News Practical Task

1. Explain your role/responsibility within the team and the task. What were you required to do?

Within our editorial team, each group were assigned specific roles. Morgan and I were in charge of creating a realistic looking Daily Telegraph front page, using a template as guidance. To complete this task, we had to create/include several features of the cover such as the display ad, trail, pug, standalone, headlines and of course bylines, turns and text blocks to accompany each headline. Personally, I was in involved of creating the trail, choosing an appropriate advert, typing up some of the text and headlines and of course cutting and sticking everything down. For the headlines, we were given seven possible news stories of which we chose 7 to rewrite into an appropriate headline for a Telegraph front page. Throughout the task, we had to consult with the other groups in order to maintain consistency and avoid any key errors.

2. For one media form, describe the codes and conventions you chose to follow and explain their intended impact.

Instead of using a splash, allowing the photo to be related to the main headline, we decided to use a standalone, as we felt the best way to inform about the snow was visually. The standalone shows a man with a bicycle in the snow looking towards a large church. The ELS allows the man to look overpowered by the snow connoting how the feeling of isolation which the reader will also be feeling. The caption to the standalone summarises the photo and invites the reader into the newspaper by giving a flavour of the article inside and also has a turn below it which has the same function. Beneath each headlines copy, we have also conventionally included a turn inn order to tempt the reader into the newspaper and to guide them to specific articles. 

Additionally, the headlines we created are all relatively short and summaries the story clearly, as they are in real Daily telegraph cover pages. For example, "Trump Twitter Troubles Strike Again" is one of the headlines. This headline gives the key information needed in the least words possible, and encourages the reader to read the copy below and learn more. In this headline, we also used alliteration in order to emphasise the first few words. 

Along the top, we included a trail and a pug, both with in a pink rectangle box. We used this specific style and placement as this is how many other covers of this newspaper have depicted these features in the past. Similarly to these, we have used a rounded font for the text and yellow capitalised text for the first statement and white lowercase for the second, in order to keep it consistent with other Telegraph covers, allowing for familiarity which is often what readers of newspapers will be looking for. Also, the use of the word 'you' in direct address to the reader making their reading experience more personal and making them feel more involved in the news. 

3. Explain how your choices reflect the real newspaper's values and target audience.

The headline we chose, focusing on Brexit reports on a deal being agreed. We used the phrase "Britain's Brexit Deal" to connote the feeling that Britain and its people deserve to leave the EU and be 'independent, portraying the typical right winged Brexiteers view on the issue, which is a point of view which the readers of the Daily Telegraph usually agree with. The copy also reinforces this view which the ABC1 group would agree with, allowing their reading experience to be more pleasurable. 

Furthermore, we altered the headline about online shopping into a more business concept by calling it a 'Trading Revolution', thus making it more interesting to the predominantly over 35 middle-class readers who are likely to be interested in a business section of the newspaper. 

Along the bottom we have conventionally placed a Gucci fragrance banner advert, which we have used because the readers of The Daily Telegraph are predominantly from the ABC1 socioeconomic group and therefore we have used an advertisement of a luxury, high end item which people of this socioeconomic group are more likely to purchase than those of the C2DE group. 

Although we had to use the headline about the TV "I'm a Celebrity", we decided to place it as a smaller headline along the side, as the predominantly over 35 readers are unlikely to be interested in this. Along with this, we also included the story about Trump as a secondary story as news that isn't specifically related to Britain is often not given as much importance by The Telegraph, as British values are expressed more. 

4. Explain how your team adapted the news across the three different media forms and the reasons behind your decisions.

In order to have a successful outcome, we had to work as a group and communicate well as our individual jobs frequently overlapped. We had to ensure that the photos and/or headlines used in each media from was appropriate to reach the audience using that from. For example, for Twitter, the headline was about Brexit, as this is a topic that is often heavily debated among Twitter users. However, for Instagram, the story about shopping made the headline as this is more relatable for the younger users of Instagram. Also, as this was on Instagram, the photo had to have an aesthetically pleasing feel to it which I believe we achieved. 

Additionally, the website featured a photo for each headline, making it more interactive, whereas the newspaper front cover only featured one, as more information has to be given in a limited space on the cover, whereas the website has unlimited space. 

5. In hindsight, is there anything about your team's outcomes that you would adapt or improve?

In hindsight, although I believe that our front page was successful and includes several codes and conventions, if given more time, I would liked to ensure that all of the copy in the front page was related to the headlines, rather than just stock text. Additionally, in order to made it look more realistic, we could have altered the size of some of the headlines in comparison to the copy, in order for the headlines to stand out more. Also, for the website, in order to make it look more realistic, the bold text boxes could have been removed from around the headlines. Overall, I believe that we worked well as a team there was some communication between each group and between individuals, however in order to make the headlines more consistent with the headlines on the website, further communication would have been necessary.

