This document provides details on the planning and research for a TV magazine front cover as an ancillary product. It includes a mind map covering ideas for the magazine title, strapline, images, and conventions from existing magazines like Inside Soap. Research notes cover the price, audience, and content of soap opera magazines. The conclusion outlines plans to purchase an existing magazine for further research and use cast images from an upcoming soap opera trailer to promote the new series on the front cover.

1. OCR Media Studies – A2 Level
Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio
Mind Map and
Research
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 1) –
TV Magazine Front Cover
Soap Central

2. Source of inspiration
History of the Product
The first issue was published in October 1992.
Publisher
• Hearst Magazine UK
• Group Publishing Director: Greg Witham
• Editor: Steven Murphy http://www.hearst.co.uk/brands/inside-
soap
• Circulation Figures –
• The average circulation of Inside Soap is 124,455
http://www.abc.org.uk/Certificates/47307827.pdf
• Price range – £1.35 – £1.90
• Socio-Economic Needs
The denotation of the stereotypical target audience will consist
mainly of females in the socio-economic needs categories of C1,
C2, D and E because the low price means that the publication can
reach a wider audience, this also reaches the lower economic
profile of the consumers of soap operas.
Therefore InsideSoap can use the largest market that are going to
be interested in soap news.
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number:64135

3. Mind Map
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number: 64135
Ancillary product 1 – T.V.
magazine masthead
Totally Soap: The connotations of
‘Totally Soap’ are that the
magazine is solely dedicated about
the soap opera genre and will
report the insights that the
readers want. It also is light
hearted enough to not be
imposing on the readers. The red
colouration connotes passion for
the soap genre and so suggests
that the magazine is as dedicated
to the TV series as the readers are
to watching them. The thin font
style connotes that this
publication does not follow the
standard thick, bold conventions.
This connotes that this magazine is
more sophisticated then the
average TV magazine and so will
appeal to the higher economic
needs category. This however may
leave the people in the lower
income brackets behind and so
loose the largest audience of soap
opera magazines.
Soap Central: This connotes
that all the information of any
soap is in one place and that this
magazine will offer the best
information, gossip and opinions
on the events in the soap that
matter to the reader most. The
bold font follows the standard
practice of most TV magazines. It
also looks more similar to that of
‘Inside Soap’.
The colour red connotes passion
and dedication o the subject of
soap operas. The masthead will
be at the top and span the whole
length of the front cover. This will
compromise the subtlety of the
page but will mean that all the
other features will be naturally
ordered.
SoapStory: This verbal code
connotes that the magazine
gives an in-depth look at the
soaps on TV and explains what
this means for the viewers and
narrative of the series. The
bold font style is again
customary to the conventions
of the soap opera magazine
genre. This will create
familiarity to the readers and
make it more likely that they
will want to by it.

4. Mind Map
Magazine strapline
All the stories, all the time:
This tagline has a repetitious
nature and so is vey memorable
and connotes that this magazine
is the essential guide for any
soap opera fan and so will
attract the audience. It is also
similar to the existing taglines
and so creates familiarity that
the target market of young low
income workers want to find.
The center of Soaps:
This connotes that the
magazine is the place to
go to for the weekly
news of the soap opera
world. This also goes
well with the magazine
‘soap central’ as it has
both words in the
tagline. However, it does
not relate to any other
soap opera magazine
and therefore may not
be recognized
Every moment, every
angle, every week:
This is vey similar to
that of Inside soap as
this is the magazine of
inspiration, however,
the verbal code ‘every
angle’ connotes that
the magazine will be
slightly more
comprehensive and
may offer an
alternative view that
may change the
perspective of the
characters.

