COURSEWORK Brief

Link to brief: I am going to do brief 3: 
'Magazine and Online' Requirements of the brief: You work for an independent media production company. You have been given the task of producing the front cover and one contents page for each of the first two editions of a new fashion magazine that is being launched by Bauer and the working website for the magazine. Bauer intends to sell the magazines retailers. Contents pages can be either single or double page spread. The two front covers and contents pages must feature a diverse range of fashion issues and styles appropriate to its target audience. The web pages must promote the new magazine to its target audience and enable fans to interact with the content.

Summary of brief requirements: 
• Statement of Intent (approx. 500 words).
• Fashion magazine covers and contents pages: two or three pages for each of the first two editions (based on choice of single or double page spread).
• Magazine distribution method: Content must be suitable for retail distribution.
• Number of web pages: One homepage and one linked page.
• Cross media production target audience: A culturally sophisticated, 16–25 class AB demographic. There must be a clear sense of branding across the two elements of the cross-media production. Production detail: The production of the two magazine covers and contents pages must include (as a minimum):
• At least four different main images using original photography across the cover and contents pages. • Editing of magazine covers and contents pages (including photos, text, graphics, typography and layout). Written text including masthead, main coverline, selling lines, headlines, captions, subtitles and copy. • A different setting for each magazine cover (this may be the same location with a significantly different use of staging, mise-en-scene and / or lighting). • Different material for each magazine contents page.
• At least two models representing at least two different social groups across the covers and contents pages. • A call to action pointing readers to the online website. The production of the web pages must include (as a minimum):
• A minimum of two original images, (with at least one different original image on each of the two pages) that promotes and reinforces the brand identity of the magazine (e.g. use of models, locations and clothing to create a strong sense of style).
• Appropriate conventions of website design, including an original title and logo for the magazine and a menu bar.
• Text introducing the main features of the online website.
• Working links from the home page to the other page.
• A range of appropriate media language techniques (typography, images, fonts, backgrounds, logos etc.) as appropriate to the purpose of the website.
• Original audio or audio-visual content appropriate to the online website.

COURSEWORK Research - Codes and Conventions

MAGAZINE COVER SAMPLES

Masthead around in a border line.
A sort of sense of direct mode of address.
Typography- Non- Serif, rough style of font.
Lighting effect was natural and then changed to make the photograph seem like a Polaroid.
Outside setting- In a race track.
Mese en Scene- No props, very minimalistic, just race track and model. No barcode.

Masthead located at the top.

Typography is very basic, lower caps, non- serif.

Mese en Scene- Looks like a bathroom (tiles), very minimalistic especially with no props. In border there is a 'Parental Advisory Explicit Content' logo next to barcode at the bottom of the page.

No direct mode of address, hand is covering face.

Lighting is Rembrandt, natural lighting. 

Setting is inside, however, is standing by a window. 

Masthead located at the top right.

The Typography is serif, fancy, old English font. 

Mese en Scene- outside standing by a wall, cover lines- serif fonts lower left of the cover. No barcode.

Lighting is Rembrandt. 

Editing including filtering to seem more rustic. 

No direct mode of address, model is looking to the side.  

Masthead is located at the top. 

Typography is a mixture of serif and non- serif, highlighting the model is serif, and so is the masthead. Cover lines are a mixture of italic and serif and non serif located around the sides of the photograph. 

Setting is located outside on the street using natural lighting around the model.
Effect includes a texture filter.
Mese en Scene- Model holding a bandana, a casual setting nothing set for the photograph.
Direct mode of address.

Masthead located at the bottom.
Typography is very minimalistic, using non- serif fonts.
Mese en Scene- Model's name is identified, taken outside- bush of flowers.
Setting is outside with a bush of flowers.
Lighting is natural from the sun- broad.
No effects seem to be.

WEBSITE SAMPLES

All models are all looking directly into the camera.
• All titles are placed top centre.
• All of the colours of the titles somewhat colour co- ordinate the image of the cover.
• All models have a very serious look.
• None of the models seem to be wearing obvious makeup.
• These magazines have not broken any codes or conventions.
• The poses of the models are quite natural and very simple.
• There does not seem to be any codes in these magazine covers they all seem to be promoting a fashion magazine and that is all.