My Billboard Magazine Cover

1. Summarise the music celebrity you have created. Include name, music genre, personality and how they are being used to comment on contemporary celebrity

The music celebrity I have created, Chris Stewart, is a an indie-rock singer who is part of the up and coming band, Sea Angels. As well as his quirky but contemporary nature, he believes in voicing the opinion of society through the music it creates. Despite recently coming into the spotlight, he has voiced his disagreement on the ability of fame to alter the music industry. His key message is an emphasis on the fact that the music should be the most significant part of music industry instead of the fame. 

2. Evaluate how you have constructed the representation of your celebrity through your cover image and cover headline/text (denotation/connotation of text and image).

      My cover image is a MS of my celebrity wearing a conventional band member jacket with rolled up sleeves and a black T-Shirt. This is what a band member is likely to wear, however its simplicity and relatively dark monotone colour adds to Chris' contemporary persona. This is also reinforced through the contemporary grey/black brick wall background.He is also holding a guitar in his right hand. He is carrying it confidently as if it is always with him, suggesting that his has a strong connection to his music and that it is very important to him. Direct address is also used as the artist looks directly into the camera, allowing the audience to be addressed directly. This allows   intimacy to be created between the celebrity and the audience, allowing for his personality to be expressed: he is a character who wants to be upfront and direct with his audience and he values this connection with them. 

    Overall, the focal image of the celebrity dominates the Billboard cover, however the cover title is placed on top of him, reinforcing his beliefs that to him, his message and his creation of music are more important than his celebrity status. The white, contrasting cover headline expresses Chris' recent rise to fame and more mainstream media coverage, however the cover text describes him as a 'mouthpiece' for what people in society want to be said. How he has shaped the music industry is also a key feature of the cover text, through the blending of genres, enabling him to create his own revolutionary style.

3. Analyse how far you have used and/or challenged stereotypes of gender/race/age/sexuality in your cover.

My celebrity is a positive role model for young people and young artists as he shows active care for the needs of society, as explained buy him in the quotation located in the cover text. He also is described as a 'prodigy', suggesting that although he is young, he has not let fame influence his music. Also, my cover does not address racial stereotypes as the celebrity is not of a specific ethnic minority group. Despite the artists relatively tough and confident look, I do not believe that I have specifically reinforced male stereotypes as I have not presented him as overly confident or aggressive, as this goes against the persona I wanted him to have. 

4. Reflect on the production/editing process.  Are you pleased with the end result? Identify what is successful about your shot?  What would you have done differently in hindsight? 

Overall, I was very pleased with the end result of my Billboard magazine cover, however due to the time restraint, there are some ways in which I could have improved my poster. The shot I chose was the one that I thought most accurately portrayed the celebrity I wanted to create. However in hindsight, if i was to re-shoot, I would give my artist a slightly less serious look, in order to allow connotations of a more open character. Additionally, I would have used a different font for the cover headline and text which was more suited to the style of a Billboard cover, however the current one allows the text to be displayed clearly and in a contemporary style. To conclude, I am very happy with my final Billboard cover, however some small tweaks could improve it further. 

Minecraft Pocket Edition Gameplay Video for YouTube

How you did it: What videos did you look at? What technology did you use and how?

In order to complete this task, I had to obtain a deeper knowledge of how Minecraft YouTube videos work and how they entertain their intended audience. Therefore, I watched many videos from famous Minecraft youtubers such as 'DanTDM'  and 'Sky Does Minecraft' and some less famous such as 'CaptainSparklez', allowing me to get a feel of the colloquial and cheesy style of the videos, so that I could incorporate a similar style in my own video. 

To produce the video, I recorded myself using the front facing camera of an iPad while watching the video of the gameplay on another iPad. Once I had finished recorded, I used Filmmaker Pro in order to place my recording in the corner on top of the gameplay, to simulate how Minecraft youtubers would assemble their content. Additionally, I increased the volume of the commentary my recording, making it more audible. 

How your video might attract the attention of Mojang and/or Microsoft, and how it might influence them.

If my video obtained a substantial amount of views over a certain time period and became widespread within the Minecraft community, it could attract the attention of Minecraft. Prosumers are encouraged to make content by Mojang as it provides good exposure to the game, reducing the need for advertising, therefore encourage more people to play the game without more of Microsofts' money being spent. Very popular Minecraft youtubers also often have an influence in how the game is developed and what is included in order for the audiences needs to be met.