5. Mind Map
Main headline
Walton Kidnaping!: This
headline verbal code connotes
the shocking plot of the first
episode of the new soap opera
‘Walton Hill’. This will give the
readers some context to the
story and inform the readers
that have not watched the
episode. This will allow them to
catch up and encourage them
to watch it. The use of the ‘!’
will animate the headline and
make it more exiting to look at
and more encouraging to read.
The colours used connote the
contrast of the seemingly
pristine and picturesque village
of Walton on the Hill and the
emotional pain that is conjured
at a kidnapping.
Walton Hill Opening
Shocker!: This headline
connotes the chaotic nature of
the opening episode of the
new series. This panicked
atmosphere is created with
the verbal code ‘Shocker’. This
is more engaging then the
headline on the left hand side
as the bold font and the
orange colour make it more
eye catching and exiting. This
also illustrates the audiences
reaction of shock at the events
and do the reader will want to
read the content to find out
what this means and how
others feel about the series.
This will be in the middle of
the page in front of the main
image that will give visual
context to the words.
Who
Stole Lizzie? : this connotes the danger
that the character ‘lizzie’ is in in the
narrative of the ‘Walton Hill’. This is
also the question that the audience
is likely to be asking themselves and
so by having a question as the
headline the readers will want to
read the analysis of the story so far.
The red colour helps to affirm the
danger aspect of the headline and
this makes it more exiting to look
at. This also does not tell you what
soap this is from, this is what the
headlines on InsideSoap are like
and so by following this convention
it should appeal to the readers
more.
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic
School
Center Number: 64135

6. Mind Map
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic
School Center Number: 64135
Images
Main image: from the
analysis of existing products,
the most used shot type for
the main image is a mid shot
with the characters facing
the camera. I have also
noticed that on the British
publications, the characters
are smiling at the camera.
Cover images: existing
products, especially
InsideSoap, some of the
images have no
backgrounds and are
facing the camera, this
creates direct address to
the readers and develops
the personal relationship
with the characters that is
required. However, some
do have backgrounds and
so it is good to ‘repeat’
(Steve Neale) this
convention as it acts as a
direct scene from the TV
program and so act as a
link to the show.
Other magazines
promote EastEnders,
Emmerdale,
Coronation street and
so using these shows
in my magazine would
offer the same service
that the readers
desire and so would
attract them to this
magazine.

7. Mind Map
• Strapline language: Repetition is a key tool used in straplines in the genre,
this is because they grab the readers attention and assert a theme that the
reader can use when reading the magazine. As an example InsideSoap’s
strapline is “every story, every secret, every week.” therefore I shall utilize
this method as it will appeal to the audiences That The magazine is trying
to reach.
• Price: The price of soap opera magazines is very cheap as it has to be able
to be purchase able by people in the E-C1 categories of social economics.
• Puff Promotion: there are no puff promotions in InsideSoap and therefore
I will not
• Synergy with social media: This is very important as it creates a personal
relationship (Katz) with the audience as it allows them to express their
views to likeminded fans of the programs or the magazine. Therefore I will
‘repeat’ this convention
Name: Adam Fox
Candidate Number: 2052
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic
School Center Number: 64135

8. Mind Map - Conclusion
Name:
Candidate Number:
Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School
Center Number:
In order to produce my ancillary product I will conduct further research into what the
magazine contains. For this I will purchase a copy of InsideSoap as this will grant me the most
comprehensive opportunity to analyze the contents and also the reasons why people buy
this genre. This will meant that I can make my magazine more effective at the purpose not
only informing people of the current events in TV soap operas, but also engage and exited
people about the series and engage there emotional attachment to the characters.
I will have to organize the people for the images that I will use for the front cover. I will use
images of the cast of ‘Walton Hill’ when we are prepared for filming the trailer this will give
us time to establish the identity of the soap opera that will the series as an individual brand
on the front of magazine so that the reader will instantly associate the TV series to the
images, this will also act to create personal relationship with the characters on the front
cover.
In order to create this product with the efficiency of a real life product I will use Adobe
Photoshop CS5.1 as this will give me the quality that is needed to replicate real magazines.