Shot/ Front Cover Ideas

• 'My Instagram NIGHTMARE'/ 'I was stalked for posting holiday pictures'/ something to do with sugar daddies? - Mid-shot in front of a mirror so that the model and the model's reflection is visible. Glossy mise-en-scene to connote glamour but tragedy is underpinned by smudged makeup from crying.

• 'I got DEATH THREATS for being GAY online'- Male model with exaggerated makeup like this 

posing in suburban locations, subverting stereotypes of masculinity. Alternatively, in the National Gallery with face painted to look like one of the paintings and standing in front of it. E.g.

•  'Secret life of a PROFESSIONAL DANCER' 'Sweat, Tulle and TEARS'- Expose type/ Exclusive interview. Mise-en-scene in a dance studio to anchor story.
• 'My BROTHER the CRIME LORD'- 
• '16 and IN PRISON'-
• 'My Long-Lost Sister the POP-STAR'

Potential Names:

• 4U 

 

Planning

Magazine planning from MiaHumphreys1

Statement of Intent

 How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief?

Product 1- Magazine

I intend to create a magazine which follows the genre conventions of real-life magazines but with a more sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing composition which would appeal to my 16-25 year old target audience. My masthead will be titled 'Exposé' which connotes that these stories are real- which would make my audience more emotionally engaged. My aim is to make the magazine look simple yet sophisticated with a direct mode of address that leans into informal, but not at the expense of sounding too colloquial. I will use my colour pallet to create a sense of brand identity and also to subvert the conventions of this genre as they will not be gaudy primary colours. The front cover will have a high image to text ratio to highlight the importance of the main story. This entices the target demographic to purchase the magazine as the visual elements appeal to the readership, together with the colour palette which will connote youth. By analysing real-life magazines in my research I have discovered that they often use sell lines which reflect their genre, I will attempt to replicate this in my own magazine.

Product 2- Website

The website for my magazine will provide extra content in the form of articles. I will continue to use the original house style of the magazine as well as a consistent logo for Bauer media, thus reflecting cross-platform digital convergence. The layout will be similar to that of the magazine to create a source of brand identity and will create a user friendly platform that will be easy to navigate. To specifically target my demographic I will use multiple technology features and audiovisual elements on the magazine, as well as social media links and hyperlinks for a source of audience interaction, this refers to Clay Shirky's audience theory as audience behaviour has changed due to the internet and the ability for the audience to create their own content. This will be reflected in a Q&A section with one of the subjects from the print front cover. The 'audience' will have submitted questions via Twitter which will then be answered in the form of a YouTube video for the magazine's channel.

Flatplans

 

Front Cover Flatplans

My inspiration for the content of the magazines are inspired by typical examples of the real-life genre such as 'Take a Break!' however my front covers will emulate the simple and uncluttered composition of magazines like 'Happiful'.

I want my magazine to look more sophisticated and high end than other examples of this genre, I will achieve this by the main image being the focus, larger and sometimes centered to attract the reader's eye. I will use fewer puffs in addition to achieve this.

Website Flatplans

My website will contain many interactive elements in order to engage a young target audience. One example of this is a feature that enables the reader to flip through an issue of the magazine. There is an navigation bar at the top of the page so that readers can easily find their way through the website.

Links to other stories are also present throughout. Another interactive feature will be a rotating menu of Twitter submissions by the target audience addressed #DearExposé .Below is an embedded YouTube video that can direct to my audio visual segment, an interview with one of the main cover stars. At the bottom of the page is the option for an easy sign-up to the newsletter and FAQs to contact the magazine.

Test Shots

 In preparation for my coursework, I took photos for a potential magazine cover around the adjustable idea of eating disorders as this ties in with the brief of real life magazines.

I found the concept and props of this photoshoot compelling, and the composition is that of a magazine cover, I also found that the use of lighting was too subdued and lacklustre. In future shoots, I will further experiment with more dramatic lighting as well as preparing my models in more interesting clothing.

Generic Research

My Research on Real-Life magazines:

Real-Life Magazine Genre Research from MiaHumphreys1

Industrial Context- Bauer Media Group

 The Bauer Media Group is a German conglomerate which  owns and operates worldwide and owns more than 600 magazines , over 400 digital products and 50 radio and TV stations, as well as print shops, postal, distribution and marketing services.

Bauer Media has been managed by five generations of the Bauer family. Originally a small printing house in Germany, Bauer Media Group entered the UK with the launch of Bella magazine in 1987. Under the name of H Bauer Publishing, they became Britain's third-largest publisher. Bauer further expanded in the UK with the purchase of Emap Consumer Media and Emap Radio in 2008.

H Bauer Publishing brands include women's weekly and TV listings magazines, namely Bella, Take a Break, that's life!, TV Choice, and Total TV Guide along with several puzzle magazines.

In 1987, Bella was H Bauer's first venture into publishing in the UK. In 1990, H Bauer launched a weekly women's magazine named Take a Break. H Bauer also has a sister title, that's life! that launched in 1995. The H Bauer Publishing brand also includes puzzle magazines that carry the Take a Break name.

1991 saw H Bauer's first TV listings publishing with the launch of TV Quick magazine (before the de-regulation of TV listings in March 1991, BBC listings had been restricted by law to Radio Times and ITV/Channel 4 listings to TV Times). TV Quick ceased publication in July 2010. IN 1999, H Bauer launched TV Choice at a much lower price point than other titles on the market. TV Choice overtook its main competitor in February 20088 audited ABCs and has been the number one weekly newsstand magazine in the UK since. In September 2003, H Bauer launched Total TV Guide to cover the increasing number of programmes available on Freeview and satellite or cable services.

Bauer Media is a multi-platform media group, with locations across the UK. Following their purchase of Emap in 2007, The Bauer Media Group acquired a collection of media brands. This includes heat and Grazia as well as a radio portfolio of national radio brands such as KISS FM UK and Magic, and regional radio brands across major UK cities. In 2013, Bauer Media also acquired the Absolute Radio Group fro Times of India.

Bauer Media also broadcasts TV music channels included The Box TV, in a joint venture with Channel 4. In the UK, Bauer Media is the sister company of H Bauer Publishing, which publishes titles including Take A Break.

Industrial Context

 A timeline on the History of Magazines: https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/2525533

'Print is dead' goes the maxim. Traditional media organisations have become unable to keep up with online-only platforms, most popular with the younger generation. The magazine industry acts as a prime example of the troubles faced by traditional print publications as they navigate an increasingly digital world.

Audience Research

 

Audience Profile- Focus Group

My focus group is made up of 4 subjects who all fit into my target audience of  a primarily 16-25 year old, mass market audience who expect to be emotionally engaged. Following my audience research on magazines I asked them more questions about how they consume magazines:

What genre of magazine would you read?

 Will: Technology magazines 

Alice: Interior Design Emily: Lifestyle/ Gossip magazines 

Sophie: Fashion magazines 

Where do you purchase your magazines? 

Will: WHSmith's 

Alice: Asda/ Sainsburys 

Emily: WHSmith's 

Sophie: Local Off-licence or Tesco's 

How often do you buy/ read magazines? 

Will: Weekly 

Alice: Monthly

Emily: Yearly 

Sophie: Yearly