Deadline Date: Tuesday 12th December

You will need to hand in your completed coursework by the end of today's lesson. If your bus has been cancelled due to snow, you will need to hand in your work in on Wednesday instead. Please come and sign the hand-in sheet at the English office.


Ensure that you have included the following pieces of work:

• Research and Planning Powerpoint 
• Magazine Product - Front page, Contents Page and Double Page Spread
• Evaluation

Advice for your evaluation
Some are struggling to limit their word count to 800 words. Make sure you are writing concise sentences which describe what decisions you made. Avoid vague sentences like:


I made my magazine colourful to catch the eye of my target audience.


This is not going to add much to your mark. You need to explain why colour appeals by referencing what you have learnt about your target audience. It would be appropriate to comment on conventions of colour or even connotations behind your chosen colours. By being specific about the effect on the Target Audience or the aesthetic appearance of your product you can justify your choices using media terminology in order to secure the marks.


I used bright primary colours for my masthead font to appeal to a younger demographic. The BBC's CBeebies magazine uses the same bright yellow colour to connote fun and happiness, something that parents are keen to promote for their children. Young readers enjoy bright colours as they are familiar with them from nursery and feel confident that they appeal to them.


This would secure many more marks, as it uses media terminology and fully explains appeal and the things you learnt from the pre-production research and planning stage. 


Task: Improve your evaluation

1. Highlight all of the media terminology words. 
2. Check your word count is less than 800 words.
3. Say what you did, why you did it and the impact on the final product's success with everything you comment on.
4. Cut out vague sentences.

GCSE WORK

Today is deadline day

By the end of the second lesson today (period 4 with Mr Smith) you need to have submitted the following:

1. The final version of your magazine cover - printed in colour on A4
2. The final version of your magazine contents page - printed in colour on A4 or A3 as applicable
3. The final version of your magazine double page spread - printed in colour on A3

If you need work to do then you can make a gallery of the creation process for the cover, contents page and double page spread.

Draft Magazine Evaluation

You need to answer the following questions in as much detail as possible. This is a very important part of this project.

Answer each question in as much detail as possible. Add examples from all parts of your work.

• How effective was your research into similar magazines and relevant target audiences? What did you learn from your research into these two areas? In what ways did this shape the creation of your magazine?
• What creative decisions did you have to make at the different stages of your magazine production? How did your magazine change as your work progressed?
• How closely does your magazine follow the forms and conventions of existing magazines? Gives examples of real magazines you reference.
• How successful is your finished magazine? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Work To Do - Monday 21st November

• Complete a 'To Do List'- do this on the back of your list from Friday
• Work through the five things you have chosen to do - be productive and use your time wisely. Don't waste the lesson.
• Print out and hand in copies of your cover, contents page and double page spread (I will comment on these for the next lesson)
• At the end of the lesson - quickly evaluate your success today and reflect on what you have to do for the rest of the week (do this on the back of the 'To Do List' sheet

Reminder: The deadline is Friday 25th November

Do this now - to do list

Do this now - to do list from Neill Ford

Magazine feedback

• use the blue guidelines (drag from the rulers)
• use the grid (CTRL @)
• align text properly - use columns or grids/ boxes
• add page numbers to all pages
• page 1 is the cover, page 2 is the page behind the cover
• contents page is page 3 minimum
• left hand page = EVEN NUMBERS
• right hand page = ODD NUMBERS
• don't have consecutive pages on your contents page - REMEMBER magazines have adverts
• don't end the page numbers on a low number on your contents page - think about how many pages your magazine would have
• make sure text is legible (can you read it?)
• credit the writer and the photographer (make names up if necessary)
• use headings on your dps
• use pull quotes on images and in articles
• use at least two columns of text per page on your dps
• cover needs a barcode, price, issue and a date
• look at real magazines for idea
• make sure text isn't too big (compare your work to a real magazine)
• pay attention to gutters and margins (you need to use them)
• make sure you mark the centre of your dps with a guideline

Deadline Day - Friday 14th October

Friday 14th October is Deadline Day

You must hand in your folder at the end of Mr Smith's lesson.

Your folder must include:

• Research and planning LIST HERE
• Draft magazine cover on A4
• Draft magazine contents page on A4 or A3 (as appropriate)
• Draft magazine double page spread on A3

All magazine elements must be in printed in colour.

If any of the work is missing you will have an after school detention in the week following half term.

A reminder of the brief, specification guidance and markscheme

In the words of the exam board (taken from the specification), this is the brief:

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. 


To achieve an A grade you must do the following:

Candidates recall, select and communicate detailed knowledge and thorough understanding of media products and concepts, and the contexts in which they are produced and consumed. They use analytical techniques, underpinning concepts and a wide-ranging critical vocabulary to evaluate and compare media representations. They demonstrate an ability to respond in a logical and structured way, with precise and accurate use of terminology, supporting ideas and arguments with evidence. They research and plan their production work effectively. They draw on relevant products, concepts and contexts. They use a range of presentational skills effectively, showing understanding of how audiences are identified and how production is tailored to audience needs and expectations. They construct their product(s) using a broad range of production skills appropriately and effectively. They confidently handle technology, including ICT, and use the techniques and conventions of the chosen medium and genre creatively. They evaluate their product(s), making critical connections between the experience of carrying out the production and the key concepts.

The A* - C markscheme

Level 4 (46–60 marks) 

Candidates will demonstrate: 

• detailed and thorough knowledge and understanding of the texts studied 
• thoughtful and insightful analysis and interpretation of the texts 
• very good understanding of how texts represent social and cultural messages and values, including proficient identification and interpretation of those messages and values 
• very good understanding of how texts use media language and areas of representation 
• very good knowledge and understanding of the codes and conventions according to generic categorisations of media texts 
• accurate use of technical terms and medium-specific terminology, as appropriate 
• very good understanding of the effects of techniques on texts and audiences 
• confident comparison of media texts, as appropriate 
• appropriate use of some examples to support points made 
• personal insights and engagement with objects of study and concepts. 

Level 3 (31–45 marks) 

Candidates will demonstrate: 

• good knowledge and understanding of the texts studied 
• sound analysis and interpretation of the texts 
• good understanding of how texts represent social and cultural messages and values, including competent identification and interpretation of those messages and values 
• good understanding of how texts use media language and areas of representation
• good knowledge and understanding of the codes and conventions according to generic categorisations of media texts • mostly accurate use of technical terms and medium-specific terminology, as appropriate 
• good understanding of the effects of techniques on texts and audiences 
• comparison of media texts, as appropriate 
• appropriate use of some examples to support points made 
• some personal insights and engagement with objects of study and concepts.

Magazine Layout - creating a template

  

Use the guidelines to measure the size of the different text boxes and other elements such as the bar code and also the space for the image. Try to stick to the same or similar layout when completing your own cover. You can also easily do the same thing for your contents and double page.