Magazine Development

Here is the development process for my magazine. I will add all of my ideas here and reflect on the decisions that I make.

Genre: Fashion

Sub-genre: Teen-Fashion

Name of magazine: 

1. Chic
2. Hip
3. Craze
4. Snazzy
5. Swanky
6. Dapper
7. Fly
8. Hipster
9. Haute
10. Deluxe

I chose the word Hip as the title of my magazine because it is short and relatively easy to remember. I also chose it because it is used to describe the state of being fashionable for kids or young adults. I think that this title is definitely relevant and will be associated to the trends of the younger generation.

Possible Cover lines:

1. "Fashion Rebels: Teen Icons Redefining the Rules of Style"

2. "Generation Style: Unveiling the Latest Trends for Teen Fashionistas"

3. Dress to progress

4. Spruce up your style!: Tips from the hottest star …..

5. Fantastic Future for Fashion.

6. Latest Gossip: Are they really dating?

7. Decorate Yourself with Style.

8. Mental Health: It's Time to Finally be Aware.

9. Makeup: Do it Stylishly.

10. Social Media: Is it Safe?

Here are some possible cover lines for my magazine. Some of them were made by using the tool, Chat GPT. This artificial tool has helped to inspire me and help me get started in thinking of ideas. 

Images:

- Teenage models (male and female).

- Images of clothes for the fashion tips.

- Images of makeup and maybe a model doing makeup.

- Images of jewelry and accessories.

Main cover image:

- I would like an image of my model applying makeup.

- I might want to have a male and female model on the cover image wearing matching or similar clothes.

- A bust up or close up shot of my model wearing makeup and trendy clothes while smiling.

Double page spread:

My initial idea is to have my double page set up in a way where there are images of pieces of clothes arranged to show what they would look like as a complete outfit. The images will be edited by me so that they have a transparent background and can be arranged however I want to give is a cleaner look. The text that I will use to describe the outfit and the clothing tips will be separated into many small paragraphs with colorful subheadings so that it is easily digestible for my main target audience (teenagers) who are also easily bored. Although I don’t want too much text, I also don’t want there to be too much white space as it will make the page seem incomplete. I may add images of makeup looks to pair the outfit(s) with too. To do this, I will have to learn how to edit images in an image editing software so I will make sure to document that process too. I’ll also have to make sure to take my images in crisp quality so it doesn’t look off once I compile all the images on the double page spread. This will mean that I will have to tweak the coloring of the images slightly too.

Reflection:

Creating this magazine development was quite complicated and difficult for me. I'm not very good at creating new ideas from scratch so it was quite a head-spinner for me. However, I feel like making this magazine development was something new and interesting. When I finally got the title that I wanted, it felt very satisfying. I am glad to finish this magazine development because it was honestly quite challenging and boring after a while.

Stuart Hall: Representation Theory

 This is my blogpost about Stuart Hall’s representation theory

What is representation?

Representation is when the media creates meaning for a subject. Without media representation, a subject has no fixed meaning.

What is a stereotype and why is it used?

A stereotype is when groups or individuals are reduced to a limited set of preconceived ideas that are already circulating about them in society. It can be used to circulate certain representations to the audience in an easily conceivable way. Stereotypes were also made because of a lack of diversity in the “writer’s room”, leading to repeated use of representations that may sometimes be inaccurate. (Commonly used in genre-based narratives)

What social groups are represented in the media?

Religion, gender, age, race, social class, LGBTQ+, Disability, places, events, social issues, identity. 

Case study: Indonesian media

a. What is the group?

Men. (Positive)

b. How are they represented?

In Indonesian dramas or “sinetron”, men are normally represented as dominant. They are almost always represented as the breadwinner that the women would depend on in the plot of the story. The women in the sinetron would sometimes fight over the main male lead, causing the climax or most of the drama in the story. The men would normally be indifferent. In other sinetrons, the opposite would happen with the men fighting over a woman. This fight would be a battle for “territory” most of the time and would always result in one of the men getting together with the woman. Unlike the fight between women, the conflict between the men would be more direct and violent. 

 a. What is the group?

LGBTQ+ individuals in Indonesia. (Negative)

Statement of Intent

Here is the statement of intent for my magazine project.

