Magazine-Front Cover

In today's media studies lesson, I finished creating the front cover of my magazine. To create the front cover of my magazine, I used Photoshop.

 

I had to follow my first draft of the magazine to ensure that I included all of the different magazine features. This meant that I had to include:

 

-Masthead

-Headline

-Splash

-Main Cover lines

-Date line

-Main image was in the centre of the page

-Lure

-Main Cover lines

-Kicker & Explanatory Text

-Barcode

 

This first draft helped me when creating my magazine cover, because I was aware of where everything needed to be placed. I used many different on Photoshop techniques, For example, I used the quick selection tool, I used this to crop around my photos and get rid of anything I didn't want to include.

 

I had to ensure that all of the colours I used stood out from the background and that they were clear and easy to read.

 

Breaking Bad- 21/11/13

Breaking bad is an American crime drama television series.vIn the extract of breaking bad that we watched, there were two main characters, these were Walter (a chemistry teacher) and Jesse. Walter is  a chemistry teacher diagnosed with ling cancer who turns to making methto secure his family's finances. Jesse is walter's former student, Jesse, is a drug dealer who partners up with Walter and makes meth. You would not expect this of a teacher. This extract is set in a house and Jesse and Walter are trying to get rid of the two other drug dealers bodies before they get caught and Walter suggests that they should dissolve the body and they flip a coin, to decide who does each stage of getting rid of the bodies. Lots of loud and aggressive tone is used between Jesse and Walter in this extract.

In today's media studies lesson, we watched an extract from breaking bad. The extract was 6 minutes long and we watched it four times. Whilst watching the extract I had to take notes on the following techniques:

-camera angles

-mise en scene (costume, props and setting)

-sound

-editing

In the extract, it used many of these techniques to represent drug dealers. Each time we watched it I could focus on one of these techniques and make notes on them. After we watched the extract four times, we were given a question that we had to write an essay on, this question was:

"How are drug dealers represented on this extract of breaking bad?"

In the essay, I had to include everything that I had just wrote down, but explain why these represent drug dealers. For example, an extreme close up was used on the drug dealer, which shows he is worried about something and this subverts a sterotypical drug dealer because you would expect a drug dealer to be confident about everything they are doing. Whilst writing the essay, I had to make sure I referred back to the question on how each point represented drug dealers, instead of just stating what techniques were used. 

Creating My Magazine Front Cover-20/11/13

In today's Media Studies lesson, I started to create the front cover of my magazine.

Before the lesson, I had to ensure that I took all of the photos that I wanted to use on my main cover, this included the main image that will be in the centre of the page. To help me take these photos, I used my photoshoot plan that I created in the previous lesson.

I used the skills that I learnt at the beginning of the year on Photoshop to help me start to create my front cover. I also used my first inital design of the magazine, so that I knew what I had to include on the front cover of my magazine and how I wanted to lay out the front cover of the magazine. This included, a barcode, main image, headline, date line etc. I made sure that I made the main image stand out from the rest of the page and I ensured that it was in the centre of the page. On photoshop, I had to edit my image, to make sure the lighting was correct and if I wanted to crop it I can crop it.

I will complete the front cover of my magazine using Photoshop, in my next media studies lesson. During this lesson I will ensure that the front cover of the magazine, includes all of the features a magazine should have. 

Breaking Bad-18/11/13

In today's media studies lesson we watched the first episode of breaking bad and looked at how drug dealers are represented in the episode.

The episode conveyed three stereotypical drug dealers, however, there was also a chemistry teacher that was a drug dealer and this chemistry teacher doesn't represent a stereotypical drug dealer. The three younger drug dealers were represented in a way that you would expect a drug dealer to be like:

-They had a lack of education and were young

-They carried weapons and carried around a lot of money

-They wore baggy clothes, such as jumpers with hoods

-They drove around in a yellow lowered car, playing loud music

However, in this particular episode of breaking bad, the chemistry teacher got involved with one of the younger boys who he taught in his chemistry class. The chemistry teacher started drug dealing with the younger boy and they agreed that they would start making drugs together. This is not what you would expect of a teacher who was 50 years old. The chemistry teacher was smartly dressed with a family and drove around in a family car. When you looked at the teacher you wouldn't automatically think "drug dealer". This represents the difference between a stereotypical drug dealer and somebody who isn't presented in a way that they would look like a drug dealer. 

