The Process: I changed the layout of the first page because it resembled a magazine cover more than a double-page spread. I also changed the contents of the spread to make it more concise, coherent, and relevant to what I want to say. As well as, the font of the headings and the placement of the image. I wanted a border to frame the pages because it would have looked empty without it, and it adds more to the spread. I spaced out the written portions to both the pages, so it's doesn't look as squished together. I also researched different double-page spreads for ideas and specific things to include for the reader's pleasure. I used the same color scheme, image, and font for the written paragraphs. I centered the paragraphs in the finalized version for a sleeker look. The finalized version is much cleaner than the initial trial and includes more information.
Layout Application: Canva The Process: I used my revised version of the table of contents as my finalized version because it didn't need any changes in my eyes. I liked the overall layout and color scheme I used because it was exactly what I was going for. I researched different tables of contents and drew inspiration from them to create my own. I maintained the blue-beige color scheme because the initial blue-yellow would have been too harsh on the reader's eyes. I also changed the contents to match my new double-page spread ideas/concepts. I changed the font of the texts and added a shadow effect to the page heading.
Layout Application: Canva The Process: I started researching the different magazine covers I liked and could use for inspiration. After I've chosen a few examples, I started creating the first draft. I wanted a focal image of a student looking stressed out which is shown in the first two images. However, I made my finalized version cover the entirety of the page because it looks sleeker and more editorial. I've changed the placement of the masthead to the bottom of the page because it's easier to view and the font for aesthetic purposes. I've also added a filter to the image which gives it a blue tint. I've removed all the coverlines because it would have ruined the clean, sleek appeal, and it's not necessary for my finalized cover. With each revision, I removed more white space and made it more print-friendly. The finalized version is simplistic and the easiest on the reader's eyes. The previous two versions had too much going on which didn't relate to my concept and had unimportant details to fill in space. The only consistency I've maintained is the color scheme of blue and beige after my first revision. I've also explained in my previous blog posts the magazine process and the reasonings for the magazine cover revisions. The image is of myself looking frazzled and stressed.
Layout Application: Canva Credit: Sophia Cheng (taken on a iPhone 7) Credit: Sophia Cheng (taken on a iPhone 7) Credit: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/19/eight-private-high-schools-washington-area-are-dropping-out-ap-program Credit: https://line.17qq.com/articles/cponlgdcv_p5.html
4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
Due to COVID-19, every single part of my project has been online to maintain the social distancing/health protocols. I used my iPhone 7 to take my pictures and my Dell laptop to put together my magazine. Because I liked how my sample designs turned out using Canva, I decided to exclusively use it. Using Word made making the design of my cover page quite difficult as I had to convert the cover page template as my base from a template website. The images and colors were not to my liking and took longer than expected for my preferred style. Photopea was also quite difficult to use because I didn’t know how to layer my images on top of each other. However, Canva was a lot easier to use, and they had a larger selection to choose from for my magazine. I would have used an Adobe software program, however, I didn’t have access to them because we aren’t in school. The synergy of Canva, my phone, and my computer helped the production of my magazine. Without integrating these essential components my magazine would be incomplete and rather bland. I uploaded the photos from my phone directly to the Canva website. Then cropped the photos if needed and added a dramatic effect which gave the images a blue tint. I only used converged hardware technologies, the phone and the computer, as I did not have access to a physical camera. I had to work with my options and operate around any issues. Luckily, I only needed two images, and I set up the timer on my phone to take the photos of myself. 3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
My production skills have developed since the conception of my magazine. My ideas are finalized and public for an audience to view. Researching different magazine layouts and styles for articles and covers has helped develop my ideas throughout the project. I was debating over the different approaches I could take for my magazine since I had a general idea of what I wanted to do. I wanted to maintain the clean, minimalistic look for my final product as I did with my sample magazine. I did exactly that with a single photo for the magazine cover and a clean table of contents and a 2-page spread layout. I also used a color theme of dark blue and beige because it fits a sedated mood. I’d experimented with Word, Photopea, and Canva to create my magazine and I decided to exclusively use Canva. It was easy to use and had a variety of options to choose from. I created my magazine cover, table of contents, and 2-page spread on the design program. I initially used Word to create my magazine cover, however, it was difficult to move objects and fix your mistakes. I learned how to use the Canva program very well. I’ve improved my time management skills because the deadlines kept me in check, so I could finish my work early. I spaced out portions of my magazine process through the week, so I wouldn’t do it all in one day. I’ve also improved my researching and planning skills as I had to research different magazine styles to draw inspiration and refine my personal style. The production skills that I’ve improved upon over these months have been transferrable to other parts of school. This has made me a more skilled media producer, technically and creatively as I had to experiment with different software programs/online design programs, research different magazine styles, and time manage this project as well as my other class and their assignments 2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
