Wix website: update

Here I tested out different layouts and tried to get used to using Wix

Brief 3: Magazine and online

Alex Front Cover First Draft

 

I tried to make the first draft of Alex's front cover and although I really liked it, based on my target audience feedback, a different picture where is the focal point of the page would look better .

Photo shoot for website background

 

 
 

I did a photo shoot of some tall buildings to use for the background of my magazine's website for mis-en-scene of the busy city were most people who feature on the current affairs magazine work. 

A professional setting/background appropriate for a professional website.

Experimenting with the camera at the beginning of the summer

 When I received the camera at the beginning of the summer I tested it out and tried to get a better understanding of how to use it so when I took the actual photo shoots of my cover stars for my magazine covers, I would appear professional and confident. These were some of the photos I took:

A bee collecting pollen

Playing around with taking pictures of plants and close up shot - I 
especially like how bright and saturated the colour is 

Bribing my dog with some pancakes - not the clearest picture 
but it helped me figure out how to take pictures of moving objects

These are some 'filler' pictures (pictures that will be on my website but won't be main front covers) I've taken for my website and they're dressed professionally to fit the current affairs magazine theme:

The smart shirts and glasses make them appear successful, professional and intelligent which is exactly what a current affairs model should look like.

An example of what I mean by 'filler' pictures

Update : How the photo shoots went

The first photo shoot was with the cover star "Alex Freeman", no.1 best selling young author for his new book "A path to a better tomorrow" which is about his mental health journey and he's been included in "Fresh Voices" for how inspirational he is for the target demographic as he challenges taboo subjects and isn't afraid to be his raw self. The majority of the photo shoot is located around nature backgrounds and a few sides of buildings because that was where when he was at his worst, took long walks to help ground him (also science has shown being around nature overall helps with your mental health). For mis en scene and representation he's dressed professionally with a shirt in a large amount of the photos and other smart looking clothing. He's wearing his glasses and has slightly ruffled hair, altogether work to accurately represent him as an author. 

This is an overview, overall it was a good day for lighting only cloudy at some moments. Some of my favourites are:

These are just a few of my favourites but I included them in my 30 second background footage, I think overall the photo shoot was successful but what I wish I would've done was take more landscape pictures for the website. However, I can always crop them in a landscape format and for my 2nd photo shoot I made sure to take landscape pictures as well.

The second photo shoot starred Niomi Smith, a robotic engineer who is being commended for the work she contributed towards the robots being used to combat covid 19 in hospitals today. She is an intelligent and career driven individual who makes a perfect role model for the target demographic. The photo shoot background locations mainly consisted of tech/smart looking buildings but also a selection of natural backgrounds perhaps for the website. For representation and mis en scene, she is wearing smart professional clothing that isn't overly sexualised (supporting current affairs' feminism ideologies), lab coat to fit in with her job, and a lanyard (previous blog post shows me making it) which a robotic engineer would all realistically be wearing. 

Overall, I took more landscape pictures and more pictures in general. That particular day there was much better lighting and therefore I was able to move around to more locations, moreover I also attempted for her to try out the poses used for the Vogue key worker cover shoots. I think overall her photo shoot went really well, here are some of my favourites:

I really like the tech/professional looking backgrounds and I think they all fit the "Fresh Voices" current affairs magazine style.

Wix Website - First Ideas

 

This is the main menu for my website, it's just the first draft, I have included my Title of my current affairs magazine "Fresh Voices" in the signature brand identity colour of navy blue. Below I have a tab that's labelled 'Latest News' in bold sans-serif red writing also one of the main signature colours of my magazine. On the navigation menu, 4 bars labelled : Home, About (the magazine), Today (latest news) and Subscribe. Only 2 of the tabs will have working links as per the specification request. On the far right hand side are the social media links (I will create real working links to Instagram and twitter account I'll create for the magazine) as my target demographic will be using those apps the most and it helps reach a wider audience the more platforms the magazine has available.

Once the user scrolls down the page the 2 top story links available will be the stories for my 2 front covers, this is a very basic draft, I will edit the pictures more and play around with different formats, but the idea is when the user clicks on either, it will take them to the page linked with it. The background is a plain black and white sky for now but i was think some pictures of buildings.