Reflection:

This statement of intent was quite tedious to fill in and also made my head spin in circles because I didn’t know if I was really ready to commit to doing this idea. I do think that even if I already had a general idea of what I was going to do, thinking about the specific details was still really hard for me to do because I didn’t really know if I have the people and the resources to achieve what I wanted to do.

Magazine Research

Here is the research for my magazine:

Image source: Link
Magazines are displayed in stores on racks. The section where they are displayed are usually limited, meaning that magazines must compete with each other to gain the attention of people scanning through them. Since there is limited space, the magazines must be stacked above each other, usually only showing the upper third of the magazine or the left third. This means that this space must be used to the maximum as they are what may attract potential customers. In order to stand out, magazines may use different typefaces, fonts, colors and etc. 

Drop Cap:

A drop cap in a magazine helps to separate and indicate the start of a new section. It can also be used to grab the attention of the reader especially if the article is long, which may make the readers lose attention and become bored. 

Cover Page Analysis:

Magazine brand: Dior

Edition: No. 40 Andalusian Grace

Representation

The women in the front cover of this magazine have been represented in a positive way, showing that they are almost magical/mystical/ethereal. First, we could have a look at the location where this image was shot. The mountains in the background and the rocky but calm terrain almost seems out of this world. This background especially seems to be emphasised as it is shown by using an extreme long shot. The use of the colour gold/yellow also makes the models stand out as it greatly contrasts with the main colour of the background which is blueish-grey. The women are also wearing flowy, open dresses that are beautiful but wouldn’t normally be used when travelling to a mountainous area like this. The women are positioned in a way where they aren’t looking at the camera, making them seem like they are in a different league. The combination of contrasts that are put well together helps to make this cover image look otherworldly.

Media Language

Typically, the conventions of a usual fashion magazine included the additions of coverlines and bar codes. This Dior magazine does not follow these conventions as they have chosen to take the more minimalist route and have only included a main cover image, border, masthead and issue number. It almost also seems that the focus of the main cover image isn’t just the models themselves, but the setting too, also subverting from the usual fashion magazine convention. To make up for the missing elements on their cover page, the typeface is printed in shiny, gold colour. This and the combination of the text being big on the page makes the cover page seem full despite multiple missing pieces of information.

Audience

The target audience for this magazine is most likely women from the ages of 20 to 40 years old. This magazine seems to cater to the women who have a taste for luxurious lifestyles and fashion. The individuals who read and purchase this magazine are most likely using it for surveillance (Uses and Gratification). They are reading this magazine in order to keep up with the current Dior fashion trends and to gather information about new Dior products that are being advertised. The masthead (Dior) is displayed in an especially large font on the top fourth of the page with metallic gold font colour. This is especially effective for attracting their target audience as the masthead is placed on the top of the page, where it will stand out and grab the attention of passing individuals. For regular readers of Dior’s magazines, the typeface of this masthead will be highly recognizable, meaning that it will be easy to identify the magazine.

Industry

Dior has websites where they update frequently about the latest news related to their products or the celebrities who wear them. This will prove to be beneficial for them as with these updates, their audience will become informed even without purchasing their magazines, potentially also increasing their brand recognition. 

Magazine brand: Vogue

Edition: October 2023

Representation

The subject on the cover of this magazine has been represented positively as she is seemingly extremely confident. This representation can be concluded based on the location of this image too, the colours of the room greatly subverting from the convention that they are usually solid colours that are plain and dull. This room is filled with bright, bold and saturated colours which contrast with each other. Even if the setting of this image may seem to be distracting, the confident stance and piercing gaze of the subject (Kate Winslet) draws enough attention so that she is not outshined by the many different elements in the background. The camera angle for this image was meticulously thought out, utilising a long shot to capture the entirety of the subject’s stance and demeanour as well as provide a small teaser of the room. The gaze of the subject directly addresses the audience, sending a direct message to the audience in order to persuade them to read the magazine. Similar to the background, the subject’s dress is also quite abstract however it is desaturated and quite dark in colour, preventing the subject from blending in with the background and instead, makes her pop out. The combination of all these elements makes the subject’s dominating aura exude from this cover page.

