine research and planning

1) Research music magazine cover key conventions. Look over the magazine cover key conventions notes sheet and write which of these you will use for your magazine cover. (This is a film magazine example but the conventions still apply).

• Title of publication
• Slogan
• Central image 
• Cover line
• Colour scheme
• Name checks
• Language
• Competitions 
• Asking questions & direct address
• Price 

2) Find at least five music magazine front covers (either current or former magazines as many have stopped their print editions) aimed at a similar target audience to your project (mainstream music audience). For each one, pick out one design idea or convention that you could use in your own print work. A few examples to start you off

                                                    

               I like the colour of the title and the colour       I like the central image - pose especially - and the 

                                    scheme.                                 way they matched her outfit with the colour of the text.

                                                                      

                                                             I like the highlighted cover lines - they 

 

                                                                                 stand out.             

 I really like the central image and how 

                                                                  there's not too much cover lines. 

                                                        I really like the colour scheme and how there 

                                                       aren't any cover lines - basic but eye catching

                                                               

                                                                                       

Planning, sketching and writing 

Complete the tasks below the same blogpost you have already created for research and planning:

1) Plan a title and slogan (sell line) for your new, original music magazine. Sketch out possible designs for the masthead - font, style, colour etc. If you are creating a front cover for an existing music magazine, make sure you recreate the magazine's style and branding accurately - what font do they use? What colours? What is their slogan?

Mandatory Music - title 

Must listen to music - slogan 

2) Plan the content for your magazine front cover. What will be your main image? What cover lines will you include on the cover?

• Cover lines - what/who will be in the magazine etc. 
• An image of a singer will be my main image
• Language 
• Questions and direct address

3) Produce an A4 sketch of your front cover including the key conventions and design tricks you have studied in existing magazines and then planned in the planning tasks above.

Photoshoot planning

1) Who will you photograph as your artist/band to appear on the front cover of your magazine? This is vital for planning your photoshoot (note: if it is you or someone in the class it will make things a lot easier in terms of running the photoshoot but you can do this at home if you prefer).

I'll be using a found image of Beyonce on the front cover of my magazine. As for the photoshoot, I don't know.

2) Write a shot list for your photoshoot. Make sure you plan the right camera shots for a magazine front cover - medium shots, medium close-ups etc.

• Full body shot
• Medium close up 
• Medium shot

3) What costume, props or make-up will you require for your photoshoot?

Not sure to be honest.

Coursework photography

 1) Plan out every aspect of your mise-en-scene for your photo shoot:

C: Costume Basic school costume/basic costume

L: Lighting Light and dark (light somewhere and dark somewhere on the cover/photos)

A: Actor placement and expression Actor will have a dark/evil expression on one side of her face, and the other neutral. Actor will be placed in the centre.

M: Make-up I don't think I'll be using makeup, but if I do then maybe just a bit of eyeliner etc.

P: Props A knife maybe, or no props at all.

S: Setting Inside (a school), but will obviously be taken at home.

2) Take your photos and post the best FIVE images you take to your blog. You should be able to upload them directly from your phone 

     
                 

                                   

Coursework: Film pitch

 Film pitch planning: blog tasks

1) What will be the title for your own original NEW horror film? If you're not sure, write down two or three possible titles and you can choose later.

2) Write a tagline for your film – it's effectively a slogan for the movie:

Once she's switched, there's no going back for her. It's DO or DIE.

3) Write a logline – this is like a longer version of the tagline. It's one sentence that sums up the film and hooks the audience in under 25 words: 

A girl decides to come into contact with her darker side, and ends up having a deep attachment to it, which leads to a bunch of fatal incidents - all in which this girl has caused.

4) Write down any existing horror films that are similar to yours ("My film idea is like a cross between Scream and Contagion"):

My film idea came from a movie named "Look away".

