Character profiles

Two contrasting character profiles:

Claire is a twenty-one year old achiever and has recently graduated from a high-end university. Claire is always taking part in new adventures and anytime she gets an opportunity to try something new she grasps it with both hands. She does not give up easily and puts a lot of time into making things the best she can. In her spare time Claire is very active, participating in various sports, her favorite being horse-riding. She often buy Vogue magazine in order to check the latest fashion trends and everyone is always jealous of her branded, latest designer clothes that perfectly fit her slender size 8 figure.

Adam is a thirty-two year old maker. He has been married for four years with two young children. He is arguably the doting family man. He is not bothered about materialistic objects and will happily settle for second best. Adam is sensitive and loving, with a warm nature about him. He has an average job, but this suits Adam just fine. He dislikes change, preferring to stick to what he knows, where he feels comfortable. He makes people instantly feel welcome in his presence and is liked by all. Once Adam has a group of friends he stick by them but equally, sets out to make new friends too. Adam regularly takes his children out on day trips and helps out with disabled children at a local village hall. No matter what Adam always makes time for those around him. He makes groups of friends and strives of routine and regularity. Adam enjoys life, as he is content with the simple things that most take for granted. He is satisfied with his life the way it is, and feels no need to look for better.

How do the two profiles contrast with one another?

Claire and Adam are contrasting for several different reasons. First of all Claire is much more self-focused. Looking for opportunities which she can achieve in and doesn’t appear to be bothered about anyone else. Perhaps this is due to her age however, as she does not have the responsibilities of family life that Adam does. Contrastingly, Adam seeks to help others. Another difference is that Claire looks onwards for better things and newer experiences, whereas Adam is happy with the way things are and prefers a set routine.

A character profile for a reader of New Musical Express (NME) magazine:

Tom is an eighteen year old music fanatic and often goes to festivals supporting local bands. Tom has a unique quirky appearance that people often notice and are attracted to. Consequently, Tom has a vast amount of on and of relationships. A long with his look, he also expresses a typical laid-back teenage attitude to life, he is not bothered by anything and nothing seems to phase him. Tom goes to a local college doing a part-time music course and in his spare time practices playing his guitar with the band he’s formed along with a few mates of his, of which he regularly attends upcoming gigs and parties with. Tom doesn’t spend a lot time with his family and can mostly be found up stairs in his bedroom or if not there, the chances are he is most likely out socialising and meeting new people. He has his own mind and views on situations and refuses to let others influence them. He prefers to be different and couldn’t care less if individuals take a disliking to him.

Magazine Industry - 3 point analysis

''The magazine industry has survived the coming of the digital age because it has been able to exploit technological advances. Indeed, it has always done so throughout its long history.'' 

The word magazine describes branded, edited content often supported by advertising or sponsorship and delivered in print or other forms. Traditionally, magazines have been printed periodicals which are most commonly published weekly, monthly, or quarterly. These may be supported by printed one-off supplements and annual directories. Increasingly, magazines exist online where content is available through websites or in digital editions, or delivered by email as an electronic newsletter. Many magazines brands also deliver tailored information services to the audiences. Magazines brands also engage with their audiences face-to-face by organising exhibitions, conferences and other events. 

The magazine industry has always been up with technological advancements such as the use of photoshop and airbrushing models. If you look at the history of magazines they have always kept up with technological advances. As soon as something new develops, the magazine industry uses this to their advantage. Example the ability to use more advanced technical photography i.e. images going from black and white to coloured and they can be edited. Magazines use these advances to exploit them, for example fairly recently magazines have become available on the internet, this could be seen as a abad thing, as readers could argue there is no point in purchasing the magazine if they can simply read the information it entails online. However instead magazines and exploited this fact by revealing only snippets of their magazine which in turn encourages their audience to buy the real thing because they are intrigued to read the rest. As well as encouraging regulars it could also persuade those that have never bought that particular magazine before to buy it. 

In conclusion, diversifying isn't a choice that magazines companies can make, it is necessity for them in order to keep the company afloat and information relevant to their audience. Magazines have done this well throughout their history and will continue to do so in the future. Hopefully this means that magazines will always be current and upcoming. Because of this the demand for magazines will always be strong and ongoing. 

