Planning Task 5 : Mock Up Of Covers 1 and 2

By completing Planning Task 4 you are now in the position of being able to put together a mock-up of both of your front pages.

I have provided examples of a previous student's mock-ups below in Figure 1 and Figure 2.

This student's set brief was different to yours as they were asked to produce covers for a new lifestyle and fashion magazine.

From these mock-ups you can see that the student has given thought to the composition of the front pages and has added a minimal amount of text. They do, however, show that thought has been given to the layout of the page.

Figures 1.1 and 2.1 show the final front covers and the examiner is able to see that there was a clear sense of planning.

Figure 1

Figure 1.1

Figure 2

Figure 2.1

Planning Task 5

Create a post on your blog with the following title:

Planning Task 5 : Mock Up of Cover 1 and 2

In this post share images of your mock-ups for both front covers.

These should be accompanied by a brief explanation of the process that you went through to create the mock-ups.

Suggested Deadline

Tuesday 9th July

 

Planning Task 4 : Front Cover Layout and Content

In order to be able to produce your front covers you need to have planned what is going to be on them.

You have researched the covers of independent music magazines so should have a pretty good knowledge of this already. 

Take a look at Figure 1 below; the front cover of an issue of Total Film Magazine. 

The main elements of the page furniture have been identified.

Figure 1 : Total Film Magazine Cover

Main Coverline

The 2 front covers of your new magazine will need to have a main coverline. What is the main coverline going to be on the first and second issues of your magazine? 

You need to think of these in relation to your magazine's focus (music) and target audience appeal (16-25 year olds who like to be entertained). 

After the masthead, the main coverline is the thing that potential purchasers of your magazine will probably read first so it needs to draw them in.

In Figure 1.1 the main coverline is LUTHER / THE FALLEN SUN - this is a new film based on the acclaimed BBC detective drama starring Idris Elba.

Other Coverlines

How many other coverlines will your magazine have? Look back at your research into exisiting front covers to see how these are used. 

If you decide to go for 4 other coverlines, what will these be? How will they be worded? Will they represent a range of content that readers will find inside the pages of your magazine?

Coverlines are usually made up of what is called a kicker in bold followed by a teaser.

In Figure 1 an example of a coverline is DUNGEONS & DRAGONS World-ending stakes and live volcanoes. Here, the kicker is DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and the teaser is World-ending stakes and live volcanoes. The coverline is meant to intrigue the reader into wanting to look inside the magazine.

When thinking of coverlines make sure that you keep them short enough to be easily readable whilst understanding that these are the ways that you are trying to entice readers to look inside and potentially buy your magazine.

It is essential that all copy for your magazine covers is checked carefully for spelling and grammar.

Images

You also need to think about the possibilities of links to the main images on your front covers as these are usually 'anchored' to the main coverline.

In Figure 1 the main image is of the title character from the film featured in the main coverline; DCI John Luther. Note that the image is of the character and not of the actor.

You need to plan what your main image is going to be and how it ties into the main coverline.

Remember to look back at the requirements of your set brief. This sets out very clearly that you need to have original photographs which represent two different social groups. My advice would be to go for one cover with a female as the main image and one cover with a male as the main image. Alternatives would be to use models of different ethnicities but, if you do this, the distinctions in ethnicity must be very clear and obvious.

Page Furniture

You also need to plan the other page furniture for both covers.

This should consist of puffs, content plugs, date, price, barcode, etc.

What else will you have on the cover of each magazine issue?

It would make sense for your first edition to have a puff which makes it clear that it is the first edition of the magazine.

Look at your research to remind yourself of what other elements of page furniture you could include on your front covers You could also look at other magazine covers outside of the film genre to see what they make use of.

In Figure 1 you can see an example of a puff which states 25 GREATEST DETECTIVES EVER! showing a link to the main coverline which features a fictional detective.

There are also lots of content plugs on Figure 1. These are different to coverlines in that they are usually just one or two words. 

At the top of Figure 1 content plugs are used for new films (Cocaine Bear, Knock At The Cabin and Magic Mike 3) whereas at the bottom left of the page they relate to actors such as Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. The magazine is assuming knowledge on behalf of the reader in the use of these content plugs.

Planning Task 4

Create a post on your blog with the following title:

Planning Task 4 : Front Cover Design

In this post you need to show evidence of your planning for:

• Main coverline
• Other coverlines
• Main images, and
• Page furniture

There is no set format for how you need to show this planning so do it in the way that you feel most comfortable with.

Remember that this needs to be done for both issues of your new magazine!

This planning, if done correctly, will enable you to complete Planning Task 5.

Suggested Deadline 

Tuesday 2nd July

Independent Research Task : Familiarisation With Wix

The purpose of this task is to ensure that you know how to use Wix in readiness for producing the website for your film magazine.