Media Language

This magazine cover page seems to greatly follow the conventions of typical fashion magazines. This is due to the fact that it has many elements such as a masthead, border, coverlines, a barcode, main cover image and issue number. It seems to subvert from the usual convention of having a plain colour as the background of the subject. Instead, it seems to have a much more cluttered background that may be considered distracting. Another thing to note is that this magazine cover also subverts the usual conventions of a Vogue magazine cover as often times, the subject is captured in close-up or medium shots. In this cover, the subject is photographed using a long shot camera angle, emphasising her pose and posture that shows that she is directly addressing the audience. The signature Vogue masthead is placed on the top of the magazine, easily accessible for those looking for it. The typeface for the coverlines of this magazine are very clear to read and the font is in full capital letters, also allowing the audience to comprehend the text quickly and easily. The coverlines for this magazine complements the cover image, further drawing in women who keep up with lifestyle trends. Vogue is the masthead of the magazine and its definition as a word is "popular or fashionable". This masthead directly relates to what the magazine is about and it will again attract those who want to be up-to-date with fashion.

Audience

The target audience of this magazine is probably more mature, appealing towards women from the ages of 30 to 45 years old. This is supported by the fact that Kate Winslet, the featured subject of this magazine, has a positive reputation for representing strong and complicated women in multiple different occasions during her acting career. Kate Winslet is described as fearless and a mother, further supporting the fact that this magazine is targeted to an older audience that maybe already have a family of their own. This means that she is likely to have a solid fanbase, possibly drawing in an audience of women who look up to her and want to be like her (personal identity) or those who simply want to keep up with the current trends (surveillance) according to the Uses and Gratification theory by Katz. The coverlines also teases the audience, building up their anticipation using bold words and statements like “shock” and “less is more”. 

Industry

Vogue, similar to many brands of fashion magazines, also has a website which regularly posts their magazines and various other types of media such as videos and podcasts. These types of content can help to increase their audience as people may be more inclined to tune into media that can be accessed without fully focusing on them, allowing for them to multitask. This is major as convenience plays a big factor in what many individuals prefer to consume.

Magazine brand: Elle

Edition: 2009

Masthead/Title

The masthead of this magazine is Elle. Elle translates directly into the French word for “she” or “her”. This already suggests that this magazine brand caters generally to women. 

Typography

The masthead is quite big, takes up around a third of the cover page and is placed on the very top, very visible as it is almost neon yellow in colour. The shape of the typography is very elegant as it has a mixture of thin and thick weight for each letter, also giving quite a sharp look. The coverlines use the colour white, yellow and black. The coverlines are coloured depending on their position in the magazine. If the coverline is on top of a mainly white background, it is coloured black so that it contrasts the most and is visible. Some text from the coverlines are typed in a bold font so that they are easier to read and can grab attention quicker. In the double page which features an article, most of the text is relatively consistent in font and size with the exception of the drop cap which is much larger to grab the reader’s attention as well as the title of the article and the other subheadings that are in red since they are the main points of focus for the text. This same method is also used for the contents page of the magazine.

Image

The cover image features a female subject sitting on a chair with a seemingly suggestive pose wearing a relatively exposed outfit. The image is captured with a long shot, showing the entirety of the subject’s body. The lighting is quite dramatic and highlights the subject’s face as that is where the light mostly hits. The subject is gazing directly at the reader, directly addressing the reader. 

Language

The coverlines on the cover page mainly use words related to beauty in order to attract people (men). This suggests that the readers are most likely women who are looking for advice on how to take care and dress up themselves in order to become “hot” or attractive. This magazine seems to be made for a more mature but young audience, around 18 to 30 years old who usually still think about this kind of content. The use of the buzzword "free" is also highlighted, potentially drawing in the reader's attention. 

Representation

The subject on the cover image of the magazine is seemingly sexualized which generally conforms to the usual representation of women, particularly models. The aim of the image on the cover page is definitely to make the subject seem more seductive as it is also relevant to the content of the magazine. The images in the contents page also seem to follow this trend. The subjects are wearing very revealing clothing conforms to the representation of women being viewed as just beautiful and nothing more. 

Adverts

The usual products that are advertised in this type of magazine are makeup and clothes for women that are flattering and maybe revealing. Due to the mature theme of the magazine, alcohol may also be a possible product that may be advertised. For services, hotels and accommodations that are suitable for couple trips or honeymoons may be advertised.

I tried to use this format for the less detailed magazine analysis however I believe that it would take too long to analyse 3 more magazines with this layout so I am changing back to the original format. 

Edit: It turns out I misunderstood the assignment and I only needed to give my opinions about the magazines but more research doesn't hurt anyone!

