How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? ( approx. 400 words)
Production: I intend to create two papers, with a cover and 2 contents pages/double page spread each. The cover will include a barcode in the bottom left as a method of distribution, with each page numbered. The music 'aesthetics' will be suitable towards a 16-25 year old middle market that likes to be entertained, understood through analysis of what my peers at that age listen to. Branding will be noticeable through the repetition of the masthead and consistent font and style use, only changing through specific info and colours. Each cover will include just one image to continue to simplicity and sleekness of the paper, however, multiple images will be shown through the double contents page spread. A conventional masthead will sit in the central top position of the cover, with the only other text being the date, issue number and artist name. More information would be found on the contents page. The covers will convey different mise en scene as one will feature a studio shoot in an editorial style that is inspired by artists such a Bjork, and the other will feature a girl duo band photographed in a more characterised setting. There will be suitable margin space. The contents page will introduce the other relevant artists within the issue with a small introduction paragraph and the suitable page to find their stories on. The cover artists will feature again on the contents page, to one side allowing the text to sit next to them, providing equal relevance to the page of this artist and the others. The cover artist's information will sit at the bottom of this page, having a larger space than the others so that they can include a quote from the magazine interviews.
Website: My website will be inspired by the colourful yet bold and sleek approach of billboard. With a Home page and Video section. The viewer will first be met with a pop up encouraging them to subscribe to the magazine, this will feature imagery of the two most recent covers as examples to the customers. The header and footer will remain the same on both the homepage and the hyperlink 'Video' page. With the header featuring the sleek masthead, an option to log in/subscribe, then being ruled off to see a navigation and search bar. The footer will include: a visual of the latest cover, legal information, more social media prompts, shopping information, navigation bar, and subscription links. The home page will include a headline story, main stories accompanied with a titled 'more' section. Each of these stories will be labelled with the music genre relevant to the featuring artist. I intend to create a space for optimised convergence towards the audience by using a Gallery and a Fan space. These will all be interactive, aswell as a magazine shop that features all the covers with information on purchasing them. The hyperlink page will automatically begin playing my audio-visual at the centre-top of the screen, completed with a title and genre. This video will be a music video, of the latest cover artist, that includes captions and an end card that prompts subscription. A second video will feature beneath this as a lyric video, adding more to the product. The rest of the page will feature a section of more 'Cover Artist' video thumbnails, and then other magazine videos.
How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words)
I plan to encourage convergence between my production and website in many ways. A call to action will feature as a website link on the magazine contents page, and likely on the cover as well via an exclusive event where website access is necessary. This will help create a further reason for the audience to reach out towards the website. Convergence will continue on the website itself to encourage interaction with the magazine on multiple platforms. I plan to do this by frequently featuring social media links through recognisable icons, finishing off many of the website sections. This will carry onto the footer too, along with subscription encouragement, made easy with links and QR codes, including an exclusive app. This QR code will also be a feature of the end card on my video, along with another website link, encouraging the idea that this will be the place for exclusive content. This informative end card will also feature the relevant magazine cover. The main audio-visual will boost convergence through captions, allowing the video to become more accessible and enhance the storytelling element of the content itself. The website will initially open with a pop up, encouraging subscription via email, offering another method in accessing content. On the homepage will be a 'Fan Space' where viewers can feature, encouraging interaction with social media links to feature, with a hashtag for uniqueness.
COVER CONVENTIONS
Masthead
- Consistently lower case or capitalised USE
- Depth through shadow/dimension USE
- Expressive font BREAK
- Top and central position USE
- Suitable colour for the editing technique (may change cover to cover) USE
Editing
- Bright, bold lighting when in a studio setting, but not presented as flashy with too much going on USE
- Subject in a central position of the frame USE
- Artist name and text stay out of the way of the subject (the face, at least), positioned at the bottom of the page or in empty side space USE
- Text is simple yet bold enough to capture the right amount of attention USE
- Singular image USE
CONTENTS PAGE CONVENTIONS
- One main, large image that links to the cover USE
- The linking main image may have a 'less close up' shot, if the cover is a close up face shot
- Noticeable features of information about the cover artist USE
- Contents/Page title in bold either at the top or vertically, same font throughout paper with the masthead USE
- Calm enough to navigate but enough information to valuable and full USE
- Page number used next to the feature title, the reader could find the page without reading the small paragraph USE
- A small paragraph beneath each feature to provide some information of the artist/topic USE
WEBSITE CONVENTIONS
- Masthead large enough to be noticeable but small enough to not make the page flashy and over the top USE
- Navigation bar at the top of the page USE
- Main story dominating the page USE
- Sectioned stories, pulling more vertical than horizontal – labelled by genre/navigation bar heading USE
- 'Latest' column features down the right of the page USE
- Main inspiration from FADER and billboard for their sleek look USE
- Legal box and subscription area at footer of the page USE
- Stories all have characterised thumbnails to the topic/artist USE
- Colour scheme continues through each section USE
- Relevant music video to recent issue front and centre USE
- More thumbnails with interviews and other teasers USE
- Colour scheme throughout – may switch the monochrome colour of theme USE
- Footer repeats the same as home page USE
- Navigation bar and masthead remain the same at header USE
Convention I intend to break/Audience Research
I plan to not create a masthead with an expressive font, for example, what's seen through KERRANG!. This is due to wanting to attempt to make the cover feel sleek and clean. I believe a serif and simple font would allow for consistency no matter what the subject matter is, along with rest of the cover's design. I intend to just use one colour for the masthead (which may be different on each paper, depending on the colour scheme of the photographs), and create depth with a slight shadow, allowing it to stand out just enough whilst not diverting attention from the subject matter. A survey among my target market allowed me to understand that for focus from the reader, the page shouldn't be too overwhelming to view but should still be gripping enough to stay.
