Foundation Portfolio- Main Task

For my main foundation portfolio task I am going to look at how I can apply the key concepts in media to create a music magazine with a two page spread. I am going to use the acronym LIIAR- Language, Institution, Ideology and Representation.

Language- I will use fun and not so informal language to relate to the audience and keep them interested. I will also make it stand out with a good imagery, bright colours and interesting headline's to keep the readers guessing. I will use plugs to attract the readers and give hints on whats inside. I will use a large, readable font with a colour that stands out in order for it to be seen.

Institution: There are many different music magazines with different publishers. I looked at publishers including: ALPHA, BAUER, JANN.S WENNER, DENNIS and IPC. After looking at the different publishers i think i would like Jann. S Wenner to publish my magazine as these also publish Rolling Stone which is going to be similar to my magazine.

Ideology: For this i will be looking at things like my target audience and i will therefore have to think about what type of music my magazine will publish. I think I am going to include a few different genres of music so that my magazine will appeal to a wider audience.
This will therefore increase the amount of buyers and then the money.

Audience: The type of audience I am going to aim my magazine at includes any one who is interested in the following genres:
Rock
Metal
R&B
Hip Hop
My magazine is going to include a range of these genres and therefore will appeal to readers who are interested in these.

Representation: Genres for my magazine are going to include:
Rock
Metal
R&B
Hip Hop
The magazine will therefore represent people who are interested in these. It will be aimed at an age group between 16-20 year olds.

For my contents page this is what the layout would look similar to .

I would usea large masthead indicating what page it is with a brightm bold colour to give it some interest.

I would also use images to reprsent some of the stories inside the magazine.

College Magazine Evaluation

My magazine doesn't challenge other magazine industries as is a free college magazine and uses the traditional publications of magazines.

My magazine represents the college as a whole and is aimed at many different social groups. Firstly I have added an article about theatre studies which is aimed at students interested in any type of theatre or plays etc.
I also added a section about sports which represents all students who have an interest in sports which is fairly popular at Wyke college.
I finally decided to add sections about all lessons in general at Wyke which applies to all students attending the college and therefore ranges in many if not all social groups and students.I also added teaching tips in the magazine so that it has something to interest teachers as well as students.

However I decided to change the headline of my magazine from Grease Lightning to Chlamydia: Put A Stop To It !I decided to change this as i changed my main story from the new production being put on by Wyke college students to preventing chlamydia. I made this choice due to the fact of me not being able to produce a picture representing my main story so i therefore changed my story where i could take a suitable image to represent it.

The media institution that would most likely publish my college magazine would be the publishers of magazines like Secondary teachers and Primary teachers as these focus on supporting the education profession. I therefore think my magazine would be best published with them as my magazine focuses on students and teachers and education overall. Also my magazine is free like Secondary and Primary teachers magazines.

By constructing this product I learnt many new things within technology. I learnt thing about photography like how to capture a picture in the correct light and how to set the scene for a picture to be taken in. I also learnt how to then edit the images in many different ways by using photo shop which is very effective. I also learnt how to construct a magazine cover and contents page using photo shop which is an interesting process.

Overall I learnt many things from the beginning of my preliminary task to the end. All these new skills are very helpful as i can now analyse magazines and consider why things have been done in certain ways. I can also take ideas from this and create my own magazine using ideas from the analysing I previously did.I can also use the concept of LIIAR to help create ideas like who my magazine will be aimed at, who it is going to represent, the audience I am going to aim it at etc.

Finally by completing my preliminary task it gives me more confidence in my next task as I can now use my new skills and ideas and adapt them into creating another magazine.

College Magazine Final Draft

The name of my college magazine is going to be Experience. I decided to use this as my mast-head as I chose my sub mast-head to be:THE Experience of a lifetime.I therefore thought that Experience best fit the name of my magazine. I also think it is fairly catchy even though it it fairly long for a masthead; however this is similar to Rolling Stone magazine.

I decided on my sub mast-head as it is a positive reflection on Wyke college and it is a experience for every student attending Wyke. I capitalised THE to emphasise that Wyke is the best college to attend for the best experience, this once again gives a good reflection of Wyke.

I decided to my magazine the headline of Grease Lightning as this will reflect on my main story being about the production being put on by Wyke College students.

I also think this is very catchy as it is a famous, well known song from the production Grease.

I am going to use an additional image of a student wearing a hoodie representing Wyke college and also to link to my sub-headline.

The first sub-headline I am going to use is: Psych@Wyke hoodies now available!This is very catchy and i used a play on words getting the message across. I decided to use Psych@Wyke as this is featured on the back of the hoodies themselves and therefore refers to the image. The second sub-headline I am going to use says: Sports Fans...Look Out!I think this yet again is very catchy and encourages a wider audience to read it. By writing this it doesn't give the reader an exact knowledge of what the story inside is going to be about and this therefore makes them want to read on more. I finally decided to price my magazine at 80p for the fact of it being a college magazine as I think this is a suitable price for students and teachers to pay.

