Introduction To Making Media: Preliminary Production

Introduction to making media
Preliminary production
Learning objectives:
• Discuss how the practical productions will use media language and
representation to communicate meaning to an intended audience of 16–
25-year-olds in a manner that meets the media-industry context,
including regulatory standards.
• Explain how the cross-media productions must demonstrate

understanding of the convergent nature of contemporary media.
• Undertake individual research to inform their own practical productions.

The coursework challenge:
Bauer Media Group have identified a gap in the market for new film magazine aimed at a
primarily 16- 25-year-old middle and upmarket media-literate audience.
Your coursework task is to develop the first two editions

of this new magazine and a website including
audio/audio-visual content. There must be a clear sense
of branding across both elements.
You will produce two front covers and

two contents pages for the magazine.
You will create the website using just two pages and including
extra content including appropriate video or audio-visual content.
You must produce evidence of research to back-up your decision-making processes.

Magazine distribution method: Content must be suitable for retail distribution.
There must be no content in your project that promotes or condones illegal or

risky behaviour such as alcohol or drug misuse. There must not be any nudity or
inappropriate sexual content in your work.
Media production – individual work only

Students must work individually to produce responses to the briefs. Group productions are not permitted,
although other people can assist the student as long as they follow the student’s instructions, and their
contribution is indicated on the cover sheet. Examples of this include people acting or appearing in the media
product or people operating lights.
Students are able to share equipment, locations and performers. However, each candidate is directly
responsible for the creation of their own content. Where equipment is shared, students should have an
individual approach to the use of media language and representation. This should be illustrated by the
individual planning materials and teacher comments on the cover sheet.
Candidates who do not use original footage, images or text in their production(s) must not be
awarded marks above Level 1 for the production(s).
Regulation:
Who regulates magazines?

Media Language:
• Camera work – shots and angles

• Mise-en-scene – location, lighting, make-up
and costume
• Layout and typography
• Mode of address and language
• Colour
• Other editing features required to construct
a page
Media Representations:
• Issues, events, social groups and individuals.

• Choices about how to represent.
• Positive and negative stereotypes.
• Social groups who are under- or
misrepresented.
• Impact of industry contexts on choices
producers make.
• Constructions of reality.
• Claims about realism.
Cultural Political
Social context
context context
Brief 3: Magazines and online
Requirements of the brief:
You work for an independent media production company. You have been
given the task of producing the front cover and contents page(s) of the first
two editions of a new film magazine that is being launched by Bauer and
two pages for the working website for the magazine.
Contents pages can be either single or double-page spread.
The website pages must promote the new magazine to its target audience
and enable fans to interact with the content.
Summary of brief requirements:
• Statement of Intent (approx. 500 words)
• Two film magazine covers and two contents pages: Two or three pages for each of the
first two editions (based on choice of single or double-page spread).
• Magazine distribution method: Content must be suitable for retail distribution.
• Number of webpages: One homepage and one linked page.
• Cross-media production target audience: A primarily 16- 25-year-old middle and

upmarket media literate audience.
There must be a clear sense of branding across the two elements of the cross-media
production.
Production detail that must be included:
The production of the magazine covers and contents pages must include (as a minimum):
• At least four different main images using original photography across the magazine
covers and contents pages.
• Editing of magazine covers and contents pages (including photos, text, graphics,
typography and layout).
• Written text including elements such as the masthead, main coverline, selling lines,
headlines, captions, subtitles and copy.
• Barcode, date, edition and price information on each front cover.
• A different use of mise-en-scène for each cover.
• At least two models representing at least two different social groups (e.g. as defined by
age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality).
• A call to action pointing readers to the online website.
The production of the webpages must include (as a minimum):
• Original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the online website.
• A minimum of two original images (with at least one different original image on each of
the two pages). These images must be different from those produced for the magazine.
• Appropriate conventions of website design, including an original title and logo and a
menu bar.
• Text introducing the main features of the magazine.
• Working links from the homepage to the other page.
• A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts,

backgrounds, logos etc.) as appropriate to the purpose of the website.
You will lose significant marks if elements specified in the brief are missing from your work.
In 2019, 54 marks would have got you an E grade pass at A-level
This is a golden opportunity to do well – don't squander it!
How can you demonstrate convergence?

Call-to-action in the magazine? Social media? Interactive content?
Subscription offers on your website? Mobile-friendly website? Consistent branding?
For your new magazine brand you will
need to produce:
• Two front covers.

• Two contents pages.
• One website with two linked pages.
• You need to show convergence.

Research task:
You need to research professionally-produced media products that are similar in genre,
style and form to the product proposed in the brief. You will need to analyse, deconstruct
and make notes on these products to develop knowledge and understanding of:
• How genre conventions are employed

• How and why intertextuality is employed
• How combinations of media language elements are used to create meaning and
construct representations that address an intended audience.
Magazine conventions: Online media conventions:

• Layout • Layout
• Colour • Colour and typography
• Typography • Navigation
• Use of language • Use of language
• Use of images • Use of images/text/audio/video
Task:
• Research into two existing Bauer magazine products investigating the use of
media language and representations.
• Look at print and online for each one. Look at the use of audio and audio-visual
elements. Screen grab the Media Pack https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/media-
packs/empire/
• Make sure you research their social-media presence and use of apps.
• Put your findings onto PowerPoint slides – use annotated screen grabs to help.
• Save your PowerPoint as a PDF and upload these to the research page on your
Weebly site.

Introduction To Making Media: Preliminary Production

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction To Making Media: Preliminary Production

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction To Making Media: Preliminary Production

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction to making media

• Explain how the cross-media productions must demonstrate

• Undertake individual research to inform their own practical productions.

Your coursework task is to develop the first two editions

You will produce two front covers and

You must produce evidence of research to back-up your decision-making processes.

There must be no content in your project that promotes or condones illegal or

Media production – individual work only

Who regulates magazines?

• Camera work – shots and angles

• Issues, events, social groups and individuals.

Requirements of the brief:

Contents pages can be either single or double-page spread.

• Statement of Intent (approx. 500 words)

• Magazine distribution method: Content must be suitable for retail distribution.

• Number of webpages: One homepage and one linked page.

• Cross-media production target audience: A primarily 16- 25-year-old middle and

• Original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the online website.

• Text introducing the main features of the magazine.

• Working links from the homepage to the other page.

• A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts,

How can you demonstrate convergence?

• Two front covers.

• You need to show convergence.

• How genre conventions are employed

Magazine conventions: Online media conventions:

You might also like