Magazine cover practical project

The best way to learn about a type of media product is to create one yourself. We are going to create our own magazine cover to learn the key conventions and design of magazines.

This will also be an excellent project for you to demonstrate your new skills on Photoshop.

Task: Choose an existing magazine and create a front cover for a new, original edition of your chosen magazine.

These are student examples that show what your work could look like: 

Magazine project: tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Magazine project' and complete the following tasks:

Task 1: Research and planning

1) Use Google images to research magazines that you could use for this project. Create a shortlist of three potential magazines and write what they are here. Extension task: embed an example front cover from each one. We recommend looking at lifestyle, sport or music magazines as these are easier to re-create.

2) Choose one of the magazines to use for your project e.g GQ or Vogue. Then do a Google image search to find three different front covers for your chosen magazine. Add them to your blogpost to show you have done your research. 

3) Write a list of things you notice about the magazine covers you have researched e.g. colour scheme, font, writing style, what kind of picture is on the cover, page design etc. What is the language or writing style? How are the cover lines written? What camera shot is generally used for the cover image? 

4) In your blogpost, write your main cover line - this is the main cover story that links to your central image. It must be 100% original - all your own words. Next, write the rest of the cover lines and any other text you need for your magazine cover.

5) Plan the image you are going to take for the cover - model, costume, make-up etc. At this point, simply describe the image you need to capture.

6) Sketch out your cover on plain A4 paper so you know where the title, image and cover lines are going to go. 

Task 2: Photoshoot in class

We will do a photoshoot in class next week with lighting and backdrop. You will need to bring in any costume or make-up you need for the photoshoot - plan this with your teacher and make sure it is appropriate and achievable. 

On the day of the photoshoot, while you are waiting to take your picture you can finish off your research and planning tasks. Once you have finished all of those tasks you can create a new A4 page in Photoshop and start adding the text to your magazine cover.

Task 3: Photoshop design

Use Adobe Photoshop CS6 to create your magazine cover. Create a new A4 page and then use the T tool to add the text you need. Once you have taken your photo in the photoshoot, you can add your main image to the cover.

Photoshop tutorials

The best way to learn Photoshop is simply to start creating your magazine cover and learn as you go. There are thousands of tutorials on YouTube to help you - here's just one example: 

Task 4: Save as JPEG and upload it your blog

Once you have completed your design in Photoshop, go to 'File > Save as' and save your finished Photoshop magazine cover as a JPEG image. Then you can upload the JPEG version to your blog. 

Task 5: Evaluation

Write a short evaluation of your work: have you succeeded in your project to create a new, original edition of an existing magazine? Does your cover look like a real version of the magazine? Why/why not? How professional is your work alongside real covers of the magazine?

Finally, what would you do differently if you completed this assignment again?

Extension tasks

Create your OWN magazine and design a cover on Photoshop. For this you will need to plan the following:

• The name of your magazine
• The type of magazine it is e.g. sports, music, lifestyle
• A slogan for your magazine
• Cover star and image
• Cover lines
• Any other magazine cover key conventions you can think of

Deadlines: exact deadlines confirmed in class

Denotation and Connotation

Understanding denotation and connotation is the starting point for all Media analysis.

Remember the definitions:

Denotation: the literal meaning of something
E.g. A rose is a garden plant

Connotation: the suggestion behind this literal meaning (reading between the lines)
E.g .The rose suggests romance and love.

When writing media analysis, you need to consider the following questions:

Denotation: what do you see?

Connotation: what is suggested? What does it mean?

Analysis: what is the effect on the audience? How is this effect created?


Example: Skittles

Denotation: There is some text with colourful streams behind each letter set around a pack shot of the product itself. The background appears to be sky.

Connotation: The advert builds on the slogan for Skittles ‘Taste the rainbow’. The connotation of the colour suggests that Skittles are joyful, fun and will provide a positive experience for the audience. The colours are vibrant and the sky in the background creates connotations of flying – this suggests to the audience that this is an exciting product. 