My target audience is teenagers and adults in the education system. Since my magazine concept is based around high school students and the burnout they face from school, I’m hoping to start a discussion between young adults and teachers about student burnout. Student burnout causes students to feel tired, unmotivated, and restless. They start to care less about school, stop paying attention in class, and even stop turning in assignments. Especially during the pandemic, students have felt this burnout even more because they’re constantly being overwhelmed by school and even potentially their home life. Teachers need to be more understanding of their students’ situations. They understand you have to teach them, but there’s a pandemic going on and 20 assignments doesn’t lessen their stress. There’s such a lack of communication between students and teachers. The student doesn’t think the teacher will listen or they’ll make up some lies to appease their teacher which doesn’t help them out in the end. Students believe teachers won’t be understanding, and sometimes they’re not. These reasons cause their reluctance in expressing their opinions and feelings. However, this leads the teacher to do the same exact thing which is why students were stressed in the first place. But on the opposite hand, if students expressed their complaints, the teacher could be potentially offended. It feels like a dead end. This is exactly what I want my magazine to express, so people are better able to understand. My magazine will be distributed online through a website. There are two main ways to distribute magazines online: on a website or through an app. They both have benefits, but if you’re just starting, I would personally choose a website then switch over to an app when you have built a following. On-site magazines are the fastest way to get readers, and they bolster your website’s visits and time on page. Plus, it’s mutually beneficial between the magazine and the website. It’s also better to produce a digital magazine as we’re progressing in society and switching to more online platforms for items that use to be physical. I have barely seen anybody buy physical magazines in the stores anymore. Out with the old and in with the new. My magazine will be distributed quarterly and discuss different topics that will hopefully spark interest and conversation between others. 1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
My product uses traditional conventions. A photo of me looking stressed and frazzled was used as my cover to capture the attention of my audience, with my masthead “Aftermath” placed at the bottom of the cover. The front cover usually has a specific style and a good spatial layout for the reader to be able to see the masthead and all the coverlines. Typically, magazines include coverlines; however, I chose to exclude them for a cleaner and sleeker design like the other magazines I have seen. I used rich blues and beige for my color theme to represent my concept about mental health awareness and the stress of AP classes. After the front cover, the table of contents will be my first page to provide an overview of what’s in my magazine. The 2-page article will proceed afterward. Although I’m mainly using traditional conventions, my magazine has a sense of uniqueness due to my special touches and creativity. As I’m using my product to engage in a discussion that has always been brushed aside and left to be dealt with alone: student burnout. My magazine concept deals with high school students and the stress of AP classes or any higher-order thinking classes, which place a larger emphasis on grades and GPA than learning. This detrimentally affects students’ mental health. Teachers will overload their students with work to “prepare them for the test” without taking into consideration if the material is helpful. Students already place a huge amount of pressure on themselves to do well in school, but the added pressure from their parents and teachers only does more damage. Teenagers also base their self-worth on how well they do in school. Now in this pandemic, teachers are giving more work than before, overwhelming their students without any place for escape because their day starts and ends with school. With the overwhelming amount of work and fear of failure, students find unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their stress and face burnout from their large workload. They often procrastinate and use social media as their form of escape. Nobody ever talks about the real consequences of burnout and how school turns people into testing machines rather than a child trying to learn.
US production companies (conglomerates) are the major media institutes that produce and develop films such as Warner Brothers and Disney. They’re known by everybody and are considered household names. They have a larger budget, better technology, a larger team (marketing and production-wise), and better special and visual effects compared to smaller, independent productions such as some British production houses. They’re able to produce and provide media nationally and overseas easier with a larger audience as well. Overseas market requires intensive market research, so the company is aware of the audience’s interests. It’s more costly to produce and distribute a film internationally. However, it’s less of an issue for conglomerates because their budgets are so large. They also have a sizable fanbase due to their vertical and horizontal integration with corporations. They also screen their films in different formats such as 3D or IMAX to increase customer satisfaction. For example, The Martian was a box office success drawing in $213 million domestically and $274.4 million internationally. This was due to promotions from the cast premiering in Toronto to China, to collaborating with organizers of World Space Week, and promotions at German Aerospace Day. Independent film media such as BBC Films tend to have a smaller audience due to their low budget and lack of special effects, restricting their genre which makes most of the films produced among these small independent production companies the same. This also means there are less promotions and advertising to draw in a large audience, so a majority of their production takes place locally. British filmmakers tend to focus on social realism in their films which suits their niche market. They also often turn to distributors if they want to distribute their film internationally because they don’t have the funds, so synergy occurs when they work with other companies for the finished product. Cultural differences can either be a strategic marketing tactic or leads to the company’s downfall. Because British films are in tune with the needs of their domestic audience, it attracts them and brings in revenue. However, the success of the film is limited internationally and restricts the size of their audience. For example, Pride which is specific to British culture only appealed to this niche audience. Because conglomerates have more capital and resources, it drives these smaller companies out of the competition because they can’t recruit A-list celebrities or have the budget for special effects and high-tech instruments. Since British film companies are driven out of the competition due to their low budget and lack of equipment, conglomerates will always have the upper hand because they have the capital and are known worldwide. There will be clashes in cultural differences, so market research and promotion are important for audience engagement and reactions to your film before its release. It will be difficult for British film industries to break out internationally because they have no resources nor capital. Hollywood targets the global market while British films stay domestic. Image 1: Original Table of Contents Image 2: Table of Contents Revision 1 Revisions & Reasonings: I made a few minor changes to my table of contents. I liked my original layout, so I kept it the same way. I only changed the font and color scheme to match my revised magazine cover. I also added a shadow effect to the lettering and changed the contents of my table of contents to be an accurate representation of my double page spread.
