FINAL PRODUCT: Website Link

LINK TO MY WEBSITE HERE

FINAL PRODUCT: Website Screenshots - Homepage

(Please note: this layout is how the website looks on my own computer and how the website is meant to look, it may change in either proportion and font size on other computers.) 

FINAL PRODUCT: Website Screenshots

(Please note: this layout is how the website looks on my own computer and how the website is meant to look, it may change in either proportion and font size on other computers.) 

FINAL PRODUCT: Audio-Visual Content

This video found on the 'Behind the Spotlight' page of my website is my Audio-Visual content.

FINAL PRODUCT: Easter Egg Website Screenshots

My Easter Egg will be revealed to audiences when they 'hover' their mouse over and click the orange camera graphic on my 'Behind the Spotlight' page. (See above.)

FINAL PRODUCT: Contents Pages 1 and 2

FINAL PRODUCT: My Magazine Front Covers 1 and 2

PRODUCTION: Statement of Intent - PRODUCT 1

Statement of Intent

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? (approx. 400 words) 

Product 1: Magazine

I intend to create a conventional entertainment magazine aimed at a fun-loving audience of 16-25-year olds. Through my research into entertainment magazines I found that conventional front covers included a bright and impactful colour scheme, a large masthead in bold fonts and a busy atmosphere created most oftenly by a heavy amount of copy. I have tried to incorporate these conventions into my own magazines, including a bold capitalised masthead ‘SPOTLIGHT’, with many cover lines both in my front covers and contents pages to portray a busy representation, and also used colour schemes such as bright pink and yellow. These colours would appeal to my targeted ‘fun-loving’ audience, hopefully catching their attention at first glance, and a busy copy would satisfy a 16-25-year old’s need for the gratification of surveillance, loving gossip and wanting to know what is going on in the world. My magazine has been named ‘Spotlight’ in order to denote spotlights used in performances of any sort, immediately connoting to the audience that the magazine revolves around the topic of entertainment and production, also inferring that there is the other perspective of behind the scenes content. The word ‘spotlight’ is used to describe the main focus on stage, also therefore portraying the audience, as fun-loving young people will be confident and expressionistic, and wanting to be in the spotlight. My research into the magazine industry showed that the most impactful front covers feature one main individual as a relationship can be formed between the star and the reader. 

Through my research into Hearst Magazines, I found that their main branding message was that they wanted to produce magazines “with an overarching purpose: to help people get more out of life” and stated “positivity is at the heart of everything (they) do”. I tried to incorporate this key message into all the content I chose to include across my platforms, such as building confidence, optimistic interviews from people in the entertainment industry and celebrating success, in order to maintain a sense of brand identity, providing an honest and authentic brand for the audience and therefore further brand loyalty. 

In order to appeal to a mass market demographic, I have ensured that there is a mixture of content for both participatory, active audiences and also more passive, (e.g secondary) audiences. Interactivity-provoking content such as competitions (e.g creating a behind the scenes video, winning a BBC production tour e.t.c) or events for audiences to attend (e.g TheatreCraft) will encourage audiences to take an active role when consuming the product when reading both the print or online versions and switching between the two. However, some audiences might consume Spotlight magazine to seek diversion and escapism, therefore taking a more passive approach to consumption such as skimming through the highlights and main pages. Blumler and Katz’ audience gratification theory supports the concept that different audiences seek different gratifications when consuming the same media. For example, mental wellbeing content such as a personal, heartfelt interview from Mia Ward may appeal to a professional dancer in order to improve their pre-competition motivation, but will also appeal to a beginner actor in order to overcome their new performance anxiety. Another example is that celebrity news may appeal to someone who seeks a sense of escapism from a stressful daily life, whereas a student might use this news to widen their cultural competence or use extra-curricular knowledge in their essays at school. I have used my focus group during my audience research to represent this. Hall’s Reception Theory supports this varied audience reaction. 

PRODUCTION: Statement of Intent - PRODUCT 2

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? (approx. 400 words) 

Product 2: Website

For my website, I maintained the same house style and typography, colour schemes e.t.c in order to keep a consistent brand identity that loyal audiences will recognise to create a cross platform convergence. This consistency will also connote authenticity and a genuine feel to the audience, building a trust between the editors and readers and therefore encourage brand loyalty and continued engagement. I have embedded a social media bar on my website so allow audiences to consume products in as many forms as possible, which will hopefully increase audience engagement and also readership and awareness, due to the ability to share and retweet posts on apps such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, which isn’t possible on a website alone. Social media is also where 16-25 year olds consume most of their media. I have featured the same competitions as on my contents page and giving print readers no other choice but to sign up to competitions, e.g the production behind the scenes videos, or Michael Jackson remakes, encouraging further active engagement. The intertextual reference to Michael Jackson reflects the zeitgeist of the era, firstly due to the youth still finding his music relevant, but also due to the uproar in controversy in the wake of the documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’, his relevance in the media rose significantly, his fans actively supporting him despite the criticism, influencing them to participate in this competition which reflects him in a positive light. The competition may attract secondary audiences such as other fans of his music or parents who were around for the ‘peak’ days of the Jackson 5. 

As well as on my contents page, I have used both males and females on my website to maximise audience attraction and appeal. I have also featured a male arising rapper who reflects a working class, C demographic, the socio-economic group that most of my target audience will belong to, making the model relatable for the audience. To represent contrasting cultural groups (as specified by the brief), I have featured a ballet dancer as my other focus, reflecting a higher-end interest and the AB1 socio-economic group, further maximising audience appeal. 

PRODUCTION: Statement of Intent - Linking my products

Statement of Intent 

How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production? (approx. 100 words) 

I have used the same typography, tone and colour schemes across both my print products and my website in order to maintain a sense of brand identity which the readers can immediately recognise. I have included competition opportunities such as creating a behind the scenes video, which was promoted on my print contents page but readers had to post entries online, this ‘call to action’ feature encouraging maximum engagement across both media platforms. The winner of the competition was also uploaded online, using recognition and fame not only to flatter the reader but also to entice other readers to enter the competition. I have included my website on both the front cover and contents page so it cannot be unnoticed by audiences, highlighting its significance and almost forcing audience to invest in both platforms.

PRODUCTION: Changing Contents Page

Before

When initially creating my contents page, I was trying to incorporate the aesthetic of some contents pages I found during my research (an example of which, please see below,) which had a simplistic layout and a more sophisticated feel. However, this did not work in hindsight because it did not fit the typical conventions of busy, vibrant contents pages, belonging to fun entertainment magazines aimed at a younger generation. I therefore altered my contents pages in order to fit the brief and maintain more typical conventions. I also altered my contents pages (see below) so that the digital convergence would be more of a main feature, encouraging a more participatory and active response from the audience. 

After 

PRODUCTION: Extra Footage from Photoshoot 2

PRODUCTION: Photoshoot 2 - Behind the Scenes!

PRODUCTION: Photoshoot 1 - Behind the Scenes!