You should do the following:

• Embed the first draft in the blog @ 500 words as a ball park figure.
• Ensure you have shared the draft article with your teacher who will scan it for major issues.
• Then ask a peer to read the new version out and proof it for errors.
• Record this reading and embed in the blog as an MP3.
• Reflect on the feedback from the teacher and the peer and put in targets.
• Embed the final article in this same post as the new and improved version.
• Then transfer to the DPS and see if it fits! If it doesn’t then you can put in …. continued on page X…..if this is the case make sure that your full article is clearly signposted in the blog for the examiner to read.

Task 1 – Enquiry – LANGUAGE ANALYSIS blog post.

Choose one of the double page spread articles below that is similar to the sort of article you wish to write.

Don’t worry if you end up changing your mind later.

1. Biography 
2. Intro to a long read.
3. 10 Tips for Life
4. Q&A
5. New Band
6. Album Reviews
7. Interview

Use this document to help you unpick the article and explore how the journalist is using words to create a tone, an impact and communicate their ideas.

You analysis should be between 350-400 words and should be typed into your blog along with a link to the article you’re discussing.

Task 2 – ARTICLE IDEA DEVELOPMENT blog post.

Idea Development

Develop an idea for an article and think about your approach.

Your article will need to match your photographs, but you still have quite a lot of possible angles (see examples above).

‘A hook’ is a treatment for an article. It usually is part of the pitch that a writer or journalist will make to their editor before they are given permission to spend time writing the article. The hook should include:

1. Who are you writing for?
2. What is important to your audience?
3. What news is currently trending?
4. How are you going to start
   1. Remember you might not write the whole article!

Here is the full article on good hooks for magazine articles. Which includes some good ideas on how to start.

Write a blog post on your plans for the article called ‘Planning the Article’

Preparation for writing the article

Choose one of the following tasks:

• If it’s an interview you should develop a range of questions (and answers), which you can build into your article.
• If it’s a review of an album or a gig, you should develop some details of the event and elements to review
• If it’s a general article about a genre of music (10 Best…) you should do some research into the music and famous artists/albums.
• If it’s a biography piece you need to invent 5-10 interesting life events of your star / band that the audience want to know about.

If your article does not fit into one of these discuss your planning ideas with your teacher.

HERE ARE LINKS TO THREE PREVIOUS STUDENTS WORK – ALL DIFFERENT STYLES:

PERSONAL – ALBUM REVIEW WITH QUOTES

INTERVIEW

Q AND A

Article Planning

• Develop a structure / shape for the article (a paragraph plan).  Template attached that might help you with the structure.
• Make sure you know the word limit.
  • How many words fit into your body text area?
  • Do a word count of your place holder text.

Task 3

Draft

• Write the first draft ready for feedback and redrafting and embed in the blog in its entirety after your teacher has given it a quick scan.
• You can do this on classroom so that your peers can proof it and your teacher can give you some feedback too.

What is a double page spread?

Quite simply, an article that takes up 2 pages and includes copy and photographs. It is usually the ‘centre’ two pages of a magazine and will usually feature the main cover star from the front cover. In other words, it is THE BIG STORY.

In the New Year, we will be focusing on the copy, headlines, captions and how to write the main feature for the double page spread. Writing well and in the right register for your audience is a skill all media communicators need to master.

In the meantime, mocking up and drafting your double page spread should be done before Christmas.

Here are some classic examples of music magazine double page spreads.

Here are some basic conventions, codes of how a double page spread usually appears.

1. The image will go across the two pages or be on one with the writing on the other side.  Usually the photo goes on the left but not always.  The writing in a column will NEVER be split across the staple line!
2. Stand first– this is an introduction to the article – it will sum up/precis what the article is all about and entice the reader to read on.
3. Drop capital – it extends down 3 or 4 lines.  At the start of paragraphs the first letter is often much larger; makes reading easier and acts as navigation through the text.
4. Quotes – can be controversial and used to break up the copy/text or act as a headline and could use a larger, stand out font.
5. Headline – sometimes a quote from the interview with the artist. Often uses alliteration so that the headline stands out.
6. The By Line – says who the article is by.
7. Direct address – the model will often break the 4th wall.
8. Columns usually 2 or 4 with equal guttering (spacing horizontally between paragraphs and vertically between columns).
9. Colour scheme – continues with the brand, vibe of the other pages i.e. cover colour scheme.
10. Page numbers and a little version of masthead or logo somewhere on the page.
11.  Instead of full stop at the end of the article they use a small block or something to do with their logo/masthead (for example on NME they might have an ‘n’).
12. Appropriate language/register to establish a relationship with the target audience.
13. They may have a release date for album or a tour date.
14. On the photo they usually have somewhere by it the name of the photographer.
15. Questions to the artist from the interview will be in a different colour, and the name of person who asked the question.

