POSSIBLE IMAGES FOR MY FRONT COVER.

For my front cover of the preliminary task I took several pictures of the model in order to get to appropiate image for the front page; these featured in different areas around the school to see which picture looked most suitable for it.

I like this picture for the front cover as it shows the model in school uniform which shows clear connotations of being in a school setting. As well as this the background of the trophy cabinet shows the schools success and could convey ideas that it is very hardworking and successful. The use of direct eye contact helps to engage the reader into the magazine and make them feel more involved with what is happening in it.

I like this picture as the model is again in uniform showing clearly that she is in a school, which is also supported by the lockers. As she is looking and reading the book it could show that she's highly focused and engaged in her education. However this image is not suitable to use considering someone is walking past and makes the picture not convenient to put on a magazine cover.

I like this picture because it shows the model looking very focused and interested in what she is reading. However it is not suitable for going on a magazine cover because the background doesn't really signify a school setting and it is a high angle shot instead of a mid shot. Therefore I will not be using it on my magazine cover.

I think this picture is suitable for a magazine cover because the model has a slight smile on her face which could evoke ideas that she is happy within the school environment, yet at the same time she still remains focused on what she is doing on the computer. The use of mid shot matches the requirements and shows clearly what is happening in the shot and the environment she's in.

I am still undecided on whether to use the first or last image as they both would work well on a magazine cover. They both show clear indication on what is happening in the shot and is appropiate for the main reasoning of the front cover.

MEDIA TERMINOLOGY

For my coursework, it has been required that we use a variety of media terminology. Below are some of the key terms that I may consider using for my front cover of the preliminary task and the main one.

Title / Banner / Masthead - this is the title of the magazine
Sell Line - this is a magazines moto
Splash/Burst - this is a device used to draw attention to the magazine
Menu Bar - this is a list of features that can be found in the magazine
Boost -
WOB (white on black) - this is write writing on a black background
Puff / Dog End / Ear Piece - this is a 'pretend' corner of a page turned up
Teasers -
Font - 'sans serif' and 'serif' are the two main types of font
Colour Scheme - magazines often follow a 3 colour scheme (use of 3 colours)
Image - this is mainly what attracts the reader to the magazine
Tag Line - this is a phrase which gets accosiated to a magazine

These two features may be included in the double page spread for the main task.

Sky Box / Call Out -
Rag Out -

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS -bad front cover.

'Sheldon Exchange' is a prime example on how a school magazine cover should not look.
The title of it 'Sheldon Exhchange' has been editted into a sans serif word art with the effect of a 'sketch'. This makes it hard to read as it clashes with the stone brick wall background and may put people off from reading it. The use of the sketch technique easily demonstrates that it is linked with a school however the use of it makes the cover look messy and highly informal; this could also mean that the editor of it may not have been taking the task seriously or even may have just rushed it.
The main mid shot dominates the page leaving little room for text making it seem squashed. The girls black jumper could portray ideas that her school life could be dull and boring which could also be reflected from the overall plain background colours of stone, grey, brown (her glasses) and black.
The constant use of sans serif font helps the cover look professional yet each section of text seems to be in a different size, therefore making it look like little effort and time was involved when designing it.
The use of ellipis on the right side of the page supplies a good choice of device, helping it show variation, however it is exaggerated by the over use of it '.......' ; this supports the fact that the cover seems to be rushed considering it is unecessary and makes it look unprofessional. The use of a rhetorical question on the left side of the page helps to engage the readers into the university life however it is printed so small you can barely read it and may lose interest from the readers.

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS -good front cover.

'Insight' magazine shows good connotations of what a school magazine front cover should look like. The title of it has been made significantly bigger to help draw readers attention and give clear indication on what it is called. The use of serif sans font helps creates a professional view while the red dots above the 'i's give the cover a modernised style giving it a bit on an edge in order to attract a younger audience. 
The use of the mid shot displaying a young girl ables the readers to have an insight on what lesson she's in; this is also supported by the lab coat and goggles the girl is wearing. The colour of lab coat, green, is a good primary colour which is what most primary schools feature as well as showing that they abide by rules as to wearing the correct clothes/accessories within the classroom. 
Shallow focus is also present in the shot as the foreground has been blurred while the background remains clear. This could help suggest that the school focuses mainly on the students and their education, meanwhile the blurred foreground helps portray what's within the classroom showing the setting in which she's in to the readers.
The colour theme of the cover page is very themed as the two main colours are green and grey. These neutral colours help set the mood and ideas paired with the school. It could suggest that they are very organised and moderate when it comes to teaching and could possibly show they are tradition within the way they teach. 

Welcome to my AS Media Blog.

For my coursework task which has been set for us to do requires us to produce a preliminary in addition to the main task. For both pieces of work it states that we need use DTP and an image manipulation program to help achieve the end results.

PRELIMINARY
For the preliminary, I am creating a school magazine which features a front display page and a contents page. On the front page there is going to be a medium close up of someone in a school environment and the context is aimed to be set out in a suitable format with it being easy to read. As well as this I am looking to produce to DTP mock-up of the front page, layout, taking in consideration the layout of the magazine and some of the main content in order to show clear ideas of what I want it to look like. 
MAIN TASK
The main task of the coursework is then to create a music magazine which includes the front page, the contents and a double page spread. Similar content needs to be included with the correct media terminology and a clear, professional layout so it attracts a wider range of readers.

It is also important that  the text and images used are original which has all created by myself.