5) What is your narrative/storyline? Write a short paragraph that explains what happens in your film:

This girl is a high school student, who craves attention and importance. She believes that nobody is giving her the attention she wants/needs and so she decides to do something that she KNOWS will give her that attention, which she has longed for for ages. And that is she decides to activate that "dark" side of her. 

6) What is your main character’s name and what happens to them? You can also mention other characters if you wish.

My main character's name is Raegan. They end up switching places with the darker version of themselves.

7) Who or what will be the villain or threat in your horror movie?  

The villain/threat in my horror movie will be Raegan.

8) What is the name of your film's director? You can use your own name here if you wish.

The name of my film's director is Raisa Martin (me).

9) What costume/make-up/props will you need for your photographs for your website?

I won't be using makeup.  I might use props (not sure what yet though). And for costume, I'll most likely be using a school outfit, since it's mostly based in a school.

10) What font/typography/colour you will use to create a brand for your film’s title and branding? 

I'm not entirely sure what font I'm going to use yet (I'll try different ones until I find one I'd like to use). The colour I'll be using would definitely be red or black (or both). And I'll maybe use dripping words in red to give off the idea that it is a horror film/movie.

Coursework: Film website research

Research: horror film websites

Visit the Come Play horror movie website.

1) How do you know that the film is from the horror genre?

You can see that this film is from the horror genre through/from the trailer, the font used on the cover and the front cover - especially considering most of it is dark.

2) How does the website make the audience want to watch the film?

The website makes us want to watch the film because the theme of it matches the movie, as well as the use of  trailer, clips and the actors in it.

3) Scroll down to see the whole homepage. What other content does the website offer?

The content the website offers is their social media platforms and a sign up section where you can et exclusive updates, content etc.

Next, visit the Mothers Of Monsters horror movie website.

1) What font/typography and colour is used for the title of the film?

An eerie font in red is used for the title of the film.

2) Scroll down to see the whole homepage. How is the film described in the 'About' section?

The film is described as "psychological" and and a "real - life horror" - suggesting it faces real/possible issues and disturbing behavior (which can happen in real life) maybe.

3) Keep scrolling down. What other content does the website offer?

The website offers other content like a "meet us/who we are" (the actors/characters/produces/directors etc.), an email signup to receive exclusive content and a bts (behind the scenes). 

Finally, visit this website for horror movie The Invisible Man. 

1) What is the main image on The Invisible Man film poster (on the left of the website homepage)?

The main image on The Invisible Man film poster is a lady looking at something (that we can't see - The INVISIBLE Man).

2) What is the tagline for the film? (Clue: it starts 'What You Can't See...')

The tagline for the film is "What you can't see can hurt you".

3) How is the story of The Invisible Man described on the site?

The story of The Invisible Man is described on the site as eerie, terrifying, a story of obsession and so much more.

Newspapers: Final index

1. Newspapers: Introduction 

2. Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Language and Audience

3. Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Representations and Industry

4. Newspapers: The Times - Introduction

5. Newspapers: The Times - Language and Audience

6. Newspapers: The Times - Representation and Industries

7. Newspapers: Essay question

Newspapers: Essay question

‘Different newspapers address their audiences differently.’

How far is this true of The Times and the Daily Mirror  (Close Study Products)?

[20 marks]

Intro - This is definitely true of the way the Times and Daily Mirror address their audiences. This can be seen in their construction, selection and presentation of news and the political perspectives they address towards their audience.

In The Daily Mirror, they use more images, as well as larger images. I assume this is because The Daily Mirror is aimed at more less educated people, so there won't be big words. Also, The Daily Mirror uses a sans serif font, which is a more informal font. The Daily Mirror's front page is dominated by a masthead, headline and once again - images. The Daily Mirror also uses more bright colours (fun, playful). Whereas The Times uses more conservative colours (blacks, whites). The Times also uses serif fonts, which are formal, traditional and serious. The Times also has a lot more writing/writing in their articles, as it is aimed at older people and more well - educated people, who would prefer reading longer articles/writing.

