How do you intend to use the four areas of the media theoretical framework to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief?
STATEMENT OF INTENT - MAGAZINE'S
My brief is to produce the front covers and the contents page(s) of the first two editions of a new lifestyle magazine aimed at an aspirational audience between the age of 16 and 25. My research into lifestyle magazines shows that most of them are gender targeted and I have decided to target male readers because I have more access to this demographic to conduct research. Discussion with my target audience shows that they are interested in Music, Sports, Film and T.V., Gaming and Gadgets, but I will be including a political section as I think that this will appeal to a certain group of aspirational young men. My magazine covers will need to have strong images using lighting in a dynamic way, at least one catchy sell line and a range of simpler sell lines to imply that there is plenty of content in the magazine. I have decided to use an older man on the front cover of my first magazine to establish the idea of aspiration. They will be something like a sportsman, actor or film director, so that the reader will see them as aspirational. My second cover will feature a younger male, so that the audience have someone to identify with. My research into contents pages suggests that they are easily navigated to help readers to take a non-linear approach to reading, but that they use images to suggest that the content is interesting. My contents page will be unusual, using a very busy arrangement of images layered on each other to suggest that the magazine is filled with a wide variety of content. I will ensure that most images are original content, including gaming footage, studio photos and pictures of locations and gadgets, but film still will be found images that are heavily manipulated.
STATEMENT OF INTENT - WEBSITE
The website will have a distinct house style from the magazine. It will have a crossover of content, and there will be elements of familiar design in the header, but the style will be quite different to acknowledge the different readership. The website will contain adverts due to the need to make revenue in a different way to the magazine and will have a much wider range of found images which is in keeping with my research. Most of the websites I have looked at are very busy with content and the homepage is like a ‘shop window’ for the website with many small images suggesting to the reader that there is a wide range of content. My second page will be an exclusive interview that links back to the magazine and will feature only video in this section. I will also have a video on my first page to show that the website has a wide range of different ways to interact. This will also help to establish a distinctive identity for the website.
How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production?
The most obvious link will be the use of the same range of content. The header on the website will feature the same elements as the contents page and there will be some same elements of content. For example, I will include a video review of a gadget that will be linked in the contents page of one of the magazines and the cover story will be featured in a short video interview. The magazine will contain a general call to action featuring images of people using the website on their phone or laptop and the website will contain a place to subscribe to the magazine.