Magazine brand: Vogue

Edition: September 2023

Representation

The models on the cover image are represented in a positive way as they are dressed up in seemingly expensive outfits while having a very clean look. This connotes that these women are “powerful” or “in control” as people must be very rich in order to purchase expensive clothes. The models are also all posed in a very striking and bold way, each giving off a lot of presence. This further pushes the agenda that these models are “untouchable” and independent. The double page spread also represents the models in a similar fashion, none of the camera angles are high in any of the images. The expressions of the models are quite intimidating which subverts the usual convention of women being friendly, warm and maternal.

Media Language

The convention of a usual fashion magazine is to feature a single subject as the focus of the main cover image. However, this magazine cover image seems to subvert from this convention and instead features 4 different subjects with distinctly different poses and style. This could indicate that the content of this magazine will feature something unexpected from the usual and may also include more stars or models than usual. This magazine will definitely appeal to those who are classy and prefer to purchase clothes and accessories from luxury brands as the subjects on the cover page also have quite a dignified and classy look. In addition, the cover page itself does not have a lot of text however, the cover has a selling line with the words “super fashion” capitalized to further highlight them. This may have been strategically done in order to build anticipation for the contents of the magazine. The lack of information on the cover page seems to assist in teasing the readers.

Audience

The audience for this Vogue magazine are most likely women who may be interested in pursuing fashion as a career or those who are regular enjoyers of luxury and branded fashion. This means that according to the Uses and Gratification theory by Katz, individuals would purchase this magazine for surveillance or personal identity. Another thing to note is that all 4 models on the cover page are directly looking towards the reader, addressing the reader directly. This may subconsciously persuade individuals to buy it as they may feel a sense of obligation.

What do I like?

I think that some of the images used in the double page spread are very clean and look very professional. I also like the image on the left which shows a model integrating as a part of the society, doing something normal like walking in the park. 

What do I dislike?

Personally I really dislike the way the images were arranged in the double page spread because it is quite distracting. I also think that some images should have been given their own page as they are too good to be cluttered around like that.

How is this relevant?

I am planning to create a fashion magazine so I think that taking inspiration from such a big magazine brand like Vogue would prove to be very beneficial for my research.

Magazine brand: Teen Vogue

Edition: January 2016

What do I like?

I really like how colorful and saturated the cover image is. Even though the cover image looks quite simple, I think that just because of how colourful the background is, the cover image is already very attention grabbing. I think I am also going to try and find a colorful background for my main cover image. The third image is something I would like to reference while adding a fashion tips page for my magazine. I think its very cool how each of the clothes and accessories were arranged one by one.

What do I dislike?

However, regarding the third image I think that the bottom left part of the third image is quite cluttered and messy so I would just add the clothes and remove the other images.

What do I like?

I think that the cover page is very colorful and the use of colors work very well. I really like how rich the red in the background is and the vignette in the background really makes the subject pop out. The use of gold and yellow text on the background really works well with each other and all the text is readable because the colours really contrast.  

What do I dislike?

The layout for the content of the magazine is very bland and there is just generally way too much text that may be overwhelming and boring for the readers to read. More images could have been used and placed strategically to help support the content of the text. For the contents page, I think the layout is also boring and way too tidy. I think that if the text was a bit more spread out it would be easier to read.

Here is a link to my Double Page Spread research and development.

https://jasminejosant-regentsmedia.blogspot.com/2023/11/double-page-spread-research-development.html

Reflection:

This research was relatively new to me so it was quite hard to comprehend what to do at first. The workload was quite a lot especially for the detailed cover page research. I think it was quite interesting to use media theories in order to make a connection with how the magazines utilize certain elements in order to attract their targeted audiences. It was interesting because I also never really realized that such “trivial” things could be used to influence the audience. Although I had complications with misunderstanding the task at times, I still think that I took a lot out of this research and I definitely understand more about magazines (especially their covers) now than I did before. For the double page spread research, I had a bit of a tough time trying to analyse the articles as they were quite a lot to read at times. Even so, after doing the research, I now have a rough idea of what I want to include and avoid while I’m writing the article for my magazine.

Weekly Progress and Plan

Here is my weekly progress for the magazine project and also a rough plan.

 Week 1: 

- Our teacher introduced us to the magazine brief and the instructions are a bit strict but I think I’ll find a way to make the contents of the magazine fit.