Watching this episode of breaking bad helped me to understand that someone can actually be part of something even if they don't look like they are presented as a stereotype. For example, the chemistry teacher didn't look like somebody who would be involved in drugs but he was, someone can be part of something without them looking and being presented in a way that they would be part of a situation. After we watched the episode of breaking bad, we discussed it as a class and discussed the difference between the way the younger drug dealers were presented and the ways in which the chemistry teacher was presented as a drug dealer. After we discussed it as a class and we had taken some notes down, we were given a question to write a paragraph on. In this paragraph I had to write about everything we had just discussed as a class in a paragraph and this was how are drug dealers represented in the first episode of breaking bad.

When answering this question I had to ensure that I wrote why the chemistry teacher wasn't conveyed as a stereotypical drug dealer, these reasons included:

-He drove around in a family car

-He dressed smartly

-He has a family, with a child

-He has lung cancer, you would expect him to enjoy his life, rather that wasting it making drugs

-He had two jobs, which should make him enough money, why would he need to out more work on himself to get more money

I had to ensure that I clearly showed the difference between a stereotypical drug dealer and the chemistry teacher, as this was very clear when watching the first episode of breaking bad. 

Implementing Each Production Tip

I will be implementing each production tip.

Conception: I have chosen to use a picture of three students engaging in conversation outdoors as the main focal point because this image is related to the main story in the magazine and will catch the reader’s attention. I need to make sure I prepared before taking my image, this includes making  plan of how my images will be set out. I will implement this by ensuring that the images are appropriate for the product.

Before taking my images, I will plan them and produce a design of how my images will be placed on the page, this will help me to take the right shot when I am taking photos. Knowing roughly where the image is going helps a photographer with the instinct for the right shot.

Framing and Composition: I have chosen to use a picture of  picture of three students engaging in conversation outdoors as the main focal point because this image is related to the main story in the magazine and will catch the readers attention, I will take lots more images than what I need. I have chosen to use a mid show as my main camera angle. I will implement this by taking more images than I need. Framing can be adjusted at the design/editing stage, if my  framing is better then I will produce a better quality image. 

The photographer is in control of what the viewer sees: the angle, the subject of the picture, will it be a close up or further away? I will compose my shot like an artist would compose a painting. This will help me to decide what angle I should take my image at, I need to make sure that it is suitable for the viewer to see.

Shot distant: I have chosen to use a picture of  picture of three students engaging in conversation outdoors , I need to make sure that I am taking the image from the right distant as I will not be able to change this in the editing stage, I can ensure that I take it from the right distant by using the zoom function. 

There is not much I can do to alter this in editing, so this needs to be exactly how I want it. The zoom function will allow you a variety of different distances from your subject. I will mostly be using medium close up shots.

Mise en Scene: This means ‘putting into scene’. For still images, this is constructed through the photography and editing stage. I need to make clear decisions about lighting, costume, appearance, props for the shot, background imagery and colour. 

Therefore, if there is books, pens and tables in the shot, I will need to decide these before I take my photo. I need to make sure that everything I have planned to be in the picture, is in the picture. I need to ensure that I make clear decisions when taking my pictures. 

Colour and resolution: I have to make sure I test print my images to make sure they come out the way that I want them to before I print my actual images. How the image looks on the camera, will not look the same way when it prints.

 The computer you use for downloading and editing will have an impact on the quality of your resolution and colour. You should do a trial run to see what your image will actually look like when you print it. 

First Draft Feedback

In today's media studies lesson, I had to peer assess Beth's first draft of her magazine cover. Beth had to peer assess my first draft. She gave me feedback on what I  did well on my magazine cover draft. She filled in a word document of questions and assessed how well I done each section.

Below, you will find the feedback that Beth gave me on my magazine cover draft:

After I got feedback from my first draft, I started to plan my photo shoot. The photo shoot plan had 3 different pictures that i can take. This meant that if the first one didn't go to plan, i could rely on the second picture. This also means that when I come to take my pictures, I will have a range of picture ideas and i can include one of these as the main image on my magazine cover. 

Below you will find my photo shoot plan: 

More Editing Techniques- 7/11/13

In today's media studie's lesson, we were working on more editing techniques. Before we started learning about more editing techniques, my teacher gave us a list of keywords that we will be using throughout the course, these will help me when I have to analyse any extracts that we watch. We started the lesson by watching clips related to some of these keywords. The key words we watched clips on were related to the 'editing' section of the keywords list. We watched videos on:

-Bullet time: To show something that is impossible, in super slow motion. 

-Fast motion: This shows something that would normally be slow in a fast way. For example, it would show the passing of time to miss the boring bits out. 

-Slow motion: This can show the importance of a character, everything slows down for these characters.

