Below are the tasks for this Assignment.

Design Brief

 

Click here to download the design brief from your client.

Make sure you have a copy of your design brief at the front of your folder. Make sure you refer to this as you plan, and make sure you are creating a
magazine that the client wants. Make notes on the design brief to identify 

 

Production Log

A production log is a diary of what you did and when. This will help you track your progress and show that you are following the conventions of creating a media product. click here to download a template you can print and add to.

You will need to keep up with this week by week so you don't forget what you have done and when.

 

Mind Map

Your mind map is a way of creating initial ideas quickly. Create a detailed
mind map that explores possible ideas around the school.

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This will help you select ideas and see how your idea fits into the wider
context of the school. You will need to focus on two possible ideas from this task.​

 

Initial Ideas

You need to identify two or more ideas for your magazine. the mind map will help
you form your ideas. Write about your two ideas in detail and refer to the client brief (you can quote It)
 

Make sure you mention the following:

 

• What is your magazine going to focus on? Write about the area or theme of your magazine double page.

• Visual examples, what look do you want your magazine to have? Make sure this relates to the target audience.

• Why there is a need for this magazine? What is the purpose and how will your magazine be different from the current website information?

• An explanation of your two or more ideas.

• Who is the target audience? (primary and secondary audiences) Why have you chosen this particular target audience?

• What is the purpose of your magazine?

• How your mind map helped you with your ideas.

 

Research

You need to conduct research into your ideas. Collect as much secondary research as possible to help you develop your ideas further.

 

• Any magazine designs (not just school ones) - describe why you like the design (images used, layout used, colour choices, images etc)

• How these designs fit with the target audience.

• Colour schemes used? 

• Existing products relating to your theme. (not just school magazines)

 

Your research will consist of:

 

• Quotes and information you have found.

• Screengrabs of existing products - Visual ideas and layouts relevant to your target audience.

• Written information you have found. (including a reference to the source - Copy of web address)

• Analysis of what you have found - comments about what you have found out and how this is helpful to you in developing ideas.

 

Meeting 1

Click here to download the agenda sheet.  Your agenda will be your ideas, you must have the following:

 

The agenda - Your ideas in general, explain very briefly what your ideas are. If you have a questionnaire you can add this to the agenda.

 

Discussion notes - What was said about your ideas in the meeting?

 

Action points - Based on the advice you were given, what can you do in light of what was said? This is important as it will help you develop your ideas.

 

 

Proposal

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The proposal is a written document that expands on your chosen idea and gives further detail about how the media product will be produced. The proposal requires details of:
 

• Overview of the chosen idea and what the content (what will be included in the magazine) - This is a detailed description of what your magazine design will look like and what the content will be.
   

• Target audience - How will your magazine target your chosen audience? How does your planned content interest your Target Audience?
   

• Existing products (screengrabs) Examples of what similar magazines look like.
   

• The purpose (inform, entertain, educate) Write about what the audience will get from reading your magazine.
   

• Technical considerations (planning to meet deadlines, the right equipment and documents)
   

• Budget (you will need to show that you have considered costs in general)
   

• Contributors - Identity what kind of people you would like to contribute to your magazine.
   

• Risk assessment. (Make sure that you are aware - Locations, interviews etc)
   

• Legal and ethical considerations (what you can and cannot have in your magazine, permissions to photograph in school, especially children)

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Questionnaire

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You will need to create a questionnaire for your target audience. This will be your Primary research. Make sure you carefully think about what you want to find out. Avoid yes or no answers if you are looking for detailed answers. You will need to create this using Microsoft Forms and email it to me first for approval.

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Questionnaire Analysis

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Now you have the results you will analyse the responses. This is important because you need to know and understand your target audience. Create pie charts to show the responses and evaluate your thoughts and findings.

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You need to say why this research is important (your own primary research) and explain what you did and why.

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You also need to show that through the research you can improve and amend your ideas for your magazine, such as an idea of the content based on what your target audience has said in the questionnaire.

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Resources Needed

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When developing your idea you need to show that you are going to consider what you will need to create and publish your magazine.