- We learned about the different parts of a magazine and certain conventions that are regularly used in the magazines. I brought a Dior magazine and realized that it doesn’t have most of the conventions that the usual magazines have.

Week 2:

- Our class have been introduced to the representation theory by Stuart Hall. This theory was quite challenging to wrap my head around but it made sense immediately after the lesson when I thought about it. Apparently meaning is created by media and subjects on their own do not have a fixed meaning. This will help in the magazine project as I can now conclude a meaning based on the contents of each page of the magazine based on representation.

- I need to analyse 5 more magazines for homework during the weekend.

- It is actually quite interesting to analyse the different purposes of each convention of a cover page. I started to think about them more after starting the magazine research so that was quite interesting. 

Week 3:

- This week I started to do research for my magazine. This included having to analyze 2 magazine front covers in detail as well as some less detailed analysis for the double page spreads. This week I couldn’t finish much as I underestimated how long it would take to finish the analysis and currently, I have only finished analyzing the 2 front covers. I’ll need to manage my time well to finish the research before the deadline (next Friday). I’ve also started to create the statements of intent for my magazine and it was actually quite challenging to figure out what I wanted to achieve with the creation of my magazine. It was hard to narrow down the genre of the magazine from just fashion. I’m still debating whether to make a general teen fashion magazine or a women’s teen fashion magazine. I’ll need to do more research and ask a few potential models if they are interested to finally choose which genre I want to focus on. 

- In addition, this week I changed the format of my weekly progress to be more reflective.

Week 4:

- This week I have completed the research that I had set for homework last week. A problem arose where I had done the wrong research for the less detailed magazine analysis but I think it isn’t too bad because I have more research for my magazine now.

- I started brainstorming for potential titles, headlines and images for my magazine and I think I’m quite satisfied with the title “Hip”. I still need to brainstorm for more coverlines because I think that the ones I have at the moment are unsatisfactory. For the images I am planning to add for my magazine I need to find a male model which may be difficult because not a lot of guys would like to be dressed up like how I want them to. I have already found someone who is interested in being my female model (a classmate from media studies) but I may need to search for more than one model. I’ll need to make sure to get the brainstorming done as soon as possible so I can start to collect and compile the people and resources that I will need for the contents of my magazine. I’ll try to find models by looking for people who are mutual acquaintances to the people I know in class. 

Week 5:

- This week we did a gallery walk which discussed about the different key concepts of media. I worker in  group with my two classmates and had to discuss about the Reception theory by Stuart Hall. I think that this activity was very helpful as it made me memorize and understand the basic concept of all the theories. This will be applied to my magazine project as I must understand how the theories work in order to know what to put in the content of my magazine articles.

- I also started research on the double page spreads of fashion magazines and I must complete the research before next week. I’ll have to research one more double page spread from another fashion magazine.

Week 6: 

- This week I have finished my research for the double paged spread and have started to write the article for my magazine’s double paged spread. I realized that I might have some problems because the research I did didn’t really reflect how teen fashion magazine articles are written so I might have to do additional research in my free time. Starting to write my article, I am trying to make my writing style more sassy to make it seem like a sassy teen fashionista is writing it. I honestly think it’s quite enjoyable writing in this style as I am also able to be a little bit more informal too. I’ll have to finish the draft article during my spare time and make sure to write at least 700 words.

Week 7:

This is the last week that I’ll be working on the magazine for this term. My teacher has given me a checklist to make sure that I have done and included all of the posts that I need for this project. One problem is that I still need to work on my magazine development and my article, I’ll have to finish those tasks before this Thursday. I’m having a bit of difficulties while working on my iPad but I will most likely polish all my posts with my laptop during my free time to make sure everything works and looks fine. As homework, I’ll have to scout potential locations for my photography during the long term break. I’ll go to around 3 to 4 different locations so I am sure about which location I would like to have my photoshoot in. Here is the checklist I received from my teacher. I’ll be sure to complete it by the end of this week:

End of Week 7 Refection:

This weekly progress post has greatly helped me in keeping track of what I’ve done so far for the project. Although sometimes I find myself thinking that its a bit useless, whenever I am unsure of what I have done so far I look back to this post to make sure that I have already finished a task. This post saves me a lot of time so I don’t have to open up my blog posts one by one when I need to double check my progress. I also think it gives me a lot space to reflect on the things I have done so far. This ensures that I’ll never repeat the mistakes I have made in the past for the duration of this project so far.