In The Daily Mirror, there is more soft news than hard news - entertainment, gossip, celebs etc. This is especially visible where it talks about bond stars (people starring in the James Bond movie/movies). And The Times is more hard news than soft news - politics, economics, what's happening internationally etc. This is especially visible where it talks about the terror attack in Sri lanka and the criminal enquiry story - which is serious. For language, both newspapers cover the royal family story, but very differently. In The Daily Mirror, the royal family are represented as an average, gossip - worthy family - using their names instead of their titles (Duke, Duchess etc.) Whilst on the other hand, The Times presents the same story more formally - referring to the royals as their titles (Duke, Duchess etc.).

The Times' main story represents private schools (fee-paying schools) very positively by saying they've saved the tax payer money. This is quite obviously aimed at The Times' readers because themselves or their children, or whoever might have attended/is attending/is going to attend private schools - again wealth, money etc. In The Daily Mirror, it talks about the MMR jab, which is mostly aimed at people who go/are going to state schools (normal schools) - again, unwealthy, working class, mainstream audience.

Therefore, it is true that newspapers address their audiences differently, as seen above.

Newspapers: The Times - Representation and Industries

 Representation

1) What representation of private schools can be found on the main front page story of the Times?

A positive representation of private schools can be found on the main front page story of The Times.

2) What representation of the Conservative Party can be found in the story at the top of the front page 'Calls for criminal enquiry as top ministers deny security leak'?

There's no positive or negative representation of the conservative party in the story at the top of the front page.

3) How are the Royal Family represented in the Times? (See front page 'Fitting tribute' - Duchess of Cambridge picture and the inside page 'Royal Anzac Day on both sides of the world').

The royal family are represented positively in The Times.

4) How does the coverage of the Royal Family in the Times contrast with the reporting of the same events in the Daily Mirror?

• The Times uses more formal language, as well as referring to them more respectfully - "Duke" & "Duchess". Whereas The Daily Mirror refers to them by their names.
• The Times covers the story by focusing on the history of the event. Whereas The Daily Mirror covers it by focusing on the relationships between the two brothers, which is more gossipy. 
• And The Daily Mirror represents the royals as more like 'normal' people. Whereas The Times represents them as up there, more authoritative, important etc. 

5) How are British people and Muslims represented in the article and sidebar 'Sri Lanka tourists warned of more terror'?

British people are represented as more important than any other - warning BRITISH people who like to travel about what's been happening. And Muslims are represented badly and not so much. The picture of a Muslim man at the bottom is small and the story about this Muslim man is negative - they lack importance to The Times and aren't represented positively. 

Newspapers: The Times - Representation and Industries

 Industries

1) Who owns the Times? Write the name of the company AND the billionaire who owns the company.

News Corp own The Times. The billionaire who owns the company is called Rupert Murdoch.

2) What was the The Times's circulation in 2019? How many papers did the Times used to sell back in the 1990s?

The Times circulation in 2019 was 376,000.  The Times used to sell over 800,000 print papers in the 1990's.

3) How has the Times reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet?

• The Times has moved towards a multi - platform landscape
• They have created a social media strategy in collaboration with the digital media team to drive growth of their Twitter and Facebook profiles.

4) What does IPSO stand for and what is IPSO's job?
IPSO stands for Independent Press Standards Organisation. Their job is to/too:

• Regulate 1500 print and online titles
• Listen to complaints about press behavior
• Help with unwanted press attention
• Advise publication editors
• Provide information to the public
• Provide a journalist whistleblowing content

5) Why do some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers? 

Some people want stronger regulation of British newspapers because  they feel as if regulators aren't doing enough, or are letting newspapers get away with things that aren't supposed to be gotten away with.

Newspapers: The Times - Language and Audience

 Audience

1) What is the main readership demographic for The Times newspaper? Add as much detail as you can.
The main readership demographic for The Times newspaper is people over the age of 55+. They would most likely be in the ABC1 social classes - and largely the A or B groups within that group. Therefore, readers of The Times would most likely be professionals, managers or company owners. They are likely to be in the Succeeder psychographic group.