At the bottom of the web page there is a suggestion or comments option which motivates user participation, I've used a play on words " Fresh Voices heard" to imply the fresh voices are also the readers and they're being heard by the magazine. It's highlighted in red to stand out and fit in with the magazine's colour theme. 

I need to add: Working links, articles, background footage, additional pictures, interview, background website picture, working social media links, Easter egg links in the articles

Generic Research: Photoshoot Outfit DIY

Photo shoot - Behind the scenes

Example 1

•  I made this DIY to fit in with the previous blog post's research about the Vogue key worker editions. A robotic engineer would be wearing a lanyard, therefore I decided to create my own.
• Example 1 shows the one I created on Word, I used a real image of my model for the ID card, and the company which she works for, Robotica Labs and their company's logo along with a bar code for scanning to grant access into different parts of the building
• The background story of why Niomi Smith has made it on the front cover of Fresh Voices is because the edition is celebrating her as a young black female successfully helping build the robots being used to treat severe patients in hospitals during COVID. Hopefully she will be seen as a positive role model for readers as she's being commended for her mind versus most media which is commending women for their bodies.

Example 2 

• Example 2 shows the next step, after finding the right size to fit a card holder, using an old card I had I stuck her ID onto it using sellotape

Example 3

• Example 3 is her ID card placed into the holder

Example 4

• Example 4 is the finished product, I re-used a plain blue ribbon and attached it to the lanyard using a clasp.

Example 5

• This is the final look, for correct representation she wore a white lab coat, the lanyard, professional and not overly sexualised clothing and minimal make up. 

 

Generic Research : Key workers Vogue Front Covers

                             VOGUE

• For my second front cover I have changed the concept from being a successful business woman to the cover star being  a robotic engineer that has helped create the AI technologically advanced robots which are being facilitated today to help manage COVID 19. This is a very current topic as she has helped immensely in hospitals.
• This post is going to show research I've done surrounding the recent Vogue front covers for key workers and taking inspiration from them.
• This particular front cover is going to be the most similar to mine as for mis-en-scene and representation, my cover star will be wearing a white lab coat, a lanyard, professional not overly sexualised clothing to support the ideologies of the magazine that places a person's achievements above the star's body.
• The model in the front cover on the left is wearing minimal eye make up and a natural hair do. I think this is very unlike most models on Vogue and this is on purpose to accentuate their talents in the time of crisis.
• "The New Front Line" cover line is a representative reference to COVID 19 being a battle paying tribute to the key workers putting their lives at risk
• The background is very plain and simple and resembles the interior of a hospital. For my magazine front cover I'm going to try and incorporate a more industrial and building backgrounds to represent the exterior of labs and a more working moving environment. 
• This is a medium shot to focus her uniform and relaxed stance to show she's a person you can trust as a health care worker. She has a warm inviting smile and facial expression which I will try to get some shots of with my model.

• This is another front cover in the same series surrounding key workers and supporting the community in the current situation. In this particular edition, the cover star is also wearing minimal makeup and for representation wearing the train line worker uniform that looks very professional, the background is also simple and appears to be a shot of the sky at a train station with the wires. 
• The shot is an above the shoulder close up and her face is looking into the distance to a side to show leadership and confidence in the battle against COVID 19. Her facial expression is maturity mixed with a small smile which I will also attempt
• This isn't as similar as the front cover design I want to create but the concept is similar I love the position she's facing it focuses primarily on the model and that's what I'd like my front cover to look like.

• This is the third front cover for the key workers edition, this was exceptionally amazing as they chose people's jobs which normally aren't seen as extraordinary and highlighted their courage for working during such uncertain times.
• All the front cover promotes multiculturalism (this particular one e.g. she is wearing a hijab), and feminism, all being women and promoted for their courage and sacrifice. 
• This is a close up shot, the model is also wearing minimal make up and the appropriate Waitrose uniform having a thoughtful expression on her face and more serious lighting to make the model seem important.
• All of these posts highlight the women's achievements and not their bodies.