As devices have gotten smaller, but smarter, it’s easier to use and carry around for day-to-day life. I use my phone every day from texting and calling my friends to watching YouTube videos or Tiktoks or going on Spotify to listen to my music. I’m constantly bombarded with information every day such as an advertisement for weight loss gummies or the latest movie that will come out soon. Receiving information about new and popular events, products, or shows has become way easier because of all the different social media sites. Piracy has also become a big issue. I have also illegally downloaded a few shows and movies to watch because I didn’t want to pay the $11 movie ticket, or it was out of theatres when I wanted to watch it. It’s illegal, but as long as you don’t get caught it’s fine. There will always be loopholes to getting what you want on the internet. Social media is an excellent way to attract an audience for shows or products. For example, on Tiktok, I saw a bunch of Korean dramas that I’ve wanted to watch because the short clips playing were enough to entice my attention. There were also interesting trends that I wanted to try out because everybody else was doing it too. Since you’re constantly seeing something every single day, you’re bound to want to do or watch it too. Social media is an outstanding platform to engage with an audience and start trends or even educate/inform others of current issues in society. Image 1: Original Magazine Cover Mock Up Image 2: Magazine Cover Revision 1 Revisions & Reasonings: I have completely changed the layout of my magazine cover as it didn't meet my standards. I now have the cover image that I would use for my final product, so it's expected for changes to come along the way. There were surprisingly more changes than I had expected. I maintained a similar color scheme with a dark blue background, white lettering, and accents of yellow and black. My main topic is still about AP student burnout; however, I've decided to exclude the opinions of AP students. It would have been a big hassle to interview 3-5 different AP students and potentially teachers about their opinions on the AP workload and how it has affected students. I kept a geometric feel to the magazine because that's the style I like, and it's easy on the eyes. There's less of an overlap between the masthead and the background images, so it's easier to scan the page. I have also eliminated most of the white space and made it more print-friendly than in my previous mockup. The masthead is in the same position because it's the first thing to capture the reader's attention; however, I've changed the position of the cover lines towards the bottom of the page because it fits best in my magazine revision. I took a picture of myself frazzled and stressed out from school on my phone.
Layout Application: Canva Note: The draft is coming along at a slower pace than I had expected. My explanations are not developing in the way I wanted them to, and I wish to clarify them further in the future. I plan to clean up the layout and the headers because I currently don't have any enticing headers to attract my audience's interest. The color theme may also be too harsh on the eyes, making it difficult to read. I definitely need to reconsider my color palette and add detail to my article. I need to capture the photos I'll use in my double page spread by the end of this month. As my article seems all over the place and not focused on my main topic of student burnout, I need to make it more concise and cohesive by my second draft. There are many issues to fix, and new ideas are constantly popping up in my head, so I might trash everything I've written so far.
Layout Application: Canva
As stated in my previous blog post, I liked the format of the double-page spread where they separated the page into two columns and created a list. I think for my list, I’ll create the header as the issue caused by burnout and provide a short summary underneath the header explaining in further detail the issue. I’ll probably list anywhere from 4-8 issues associated with higher-level thinking classes. However, these issues aren’t always caused by the classes, it could be the student’s fault as well. It would be completely biased to say students don’t have any control over their life and work ethic to complete assignments on time. Since it is a general article, I’ll need to do further research on how AP classes have affected students’ mental health and wellbeing. My article begins with a summary of what AP classes are, what they entail, and how students are affected by them. Then I’ll start to examine the negative impacts caused by the teaching styles of these classes, the excessive homework, and the strict teachers, which all puts unnecessary stress on students. I want teachers to understand what students are going through and to give them a little more leniency. I want to bridge the gap between students and teachers and reach an understanding between the two, especially during this pandemic. We’re already undergoing a lot of stress, and more schoolwork does not lessen the load on our shoulders. |