College Magazine DRAFT

For my college magazine draft I am going to use ideas from my magazine analysis to help create my front cover, including the layout, design and text.

Representation- For my college magazine I am going to feature things including sports, performing arts, lessons and new events.

Masthead- For the name of my magazine I am going to decide on some suitable names appropriate to the representation of my magazine. These include:

Play-This links to the fact of the magazine featuring news about sport and performing arts.

Game- This is once again linking to the fact of it representing sports at college.

Extra/Fresh- A fresh start at Wyke college and giving that extra push towards education.

Experience- Experiencing new ideas and new ways of learning.

Launch- Take off in education towards the career you want.

These are some ideas for names for my magazine which relate to education and therefore Wyke college.

Headline- The main story for my magazine is going to about the production of Grease 2 therefore relating to Performing Arts. Considering this I think a good headline would be 'Grease Lightening', as this is short and catchy and is also a well known song from the production; Grease.

Main Image-The main image for my magazine is going to reflect on the main story and I am therefore going to use the actors that are starring in Grease 2. As the image has to a mid-close up I am going to use the two main stars with the other actors standing in the background, slightly blurred. By doing this it gives the image more effect and doesn't take the main focus away from the main stars and can be done as a mid-close up.

Additional images- On the cover I am also going to use small images to feature whats inside the magazine including sports, Dance, Psychology etc. This is similar to the LOOK magazine that I previously analysed. I think this is a more effective way then just using text because it attracts more attention by using text and images.

Sub Headlines- I would use sub headlines underneath the additional images to indicate what the particular story is about. Depending on what the additional images are going to be I am going to need sub headlines linking to each.If I decided to advertise a story about football the sub-headline could be 'Football Fanatic'. This uses alliteration and is short and snappy which will catch the readers attention.On the other hand if I advertised a story about psychology I could use the sub-headline 'Psych at Wyke' which is also really catchy and uses an effective play on words.

Plugs- If I decide to use plugs on my magazine cover they will feature competitions going on at wyke, for example the inter-tutor competitions including volleyball and dodge ball.

Four Four Two Magaine Analysis

The final magazine that i am going to analyse is Four Four Two. It is a monthly magazine that specialises in football and is aimed at 16-19 year olds.

The masthead of the magazine is in large, bold, gold writing which stands out immediately.
This copy of the magazine is straightaway noticed to be the world cup edition; it emphasises this by using the colour gold for the masthead and headline to represent the colour of the cup itself.
There is also a small strip overlapping the masthead saying 'The Ultimate Football Magazine', this is emphasising it being the best football mag.

The strap-line used says 'World Cup Special Edition' and it is written in bold white writing on a red background making it stand out but also representing the colours of England.

This cover of the magazine is yet again fairly similar to the two over magazines in the way that it doesn't feature any of the inside contents but uses it's main story to attract the buyers. In this edition the main story would attract many football supporters, like Rolling Stone would attract many music fans.

The headline used is short and simple and uses only the word 'England'. This is effective as it lets the reader know what the article is about without having to go into detail.
Above the headline it gives a small quote from the inside story saying 'We can beat Brazil'. This makes the reader want to read on to find out more about the story.

The main picture once again fills the whole page making it the background, and like Rolling Stone magazine it is a professional photo and not a paparazzi shot. The photo is of the well known footballers, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard, Cole and Neville. Each of the players are holding balls representing the world cup; they are also wearing the England colours; white and red.

The final thing I noticed was the price of the magazine which is £3.99. This is fairly expensive compared to magazines like Look and Heat and therefore makes me believe that the quality of the magazine will be much better like Cosmopolitan.

Rolling Stone Magazine Analysis

Rolling Stone magazine is aimed at and audience aged between 16-19 years old. The magazine is devoted to music, Politics, and Popular culture and is published every two weeks.

The masthead is slightly covered up showing that the magazine is popular as it doesn't have to show the whole name to identify it. It uses the colour red which could indicate hate, anger, fury or even love and passion etc. However in this case I think it indicates hate and anger.

Like LOOK magazine it doesn't feature many stories on the cover which is what usually catches the readers attention. This emphasises the fact that it is a popular magazine as the main story is enough to attract the audience.

The first thing to be noticed is the two known rappers; 50 Cent and Kanye West. Both the stars have ethnic appearance making their dark skin stand out on the white background.
Both the rappers are looking each other directly in the eye which holds tension and straight away lets the reader know that they have rivalry.
The photo is a professional picture and not a paparazzi shot as it has been taken in a studio as both the stars are facing each other and it is on a white layout.

In the photo 50 Cent is made to look rough with his stubble down the side of his face. He is also frowning making him look very angry which emphasises that fact that there is rivalry.
On the other hand Kanye West has a much more clean look and looks more relaxed yet there is still tension in his gaze.