Analysis: The advert helps the audience understand the product as the colours reflect the actual Skittles themselves. In addition, the text across the top of the advert (referring to a ‘punch in the mouth’) uses humour to connect with the audience and suggests the brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. This adds to the positive, happy brand values that are suggested by the construction of the advert.

Denotation & Connotation blog tasks: advert analysis

Create a new blogpost in your Media blog called 'Denotation and connotation'.

1) Write an analysis of the WaterAid advert above using denotation, connotation and analysis. What can you see? What are the deeper meanings in the advert? What does the advert communicate to the audience? How might an audience react after seeing the advert?

2) Now choose your own choice of advert from Google images. Save it to your documents, insert it into your blogpost and write an analysis using denotation and connotation, explaining what the advert is communicating to the audience.

Extension: Print advert research

Read this design blog on some of the best print adverts of all time. Choose one advert that you feel is particularly powerful in terms of its use of connotations and analyse why it is so successful

Introduction to Photoshop: fruit bowls

The fruit bowl task is a wonderfully creative way to learn some key skills in Photoshop as well as develop our understanding of colour.

Once you have finished your fruit bowl, you need to post it to your blog. Create a blog post called 'Photoshop fruit bowl' and complete the following tasks:

1) Save your fruit bowl as a JPEG image in Photoshop - remember to save it in your own folder on the Media Shared drive in the Student folder. To save as a JPEG image, go to 'Save a Copy' and then use the drop-down menu for 'File type' and choose JPEG.

2) Post your fruit bowl (or fruit bowls if you did more than one) to your blog by clicking the 'add image' icon and locating the correct JPEG image from your folder on Media Shared.

3) Write a short explanation of the colour palette you used and the effect you were trying to create when designing your fruit bowl.

Welcome to Media!

Welcome to Media - we have a brilliant journey ahead of us and can't wait to get started! 

This year will be a fantastic introduction to the skills needed in the media industries - photography, editing and much more. 

Your first job is to start your Media blog and sign up to Google Classroom. 

You can find step-by-step text instructions to starting your blog here. 

Once you have your blog URL, email it to your teacher. The URL is the address on the browser that ends with .blogspot.co.uk or similar. For example:

Mr Pall's blog: http://mediamacguffingcse.blogspot.co.uk/ 

IMPORTANT: It is absolutely essential you use your Greenford Google login details to create your blog when using Blogger.

First blog task

When you have set up your blog, it's time for your first blog post! Click on 'New Post' and put the title as 'First 10 questions'. You need to answer the following questions (detailed answers in full sentences please) as your first post:

1) Which part of Media are you looking forward to the most?

2) What device do you use most to access the media? (The media = news, TV, music, film, social media etc.) 

3) What is your average 'screen time' (or equivalent) on your phone each day. Is this about right, too little or too much? Why? 

4) What was the last TV programme or film you watched?

5) What device or subscription do you use to listen to music?

6) Do you play videogames? If so, what do you play games on and what is your favourite game?

7) Are you on social media? If so, what social media do you have and why do you like it? 

8) Finally, do you think the media is a positive or negative thing for young people? Why?

Extension tasks

Watch this clip from acclaimed BBC drama series Doctor Who - recently revamped in conjunction with Disney:

Why was the casting of Ncuti Gatwa a significant moment in the history of Doctor Who?

What aspects of this scene do you think an audience might enjoy? List at least three things and explain why the audience would enjoy each aspect. 

Note: If the YouTube clip isn't working please let your Media teacher know.

Finish these questions for homework if you don't manage to get through them in the lesson - due date on Google Classroom.

Advertising case study 3: Represent NHS Blood campaign

Our final close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 NHS Blood and Transplant online campaign video 'Represent' featuring Lady Leshurr.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, class, age, disability and ability and place. It's also a different type of advert as it's not promoting a product but instead is a campaign designed to influence the audience's behaviour.

Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing

In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:

1) Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]

2) Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]

Think about how you might answer those questions based on the CSPs we have studied.