Wix is a cloud-based website builder. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop tools and over will help you build your website without the need for any specialist knowledge of web design.

However, you need to learn how to use it.

There are a selection of links below that you can access in order to develop your knowledge and understanding of Wix.

My advice would be to sign up and create a website for yourself or for something that you are interested in. Use this to gain knowledge and understanding of how Wix works.

Do not start to try to produce your film magazine website as you will do this later.

Wix Resource 1

The video below provides a really useful introduction to Wix.

Wix Resource 2

You can access Wix's own YouTube channel by clicking here.

Wix Resource 3

WixLearn is a Wix site where you can find tutorials. Some of these are not relevant to your website design but there are still lots of other useful resources. Click here to access the site.

Wix Resource 3

If you have selected a font from dafont.com that is not available in Wix you will need to know how to upload your own font.

This can be done by following the instructions provided by Wix here.

TASK

Create a new post on your blog titled as follows:

Independent Research Task : Familiarisation with Wix.com

In this post write a summary of what you have done to familarise yourself with Wix.com

You could include screenshots in your post.

Planning Task Three : Masthead Design

Your magazine should now have a name and strapline; well done! I hope you have chosen well.

The masthead represents the name of your publication and is, arguably, the most crucial aspect of your magazine cover design. In the real media world, many hours of time will be spent perfecting the masthead for a new magazine. 

This is where branding becomes important. The masthead is the name of the magazine and the most consistent element throughout the publication's issues, and it's how readers will recognize the magazine. It will also be used at the top of the website accompanying your magazine.

Take a look at the image below which shows part of a magazine display at a well known high street shop. Mastheads are traditionally at the top of the front cover due to how they are positioned behind each other on a shelf.

Which of these mastheads catches your eye the most?

What Next?

Your next task is to design your masthead (including the strapline.)

This effectively means doing the following:

• Deciding the font to use for your masthead and strapline
• Deciding how your masthead and strapline will make use of capital letters and lower case 
• Deciding how you will use other typographical elements such as bold, italics, font size, spacing, etc. in your masthead and strapline

Also, don’t forget that the masthead’s color has a crucial role in making it 'pop' even more. Some magazines stick with the same masthead colour for every issue whilst others colour match the masthead to the main image.

In class, I will show you how to use the website Dafont.com to search the different fonts available.

I will also show you how to download the fonts that you think are most appropriate for your masthead and strapline and add these to Adobe Photoshop. 

You can then produce a mock-up of your masthead and strapline in different fonts to see which resonates best with your target audience.

Here are some examples that I have designed in Photoshop for a new, independent music magazine with the name Echo. The strapline for this magazine is 'Reflecting the best in modern music'.  

As we look through these, think about the positives and negatives of each one.

The first image shows the masthead in Franklin Gothic Heavy and the strapline in Franklin Gothic Medium Italic.

The second image shows the masthead in Magneto and the strapline in Mistral.

The final image shows the masthead in Summer Festival and the strapline in Niagara Solid.

Planning Task Three

Create a post for your blog titled:

Planning Task Three: Masthead Design

In this post show evidence of the process you go through to select the typographical elements for your masthead and strapline.

This should include multiple mock ups such as the ones above for your magazine which includes the name of the fonts used.

Make sure that you are clear in identifying which design you are ultimately going for and make sure you know the name of the font as you will need to import this into Photoshop and Wix at a later date.

Deadline

Tuesday 25th June 

Planning Task Two : 60 Second Pitch

 So, you have thought long and hard over your magazine's title and strapline. Now you have to pitch this to a me in what is known as a 60 Second Pitch.

What is a 60 Second Pitch?

Have you ever watched the TV series Dragons' Den? If so, you are familiar with the idea of a 60 second pitch.

In this TV programme entrepreneurs explain their idea for a new business venture to a group of very wealthy investors. 

They need to try to convince these investors to contribute funding to their idea in return for a share in the business BUT they only have a very short amount of time in which to do this.

What Should My 60 Second Pitch include?

You have been given the task of producing the front cover and contents page(s) of the first two editions of a new music magazine. 

You now need to pitch your idea for your new magazine in a short video that is, surprisingly, 60 seconds long (roughly).

You should begin by introducing yourself and the title of your film magazine, like this:

Hello, my name is (insert name) and I am here to pitch (insert name), a new music magazine aimed at a 16-25 year old mainstream audience. 

The rest of your pitch should include the following information:

• The month in which the first edition and website will be launched
• How often the magazine will be published (monthly / bi-monthly)
• Price of magazine
• The strapline for the magazine
• What readers of your magazine and website can expect to find
• How you will make sure that the content of the magazine and website appeal to your target audience.

You need to draft your pitch and practice it before recording yourself delivering this to camera - I suggest that you do this using your phone.

Planning Task Two

I will show you how to do the following steps in our lesson.

