Quantity over quality: Ten magazine challenge 2019 edition

 

 

 

Equipment guide: how to use the cameras

You can find guides, resources and instructions for all the equipment we use here by following this link. It's excellent stuff!

You can click these previews to see the guide in full resolution. Cheers to Nadia for sorting these out!

Canon 600D 

Canon 700D

Canon 1300D

Component three: examples of student magazines

Before you analyse student projects, it would be helpful to analyse some professional magazine covers and double page spreads. Click here to find examples and instructions on how to do so.

First year media studies - induction tasks

Welcome!

Over the next few weeks, you will be completing an induction period, which will allow you to settle in to college life and to learn the basics of your subjects. This is especially important in A-level media, as many of you will never have studied the subject before!

Our A-level Media Studies program is both successful and well established, with experienced teachers who will help you to make the most out of your two years with us.

Expectations

We have the following expectation of A-level media studies students:

• To have a genuine passion for media. You should be watching TV, listening to music and using the internet in various ways each and every day!
• To email your media teacher if you are going to be late. Obviously try not to be late though.
• Try your best at everything, regardless of whether you think you’ll do well. One thing you will discover quite quickly is that A-level is MUCH harder than GCSE. However, we do not expect you to succeed at everything. Remember that failure is an essential part of getting good at something. 

Starting your blog

First of all, aside from meeting your classmates, you will need to make a blog. Click here to find instructions on how to do this, and why we don't use workbooks. 

Familiarise yourself with the course

You will also want to read up on what you are going to be doing. This post is a good start, but click around the blog for a more general overview. You will find every PowerPoint from every lesson, as well as a wide range of excellent previous student work. The blog is also used to set cover work if your teacher is ill, and to make announcements about enrichment opportunities. Basically, you need to read the blog!

Thirty second suspense project

Finally, your induction task will be started and completed in the first full week. It's called the thirty second suspense task. We've been running it for years, because it's an excellent way to get hands on with the equipment, and to make lots and lots of mistakes very early on.

We hope you have fun over the next two years, meeting new people, making mistakes, getting over your mistakes and doing it again only better, and changing the way in which you think about what you watch and the world that you live in.

Second year: magazine project and finishing aims and Intentions

Welcome back, second year media students! We hope you had a restful summer, and that you're ready to hit the ground running with the magazine project and accompanying Aims and intentions mini essay.

In this post you will find all the information you need to take you through the first half-term. You may wish to bookmark it, so you can use it as a checklist and get the highest possible grade with the least amount of stress...

Dates and deadlines

Click to view in full resolution. Remember, all dates are subject to change.

How to get an ‘A’ in component three

• Use media language to demonstrate intertextuality and/or generic hybridity
• Convey a complex representation of a social group using media language
• Subvert and challenge typical representational stereotypes
• Present an ideological context typical to an independent music label
• Create a magazine that demonstrates clear stylistic, thematic and ideological links to your music video 

The project brief

• A cross-media production for a new artist or band in a genre (or sub-genre/ hybrid) of your choice.
• Create an original music video and associated print material to promote the same artist or band.
• You should create a cross-media production for an established record label (such as Columbia or Parlophone) that is owned by a major conglomerate targeting a mainstream audience of 30-49 year old people with an interest in your chosen genre of music.

The magazine project

• Create a front cover and double page feature article for a new music magazine to promote your artist or band to the target audience.
• Length: 3 pages

Minimum requirements

Your print production must be 3 pages in length, including at least 4 original images in total

Front cover

• Original title and masthead for the magazine; strapline
• Cover price and barcode
• Main cover image of the band or artist to establish their identity
• Main cover line relating to the artist or band plus at least 2 further cover lines

Double page spread

• An interview with the artist or band (or extract), approximately 300 words, to promote the new artist or band
• Headline and stand-first, sub-headings, columns
• One main image and at least 2 smaller/ minor images (all original and different from the images on the cover)
• Representations of at least one specific social group
• Pull quotes and/ or sidebar

Failure to meet any of the minimum requirements will result in a significantly lower mark...

Examples of professional, commercial magazines 

• Codes and conventions – changes over time? 

• Layout and design

• Composition - positioning of masthead/headlines, cover lines, images, columns 

• Font size, type, colour 

• Images/photographs - shot type, angle, focus

• Mise-en-scene – colour, lighting, location, costume/dress, hair/make-up 

• Graphics, logos 

• Language – headline, sub-headings, captions – mode of address

• Copy 

• Anchorage of images and text

• Elements of narrative