-Split screen: Contrast to show a link happening simultaneously.

-Wipe: Creates an out of this universe effect.

Whilst watching these video clips, we were filling in our key word sheet. After we had finished filling in our keyword sheets, we started to learn more about editing. We watched a clip from the 'paradise', whilst watching a short clip from this, we had to take into consideration four techniques and how these techniques from the extract represent social class. Whilst watching the clip, we had to take notes on, the different camera angles used, editing, sound and mise-en-scene, used in the extract. We watched the extract four times, this meant that each time I could focus on one technique. From watching the extract, I found out the different techniques used and how these represent social class. The different techniques used are:

-Camera angles: close up, wide shot, medium shot, two shot, extreme close up and long shot.

-Editing: Slow motion, bullet time, match cut, wipe and fading.

-Sound: The music speeds up to emphasise the happiness of middle class work, as people like this do not normallly get to attend the music hall. The theme tune is old fashioned. The workers have Newcastle accents, which shows they are of lower class, whereas the higher classes have posher accents.

-Mise-en-scene: {setting} department store, street, office and kitchen.

-Mise-en-scene: {costume} the workers are dressed the same, they are in uniform. The upper classes are in dresses and suits, this shows they are more important. 

-Mise-en-scene: {props} hats, dolls, jewellery, chairs, tables, plates, knives and forks.

Using the notes we had just made from watching the extract, our task was to now write an essay and say how these represent the different social classes shown in the extract. I will be able to use the techniques I learnt in today's lesson when analysing different extracts and it will help me add more detail to my notes and essay writing. 

Magazine Front Cover-First Draft

In today's media studies lesson, we were creating a draft for the front cover of our magazines. This draft shows where I am going to place everything on my magazine. Before I started my draft, I had to research different front covers of magazines, this gave me an idea of how a magazine cover should be presented. Once I had researched and I had an idea of how my magazine cover should be set out, I could start creating a draft. This research helped me to decide where I am going to position each different magazine convention on the magazine cover. When designing this draft, I had to think about the different conventions of a magazine cover.

The conventions I included on the cover of my magazine included:

Banner: Front page headline which goes across the full width of the page.
Splash: Main story of the front page accompanied with the headline and a photograph.
Masthead: The title of the magazine at the top of the page, it will be big and bold.
Kicker: This is a story designed to stand out from the rest of the page by the use of a different font and layout.
Lure: A small section of the story is printed on the front page of the magazine and the full story is inside the magazine.
Headline: The main heading and the biggest font and related to the main story in the magazine
Date Line: Shows the date the magazine has been available from/ issue number
Cover Lines: summaries of the most enticing features and articles which are inside the magazine
Barcode: Shows the price of the magazine underneath.

I first started with the banner, as this is allocated at the top of the magazine cover. Underneath the banner I placed the masthead of the magazine. This shows the titles of the magazine and has to stand out to catch the readers eye. In the centre of the page, I placed the main image, this image has to relate to the main story and must stand out from everything else on the page, it had to be bold and interesting. Now I had positioned the main compositions of the magazine cover on the page, I could work around these and place my lure, barcode, kicker, cover lines and date line.

Today's lesson will help me and save a lot of time when I start to create my actual magazine cover as I know where I will have to place everything on the cover of the magazine.

Below, you will find the first draft I made in today's lesson:

                                      

TV Dramas

I learnt about TV dramas and the different features of a TV drama. 

A TV Drama is High Profile, it is trailed on TV and the radio and newspaper articles (especially on soap storylines). TV Dramas are also High budget (special effects ,costume and sets, stars, lengthy production time, often put on DVD to buy and have large production teams).

TV dramas can be categorised by:

-Form

-Style

-Sub genre

-Audience

I also learnt what different 'forms' of TV dramas there are:

-Mini series: 3 or four episodes

-Series: Self contained episodes, often in blocks of 6 or 13 episodes

-Serial: dramas with ongoing, continuous storylines over several episodes

-Docudrama-actors performing dramatic reconstruction of real life events

The different types of TV dramas include:

-Police/crime drama: The Bill

-Hospital drama: Casualty

-School-based: Waterloo Road

-Historical or costume: Oliver Twist

-Soap operas: Eastenders

The audience of TV dramas depends on the schedule. 

I also learnt about editing. There are different ways in which you can edit a TV drama to create an effect. These include, cross cutting, cut away, jump cut, matchcut, montage, split screen. There are also 'flashes', these include wipe (gradually spatial transition from one image to another) and stop motion (stop-action or frame by frame).