Step One

Save a recording of your 60 Second Pitch

Step Two

Upload your 60 second pitch to YouTube via YouTube Studio and share it to your blog. (You will need to make sure that you can access the video of your 60 Second Pitch on the device you are using to do this.)

Note: You can use your Google account to log in to YouTube as Google owns the video sharing platform.

Step Three

Rename the post on your blog with the following title:

Planning Task Two : 60 Second Pitch

Once you have shared your video, provide an explanation of the process you have gone through to create and publish your 60 Second Pitch.

Deadline

Tuesday 11th June

Planning Task One : Magazine Title and Strapline

You have now finished the research phase of your NEA and will be starting the planning phase.

The first part of your planning journey is to consider the title of, and strapline for, your magazine.

Magazine title : this will be the masthead for your magazine. Most magazine titles are single words but this is not always the case.

Magazine strapline : straplines appear, conventionally, below the masthead and communicate a message about the magazine's identity. For example:

the strapline for The Wire is 'Adventures in sound and music'

the strapline for The Big Issue is 'A hand up, not a hand out'

You can look at other magazines to see how their strapline links to their brand identity.

Coming up with a magazine title and strapline can be a creative and challenging process and is not something that can just be plucked from the air.

For this task you need to take a sheet of A4 paper (or the digital equivalent) and complete a mind map of potential ideas.

It is essential that you do not show or share your initial ideas with other members of the class.

Here are some tips to help you:

1. Consider your target audience 

Consider the interests, demographics, and lifestyle of your target audience to come up with titles and straplines that resonate with them.

2. Brainstorm keywords 

Brainstorm a list of keywords related to your magazine's content, themes, and mission. Use a thesaurus to expand your list of keywords and synonyms.

These keywords could be the catalyst for potential magazine titles.

3. Use puns or wordplay if appropriate

Consider using puns or wordplay to make your magazine title more memorable and attention-grabbing.

4. Keep it simple and memorable 

Choose titles that are easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. Avoid using complex or obscure words that may be difficult for your audience to remember or understand.

Most magazine titles are 3 or less words with the majority being a single word.

When thinking of your potential strapline, keep this short and pithy too.

5. Check availability 

Before finalizing your magazine title, make sure it is not already in use by another publication.

6. Get feedback 

Get feedback from the people who assisted you with your audience research to see if your magazine title and strapline resonates with them.

Remember, a great magazine title should reflect the content and mission of your publication while also being catchy and memorable to your target audience. 

Take your time, be creative, and test out different options before settling on a name that feels right for your magazine.

TASK

Create a post for your blog titled:

Planning Task One : Magazine Title and Strapline

In this post you need only to do the following:

1. Add your mind map of initial ideas to your post (make sure that this represents detailed evidence of your thought process)

2. Confirm the title and strapline for your magazine

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Tuesday 4th June

Research Task Nine : Target Audience Research And Analysis

The target audience for your music magazine and accompanying website is described as "a primarily 16–25 year old middle market audience that likes to be entertained."

Your next research task is to conduct Target Audience Research And Analysis.

The media industry is highly competitive and all media texts are created with a target audience in mind.

If there isn’t an audience for your music magazine then it won’t be successful as a commercial media text. 

• Your magazine has to make money. If it is to make money, people will need to want to buy it.
• If you are to attract advertisers to your website, people need to visit it.

Research and Analysis

Media producers use audience research and analysis to find out as much as possible about their target audience and use that research to ensure their production will appeal to them.

Research is the process of finding information, while analysis is the process of evaluating and interpreting that information to make informed decisions.

TASK

Start by identifying a range of people from within your target audience profile.

These people must have an interest in listening to music and must be a mix of ages (16-25) and a mix of genders.

I suggest at least 10 people. 

You need to find out what these typical members of your target audience would want to see in a new music magazine.

This could be done through interviews, questionnaires, feedback via social media channels, etc.

Questions could cover things such as, in no particular order:

• Gender
• Age
• Favourite genres of music
• Favourite artists
• Do they buy music magazines? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• Do they visit music magazine websites? If so, which and why? If not, why not?
• Do they go to gigs? If so, which, when and why? If not, why not?
• Where do they find out information about music? (radio, social media, etc)
• If a news music magazine was being published, what would they want to see in it?
• If a new music magazine was being published, what would make them want to buy it and/or visit its website?
• How much would they be prepared to pay for a music magazine?
• Are there any things that would encourage them to buy the first edition of a new music magazine?

The list above is not exhaustive - you may be able to think of other things that you would want to ask to find out further information.

After conducting your research, create a post titled:

Research Task Nine : Target Audience Research And Analysis

In this post, explain what you did in relation to finding out about your target audience (research) and what you learned as a result of this (analysis).

Your post could include results from questionnaires, interview questions and sample responses, etc.

Deadline

The start of our lesson on Friday 24th May (last day of term)