2) What aspects of the front page of the Times CSP edition suggest that their readers are likely to be more educated and interested in hard news rather than entertainment?

It provides information (surveillance) which is a form of hard news, it uses formal language, as well as large paragraphs and an awful lot of writing.

3) Times readers are mostly over 55 years old. Why is this and how is this reflected by the news stories and kickers in the CSP pages we have studied? 

This is reflected by the fact that The Times have more traditional viewpoints, which older people would have, as they grew up in a time when these beliefs/viewpoints were more common. There's more serious stories - like death.

4) What is the main audience pleasure offered by the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory.

The main audience pleasure offered by The Times is definitely surveillance. This is because it lets you know what's happening around the world, and also has information on important people such as the royal family.

5) Why might a reader enjoy this CSP edition of the Times? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory

 categories and write as detailed an analysis as you can.

A reader might enjoy this CSP edition of The Times because it includes information on people who play a massive role in Britain (once again - such as the royals) whom a lot of older people take interest in, as well as entertainment - marvel thing. And people in upper/middle class may be able to relate - like where it talks about being able to travel, private schools etc.

Language

1) What is the main story on the front cover of the Times CSP edition (26 April 2019) and why does it appeal to Times readers?
The main story on the front cover of The Times CSP edition is the one about fee - paying schools (private schools). This would appeal to The Times readers because they're obviously people who can afford this stuff, and they are well - educated, so they'd want to know more about "fee - paying schools"

2) List the other news stories and kickers on the front page of the Times CSP edition. Why do you think the Times selected these for the front page?

Other news stories include the one about sleeping and the "calls for criminal..." one. I think The Times chose this as it is mostly to do with people up there (ministers etc) which The Times readers mostly/mainly take interest in and The Times is mainly about all this. And these are the people who value how they look, act (could be shown in the one about sleeping), so it becomes even more interesting to readers.

3) What are the main stories on the inside pages of the Times CSP edition and how are they constructed to appeal to Times readers? 

The main stories on the inside pages of The Times CSP edition consist of the royal family, what's happening in other countries and a special day (Anzac day). The one about Sri - lanka is constructed to appeal to The Times readers because obviously their readers are wealthy, so they can afford to travel worldwide so it is as if The Times are trying to let their readers know the dangers of travelling to certain countries before a final decision is made. As with the Anzac day story - because The Times have traditional viewpoints, it would only make sense to add traditional days that are important to others in their Newspapers - importance.

4) Which of Galtung and Ruge's News Values apply to the Times's front page stories? Write about both the main story on private schools and the government leak enquiry. 

• Familiarity  - Is it culturally close to us in Britain? Yes, it is. The royal family - Kate.
• Elite nations/people - Which country has the event happened in? , Does the story concern well - known people? - Kate - part of royalty, "top ministers" - upper class, highly well - known people.
• Negativity - is it bad news? - use of the word "criminal" - so kind of, yes.

5) What does a close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggest about the Times's political beliefs?

A close analysis of the news stories in the Times CSP edition suggests that upper - class & middle - upper class are the most important people to The Times and that they prefer letting people know of hard news, rather than soft news and they believe in focusing on the past - which is understandable because of their traditional viewpoints.

Welcome to GCSE Media Year 2

 Year 1 reflection - blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to reflect on Year 1 and make sure you are ready for Year 2:

1) Look at your tracker for Year 1 blogposts (this will have been emailed to you by your teacher either before the summer or this week). Make a list of any CSPs you haven't completed. We will cover these in lessons later in the year but you WILL need to complete the blog tasks before you take any exams.

• Newspapers
• Television 

 Which CSPs from Year 1 are you most confident on?

• Kim Kardashian: Hollywood - video game

3) Which CSPs from Year 1 are you least confident on?