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Make sure you include the following:

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Availability of equipment/space. Write about how you will need to book any equipment such as a camera or props. Mention you will need to book this in advance and not last minute as the equipment may be booked by other people.

 

Expertise within the production team Other people in your group may have skills you don't have. Write a paragraph about what skills you would look for in other people, such as taking photographs or using photoshop. People who can help you.

 

Personnel required  Write about whom you will need to create your magazine. You can use the research from the last assignment to help you with this (the roles of a magazine company)

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Communications

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You need to have made contact with a member of staff within the area of the school you are promoting OR someone from an organisation outside of the school (check who this might be before)

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Here are some ideas for making contact:

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• Emailing for an interview.

• Emailing an outside agency to gain information about the community information (sport, drama, dance etc) - Information you can include in your magazine, such as an interview or a location you can conduct a photoshoot.

 

You need to show you have communicated in a professional manner. You will need to do this via email so that you have a copy of the communication printed and put into your planning portfolio.

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Finance and Budget

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How much do you think it would cost to create your magazine?

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What costs do you need to consider?

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Although it won't really cost you anything to create the magazine you need to show that you have considered costs and how to budget. Think about all the software and equipment you will use.

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Again, use what you found about costs in the last assignment to help you with this task. Make sure you include the following:

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• Cost of equipment and software (an office, software, internet, camera etc)

• Hire costs of equipment and spaces to photograph in or booking talent for contributions.

• Generating finances from investment, funding and advertising space in your magazine (source of income)

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Make sure you mention how you are going to use your income to offset your costs, this is how companies make a profit.

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Locations

 

You will show you have considered locations for photoshoots. Think about different locations either in school and outside of school. It might be another location you have arranged through your communications (think health and safety)

 

Choose two locations for your photoshoots and complete the following information about both locations:

 

• Where is the location? (take a photograph of the location and include it in your document)

• Are there health and safety considerations? (public place, hazards, weather)

• Why did you choose this location? (relate to the contents of your magazine)

• Who or what will you be photographing? (is it people playing sports, or close-ups of objects and places?)

• Legal - make sure you have permission to photograph anyone in the shoot.

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Legal / Ethical / Regulation

 

You must conform to regulations. Follow the links below to help you understand how the Publishing Sector is regulated. It is split into two main areas:

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1. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is the independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK. They hold newspapers and magazines to account for their actions, protect individual rights, uphold high standards of journalism and help to maintain freedom of expression for the press. CLICK HERE to visit their website.
    

2. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the regulator for advertising not just in publishing but all adverts in different media sectors. If the audience wants to complain about adverts they can contact the ASA directly. CLICK HERE to visit their website.

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For this task, you need to write about how you are going to make sure you conform to the codes of conduct for both of these organisations. As you will actually get your magazine published on the school website you need to be clear on what you can and cannot do with your images and text you create.

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Write a paragraph about each of the organisations, the two videos below will help you understand.

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Risk Assessment

 

Risk assessment - preventing any aspects of pre-production processes that may present a risk to your production.

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• Any kind of photoshoot for your magazine (location risks, permission to photograph)

• Preventing data loss - storing files (hard drive and online storage and backup) 

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The risk assessment shows you understand how to identify potential risks and how to minimise them, you must complete one for each location.

 

CLICK HERE for a template you can adapt.

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Meeting 2

The final meeting in groups to finalise your content for your magazine

Create your own template (blank copies for your folder) for your meetings. This initial meeting will be about your ideas for the magazine. Make sure you have an agenda (what you need to talk about) that covers the following:

 

• The theme of your magazine.

• Your ideas for each of your pages. (three doubles, front and back cover)

• Talent (who you are going to get information from)

• Who can help with the production of the magazine (sharing skills - photoshop taking photographs - writing text)

• Timescales (10 - 12 weeks. think about planning time, collecting all the information, taking and editing your photographs)

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Contingency Plan

 

You need to consider what to do if your plans go wrong or they need to change. This is mainly for tasks that involve other people and locations, also deadlines. This is important because you need to have a plan so you don't miss your deadlines. Contingency plans help you so please make sure you create one!

