OCR Media Studies – AS Level

Unit G321: Foundation Portfolio in Media

Preliminary Task, Log Book and Evaluation

Name: Megan SaundersCandidate Number: 8032Center Name: St. Paul’s Catholic CollegeCenter Number: 64770

Set Brief - Print

Music Magazine – Production

Preliminary Task Progression, Log Book and Evaluation

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceFront CoverStep-by-step

Preliminary Task Progression– EvidenceContents PageStep-by-step

Section 1) – Log Book

R&B

• R&B stands for rhythm and blues. In the 1940/50’s it was more known as African American music, in later years this then spread and was performed by different nationalities and races.

• In the 1940’s R&B was mainly a mixture of jazz, electric blues, gospel and soul music. It was reality and put their feelings and emotion into their songs. The style of R&B ranched off and helped to create rock and roll in the 1950’s.

• R&B now has many different forms these are; contemporary R&B, new jack swing, neo soul, funk. R&B music is mainly dominated by African-Americans.

Established Magazine for my Research

Features of R&B music

• “R&B music broke away from the more traditional "big band formula" of earlier years, and R&B artists began performing in small, musical combos. The music tended to emphasise blues-style vocals and song structures. As in the bands of the big band era, saxophone and piano were still present, but electric guitar and bass started to add a different power and electricity to the music, which translated well to radio and jukebox play.”

http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_6577928_r_b-music.html

Target audienceI am aiming my magazine at young black teenagers between the age of 13-17. This magazine is aimed at both genders as I believe that the music artists that my magazine presents are most commonly linked with this. My magazine helps to boost self esteem and purpose as it provides articles of the artists linked to my target audience. It should help to inspire and help show readers the life of pop stars, it should show the struggle they went through and how they are happy that they have overcome these barriers. The target audience for my magazine can be denoted as R&B genre.

What is the USP of the magazine?From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the hybrid of content for my magazine production as it provides articles of artists and the behind the scene background. This may be deemed as appealing to the target audience as it helps to show an insight of the aspiring artists.

Publisher research

http://www.vibe.comVibe magazine is a music and entertainment magazine. The magazine was founded by the producer Quincy Jones. The publication mainly features R&B/Hip-Hop artists, actors and some entertainers. Production was shut down in summer 2009 but was the purchased by a private equity investment that was funded by Intermedia partners. The magazine is now issued in a semi-monthly edition that contains double covers and online presence. The magazines target audience is predominantly young, urban followers of the hip-hop culture. In 2014 the magazine transferred to online only.

Conventions of a Music Magazine

Barcode

Headline

Main cover image

Website

Masthead

Cover lines

Convergence

Target AudienceThe magazines target audience is predominantly young, urban followers of the hip-hop culture. In 2014 the magazine transferred to online only. This may be due to technology purposes and convergence, teenagers tend to use technology a lot more than they do to sit down and read a magazine, this way the magazine can still be read but through a phone instead making it more easily accessible.

What is the USP of this magazine? From the research completed into this media product, I think the USP is the divergence of the ethnicity. The magazine is the only magazine to only ever star black R&B/hip-hop artists. This attracts an audience of young black teenagers aspiring to be a music artist. It helps them build confidence if they know more background knowledge of the artists, and how they struggled but fought to be the music artist they are today.

Section 2) – Evaluation

In what ways does your Media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Example sentence starters:

The magazine, across the 4-pages, ‘repeats’ (Steve Neale) codes and conventions from…

There are examples of some ‘difference’, however, in terms of the forms and conventions in my own media product for example….

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Example sentence starters:

The denotation of representation is…The magazine, across the 4-pages, helps to represent…For example, on page….

What kind of media institution (Publisher) might distribute your media product and

why?

Example sentence starters:

From the research that was completed pre-production, I would envisage that … may publish ‘name of magazine’ because….The similarities of my magazine to ‘name of magazine’ also ‘sgnifies’ (De Saussure)….

Who would be the audience for your media product and why?

Hartley’s seven subjectivities

According to Hartley’s seven subjectivities,

Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory

According to Katz’ Uses & Gratifications theory, ,

Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, ,

How did you attract/address your audience?

In order to attract the intended target audience of.. I decided to….

The inclusion of codes & conventions such as… helped to appeal to the target audience becasuse…

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The denotation of the software used to construct the media product entitled ‘name of magazine’ was…

In order for this product to look fit for purpose and appeal to the target audience, I decided to create… using the… tool because.

Refer 2-3 examples at least and conclude

Photography Planning – Front Cover

Photography Planning - Contents

Photography Planning - Interview

Analyzing my Front CoverMasthead

I decided to call my magazine QB as it stands for queen bee showing that it is the queen of all the magazines. I wanted the target audience to see that my magazine was superior to the rest.

Main headlineI wanted my main headline to stand put from the rest. This is why it is in space and is bold. I made it a different colour so that it stood out from the rest of the headlines it help easily access the information about the article being about them.

Cover linesI included five other cover lines to engage interest from the target audience and encourage the reader to have a look through the magazine.

Convergence and multi mediaI have included extra features on the front of my magazine. The QR code should help to direct the reader straight to the website in order to allow no confusion to be added. The price is also included and symbols of media in order to allow the reader to know that the magazine has a media page.

Analyzing my Contents PageMasthead

I included a masthead above but in line with the words to engage the reader with what the contents of the magazine are

Analysing my Double Page spread Interview

Neatly annotate the Screen Grab of your Final Double Page Spread –

X1 page per. Slide!

4-5 Annotations at least and apply appropriate media language.

Arrows should be RED as well!

Screen grab of Magazine page positioned in the Center of the slide

(Remove the BLUE box once placed in as well)

Audience Feedback -

• Complete a relevant survey that asks no fewer than 10 people about their opinions of your magazine.

• This should contain between 8-10 questions – one of which MUST be about your Progression from Preliminary Task – Main Task.

Looking back at your Preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I feel that, having completed the preliminary task and learning about the demands of this production process, I have learnt…

There is evidence of progression that I feel particularly demonstrates how I met the demands of the production process, for example…