• Galaxy television advert
• History - One Direction
• NHS advert
• I bet you look good on the dance floor - Arctic Monkeys 

4) Your upcoming assessment will only be on CSPs from the first half of the year leading up to lockdown. Write a brief summary of the following CSPs to start your revision (Reveal magazine is done for you as ):

OMO - typical representation of women, lady cleaning, makeup and hair done whilst cleaning, looks like she enjoys cleaning etc.

TATLER - sounds like tattle tale - somebody who spills tea on others (and celebs), magazine for quite wealthy people - upper, middle class, leans toward looking good and fashion, appearance matters a lot. formal etc.

REVEAL - not a very formal magazine, uses slang, not proper pictures - just ones from paparazzi, for lower middle or working class etc.

GALAXY TV ADVERT - typical representation of a Woman falling for a wealthy man, red lipstick represents the idea of love, dressed attractively/nicely etc. 

NHS blood advert - wants different ethnicity to donate blood (especially Black and Asian people), shows you could save lives...

Doctor Strange: a massive budget, yet successful movie made by MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). 

I, Daniel Blake: an independant, low/small budget film, which made a decent/good amount of money.

Magazines - Reveal: a celebrity magazine aimed mainly at working-class women focusing on gossip, celebrity and motherhood for just 99p. Offers quite a traditional, stereotypical representation of women.

Magazines - Tatler: a magazine aimed at upper and middle upper class, which mainly focuses on fashion & beauty & wealth.

Advertising: OMO: an advert which represents a pure white clothes cleaning product. A typical stereotype/representation of Woman used on the products poster.

Advertising: NHS Represent: an advert which wants BAME to donate more blood to people who really need it as 1% of BAME donate blood.

Advertising: Galaxy chocolate: an advert for galaxy chocolate & how it is somewhat 'luxurious'. Used a robot/ai to ceate a lookalike Audrey Hepburn (who was a well-known & successful actress to sell their product/grab attention.

5) List five things (e.g. CSPs/topics/terminology) that you will revise before your upcoming assessment.

Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Language and Audience

Language

1) Write the definition of the following key language for newspaper front pages:

Masthead: title
Pug: main story
Splash Head: 
Slogan: 
Dateline: when the paper was released/created
Kicker: story at the top of the paper (to draw interest in content)

Byline: who the paper was created/made by
Standfirst: introductory paragraph

2) How much does a copy of the Daily Mirror cost?

A copy of The Daily Mirror costs a few pence.

3) What are the main stories on the CSP edition of the Daily Mirror (see above)?

The main stories consist of the royal family.

4) Why is the choice of news stories on the Mirror CSP front page typical of a tabloid newspaper?
The choice of news stories on the Mirror CSP front page is typical of a tabloid newspaper because it contains celeb gossip, which is mostly included in tabloid newspapers.

5) What is the balance on the Daily Mirror front page between images, headlines and text?

The images are quite big and text is huge in bold. This could be because The Daily Mirror tends to focus on more images and more than big paragraphs/lots of writing

Audience

1) What is the target audience for the Daily Mirror?

The target audience for The Daily Mirror are people aged 65+, who are likely to be in the strugglers, resigned or mainstream psychographic groups.

2) Why does the Mirror front page story appeal to the Daily Mirror audience?

The Mirror's front page story appeals to the daily mirror audience because it mostly talks about the royal family in whom mainly older/elderly people take interest in.

3) Why might a reader enjoy the Daily Mirror? Use Blumler & Katz Uses and Gratifications theory to add detail to your answer.

A reader might enjoy the daily mirror because it provides entertainment - celeb/celeb families, as well as information. 

4) Why are print newspapers generally read by older audiences?

Print newspapers are generally read by older audiences because older audiences grew up with more paper than TV, hence the reason why older people prefer reading print news rather than digital news.

5) How is the 'Wills and Harry royal rift' story on the double page spread constructed to appeal to Daily Mirror readers? 

The Wills and Harry royal rift on the double page spread is constructed to appeal to daily mirror readers with the use of big/visible pictures, as well as bold writing makes their readers want to know more.