Here are some links to some exciting ideas you could try for your double paged spread?

Why not push yourself?

Backgrounds x 30?

Grunge effect?

Splatters?

Funky fonts?

As part of your exam at the end of Year 13, you will be asked to reflect on your skills – post production skills, digital technology skills and research and planning skills. To get the top marks you must be able to describe the skills and most importantly, explain how they were significant in affecting the product.

For example, by using the Image Adjustment in Photoshop, you were able to make the main cover photo of your model less over exposed and give her a warmer, orange glow. This improved the star image of the model as it created a much more eye catching image – making her appear more homely, healthy and friendly.

or

By using a 60’s inspired font, imported and installed on Indesign, the masthead for the psychaedelic rock magazine called Drifter, gave a conventional vibe for the reader. It was prominent and a classic repertoire of elements for the genre of music with represented the retro/vintage feel of the magazine.

Task 1

Take at least 2-3 screengrabs/shots of your product being worked on in either Indesign or Photoshop. Then comment on how that particular digital skill was used and how it affected the product using as much media language as you can.

Here are the location photos from Castle Cornet, Castle Emplacement, Candie Gardens and The Priaulx Library.

Please use this photos in order to understand the nature of the  locations available to you and to consider what sort of story can be best told in this location. Also, given the location you choose, what sort of mood / tone are you going to try to adopt that can be most easily created in these locations?

Priaulx Library Photos

Candie Gardens Photos

Castle Cornet

St Peter Port

A link to some photos Mrs C took of backgrounds (from home) and from Town.

These are 2 documents that you must complete and upload to your blog.

• Risk Assessment – make a copy

As you will be remotely supervised that day, you will need to consider the risks of being on location and discuss them with your teacher and your peers to ensure your own and others’ safety.

• Production Meeting Agenda – make a copy

This is vital so that everyone knows what they are expected to bring for the shoot – costumes, make up, props etc.

These are your models and slots for the shoots.

Rough Layout

Before you start working on your project in Indesign and Photoshop you need to have a rough idea of your page layouts.

Remember the assessment criteria:

• Use of Conventional Layout
• Integration of Images and Graphics

To achieve this you should have thought about how each element of your page will work together to create a coherent whole and to achieve AIDA:

• Attention
• Interest
• Desire
• Action

Task

Using examples of magazine pages made professionally to plan your layout.

1. List all the elements on the page that are conventional (typically expected), you should do a list for each page, (help below):
2. Using cut up postit notes for the different elements of your page design.
3. Try a number of lick and stick layouts for each page until you have found a basic layout you are happy with.
4. Take photos and upload them to your blog – use captions to identify the pages.
5. Introduce and reflect on the purpose of the task and how it will help on your shoot and in DTP (Editing)
6. Find a magazine layout that you like and take inspiration from it. Use hard copies as well as those found on line.

Front Page Design Elements

Double Page Spread Design Elements

Contents Page Design Elements

Here is a document to help you identity the elements of a contents page.

Now you know what your magazine is going to be called (you should have decided this for your Mission Statement), you need to have some fun designing some mastheads.

• Use the inspiration from the fonts you have included in your moodboard and design about 5 on one Indesign A4 template – make a note of the fonts, size that you use alongside it.
• Focus on weight, size, height, boldness etc and add some effects from the FX button.
• We can import fonts from dafont – but you need to create a DAFONT folder in your D Drive so that the IT technicians can then install them.  Before that though, download them into the P Drive folder that is shared with all of you.
• However, you can also take them into photoshop and manipulate them in there. However, this won’t be great for copy, captions as it will take too long but should be fine for the masthead.
• Remember, bold and conventional font for the genre of the music and one that is also eye catching.
• Choose one final design and include it on its own A4 template in Indesign and position and size it accordingly.