OCR Media Studies – A2 Level

Unit G324: Advanced Portfolio

Mind Map and Research

Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Generation of Ideas for Ancillary Product 1) –

TV Magazine Front Cover

Soap Central

Source of inspirationHistory of the ProductThe first issue was published in October 1992.Publisher• Hearst Magazine UK• Group Publishing Director: Greg Witham• Editor: Steven Murphy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Soap

• Circulation Figures – HOW many people read the magazine?• The circulation of Inside Soap was 147,294 in July to December

2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Soap

Price range – £1.35 – £1.90• Socio-Economic NeedsThe denotation of the stereotypical target audience will consist mainly of females in the socio-economic needs categories of C1, C2, D and E because the low price means that the publication can reach a wider audience, this also reaches the lower economic profile of he viewership of soap operas. Therefore InsideSoap can use the largest market that are going to be interested in soap news.

Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number:64135

Mind Map

Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Ancillary product 1 – T.V. magazine masthead

Totally Soap: The connotations of ‘Totally Soap’ are that the magazine is dedicated about the soap genre and will report the insights that the readers want. It also is light hearted enough to not be imposing on the readers. The red colouration connotes passion for the soap genre and so suggests that the magazine is as dedicated to the TV series as the readers are to watching them. The thin font style connotes that this publication does not follow the standard thin, bold conventions. This connotes that this magazine is more sophisticated then the average TV magazine and so will appeal to the higher economic needs category. This however may leave the lower people behind and so loose the largest audience of soap opera magazines.

Soap Central: This connotes that all the information of any soap is in one place and that this magazine will offer the best information, gossip and opinions on the events in the soap that matter to the reader most. The bold font follows the standard practice of most TV magazine. It also looks more similar to that of ‘Inside Soap’. The colour red denotes passion and dedication o the subject of soap operas. The masthead will be at the top and span the whole length of the front cover. This will compromise the subtlety of the page but will mean that all the other features will be naturally ordered.

SoapStory: This verbal code connotes that the magazine gives an in-depth look at the soaps on TV and explains what this means for the viewers and narrative of the series. The bold font style is again customary to the conventions of the soap opera magazine genre. This will create familiarity to the readers and make it more likely that they will want to by it.

Mind Map Main headline

Walton Kidnaping!: This headline verbal code connotes the shocking plot of the first episode of the new soap opera ‘Walton Hill’. This will give the readers some context to the story and inform the readers that have not watched the episode. This will allow them to catch up and encourage them to watch it. The use of the ‘!’ will animate the headline and make it more exiting to look at and more encouraging to read. The colours used connote the contrast of the seemingly pristine and picturesque village of Walton on the hill and the emotional pain that is conjured at a kidnapping.

Walton Hill Opening Shocker! : This headline connotes the chaotic nature of the opening episode of the new series. This panicked atmosphere is created with the verbal code ‘Shocker’. This is more engaging then the headline on the left hand side as the bold font and the orange colour make it more eye catching and exiting. This also illustrates the audiences reaction of shock at the events and do the reader will want to read the content to find out what this means and how others feel about the series. This will be in the middle of the page in front of the main image that will give visual context to the words.

Who Stole Lizzie? : this connotes the danger that the character ‘lizzie’ is in in the narrative of the ‘Walton Hill’. This is also the question that the audience is likely to be asking themselves and so by having a question as the headline the readers will want to read the analysis of the story so far. The red colour helps to affirm the danger aspect of the headline and this makes it more exiting to look at. This also does not tell you what soap this is from, this is what the headlines on InsideSoap are like and so by following this convention it should appeal to the readers more.

Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number: 64135

Mind Map

Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School Center Number: 64135

Images

Main image: from the analysis of existing products, the most used shot type for the main image is a mid shot with the characters facing the camera. I have also noticed that on the British publications, the characters and smiling at the camera.

Cover images: existing products, especially InsideSoap, some of the images have no backgrounds and are facing the camera, this create direct address to the readers and develops the personal relationship with re characters that is required. However, some do have backgrounds and so it is good to ‘repeat’ (Steve Neale) this convention as it acts as a direct scene from the TV program and so act as a link to the show.

Other magazines promote EastEnders, Emmerdale, Coronation street and so using these shows in my magazine would offer the same service that the readers desire and so would attract them to this magazine.

Mind Map

• Strapline language: Repetition is a key tool used in straplines in the genre, this is because they grab the readers attention and assert a theme that the reader can use when reading the magazine. As an example InsideSoap’s strapline is “every story, every secret, every week.” therefore I shall utilize this method as it will appeal to the audiences That The magazine is trying to reach.

• Price: The price of soap opera magazines is very cheap as it has to be able to be purchase able by people in the E-C1 categories of social economics.

• Puff Promotion: there are no puff promotions in InsideSoap and therefore I will not

• Synergy with social media? Name: Adam FoxCandidate Number: 2052Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic School Center Number: 64135

Mind Map - Conclusion

Name:Candidate Number:Center Name: St. Andrew’s Catholic SchoolCenter Number:

In order to produce my ancillary product I will conduct further research into what the magazine contains. For this I will purchase a copy of InsideSoap as this will grant me the most comprehensive opportunity to analyze the contents and also the reasons why people buy this genre. This will meant that I can make my magazine more effective at the purpose not only informing people of the current events in TV soap operas, but also engage and exited people about the series and engage there emotional attachment to the characters.

I will have to organize the people for he images that I will use for the front cover. I will use images of the cast of ‘Walton Hill’ when we are prepared for filming the trailers this will give us time to establish the identity of the soap opera that will the series as an individual brand on the front of magazine so that the reader will instantly associate the TV series to the images, this will also act to create personal relationship with the characters on the front cover.

In order to create this product with the efficiency of a real life product I will use Photoshop CS5.1 as this will give me the quality that is needed to replicate real magzines.