Semester 2 

Week 1:

This is semester 2 now, I’ll go back to week 1 just to make is easier for me. This week we started to implement a new system to study called connect. This will help me to remember more easily as I have to talk about information that relates to me which will help to make it stick more easily to my head. Other than that, we learned about production, distribution and exhibition of media in the industry. This will relate to this magazine project as I believe we need to understand the processes of production for our magazines to be able to make them. I also received feedback from my media teacher, Mr. Nick and I’ll be adjusting my blog based on that this week. Lastly, I have now made a post for my location scout and risk assessment which will help me in deciding my final location as I’ll have to weigh and compare the risks, pros and cons. 

Problems:

One problem I have is that I currently do not have enough pictures and locations for my location scout as I went to Korea for my holiday and didn’t have time to complete the location scout homework. I also started working on my risk assessment however my progress was accidentally deleted as I had forgot to save the progress.

Solutions:

For now, I have used one location from Korea which is similar to one that I could find in Bali. I’m simply using it as a location reference as it is similar to what I am looking for and will add more on to the research that I currently have. I will take time from the weekends to continue to look for more locations and take pictures too. As for the risks assessment, I’ll have to complete it in my free time.

To-do:

Week 2:

This week we learned about magazine layouts and how to take pictures for the magazines. I think that for now I’m still having a lot of challenges with designing the layout for my magazine. I also think that I need to definitely work on my photography skills since I definitely underestimated how hard it is. Designing the draft for our magazine cover page was actually quite fun since I got to loosely experiment with composition and other poses. I maybe also need to reconsider some of the poses I have drafted.

Problems:

My photography skills are very limited, I don’t have a specific model I’ll choose for the photoshoot and I think I need to use a better camera.

Solutions:

I’ll watch youtube tutorials and ask for advice from my peers with more photography experience, I’ll contact my male peer to become my model for my magazine cover page. Lastly, I think I’ll borrow a better camera from my father to take the pictures if I am able to.

Shooting schedule (to-do):

I’ll take the pictures next weekend, January 27th, 2024. 

Week 3:

This week I worked on making the mockups of the magazine. I used pictures that I took quickly in class with my peers just to find the overall feel of the layout I should use for my final magazine. I had to apply the skills I learned last week for this project and I think I did rather well for my first time. I talked to my teacher, Mr. Nick about the layout of my mockup magazine and he suggested some changed I should make to improve the readability of my magazine cover page.

Problems:

The major problem is that I am really slow in this process as I am more of a perfectionist. I stumbled through a lot of problems like not having a margin, however I've already found out a solution by searching on google. I need to make sure that my work flow will be faster so I could finish this project on time!

Solutions:

I'll start timing when I work on the magazine and I'll try not to focus into every little detail. I'll research about composition techniques on youtube so I could ensure that my magazine would be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

To-do:

I still need to take the photoshoot for my main cover image, finish the mockup practice and write the reflections too.

Week 4:

This week we started making the critical self reflection presentation and I think that its honestly a lot of work. I’ve already taken the pictures that I need for the front cover page of my magazine and I think they turned out pretty well! I think I’ll edit it more in post production so that the image pops up a lot more and can gain attention from the “audience” easier.

Problems:

I got sick and I lost a lot of time to work on my project. I also still need to work a lot more on making the posts as I have been quite bad at time management and didn’t have the time to add them. I’ll make sure to finish them by the end of this or next week because I’ll need to finish them in order to make the critical self reflection.

Solutions:

I'll make sure to ask my peers about what I need to catch up on and I will also check up with my teacher just in case.

To-do:

I'll need to make the Canva presentation for the critical self reflection and ask my teacher and peers about the work I must catch up with.

Week 5: 

This week I started working on my front cover page with the final images I took of my peers. I actually had to adjust the colors of the pictures a bit so that I would go nicely with the colors I wanted to use for all the text and the layout.

Problems:

I actually found it really hard to format what I had in mind so I’m thinking to change my magazine theme to more of a vintage-esque one instead. This will definitely mean more work and more research I’ll have to do which is sort of a bummer.

Solutions:

I’ll work on the magazine on my own in the holidays so that I could catch up as soon as possible.