Beneath the picture in red capital letters it says 'SHOWDOWN' which shows that something big is going to happen between them; this holds suspense for the reader. This is written in capital red letters which could be indicating hate and anger etc.
It also says the two names of the rappers to identify them; they are written in black capital letters making them stand out on the white background.

At the bottom of the cover the question is asked 'Who will Be The King Of Hip-Hop?' this gives the reader there own opinion and also lets them know what the showdown is about.
At the top of the magazine it shows a few features of the inside contents which widens the interest as it lets the reader know whats to come.

Look Magazine Analysis

LOOK is a weekly magazine that is aimed at an audience aged between 16-19 years old. It uses a lot of the colour pink which is usually associated with females and therefore is aimed at a female audience.

The masthead of the magazine is the first thing to catch the readers eye as it is in large capital letters and a bright pink colour. The name is short and catchy making it easy to remember.

Above the masthead is a strap-line which says ' Glossy High Street Fashion Weekly'. This is emphasising that it is the best weekly fashion magazine. This also stands out as it is at the top of the page and uses white writing on a pink background, yet again emphasising that it is aimed at a female audience.

The main story is straightaway noticed to be about the well known celebrity Jennifer Aniston. The photo covers the whole magazine making it the background. It can be seen that it is not a professional picture but is a paparazzi shot as it is not on a white layout and she is not looking straight ahead in the readers direction.
Even though the main story is about Jennifer Aniston there is no headline for what the story is about which is unusual for a magazine as this is what normally draws the attention to it. This could be because the magazine is very popular and doesn't need to feature the story on the cover as the picture is enough to draw readers in.

The headline for the magazine says ' The HOTTEST Celebrity News!' and this emphasises even more that the magazine is the best magazine for celebrity gossip. Hottest is written in capital letters making it stand out.
The headline is written in white making it stand off the page as it is the only writing that doesn't contain the colour pink.

In the top right hand corner there is a small picture of the well known star Jennifer Lopez; it shows what she is wearing, where you can get it and how much for. This is emphasising that it is a fashion magazine aimed at women as every woman wants to be in with the latest fashion, especially if celebrities are known to wear it.
Underneath the masthead it shows another two well known stars; Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham. Beneath the picture it says ' All The GLAM Dresses' and once again it capitalises the glam making it stand out. It also uses the white writing on the pink background.
The last fashion attraction is the picture of the shoe which uses black writing on a white background. This says ' The £15 Office Shoe All The Celebs Want!' By saying celebrities want the shoes it yet again makes the reader want them.
All of these let the reader know what is going to be featured on the inside of the magazine.

The final thing on the cover is the real life stories. This gives the magazine a wider audience because it appeals to more people as it relates to social issues and not just fashion. The magazine uses a censored photo which holds suspense. This also uses white writing on a pink background.

Secondary College Magazine

Secondary magazine is a magazine aimed at secondary year teachers. It gives information on how they could improve their teaching skills in lessons. The magazine is aimed at any school which is shown as the school uniforms don't contain logos.

In this particular copy the front cover is a two page spread meaning that the front and back cover make up one cover. Each side includes the name of the magazine and the inside features.

The question asked is 'Do boys and girls learn differently?'. The magazine shows this is the topic that is going to be raised and emphasises it by using a girl and a boy on the cover.

On the left hand side of the cover the young girl is looking at the boy. She is writing in a notebook slightly covering it from the boys view showing that she prefers to work independently. On the other hand the boy is raising his hand and looking straight ahead at the reader showing that he learns better with the teachers. This emphasises the question about how boys and girls learn.

The boy is also raising his hand slightly covering the 'c' in secondary however his arm is arched over almost as if to represent the 'c'. It can be seen that the boy has ethnicity in him and is reflecting the world as a multicultural place. The colour blue is used for the boy and pink is used for the girl as these colour are used for their folders and the writing for the question on either side. These are usually used to portray the two genders.

By placing these colours on a white background it catches the reader eye and also by placing one main topic on the cover it leaves ideas for what could be inside.

LIIAR

For my first foundation portfolio preliminary task I am going to look at how I can apply the key concepts in media to create a college magazine. I am going to use the acronym LIIAR- Language, Institution, Ideology and Representation.

Language
I will use fun and not so informal language to relate to the young audience and keep them interested. I will also make it stand out with a good imagery, bright colours and interesting headline's to keep the readers guessing.

Institution
I need to think about how many people are going to be reading the magazine and how I can portray it to Wyke college. It needs to show that the college is the right place to meet new people, become a high achiever, learn new things and overall that it is a respectful place.

Ideology
I want to put across the idea that Wyke is the place to come for high achievers and mutual respect and therefore need to maintain appropriate contents in the magazine.

Audience
My target audience are going to be the students at Wyke of an age between 16-19 year olds. I will have to include something that will attract each student so that it is something the students will show interest in. I need to take in the fact that the college consists of a percentage of 64% females and 56% males.

Representation
It will need to reflect on the college as a whole but will include issues that relate to different social groups therefore appealing to a wider audience. It will contain issues that the students can relate to.