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Write about the following points and how you could identify an alternative plan:

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• What happens if someone you plan to interview is suddenly unavailable?

• What happens if you cannot shoot in your chosen location?

• How can you avoid your work being lost?

• You think you might miss a deadline.

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Mood Board

A mood board is a visual guide to the "look and feel" of the magazine.
This is important as it shows what your visual intentions are.

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We will be looking at the graphic designer David Carson.
 

Make sure you include some of his work for layouts.

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Complete the following tasks:

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• Collect magazine styles you like on A3 paper in colour -
  The look and "feel" you want your magazine to have.

• Add work by David Carson - link here

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Thumbnail Layouts

 

Simple small pencil designs of what your magazine pages will look like.

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Create a series of simple layout designs:

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• A single A4 front cover

• Three double pages (A3 size)

• A single A4 back cover

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Booking Forms

 

Create your own booking forms so you can book out cameras and spaces around the school.

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The booking form should be simple but have the following information:

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• Who is booking the equipment

• Date and time of booking out

• Exactly what is being booked out.

• Date and time of the return

• Signed by both parties.

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Magazine Assets

Contents of the magazine (assets mean any elements of your magazine - image/text/graphics)
 

Write about the assets you will need for your magazine. You need to show you are planning your
magazine in detail, this shows you have considered where your assets will come from.
Add examples when your work has been scanned.
 

Primary Visual
 

• Photographs you are going to take.

• Graphics you have created for your magazine design.

• Both need to be edited in Photoshop.
   

Primary Written
 

• Interviews and gathering your own written content for the magazine

 

Secondary Visual
 

• Images from the internet (add examples) and any graphics you like that you have found.

 

Secondary Written
 

• Existing written information you have found from research.

• Also, add from other external websites that relate to your magazine.

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Evaluation

You must write an evaluation to show how your pre-production documents have helped you. The list below is what you need to write about. Make sure you evaluate your work to gain a higher grade.
 

Make sure you mention the following points:
 

• Logistics. (write about how essential ALL the planning was, making sure you know what and why you doing it, keeping a record of what you are doing and collected information, such as research, questionnaire analysis, meeting minutes etc)
 

• Finance. (finance is crucial, write about how knowing your budget and costs helped you plan ahead and makes sure your magazine is sucessful)
 

• Creative processes. (how you came up with your ideas through researching existing designs, and artists. Discussing ideas through your meetings and amending and improving your ideas. Mockups and mood boards)

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• Personnel management. (working with others - meetings and working together, this was helpful because it is much more productive to work in a team.)
 

• Time management. (being aware of deadlines was important because missing them would have a negative impact on your planning, say how you stuck to your production schedule and making sure you completed the tasks on time.
 

• Professional Practice. (adhering to the legal and ethical code - make sure you mention that your planning needed to conform to regulation, that you were aware of what you can and cannot have in your magazine)
 

• Monitoring progress. (mention your production log which helped you, knowing the order of the process, your check list and keeping your folder up to date.
 

• Risk management and crisis management. (contingency plan, how important is this? Mention you need to be safe when you go out and take photographs - risk as in not photographing students without permission or you would be breaking the law)
 

• Maintaining documentation. (making sure all work is in organised and in order, your checklist has helped you, also see where you are at in your planning and knowing what you need to do next)
 

• Problems/difficulties with project management. (what have you found difficult? How did you overcome this? For example - handing out questionnaires and getting them filled in and organise could have been difficult to do)
 

• Identifying ways of improving project management in future productions. (what could you have planned better?)

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For distinction standard, learners will make direct correlations between their project management of logistics, finance and creative processes during pre-production and the overall success of the planning for the digital media production.

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For merit standard, recommendations for improvements to the project management must be relevant and related to financial, logistical and creative processes specific to the project. The analysis will make reference to one or more elements of pre-production and will include different

aspects of project management such as time management, monitoring progress and personal management.

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For pass standard learners explanations of project management will make reference to aspects of logistics, finance and the creative processes. The explanations will be limited and may not address fully the different elements of pre-production and project management.