Week 6:

This week we had 3 project lessons, I worked on my front cover, contents page and double spread! I think that honestly it was a pretty challenging project to do since I’ve never done something like it in the past. I haven’t fully polished and finished all three of them but I will make sure to finish them during the weekend. I’ve asked feedback from my teachers and peers numerous times so I think that my progress so far is quite solid!

Problems:

Again, I have a lot of project work that is stacking up due to my poor time management. One of the lessons were also cut by half because of a ceremony that occurred before school.

Solutions: 

I’ll make sure to stay at home and complete it as well as ask feedback from my peers again. 

To-do:

I'll need to finish the front, contents, and double pages as well as complete their research and development. I'll also make sure that I will finish my critical self reflection too.

Week 7:

This is the final week and I'm really working on a time crunch. I've finished all of the To-dos that I set for myself surprisingly and I’m very relieved I managed to finish before the deadline. I had a lot of trouble and had to stay up a lot to finish all of the remaining things I had to do for the project but I think that the final result made it all worth the time and effort! I talked a lot to my teacher and peers this week because I had to make sure that my magazine and all the pages looked alright, I think it really helped though because if I didn’t, I think I would’ve chosen a theme and colors that would not be suitable for what I was going for. At first when I started working on developing my magazine it was increadibly slow and I was really worried but once I got the hang of it, it was actually relatively fine. I also inputted some advertisements to my pages last minute because I thought it would feel more like a real magazine if I did so and I could also write it as a method to gain profit from the magazine. 

Problems:

My main problem is that I left all of the bulky and hard work towards the end of the deadline. I had only 4 days to finish the list of things I had to do from last week and I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. My poor time management skills really did come to bite me back in the end but I think that I’ve learned my lesson now!

Solutions:

Though its not the best solution, it is still a way to work around the problem. Again as I said before, I stayed up late to compensate the time I lost and worked on it during the nights. I do still think that it was worth all that work though because I think that the magazine turned out pretty decently.

Cambridge submission week:

Our teacher has given us feedback over the long term break. I have been told to add more media terms to my critical self reflections which I have already changed accordingly. Besides that, I also managed to squeeze a bit more development for the distribution aspect of my magazine. I think that it definitely helped a lot getting the feedback since I really didn’t realize how many gaps of information I had beforehand. It was really fun working on the critical self reflection for the past week and I hope it all goes well!

Semester 2 Reflection:

This weekly progress and tracker really helped me to keep track of all my to-dos so I wouldn’t forget about the work I had due. I also think that using this tracker helped me narrow down solutions for problems I couldn’t solve before because every problem I had is documented in this tracker in order to prevent me from making the same mistakes again. At first during the beginning of this project, I was really overwhelmed with the fact that I had to make a magazine because its a completely new experience so the project really made me worry a lot. As time went by though, I started learning new skills one by one to be able to make the magazine easily and I think it really helped me get the general gist of what to have and what to avoid while making the magazine. I really have to thank my teacher because he did a fantastic job in explaining some complicated topics. At some point I even felt like the project was fun (but of course the main feeling I had was stress as the deadlines were relatively short). Some skills I can take away from this project are time management, creative thinking and communication! Time management was a skill that was neccessary for this project. My constant reflections and documenting helped me keep track of things and made sure I finished my work before the deadlines. As I continue to keep documenting, this will help me in other subjects and my future career as deadlines are important and meeting them are important too as it ensures that work is done. I also had to think creatively to design my magazine in a way that it would stand out but still look generally similar to other magazines in the same genre. To do this, I really had to think outside the box because I had to use some elements that I never tried using before and it was a lot of trial and error. This is important especially if I want to be an entrepreneur in the future and want to create a unique selling point. I had to learn how to convey my message through the magazine. This was challenging as unless its an article, maagzines tend to limit too many words as it may cause the readers to be overwhelmed and stop reading the magazine. Especially with the hook coverlines, I had to make sure that they were interesting so that it would be sure that the audience would be attracted to it. This is important because I also want to work with marketing which is all about gaining attention through proper communication in different forms.

Week	Term 2	Week	Term 3
1 (2 Oct)	Brief, Research	8 ( 8 Jan)	Development
2	Research	9	Shoot
3	Research	10	Shoot, Self Reflection
4	Proposal	11	Post Production
5	Development	12	Post Production
6	Development	13 (12 Feb)	Deadline (Monday 12th February)
7	Development	14

Component 1 - Brief

 Here is the brief for Component 1. I have decided to choose the magazine option.