OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

Mind Map and Research

Name: Elizabeth PlumbCandidate Number: 2049Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Generation of Ideas for Ancillary ProductTV Magazine Front Cover

Source of Inspiration

History of the ProductInside 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. Publisher• Hearst Magazines UK• Publishing Director: Greg Witham

Editor: Stephen MurphyCirculation Figures – HOW many people read the magazine?• Has 247,699 every 2 weeks• The largest soap magazine in the UK with the largest circulationPrice – £1.65Socio-Economic NeedsThe denotation of the stereotypical target audience will consist mainly of women, this is because they are the main gender which enjoy reading more about the soap that they are enjoying/watching, the target audience would be typically in the socio-economic needs categories of C1, C2, D and E because the typical storyline of the dramas mainly include people of the working class or students, therefore people of the same category may feel influenced or can relate to the drama.

Name: Elizabeth PlumbCandidate Number: 2049Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Soap Scoop – This is one of my masthead ideas, as I feel that the alliteration is eye-catching for the potential readers, therefore they may feel more impulse to buy the magazine. The masthead connotes that the magazine includes the ‘scoop’ which means the most important/interesting information which attracts the readers. The verbal code ‘soap’ connotes that the magazine just includes information about soap operas which will just target a niche audience. The font style for this masthead will be bold and in capitals because it will then look appealing to the audience. I plan to have the text across the page near the top, this is because it then looks attractive and well positioned. The text will be in bright colours because I want it to be the most eye-catching text on the page as as it ‘informs’ (Katz) the readers instantly as to what the magazine includes.

Instant Soap – This masthead idea is good because it instantly gives information to the reader about the magazine and what it will include. The connotations behind the verbal code ‘instant’ connotes the quick, snappy information that will be given to the reader. Therefore they instantly feel as though they are getting information first hand. The verbal code ‘soap’ connotes that the magazine just includes the topic about soap operas. I plan to have the text in a bold, block text because I feel that it stands out the most, along with a bright colour which will be eye-catching to the audience/reader. The text will also be positioned along the top of the magazine, near the middle, because it is then the first piece of text which catches the audiences attention.

MastheadIdeas

Weekly Soap – This masthead idea is attractive because it is informative to the reader and audience as to what the magazine includes. The connotations behind the verbal code ‘weekly’ informs the audience how often the magazine (Frequency) is released, therefore they instantly have knowledge about the magazine. The verbal code ‘soap’ connotes that the magazine just includes the topic about soap operas. The text for this masthead would be positioned in along the middle, this is because it is the most eye-catching. The text will be in bright colours and bold text to attract the audience

Possible Fonts

This font style is called ‘Bebas Neue’. I feel that this type of front will attract my target audience because it is eye-catching and easy to read which makes it appealing to my target audience as they know what will be included in the magazine from the masthead.

This font is called ‘Dutch801 XBd BT’. This font is attractive because it is simple which means that it is easier to read. However this font could be called as boring which would not attract my target audience.

This font is called ‘Hobo Std’. This type of font could be classed as being similar to ‘Inside Soap’ this means that this type of font will attract my target audience as they are the same. This font is also easy to read which is appealing to readers.

Main headline

Ideas

Possible Headline Ideas:• Who killed Abbie? – This headline highlights to the

audience what the magazine and article will be about. This suggests mystery and confusion which is typical in a soap opera as the target audience enjoy watching drama filled plots.

• Crash Horror! Will Harry leave Eleanor to die? – This headline suggests a conflict and drama in the article which will be eye-catching for my target audience as they enjoy watching cliff-hangers which is typical of a normal soap.

• Final Showdown – This headline idea attracts the audience as it informs them about a closing to a drama which has been going on, therefore they will want to read as it concludes a plot.

Punctuation:• Buzz Words – Including a buzz word is important

because it instantly attracts the audience such as shock, horror and killed. This makes the headline more attractive and seem more dramatic to the reader

• Explanation marks – This punctuation could be used to sensationalise a story which is then attractive to the reader as they feel that it is very dramatic and importantPositioning:

• Across the image – Putting the headline across the image will make it more visible for the audience as they then know what article is with which image. It also makes the article seem more important as the storyline will not be missed

• Tilted slightly – Tilting the headline means that the image will be more visible to the audience as it is not over the image. However it could be confusing as to which description matches which image.

Image Ideas

Main Image:From the images that I have looked at on the magazines researched, they have all been mid shots where the person is facing the camera. This therefore means that the image in the magazine cover is clear and easy to place text onto for the headline.

Cover Lines:No Background – Some of the images from the magazines researched included images with no background, therefore less space was taken up which means that the headline could be positioned betterAround the sides – Some of the images from the magazines were positioned around the edges of the magazine so that they do not get in the way of the main image but was also clear that it was a cover lineBorders – Images had borders around the to group them which makes it easier for the audience to see which images correspond with the others Other Soaps:

EastEnders, Coronation Street and HollyoaksIncluding these soaps is a good idea because they are recognisable for the audience therefore they would want to read the magazine. Including other soaps is also useful as it includes a variety of plots.

Other

Social Media:Many magazines researched have social media or have social media logos on the front of the magazine. This allows the reader to interact with the magazine company voicing their opinions. The social media could be a place where new exclusives are revealed to ‘supportive/loyal fans’

Strapline Language:The language used in the strapline should be able to grab the audiences attention quickly, like a buzz word, alliteration or punctuation. Puff promotions would attract the audience as they see an ‘exclusive’ or ‘free’ article which could incise them to read/buy it.

Price:From researching magazines I have found that they range from 60p - £1.65. Therefore I will make sure that my magazine reflects this price, so I shall be pricing my magazine at 90p, by choosing this price which is in the middle, this could attract my target audience as my magazine will be the most reasonably priced.

Puff Promotion:Using a puff promotion is much like a “buzz word” as they attract the audience as it is eye-catching. Magazines may use the text of the promotion to be larger than the rest because this is what could be most attractive to the reader.

Name: Elizabeth PlumbCandidate Number: 2049Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

• From researching I have found out that I need to purchase a copy of my magazine of inspiration because I can then base my front cover on their successful codes & conventions.

• So that I can produce my magazine, I need to organise the people, locations and props. When organising this, I need to make sure that I allow myself enough time to complete these tasks.

• I will be using Photoshop CS5 to produce my front cover so that it looks professional and eye-catching. Photoshop CS5 also has the available tools which are easy to understand and make the magazine look like my magazine of inspirations.

Mind Map - Conclusion