Newspapers: Daily Mirror - Representation and Industry

 Representation

1) What political party does the Daily Mirror support?

The Daily Mirror supports the labour party.

2) How does the Daily Mirror usually represent rich and powerful people?

The Daily Mirror represents rich and powerful people badly.

3) How are celebrities usually presented in tabloid newspapers like the Daily Mirror? Look at the 'New Bond stars are revealed' story on the front page of the Daily Mirror.

Celebs are usually represented in tabloid newspapers (like The Daily Mirror) as worthy of attention & headline creators.

4) How are the royal family presented in the double-page spread 'Kate told Harry to make peace... then they all met up for tea'? 

The royal family are represented as helpful & kind - as Kate 

"...told Harry to make peace", as well as average people (like us) sorting out a family issue. 

5) Why do you think the Daily Mirror represents the royal family as a 'normal' family? Why might this appeal to Daily Mirror readers?

I think the Daily Mirror represents the royal family as 'normal' because their audience are 'normal' people, so the audience would feel more comfortable knowing there's normal within these famous people/celebs, and they could relate which is a good thing.

Industries

1) What company owns the Daily Mirror?

The company 'Reach' owns The Daily Mirror.

2) What is the Daily Mirror's circulation in 2020? How many papers did the Daily Mirror used to sell back in the 1990s?

The Daily Mirror's circulation was 450,000 in 2020. But they used to sell over 3 million papers in 1990.

3) Why has the newspaper industry struggled in the last 20 years?

The newspaper industry has struggled in the last 20 years because of the rise of digital news/media.

4) How has the Daily Mirror reacted to the decline in print sales and the growth of the internet?

• They have created a website called mirror.co.uk
• They have created a social media account (on Twitter)
• They provide their online content free (I think this is because it'd get more views)
• Created news based content which updates regularly

and more/etc...

5) List five of Galtung & Ruge's News Values and explain how they link to the stories in our CSP edition of the Daily Mirror.

• Immediacy - has it happened recently? (Kate 'fixing' a royal rift between the two brothers)
• Familiarity - is it culturally close to us in Britain? - the royal family are a big pat of Britain, so yes
• Elite nations & people - which country has the event happened? does it concern well-known people? - it has happened in britain and yes, it concerns well-known people (the royal family)
• Continuity - does it occur more than once? - yes because the royal "rift" has come up in earlier news stories, so it is "continuous".

(could only think of 4)

Newspapers: The Times - Introduction

Read the About Us page of the Times website and answer the following questions:

1) What year was The Times founded and when did it start using the Times name?

The Times was founded in 1785. It started using 'The Times' name in 1788.

2) What content did John Walter suggest the paper would offer in the first edition?

John Walter suggested that the paper would offer something suited to every palate - politics, foreign affairs, mattes of trade, legal trials, advertisements & amusements in the first edition.

3) What does the page say about the political views in The Times? 

The page says it will censure or applaud either [political party] and cover contending issues with respectful, fair argument.

4) Who owns The Times today and how is editorial integrity protected?

Rupert Murdoch owns he times today. Editorial integrity is protected by a board of independent directors and a set of legal undertakings.

5) What did The Times introduce in 2010 and why?

The Times introduced digital subscriptions in 2010 because they wanted to help ensure a sustainable future for their journalism.

6) What was The Times named in 2018 by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University?

the Times was named Britain's most trusted national newspaper by the Reuters Institute for Journalism at Oxford University.

7) What does the section on Editorial Standards say about The Times and newspaper regulation?

The Times and The Sunday Times take complaints about editorial content very seriously & they are committed to abiding by the independent press standards organisation. And corrections, clarifications & adjudications are published regularly where warranted.

8) What does the section on Ownership say about The Times and who is the current editor?

The current editor of The Times is John Witherow. The ownership section says news UK & Ireland are/is part of a news corp, a global diversified media business media business focused on creating and distributing content that educates, informs and inspires their customers.