Other Student Websites

Here are some examples of student websites to look at. I don't know what grade they achieved, but we can use them to look at the sort of work expected at A Level:

https://nicolaevans15.wixsite.com/twofaced


https://lucymagor1.wixsite.com/lucymagornea

Student 1
Word Count:
523
I aim to create a women’s lifestyle magazine aimed at a target audience of 18-30 year old women. The magazine and associated website will be focussed on the lifestyle genre - fitness, beauty/makeup looks advice and fashion. I will be using media language within the construction of my marketing materials for my magazine ‘Two Faced’ in order to communicate clear messages about genre and my models significance; appealing to my target demographic.
I will be creating a summer edition and a winter edition, the summer edition being the focus for my article. As my target audience is female, I aim to include relevant conventions such as the colour pink which connotes femininity, elegance and refinement; representing gender. On both of the covers the masthead will be written in Sans Serif in the colour white. This appeals to a higher social class as Sans Serif is a sophisticated font and the colour white connotes purity and cleanliness. The magazine covers will feature close up shots of my models representing the individuals, conforming to Gauntletts identity theory, potentially influencing my audiences identities. The close up shots will enable direct address, engaging my audience. I will be using colour psychology in order to make my edition recognisable to my target audience. For example the colour yellow which connotes sunshine and positivity, persuading them to confide in my magazine. My title and masthead will appeal to my target audience. These two aspects are vital in magazine publishing as the title says a lot about the content of the magazine, and naturally the audiences eye is drawn towards it. This, along with the colour scheme and iconography will appeal to a female audience.
Within my double spread article I will add a range of smaller images with different shot types to interest the reader and give them extended information. I will use high key lighting, saturation and contrast to edit my 6 article images and close up shots for my two cover images, giving them a professional tone. My colour palette will vary from the summer edition to the winter edition where I will use lighter palettes such as yellow and pink to connote sunshine and the holidays, differentiating to my winter edition which will include autumnal colours such as orange and grey. Additionally, I will construct representations of issues and events in the content of my website, where I will draw attention to a social issue experienced by women in my article, associated with health and body image.
Researching the popular lifestyle magazine ‘The cosmopolitan’ as inspiration due to its celebrity makeup and fashion articles they charge £2 per magazine. Therefore taking my survey results into consideration I’m going to charge £1.85 per magazine, in order to find a middle ground for my audience but still be able to categorise it as a high-end. Finally, to demonstrate digital convergence I will promote my brand name on my website. Allowing my audience to access my content through hard copy, digitally and additionally listen through podcast if they don’t like interactive media. This will appeal to an older demographic as well encouraging global audiences to engage in digital convergence

Student 2
Word count - 497
The magazine I am creating is a high end, lifestyle women's fashion and culture magazine. I am inspired by Vouge and the new British editor - Edward Enninful. ‘Virtue’ connotes quality and strength. Medium CU’s on my summer and winter edition will be invitational (Marjorie Ferguson) to millennials, mainly aspirers and explorers. I will use props such as a summer hat to emphasise the summer mood for my magazine and a warm colour pallet, yellow for summer and red for winter. The model will follow conventions and use direct address to engage the reader and feel as if they are looking at them, inviting them to read the magazine. Furthermore I will use costume to style my model by using a lemon material wrapped around my models body to create a dress, and a fur hat and jacket for my winter edition. I will subvert Laura Mulvey’s male gaze theory to empower women and make them feel as if the magazine is a place to ‘open up to’. I want my magazine to be open to a wide range of cultures. My magazine ‘Virtue’ is in a serif sophisticated font to appeal to my audience of A,B,C1.
I will construct representations of individuals, groups and issues/events by discussing prejudice in the music industry. Within my article images will present the singer as realistic, a star and victimised. Pull quotes and teasers on the cover will entice my readers ‘Exclusive interview’. My article is about the VMA’s and how they have been biased against black artists. This will interest my audience as it is often a controversial topic. A ‘Childhood Memory’ feature sidebar will allow the audience to self identify and presents the star as ‘ordinary’ – Richard Dyer.
Within my article I will target my intended audience 18-35 by using Twitter to appeal to the younger demographic and an intertextual link to an old band or TV show to appeal to the older demographic. I want my audience to self identify with the article by using colloquial but a serious tone within the language and relate to a time where they have felt discriminated against or bullied. I am not using provocative clothing on my models as the women in my magazines are portraying a much stronger and serious message.
For my magazine the publication house I will be using is Condé Nast international, which also brands many other high end magazines such as Vogue, Allure and Tatler. I am using Condé Nast because it is regarded as the dominant upmarket publisher in the industry, working with the significant creative talents in all the sectors. I will also be creating a ‘Virtue’ website promoting the magazine, topics will include teasers, latest travel updates and celebrity fashion. Imagery and house style will create a sophisticated feel and synergy. An audio visual will allow for audience interaction and an exclusive about Paris starting with a medium long shot of ‘Lucy Brooke’ on a balcony followed by a ‘Q&A’ of recommendations.

BRIEF 2: Magazines

A cross-media production for a new monthly lifestyle magazine in a genre (or sub-genre) of your choice.

Create print pages for a new magazine and associated audio/audio-visual or online material to promote the same magazine.

You should create a cross-media production for a mainstream publisher (e.g. Condé Nast or Time Inc.) targeting an audience of 18-35 year old ‘millennials’.

Task 1: Print

Create two original front covers and a double page feature article for your new magazine. The front covers should be for different editions of the same magazine, for example a summer and winter edition.

Length: 4 pages including at least 8 original images in total.

Minimum requirements

Each front cover:

 Original title and masthead for the magazine

 Strapline

 Cover price and barcode

 Main cover image plus additional images if appropriate to the chosen genre (all original)

 At least four cover lines

Double page feature article:

 Headline and standfirst, sub-headings

 One main image and additional smaller/minor images (all original and different from the images on the two covers)

 Representations of at least one specific social group

 Feature article (approximately 400 words) relating to one of the cover lines on the front cover

 Pull quotes and/or sidebar

AND:

Task 2: Online

Create a new functioning website, to include a working homepage and one linked page, to promote your magazine to its target audience.

Length: 2 pages, including 30-45 seconds of embedded audio or audio-visual material related to the topic.

Minimum requirements

Homepage:

 Original title and masthead for the magazine

 Menu bar

 Main image plus at least two other images (all original and different from those used in the magazine) that relate to the chosen genre of magazine

Working links to one further page from the website:

 One feature article relevant to the genre (or sub-genre) of magazine (this must be different from the main feature article in the print product)

These pages must include:

 Written text appropriate to the content of the magazine (approximately 200 words in total)

 30-45 seconds of original audio or audio-visual material related to the topic embedded into one of the pages (e.g. interview with someone featured in the magazine or footage relating to the topic of an article)

Teacher Coments:

Student 1 – this was all thrown together at the last minute. Completely agree with all your comments.

SOA – 6

8/20 – not sure if this was too harsh

14/30 – imagery especially the website is good

Band 2/3

Student 2 – Pleased with students efforts, might bump it up a little based on your feedback

SOA – 8

17/20

24/30

Band 5