Print deadline

Just a reminder - the deadline is now on 5th December to make up for the day we'll miss this Wednesday.

You should be putting work in progress on your blog and on your Facebook group for audience responses. It all looks good so far, but don't forget the details that will help increase your marks.

Good luck.

Print research

Print research:

You need to look at 2 or 3 digipacks and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, in the genre you’re going to work in.

What are the significant elements in the digipacks and adverts? Comment on:

• Use of images – what is connoted by the angle, shot type, mise en scene, lighting etc.? How does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?

• Use of font and layout - how does this use or challenge the conventions of the genre? How does it contribute to the creation or reinforcement of a star image?


• Use of detail – e.g. copyright, thanks, critics quotes, release date, i-Tunes link .... make a list of important details you want to feature in your print work.

• Size of advert – quarter, half, full or double page? Why?

• Who are the target audience and what elements are likely to appeal to them?


You should also look at:

• Redundancy and entropy – how redundant or entropic is the advert/digipack? Is this appropriate for the genre and target audience?

You could also comment on this question:

• How useful are digipack covers and print adverts when most people download their music and do their reading online? Why is it still important to have appealing and appropriate print work, as well as a music video, as part of a marketing package




Key words: you should be using all these words in your print research

audience genre star redundant entropic


connotation anchorage font layout colour costume


make-up lighting props setting lighting shot type
angle detail

Print brief

A2 Media Studies

Print Research Deadline: 11/11/11
Print Production Deadline: 02/12/11

Print production work must be created individually.

You should now be in a position to start your print production work. This is worth 20% of the coursework mark (10% of the A2, 5% of your A-Level)

Prior to production you should have should have:
• Researched some existing print work (deadline – 11/11/11)
• Created a mock up of a digipack to practice your skills (last summer)
• Explored digipack templates
• Pitched your video idea and so have an idea of the visual style you’ll use.

There are two print tasks:
1. Cover for a digipack release of the music video you’ve made and CD track of the song you used. You will need to create a minimum of four ‘panes’: front of digipack, rear of digipack, inside cover front and inside cover rear. (A digipack is a CD release with special features such as a video clip – it usually has folded cardboard rather than plastic packaging).





2. A magazine advert for the digipack.

• You need to decide how big the advert is – full page,half page, or quarter. (You may need to consider the position of the artist in the marketplace and the target audience here – would an indie/folk artist be able to afford a full page advert?)
• Ideally you would not simply re-use the photo from the digipak, but rework the imagery and photography in some way. I

Along with your video, this will make up a promotions ‘package’, so all your work will need to be similar in visual theme and recognisable as promoting the same artist.



Good marks come from:
• Using a recognisable ‘house style’ which is appropriate for genre/audience
• Paying attention to detail – e.g. including credits and record label logos
• Taking a range of good quality photos and not repeatedly using the same one.


Some A and B grade examples from last year:

http://leahdennisona2mediastudies.blogspot.com/2010/12/finished-moodboard.html

http://jessmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/12/print-production-final-digipak-full.html

http://staceya2media.blogspot.com/2010/12/final-digipak-for-tiffany-queen.html



C grade:

http://stefansmediaa2.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-digipack.html

http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-digipack-cover.html

http://chloea2media.blogspot.com/2010/01/final-magazine-advert.html



D and E grades:

http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/digipak-cover-cd.html

http://3rffffhfhgg.blogspot.com/2010/01/cd-advert.html

http://emilyjane-a2.blogspot.com/2010/01/advert.html



Research

You will need a blog post analysing some existing products. Look at 2 or 3 CD covers and 2 or 3 magazine adverts, preferably from a similar genre to your own. How are these covers constructing/maintaining a brand image? How are they likely to appeal to their target audiences?
Look at your own CDs or go to these links.
http://www.stpaulsgallery.com/
http://rockpopgallery.com/items/cd-album-cover-art/list.htm?1=1
You can also go here: http://www.allcdcovers.com/ to look up specific artists – this site also has backs and insides.
Look at music magazines to find adverts, or try a google image search.


- Make use of the 'theories' of media language and genre in your analysis.