LIGHTING AND CAMERA RESEARCH:
CANON 600D:
The Canon EOS 600D is an 18.0 megapixel digital single-lens reflex camera, released by Canon on 7 February 2011.
A DSLR camera is a digital single-lens reflex camera. What this means is inside the camera’s body is a mirror that reflects the light coming from the lens and sends it through a prism (in higher-end DSLRs) or a series of mirrors (usually in lower-end models) and finally to the optical viewfinder. This is how you can see what you’re shooting, right through the lens.
When the shutter is pressed, the mirror inside the camera flips up — which is where the term reflex comes into play — and sends the light coming through the lens directly to the sensor instead of the viewfinder.
The advantage of this setup, compared to that of a mirrorless or point-and-shoot camera, is that you can see, in real-time, the exact scene you’re going to capture. There’s no lag, as there tends to be with point-and-shoots and mirrorless cameras where the sensor has to transfer what it’s seeing to a separate digital display elsewhere on the camera. On the downside, you can’t preview your exposure settings through the viewfinder the way you can on a mirrorless camera. (If you haven’t gathered by now, mirrorless cameras are so named because they don’t have a DSLR’s reflexing mirror.)
High resolution swivel LSD screen has good flexibility so it makes it good to shoot from high or low angles or self portraits makes it practical to shoot video.
Resolution of 1 million pixels it makes pictures very sharp and clear.
Auto focus during video is available but is not the best at practical. To get best results turn off auto focus and turn on manual focus screen on the lens.
Movie quality is very high.
Colours remain consistent and grabs or vibrant and natural colours.
Comes with a built in microphone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mg_amcAk4o

PANASONIC LUMIX- LX7
•  1/1.7in (7.6×5.7mm) multi-aspect-ratio MOS sensor
•  10.1 million effective pixels
•  ISO 80-6400 (extendable to ISO 12,800)
•  4.7-17.7mm (24-90mm equivalent) f/1.4-2.3 DC Vario-Summilux Leica lens
•  11fps high-speed burst mode
The point of focus of this change seems to be the use of a large imaging sensor. A large sensor provides, among other things, a greater ability to collect light (and therefore improved performance in low light) and more control over depth of field, which makes it easier to blur a background. It comes as something of a surprise, then, that the imaging sensor in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 is actually smaller than that in its predecessor, and therefore some of its direct competition, too, such as the Olympus XZ-1. Like its LX5 predecessor, the LX7 uses a multi-aspect ratio sensor, which means it is designed to maximise the number of pixels used by the sensor when switching between aspects. The sensor is 7.6×5.7mm (approx) in size and packs in 12.7 million pixels, with up to 10.1 million pixels (effective) being used at any one time. Full-resolution capture is possible at 11fps for 12 frames with the focus and exposure fixed (compared to 2.5fps in the LX5). A 5fps burst mode allows continuous tracking AF during capture, while up to a 60fps burst is also possible at a 2.5-million-pixel image size.
LEDs are available in a wide range of colours and intensities. Adjusting your camera settings and your processing to your film, you can choose the LED lighting that fits your needs. LED lights are available in daylight or tungsten balance, as well as bi-colour. While your eyes cannot always see the difference between one light and another, your camera can. By shooting with the right LED lighting, you can capture colours that look far more like they do in real life, saving you post-processing time later on. Many LED lights are also dimmable and can be brightened or lowered by remote control, giving you more control over the brightness of the lighting you are using.

Furthermore, a time-lapse mode has been added, for which a start date and time can be selected along with shooting intervals of up to 30mins for a total of 60 frames.
Auto focus is fast and manual focus is easy to use.
Photos are very sharp.
Videos are recorded full HD at 50 frames a second making videos very smooth with details very clear.
Lowlight macros landscapes portraits every photo was finished with packed with detail and a level or clarity that cannot normally be achieved.
With portraits you are able to create very professional photos with the subject in focus and the background blurred.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe58W8qfqu4

OSMO X3
The X3, which is packaged, can shoot up to 4K (very high quality) video and take 12MP stills.

LED LIGHT PANELS
LED panel lights are a thin panel that provide perfectly even illumination across their surface. While they can be used for most general lighting applications, they are mainly designed as a replacement for fluorescent tubes in grid ceilings. They are the newest and most exciting technological advances in the lighting industry, which appeared relatively recently and gained popularity in our market because of its advantages – high quality illumination, long life and endurance.
At this moment, there are LED sources and modules available on the market, which are strong enough to be used as infrastructure lighting such as street or park lighting, and even architecture lighting of office buildings, stadiums and bridges. They also prove to be useful as a primary source of light in production plants, warehouses and office spaces.
           
Advantages of LED lighting
LEDs are one of the greatest benefits of LED lights. LEDs used in this type of lighting have high work efficiency and thus may run for up to 11 years compared to energy saving lamps with service life less than a year. For example, LEDs operating 8 hours per day will last for about 20 years of service life, and only after this period, we will be forced to replace the light source for new one. In addition, frequent switching on and off has no negative impact on the service life, while it has such impact in case of older type of lighting.
In LED technology, we are able to obtain each illumination light colour. Basic colours are white, red, green and blue, but with today’s technology, progress is so advanced that we can get any colour. Every individual LED RGB system has three sections, each of which gives a different colour from the RGB palette colour – red, green, blue.
Many of us have been in studios where it quickly gets unbearably hot because of the heat given off by conventional lights. LEDs keep talent and photographers more comfortable throughout the shooting process. But, the cool nature of LED studio lights does not stop at making the room more comfortable. These cooler running lights have advantages over hotter conventional bulbs. An LED light can be squeezed into a corner where it would be dangerous to put a traditional light. Gels can be clipped to them without burning. And, running cool means there is little to no cool-down period when a shoot is over, allowing you to use your time more efficiently.
LED allows you to see lighting as you compose your shot here flashguns provide a strong burst of light only when you take your shot. With an LED lighting panel, you can see how much light is needed while your are putting the scene together and to adjust as necessary. This way, you can get an idea of what you need right away instead of having a lot of trial and error along the way. While you may need to put an LED panel close to what you are shooting, the low heat makes it possible to do that without risk of discomfort or injury. There is no one right way to outfit your studio with lighting to get professional-grade results. But with the expanding range of kits from Savage, you can gradually build up a high quality set up without having to break the bank.


