Magazine

B324: Production Portfolio

This piece of coursework is carried out in the Autumn term of year 11 and is worth 30%. It is a group project but all members of the group will receive an individual mark based on their contribution.

(The information below is taken from the OCR Media Studies Specification)

The purpose of this unit is to assess: 

• Candidates’ skills of research, planning and presentation and planning through the 

construction of their own practical production (AO3) 

• Candidates' ability to construct and evaluate their own products using creative and technical 

skills (AO4).

The key concepts which will be focussed on are: 

• audience
• institutions
• media language
• genre

This is a controlled assessment unit, internally assessed and externally moderated. Candidates will work as part of a group to produce a major practical production in response to briefs set by OCR. They must also produce individual evidence of research and planning and an individual evaluation of their finished work.

Evidence of research, planning and each candidate’s individual contribution to the production must be presented in an individual Production Log.

Brief: Print

An extract from a new magazine aimed at a specific audience, to include the front cover, 

contents page and a double-page spread article, using some original photography.

Each member of the group will need to create their own double-page spread.

Coursework Overview

Success Criteria and Levels

Conventions - Video

Magazine Terminology

Magazine Design - great website with tutorials

How to design a magazine front cover - the basics

The Evolution of Magazine Covers

Below is an outline of the tasks you are expected to carry out. Some tasks are to be completed as a group and some you will do on your own. Remember, to get the higher grades you will carry out some independent research tasks as well.

Research and Planning

1.  Production Log Note: Complete on a weekly basis with a short description of task(s) you completed during that week, with screenshots or images of evidence.

2.  Research into similar media

3.  Target audience survey

4.  Survey results analysis

5.  Target audience profile

6.  Rough drafts

7.  Digital drafts

8.  Flat plan

9.  Copy for front cover and contents page

10.  Copy for double page spread

11.  Shot list

12.  Shooting schedule

13.  Photography for front cover and contents page

14.  Photography for double page spread

15.  Magazine - draft version

16.  Evidence of organisation and planning. Note: This should be meeting notes where you have discussed: locations, costumes, actors, props for photos, etc. with images to show ideas and meeting notes

Production

17.  Final front page 

18.  Final contents page

19.  Final double page spread

Evaluation

20.  Evaluation of the product and process.

Photoshop Tutorials

Create guidelines for your page

Set up and basic tools

Create a front cover





Create a double-page spread



Hair selection




Quick selection and refine edge tool



Editing Colour



Text Tool



Spot Removal!



Skin Glow Effects


Healing Brush and Clone Stamp