Preliminary TaskJack Lawther

Brief

• For this task I was asked to create a contents page and front cover for a school magazine using Photoshop. Included with this I had to complete research before hand on school magazines and what people would like to see in a school magazine.

This photo of someone playing cricket gives the implication that this school is quite sporty. This appeals to students who really like sport, meaning they are more inclined to read the magazine/join the school. By using a picture of a cricketer the magazine also reinforces the school’s image of a school for more well off people. This is because cricket is usually seen as an ‘upper class’, men’s sport. This appeals to a small audience which is something the school wants as this is quite an exclusive school.

By placing the word parent beneath the title in a different colour makes it stand out. This makes it appeal to parents because it implies the magazine is aimed at parents. This is also backed up by the line ‘helping you make the right choices for your children’.

The competition will make more people want to buy it because of the offer of a family holiday to Portugal. This is because parents are going to want to take their children away during school holidays, so it appeals to them.

The master-head shows the school as independent straight away to narrow down the target audience into the type of people the school wants to appeal to.

These two stories apply to specific people (the first to dyslexic people and the second to 16-18 year olds) meaning that it will attract students to this magazine just for these stories as they appeal to them.

The logo immediately identifies the school so people are familiar with the magazine’s contents.

Very little text and a more informal image makes this magazine cover appeal a lot more to the students rather than the parents.

Appeals to one audience of the school (people who like PE/sports) so therefore not going to be picked up by everyone in the school

This familiarises it with the school meaning to will appeal more to the students and staff.

Very large picture shows straight off what the magazine is going to be about

Audience Questionnaire1. What would you generally like to see in a school magazine?• Sporting Events □• School Concerts □• Calendar □• Trips □• Competitions □• Other □

2. How much would you be willing to pay for it (this will effect its quality)?• Nothing □• 1p – 50p □• 51p - £1 □• £1.01 - £1.50 □• £1.51 + □3. How often would you like issue’s to come out (this will also effect its quality)?• Once a week □• Once every other week □• Once a Month □4. Finally, who should the magazine be aimed at?• The students □• The parents □• The staff □

Audience Research: What would you like to see in a school magazine?

• Sporting Events• School Concerts • Tips for starting GCSE/A-level• Activities• Photos of the school/staff• Interviews with teachers• Calendar• Trips• Competitions• Top achievers of the week/best students etc.

AS Media Studies Preliminary Task – School Magazine Front Page Proposal Form

Target audience: (age range, interests)Although it is a school newsletter you still have to think about your audience and how to appeal to them.

I will aim my magazine at mainly the students. This is because of the helpful tips and school events (that they will take part) that will be mentioned in the magazine. On the other hand this magazine will have some parts to it that appeal to th3e parents, for example, the school calendar.

Possible title ideas: (masthead / title block)What is your magazine going to be called?

The Priory Scandal.

Main image:What will be the focal point of your front page, remember, your work “must include a photograph of a student in a medium close-up”

Liam Brennan.

Main cover line:What will be the main story?

Liam Brennan tells us the ins and outs of sixth form.

Additional key images:What other images will be on your front cover?Remember, it is a school magazine.

Zebra (zoo trip).Guitar (school concert).

Additional cover lines:Other features, stories or selling points which will be inside the magazine, these need to be audience appropriate.

Learn how to Russian rap like Mr Cusson.School concert.Trip to the Zoo.

Typography: (style, size, colour of copy)Think about the writing and the style of the writing on your front page.

Large title in plain font. Red text and black text.

Background colour/image:What will be in the background, remember you don’t want to take the focus away from the main image.

White background.

Technical considerations:(equipment, setting, props, costume, lighting)Be realistic and creative, think about what you have access to and how you could use it.

Mid shot of Liam Brennen dressed as henry VIII with a book in his hand and a pen in the other.

Preliminary exercise: produce a front page and contents page of a school magazine. Front covers must include a

photograph of a student in a medium close-up with appropriately laid out text and use of an image manipulation

programme (Photoshop).

Below start to sketch what the front cover of your newsletter will look like.

Preliminary exercise: produce a front page and contents page of a school magazine. Front covers must include a

photograph of a student in a medium close-up with appropriately laid out text and use of an image manipulation

programme (Photoshop).

Below start to sketch what the contents page of your newsletter will look like.

How I made the front cover:

I firstly began by inserting my main story photograph and then I cut out the background using the ‘Magnetic lasso tool’. Then I moved on the adding my background picture, positioning it behind the other photo, before then softening the edges of the foreground image with the ‘eraser tool’. After this I changed the overlay to ‘Luminosity’ which gave the pictures a greyscale colouring, like so:

After this I then moved on to do the text and the Priory Logo. I removed the white background of the logo byusing the ‘Magic wand tool’.

I then added the ‘stroke’ effect to most of the text togive the text a bolder look to it:

How I made Contents page:

Firstly I began by drawing out a group of black rectangles using the ‘rectangle tool’ like so:

I then moved on to add white text to each of the boxes, however this timeI did not use the stroke effect as the white text stood out on the blackrectangle clearly enough anyway. After this I then inserted another picture for my main story and placed some more text over the top of the picture (I did use stroke effect on this text to make it stand out from the picture):

Finally, I then added three small picturesto three of the rectangles. I used the ‘magic wand tool’ to delete the backgroundoff of these:

What I have learnt:• During this task I have learnt how to effectively set out a

magazine to make it eye-catching.• I have learnt also that taking a good quality picture is the real help

when it comes to using Photoshop.• I have also learnt how to remove a picture’s background cleanly

and quickly by using Photoshop.• I have also learnt that collecting audience research before hand is

a real help when I comes to designing a product.