Generic Research: Intertextuality - Atypical

                                               Atypical 

• I did some research, mentioned in my questionnaire feedback, to help me incorporate intertextuality into my mental health front cover. I discovered a very exceptional series called Atypical that I think reinforces positivity surrounding mental health and really challenges society’s beliefs that it is a taboo topic or that people suffering from it are odd or abnormal.
• The main character, Sam, is diagnosed with autism. He is eighteen years old and the plot is based around him trying to navigate through being a teenager whilst also having difficulties managing being on the spectrum. Whilst he does encounter a few bullies, he is surrounded by family and friends that help and support him relentlessly. Moreover, some of the bullies later on even become his friends once they get to know him and educate themselves more.
• The show reinforces positivity around mental health through multiple characters and challenges many negative stereotypes surrounding the topic. Such as, the show highlights that having therapy shouldn’t be shameful but really a positive experience that can help guide someone through difficult situations that they may encounter. Sam towards the end of the show, has grown in confidence and with the help of his attentive therapist, he is able to find healthier methods of processing his emotions rather than panicking to the extreme.
• In addition, Sam’s father Doug, later in the show develops to have panic attacks and having to take medication. Originally, he is embarrassed to take the medicine and mentions he doesn’t want to seem weak or abnormal (like people viewed Doug’s father when he was a child because he too suffered from panic attacks regularly) but after some character development, he learns that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay and starts to get on the mend.
• All in all, this show is extremely uplifting to watch and I think it is an extraordinary example of how important mental health awareness and positivity is in not only in society but the media, which is what in today’s world most often influences the public’s opinions and attitudes. Which from my previous research, it is apparent my target demographic spends the most time on social media.
• For my mental health front cover, I will incorporate some intertextual references to the show through perhaps pictures of penguins (relevant to the show, as Sam is very interested in the North Pole) and a reference to the page they can find an article reviewing Atypical.
• As a bonus, all the references Sam makes to the North Pole are actually also raising awareness of the environmental issues society is facing at the moment, such as global warming and loss of habit for species that live there.
• Although society has gotten better around the topic of mental health, there's still lots to improve and shows like this are helpful.

Statement of Intent: First Draft

How do you intend to use the four areas of the theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief? (approx 500 words)

• Product 1

My magazine will use a formal mode of address and sophisticated language that fits the vocabulary of my socially conscious, middle to upmarket 16-25 year old target demographic. I will use a variation of play on words for different features such as because the title of my magazine is ‘Fresh Voices’, I will use different subheadings that incorporate both words. Moreover, I will use my designated colour palette to highlight the important subheading and masthead to create a sense of brand identity. I will incorporate codes and conventions such as feminism into my first front cover which will feature a successful and talented female model, who will not be a celebrity for relatable purposes, will be dressed professionally with minimal make up and not overly sexualised for the male gaze as most modern magazines do. The subheadings will anchor the messages and achievements of the model and will be commemorating her for her mind and hard work not for her looks and body. As the print magazine industry is declining in sales over the recent decade, I will make both the topics approachable and relatable to my target demographic and aim to make the successful female model for the first front represent a positive female role model for readers.

    The second magazine front cover I will be creating will include a male model, who too is not a celebrity, to ensure audience relatability, and who speaks out about struggling with mental health and be a positive role model for young readers that may also be suffering. His headline will be about his courage and resilience to not give up trying even when things are difficult, the importance of raising awareness and the ways he has learnt to cope with it over the years. His body language will express a sense of victory and reflect the inner peace he has found. I will include illustrations surrounding him that will anchor the topic and the messages the magazine is trying to give across, surrounding raising mental health awareness and open discussions. Both magazines will present a clear house style, consistent colour palette and typography -sans-serif- and both to contain a clear cohesive sense of brand identity, with a link of call of action on the front cover with the web address for their online website to promote cross digital convergence.

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production?

Website

To include cross digital convergence between my magazine and its online website I will use a consistent use of house style (between both the print and online version),  formal mode of address, content in the articles, typography, cohesive colour palette and  similar images with the addition of a few more that anchor the message of the article. I aim to include hyperlinks in texts that transport the reader to another web page with another article that is relevant to the topic at hand. I also intend to implement hidden easter eggs when you click on an image, which will allow users to enter and win a prize that will also be advertised on the front cover of the print magazine to promote cross media convergence. Moreover, I will include links to the magazine’s social media pages and include a comment box to increase audience interaction as it been shown in Shirky’s End of Audience theory, today’s audience is no longer passive and want to interact with the media they consume. To create a cohesive sense of brand identity between both the print and online magazine, I will include a similar layout between the two forms of media and create a user friendly platform that is easy to navigate. I will attempt include intertextuality through references to shows that relate to mental health and the female model’s profession.