Advertising campaigns

Some adverts are produced in a series as a campaign. An advertising campaign is a series of advertisements that share a singular theme, message or idea. These are used to raise awareness of an issue or of the brand itself. The best campaigns have an emotional impact on audiences.

An advertising campaign will usually appear across multiple media platforms - print, broadcast and online.

Represent: background information

Lady Leshurr is an English rapper, singer and producer. She is famous for her freestyling rap style and has her own clothing line. 

This is the advert CSP:

The two articles we read in the lesson provide details on the campaign and how it was developed. This also gives information on why blood from people with a BAME background is so vital. 

GLOW words to use in connection to this campaign

• Literal – the actual, obvious meaning 
• Semiotics - the message behind what you see (hidden messages)
• Reinforce stereotype – when a representation is what we usually see in the media
• Challenge/subvert stereotype - When a representation goes against what we normally see in the media
• Mass/mainstream - A mass or mainstream audience is made up of a large group of people (men, women, children, elderly).
• Niche - A niche audience is a small subset with a narrow range of interests or characteristics. 

Codes and conventions of rap music videos

• There are many low-angled, close up shots in hip hop videos, to imply the artists’ power over their audience. The low angle gives them the power, because they look down on the audience and the close up gives status because it implies they’re important enough to have a frame to themselves.
• Sections of direct contact with the camera (the artist usually spends a lot of time looking straight into the camera as if to talk or have a conversation with the audience and relate to them)
• Props regarding costume tend to be used, for e.g. gold jewellery (male rap artists are commonly known to wear heavy chains or prominent rings)
• Show a clear display of emotions – if the tone of the song is angry, the artist is likely to present this through their gestures and facial expressions.
• Strong editing cuts between concept / performance and narrative.

Represent NHS Blood & Transplant campaign: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

Re-watch the Represent video and then watch the 'making of' video:



1) What does BAME stand for?

2) Why is there a need for blood in the BAME community? 

3) What does this advert want people to do once they've seen it (the 'call to action')?

4) Why have the producers chosen famous BAME celebrities to feature in the advert? Give an example of three well-known people who appear in the advert and why they are famous - make sure you write their names and spell them accurately.

5) Suggest some connotations for the slow-paced long shot of empty chairs at the end of the advert.

6) How does the advert match the key conventions of a typical urban music video?

You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom. 

Extension tasks

1) How does the advert subvert stereotypes - this means present people in a way we don't normally see them in the media? Give three examples (e.g. ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, age, class, disability/ability etc.) 

2) How does the advert reinforce certain stereotypes of the BAME community?

3) Choose one key moment from the advert and write an analysis of the connotations of camera shots and mise-en-scene (using CLAMPS).

4) Read this MOBO press release about the "B Positive" campaign - the follow-up to the Represent advert. How does it aim to build on the success of the Represent campaign?

5) How is celebrity endorsement or star power used to make the campaign stand out?

Finally, research the following stars in more detail: Lady Leshurr, Ade Adepitan, Kanya King. Why are they famous? How do they help the campaign reach different segments of the niche BAME audience?

Advertising case study 2: Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert

Our second close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 Galaxy chocolate advert 'Chauffeur' featuring dead Hollywood film star Audrey Hepburn.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: celebrity, place (Italy), gender and more. 

Galaxy advert: background information

This is the advert CSP:

You can read more about the incredible CGI technology that went into creating the advert here. There is also a Guardian feature from the production company behind the advert explaining the technical process. 

GLOW words to use for this CSP

• Intertextuality: When one media text refers to or suggests another media text
• Semiotic codes: The media language choices (‘signs’) that create connotations for the audience.

Historical context of confectionary advertising

Nostalgia, or a "yearning for yesterday," is a frequently used advertising tool.  It is particularly common in the chocolate industry.

This classic Flake advert from the 1980s creates a nostalgic atmosphere of a more innocent time: 

Galaxy brand identity

The Galaxy brand identity has focused on luxury and indulgence for over 25 years. This 1995 advert is a good example of the Galaxy brand and also features a nostalgic soundtrack:




Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63.

