1. Mind Map and
Research
OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Name: Joe Dolan
Candidate Number: 2043
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 1) –
TV Magazine Front Cover
2. Source of Inspiration
History of the Product
• When Inside Soap was first published in October 1992, it was a
monthly magazine. It went on to be published fortnightly in the
mid 90s, before going weekly early in September 2003. As of 2009,
the editor is Steven Murphy. The edition released here is from July
4th 2015 Saturday.
Publisher
• Hearst Magazines UK
• Publishing Director: Greg Witham
• Editor: Stephen Murphy
Circulation Figures – HOW many people read the magazine?
• 247,699 (ABC Jul - Dec 2013); Print and digital editions every two
weeks
• Largest actively purchased magazine in the UK, consumed by over
3 million UK citizens
Price range – £1.65
Socio-Economic Needs
The denotation of the stereotypical target audience will consist mainly
of making women seem unable to cope with the working class society
and therefore highlighting the males as superior in the socio-economic
needs categories of C1, C2, D and E because it highlights the lower
class and the individuals who purchase this magazine will want to
relate or may have become influenced to the same environment but
also the characters.
Source:
www.worldlibrary.org/articl
es/inside_soap
3. Masthead
Ideas
Possible Magazine Ideas:
• WHERE WAS HE?: This headline gives the
audience an idea of what the story is
about although it is subtle and makes
them want to find the answer. This
suggests secret and misperception which
is effective in targeting the soap opera
audience as they are people who wish to
be given cliff-hangers and their questions
become answered within the next
episode, or in the magazine story inside.
• I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM!: This
headline used is a statement of which a
character has said within the soap opera
and was obviously a stand out quote from
the soap. This gives the audience a
perspective from the character and
therefore gives them a chance to relate
and empathise with them.
• I’M PREGNANT: This statement is
commonly used in a romantic setting
between two loved ones, however, this
could be seen as mistake between two
people as they are unwillingly in love.
This therefore gives the audience a
chance to conclude the story if they solve
the two parents as sometimes this is an
issue solving whether the parents are
actually who they think they are.
Positioning: Across the image – When locating the
masthead across the image it clarifies what story
and characters it is linked with the picture. It also
makes the article seem more important as the
storyline will not be missed if illustrated alongside
with the image.
Bold/Bright: With a font like “Impact” and bold
effect it allows the audience to become captured by
the effects and therefore they may feel more
entitled to read it and eventually read the story.
• Strong, bold colours that contrast with
background causing the masthead to become
noticeable.
• Masthead must comprise of a reference to the
Soap Opera genre to appeal to the intended
target market.
Ideas: With my soap opera being brought to the
market as a new product it would have to use
the characters names to get recognition. The
title would remain important over individual
characters.
• With the use of a puff promotion or an
additional headline this would help gain
alternate hype and give it the edge over
competitors.
4. Main
Headline
Ideas
He’s Behind You!: This idea gives the
audience a great understanding and ‘informs’
(Katz) them that the story based on an
individual revolves around a stalking, the use
of alliteration and the verbal code ‘behind’
gives the audience a chance to realise that
the presence is unseen and can be scary for
whoever is being followed.
WHO GETS WHO!:
This highlights to the
audience the type of
storyline and how it
relates to love in a subtle
way. ‘WHO GETS WHO’
can imply conflict and
arguments between
individuals which is well
received by a soap opera
audience and the
romance of ‘love’ will
appeal to a younger
audience.
Life and Death….: The verbal code of this headline suggests the
difference between the characters which can be reinforced through
the main image this is incorporated through the use of binary
opposition. With the use of the position they’re in it can imply
where the characters stand and how the levels change within the
society that has been formed.
5. Image Ideas
Other Soaps: Using professionally established soap
opera like EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Coronation
Street of which Included these soaps is a good idea
because they are identifiable so it would raise the
appeal for the audience. This therefore includes a
multitudes of plots.
Main Image: Overall throughout my research on
soap magazine front covers they have used mid
shots on the characters in order to portray their
costume but also gives them a clear identification of
what their facial expressions are. It makes the image
more clarified and easier to look at and gives the
detail that is essential for the front cover to stand
and give an instant impact on the audience that can
cause them to act shocked.
Cover Lines:
Town Background – Using a
background will capture the
effective layout of my magazine
and will set the scene in order
to illustrate a backdrop of the
town.
Surrounding images– With
the use of images being
positioned around the sides,
this approach is used to give
the main image room and make
clear that the image is not
linked to the masthead.
Borders – With the images
that are used to provide the
outside line, it makes it clear
that they are kept within a
space.
6. Other
Price: Within my research I have come to the conclusion that soap magazines start from 65p
to £1.65. Therefore I will repeat this pricing in order to target my audience effectively, so I
shall be pricing my magazine at 99p, by choosing this price which is in the centre, this allows
the audience to be attracted to the magazine due to the clever pricing.
Social Media: When looking at
magazines I have found that 90% of
them use social media to also present
their information. This allows the
reader to interact with the magazine
company by getting in touch with
them and asking and making their
opinion hear on the social media site.
This also gives the fans a chance to see
the latest news and helps them make
a decision to purchase the magazine.
Puff Promotion: With the
use of a puff promotion it
helps target the audience to
look at the promotion of
something short and
punchy like a one word
phrase of some sort. With
the use of bold bright font
this could be done
effectively allowing the
audience to be captured
effectively.
7. Conclusion
• From investigating my magazine, I feel that further inspiration is what
would help drive me to match the same layout and ways that the
magazine is produced for example the font used helped inspire me to
work out how to do mine effectively.
• I feel that making sure the picture quality is focused and clear would be
the best way to present this, I will use the highest quality that I can access
on the Photoshop settings.
• In order to create my magazine I will need to make sure I am organized in
the process of making the magazine for example photography and
locational plans.
Name: Joe Dolan
Candidate Number: 2043
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
