Question 1A Media

1. Question 1A
Sarah Page

2. Research and Planning
Research -
the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish
facts and reach new conclusions.
Planning -
the process of making plans for something.

3. • My mood board I created allowed me to choose the colour scheme orange. This was
because orange was a trending colour with images relating to acoustic music. My mood
board furthermore allowed me to gain an understanding about the clothing choice of my
model, as most acoustic artists whom are female wear relaxed, but pretty clothing, and not a
large amount of makeup.
• The research process allowed me to be knowledgeable of the codes and conventions of
music magazines. As a class, we looking into multiple front covers, contents pages, and
double page spreads of a variety of music magazines across different genres. This ultimately
allowed me to remain intact to the codes and conventions whilst creating my magazine.
• The planning which allowed me to see the first visual of how I desired my magazine to look
like was the sketches. The sketches of the magazine allowed me to attempt different
methods of presentation, and with trial and error finally be satisfied of the final outcome
• I decided to create a survey on survey monkey which I posted on Facebook to ensure
optimum people participated. The survey helped me to discover what audiences prefer in a
magazine.

4. Digital Technology
• Digital Technology:
the branch of scientific or engineering knowledge that deals with the creation and
practical use of digital or computerized devices, methods, systems, etc.

5. • InDesign is the main software used to create the actual magazine. The software provided a
neat template, which helped me complete my magazine to a precise and pristine standard,
rather than completing my magazine on a word file, which is not a software suitable, or built
for this reason.
• Additional software I selected to use was Adobe Photoshop. I feel that my past experience with
InDesign eased me into using Photoshop, as the navigation tools were located in similar areas. I
used Photoshop to edit my images taken inside and outside the studio – to correct any
blemishes, the lighting, contrast, and colour balance.
• Whilst completing my photo shoot in studio, I was equipped with a black sugar-paper
background, a white background, a tripod, lights, and media gels. Additionally the camera I
used was a Cannon 550D digital SLR camera, with a premium lens, which allowed me to zoom
in and out.

6. Skill Development
• An ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to
smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions involving ideas

7. • We were assigned a preliminary task at the beginning of the media course. This gave everyone
an advantage as we became familiar with the technologies used. This also acts as a visual
representing the progress made from the start of the project to the finish, whilst comparing
the final magazine to the preliminary task.
• We were first assigned to take images around the school that we decided would
be suitable for our front cover. This gave me an advantage as I gained the ability
to use the cameras and learnt what angles produced the best results for what I
was aiming for.
• I feel that I have developed my understanding of front covers through the
research of music front covers. I have now included a front cover of my selected
artist, in comparison to the front cover I used in my preliminary task – the
canteen. For the small images included in the contents page, I took images of my
peers.

8. Media Conventions in magazine
•Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical
and symbolic. Technical codes are all the ways in which equipment is used to tell the story in a media text, for
example the camera work in a film. Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see.

9. •With the image I chose on my front covert, I have subverted the typical conventions of a feminine look: I have had my model to
look directly into the camera, straight face, which juxtaposes with the cute, posed look females usually strike. I wanted to make
my model look angelic but still feminine. This is going against the typical codes and conventions of the feminine, seductive pose
that females tend to strike for the camera on magazines.
•This image is also full bleed, which adheres to the typical codes and conventions of magazine.
•In addition to this, I made sure that my main sell line was associating to her page, as most magazines (especially acoustic
magazine) really reinforce a main artist, rather than focusing on many bands at once. But, to keep my magazine associating to my
genre, I also included many more headlines, advertising acoustic bands on the sideline. ‘Tanya Kekic’ is highlighted in orange and
black directly in the middle of the magazine, which shows that Tanya is in the spotlight.
• I have also included a bar code, which is an essential part of a front cover, as without a barcode the audience would not be able
to purchase this. Additionally, I included a price of £3, which is cheap for a mainstream magazine but I ideally wanted to make
sure my audience would be able to afford this.

10. In relation to real life texts
• Real Life texts:

11. •The colour orange was inspired by Ed Sheeran – whom is an indie artist, circulating heavily around my target audience of ABC1.
•A magazine of a subverted genre, ‘Kerrang’, the way that the masthead has a smashed effect typeface, and how this replicates
the smashing of the guitar when playing by hand additionally inspired me to create my typeface in this format.