For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures.


Intertextuality in Media Products

Intertextuality is where one media product (e.g. Galaxy) makes reference to other media products (e.g. Audrey Hepburn movies such as 1953 film Roman Holiday) to interest and engage the audience.

Narrative theory

We also need to learn narrative theories in GCSE Media Studies and the Galaxy advert is an ideal time to learn these. Narrative theories help us understand how media texts are constructed to engage an audience and keep them watching or reading until the end.

Propp’s  Character theory

Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character functions when he analysed 100 fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:

Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero

Todorov: equilibrium

Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

This can be applied to most media narratives.

Galaxy advert: Representations

The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted?

Place: Italy

Celebrity: Audrey Hepburn

Product: Galaxy chocolate

Time: 1950s

Gender: Men & Women

Galaxy 'Chauffeur' advert: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

Re-watch the Galaxy advert then answer the questions below:

1) Why is the advert set in the 1950s? What audience pleasure does this provide? 

2) Who is Audrey Hepburn?

3) Why did Galaxy select Audrey Hepburn for this advert? 

4) What is intertextuality?

5) What Audrey Hepburn film is suggested in this advert and how is this effect created (e.g. mise-en-scene - CLAMPS: costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props, setting)?

6) What are the connotations of Audrey Hepburn and celebrity in this advert? 

7) What representations of gender can you find in this advert?

8) Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted in the Galaxy advert? Give examples.


Extension tasks

Which of Propp's character types are represented in the advert? (Note: just choose two or three character types that are definitely used in the advert - it does not use them all). 

How does the advert's narrative (story) follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium?

Read the Framestore case study and the Guardian feature. How did they recreate an Audrey Hepburn film using location, casting and CGI?

Now read this Vintage Everyday feature behind the scenes of the Galaxy advert. What other background information do you learn here regarding the construction of the advert?

Women in the 1950s are represented very differently in two of our advertising CSPs: OMO and Galaxy. What similarities and differences can you find by analysing the two products?

Due date for this work on Google Classroom.

Advertising case study 1: OMO print advert

The first close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 1955 advert for OMO washing powder that appeared in Woman's Own magazine.

This product provides an excellent opportunity to analyse the changing representation of women in advertising over the last 60 years.

Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing

In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these:

- Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks]

- Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]

OMO advert CSP (1955)

OMO was a popular washing powder brand in the 1950s. This advert was from 1955 and needs to be studied both in terms of historical context and how it would be received today.

In 1955, British society was still adjusting after World War Two in which women took on many traditionally male jobs with men off fighting. This led to advertising in the 1950s often trying to reinforce traditional female stereotypes of housewives and mothers in order to protect male power both at work and at home.

Annotations

In the lesson, you'll have a chance to annotate your own copy of the OMO advert and make notes of the key conventions and what they communicate to the audience.

Here are some of the questions we discussed when we annotated our copy of the advert in class:

And here's an image of an annotated advert from a lesson on OMO - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access this.

OMO advert: blog tasks

Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.

1) What year was the advert produced?

2) How were women represented in most adverts in the 1950s?

3) What typography can be found in the advert and what connotations might this have?

4) What does the costume, make-up and placement of the model (mise-en-scene) suggest about women's role in society in 1955?

5) Why is a picture of the product added to the bottom right of the advert?

6) What are the connotations of the chosen colours in this advert - red, white and blue?

7) How does the anchorage text use persuasive language to encourage the audience to buy the product? Give examples.

8) What representation of women can be found in this OMO advert? Make specific reference to the advert and discuss stereotypes.

Extension questions

What is the preferred reading for this advert - what did the producers of the advert want the audience to think in 1955?

What is the oppositional reading for this advert - how might a modern audience respond to this text and the representation of women here?

How much do you think things have changed over the last 60 years with regards to representations of women in advertising? Give examples from a variety of adverts

How is the aftermath of World War Two reflected in the Omo advert? Why did many adverts in the 1950s strongly reinforce the stereotype of women as mothers and housewives?

You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.