Disadvantages of LED lighting
LED lighting is more expensive investment than a traditional light sources. However, it is important to keep in mind that here the lifespan is much longer (over 10 years) than for regular light bulbs and at the same time it consumes several times less energy than the old type of lighting. During operation of one LED light source of a good quality, we would be forced to purchase min. 5-10 bulbs of the old type, which would not necessarily result in savings of our wallet.
Temperature sensitivity – Quality of diodes’ lighting is highly dependent on the ambient operating temperature. At high temperatures there are changes in the parameters of the current passing through the semiconductor elements, which can lead to burning out of the LED module. This issue affects only the places and surfaces exposed to very rapid increases of temperature or very high temperature (steel mills).

LEDZILLA SINGLE POINT LED
It is solidly engineered, and very well thought-out. There are barndoors on either side, and a diffuser and an amber gel that can be flipped in and out. It folds up into a fairly compact unit.
One of the things that set this apart from the other LED video lights that I’ve seen is that the beam can be focused. In the series of photographs just how much it can be focused.
Another bonus is that it can be powered from various sources, including Sony and Panasonic batteries.
The Dedo Ledzilla is quite pricey though – $560.00
For those images, the LED lights had their respective gels over to match them with Tungsten light. You can pull in the colour balance for each shot to have the skin tone look pleasant.
However, in each pull-back shot can notice the colour balance being different from the others.  While you can fix the colour balance as part of your normal RAW workflow, the actual colour balance can make a difference if you’re shooting with other Tungsten balanced light sources. Here are the three portraits of Anelisa, with the WB set to 3000K in editing the RAW files.
The Dedo Ledzilla has a noticeable strong Magenta colour cast. Simple enough to fix this in post-processing of the RAW file, as shown in the main photograph of Anelisa. But as mentioned, this may be a problem if this unit is used with other Incandescent light sources. The blue and purple colours you see in the background, coming in from behind Anelisa, is the daylight, which is obviously a much cooler WB than the Tungsten balanced video lights.
It is compact and easy enough to fit into a camera bag. You are able to switch the light on for long periods, and it doesn’t run hot. You can switch it off, and there’s no need to have it cool down first to put it back into a small bag.
For a photo shoot where you have need of a video light, and have the opportunity and time to set up a light, for example with a boudoir photo session then the Lowel ID-light is my choice. While it does run hot, and the battery doesn’t last nearly as long as the batteries for an LED light, it is hard to beat for quantity and quality of light.

COURSEWORK Statement of Intent

Q1

"How do you intend to use the flour areas of the media theoretical frame work to communicate meaning and meet the requirements of your chosen brief?" 
(400 words) 

To ensure my magazine will fit the brief I am going to appeal to the 16-25 year old culturally sophisticated AB demographic. I am going to design a magazine with a simplistic appearance and to not be covered in text. This magazine will not follow a typical Bauer magazine as I am aiming my product at a different demographic, urban fashion. I intent this to be more contemporary and sophisticated. I want to create a mediated aspiration image towards my audience as they read the magazine, to achieve this I will by using models that fit the AB demographic. I want to include different cultures into my magazine, this will be done to create a pluralistic ideal, and I want to bring something new to Bauer magazine. The idea is to create a gender fluid magazine this will be able to create a broader audience as both men and women could happily be interested in the content inside.

Looking at the website to fit the brief I will have to use gender neutral colours. By doing this the website will be open to both genders where everyone can feel comfortable using the site. As the website being the smaller financial viable product, it must be essential for the site to be useable by as many people as possible to increase users for the website to become the financial status. I will try and ensure that my website reflects to my magazine so it is obvious that the website and the magazine are related whilst featuring a contemporary and urbane style. As my demographic is aimed at a younger age group who have been exposed to technology the majority of their life will make using the website easily therefore I will try and make it colourful and full of images to intrigue the audience. Whilst my intention for the magazine is altered to Bauer’s style, this will be the same for the website. I want to introduce something new to the company featuring now urban youth the broaden their audience. 

Q2

"How do you intend to link your media products to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the digitally convergent nature of your media production?"

(100 words)

I have used my website to promote my magazine as currently my magazine is brand new and is the financially viable product out of the two. As my brand continues to grow I will increase more space on my website allowing adverts to increase my financial status. As more people go online and less people buying physicals copies of a magazine I can use my website to my advantage and use the online platform to create fiance and promote my magazine hoping people will increase people buying the magazine whilst increasing the customer base online.