Planning: First ideas

• This is a rough sketch of what I would like the layout out of my front covers to look like, I really love the idea of close up shots to focus on the model's face expression and how they're addressing the audience. I particularly love the red boarder that I noticed TIME magazine has on their web versions and to include the date in the border.
• I also love the idea of the heading and subheadings to be on the left side and above, I will have to play around with that however and see which fits best
• I really like the red and blue colour palette and sans serif but bold shaded font, I'll perhaps try and find a more sophisticated shadow for the writing.
• In the right hand corner I put the link for the magazine's website which I noticed The Spectator does and is a good example of how to implement cross media convergence.
•  I chose £3.90 for pricing as from the feedback I received from my focus group, that range was preferred
• I brain stormed quite a few name ideas for my magazine:
• Young Minds
• Young Voices
• Voice
• Fresh
• Fresh Minds
• Fresh Voices
• Eccentric
• Unaired
• Ground Breaking 
• Transformative

However, I decided that Fresh Voices was my favourite and I asked other individuals and they thought so too, however it's not set in stone and could develop.

• I still really love the idea of on the front cover a successful business woman but I'm leaning more towards a woman that's successful in their domain of work and perhaps overcomes a large deal of obstacles e.g. sexism in the workplace or industry (she won't be dressed provocatively but professionally)
• I'm also really leaning towards environmental issues even though I do like mental health I need to research it more depth which I will do in future posts.

Generic Research: Language and Digital Convergence

After looking at and analysing multiple front covers and websites of current affairs magazine I feel much more confident in how to create cross media convergence and what types of features I should include for my magazine and website.

How do media producers use language to communicate meaning?

Example no.1

• This front cover does not really have any intertextuality. The heading of her becoming "America's lighting rod" anchors the serious and professional tone of the image.
• Media producers in the magazine industry use language such as typography, layout, colour palettes, language used (such as headings and subheadings) and images as just a few of the tools they use to communicate meaning with the readers. However each falls into different categories:
• Such as - every image can connote something different and it can be packed with coded messages through intertextuality, shot types, posture of the model, wardrobe of the model, lighting, illustrations surrounding the model
• Looking at example no.1, this front cover is packed with meaning, her wardrobe for example is professional and not distracting in colour nor is it revealing. By not overly sexualising her like most other women models are in magazines, it shows that TIME magazine is supportive of strong and successful women and does not use them for the male gaze
• In this scenario they also use their famous red colour palette to highlight the heading as their masthead is in white and mostly hidden which shows they want the close up (layout of page) of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to be the most important thing on the front cover. They also give her a bold red lip which is a reference to their colour palette but also it's  a powerful bold statement lip since the rest of her outfit is monotones. 
• They use a formal mode of address and sans-serif typography connotes a sense of importance and authority. This front cover is very much similar to the other front covers of TIME magazine representing women's achievements and success rather than using their bodies to sell the magazine, this is a really important encoded message the magazine wants to put across.

From TIME article

This is who she is and it's reflective in the tone of the images and photo shoot. Her gaze into a distance connotes her gazing into the bright future of America that she wants to shape.

This is an example for intertextuality, this front cover is
a reference to the viral Baby Yoda meme.

How do producers use digital convergence to link their products?

From my previous posts surrounding current affairs magazines' websites, I listed and point out key examples of cross media/digital convergence. They do this by replicating the same language examples I showed above and cohesively replicating it online to create a great sense of brand identity, such as Time magazine carries on it's red colour palette, sans-serif typography and formal mode of address onto their website. Alongside very similar articles from the print version and the online version with the same use of images and content. Some adding more technology based features such as podcasts to further anchor the article's messages, and/or more images and videos or hyperlinks that take you to another page which expands further on the content in the article. A common theme also was linking their social medias on the articles and all around on the website to promote visiting all the platforms they have content available, which all have more comment boxes and more of a chance of increased audience interaction which is what all the current target demographic want more of. A really good example is also in print versions, such as for The Spectator, they've put the link to their website at the bottom of all the pages to promote their readers to interact with both. In conclusion, all of these examples help companies with cross media convergence and creating a strong sense of brand identity.

Example of brand identity in Time magazine online