Media Question sheet

1. What method of joining shots has the film-maker utilised within scenes?
- In some scenes the film-maker does a close up shot of an item of clothing which is a certain colour and then when the scene switches, the first object/person we see is/or is wearing this colour. This is effective as it means shots to not necessarily have to join in terms of plot, they can be in completely random order, yet they still have some way of joining on to one another though means of colour. Ins some scenes time has past, so depending of whether the lighting is dark or light we can gage time has been and gone. Lastly, the film-maker uses dialogue, getting characters to talk about where they need to go next, also helps connect the scenes together.

2. Is the pace of editing measured and even or does the film-maker employ abrupt changes of pace? What is the function and effect of pace and/or changes in pace?

- The pace of editing is not always consistent and even. When the editing is quick it represents something more serious/happy/worrying or exciting going to happen for one of the characters. When the editing is at a normal pace it represents an average following scene with nothing particularly important about to occur. When the editing of the shot is at a slow pace, the characters are usually sad and the moods are low. Changes in pace therefore help to reflect the characters feelings and emotions or what is about to happen.

3. How are shots within and between sequences matched?

- Shots within and between sequences are matched by either the scene/shot before talking about a certain person, which then leads on to the next shot including them or alternatively a certain object may have been mentioned. Colour’s/lighting also play a part in matching scenes, for example there is a shot of a character in the dark laying in bed about to go to sleep and the following shot is very bright representing the fact time has past, i.e. from evening to morning. – Yet the sequences still match because it is obvious time has passed on from the previous shot. Furthermore, another way scenes are matched is buy characters going in to different places we as an audience know are near to the place they were seen at in the shot before. i.e. in step up we see the characters regularly walk down a certain pathway before going to the place where they practice their dancing, meaning after awhile we can almost predict where the next scene will follow on to.

As well as this, some shots in scenes, i.e. ones of the environment around the characters, have nothing to do with that particular scene, but help break the scene up so the audience do not loose interest. For example if two characters are having a conversation for a relatively long period of time.

4. Are sequences constructed in a continuous or discontinuous manner? How is this achieved and to what effect?

- Usually the shots are continuous and the audience are able to gage what’s going on as the following scene stems from the previous. The effect of this is the fact they get to understand the storyline to a full extent. However occasionally, the scenes are totally different from the topic the storyline was just mentioning. At first the audience are confused by this, however later on in the film it becomes clear that they were in fact foreshadowing later events.  The effect of this technique is the fact the audience start asking questions to themselves, wondering what that shot/scene was about. It keeps them wondering what’s going to happen next and what the reasons for including that certain image/dialogue were.

5. Does the film-maker utilise cross-cutting? To what effect?

- The film-maker does utilise cross-cutting, especially when the two dance groups are competing between each other, he uses cross-cutting in order for the audience to directly compare them.  As well as this, the director also uses it to go backwards and forth between particular events and show when scenes are in the past and when they are in the future. Furthermore cross-cutting is used to show two different storylines between characters happening, but at the same time.

6. How and to what effect are editing and sound being used in conjunction with each other?

- In many scenes where actors/actress are dancing, if the directors aim is to make the scene thrilling and exciting for the audience to watch and the dance routine therefore is set at a quick pace, there are many different shots edited into the one clip which keeps the mood of the shot up-beat, positive and intriguing to the eye.  When the quick edits of the scene are conjoined with fast high tempo music, the audience gain a real sense of fun and happiness for the characters. If the music is fast and so is the amount of time a certain shot is kept on screen, the dancing is likely to be fast too, showing dedication and determination, giving off the impression they are doing something that they love to do.

On the other hand, if there are not many various cuts of a certain scene and the music is slow, the dancing is likely to be of a slow pace too, giving off a sadder yet more peaceful aura.

In conclusion, depending on the mood of the scene, editing and sound work well together to reflect the characters feelings and the tone of the sequence.

Article from The Guardian newspaper

Our class teacher told us to go away and read for homework an article written in The Gaurdian newspaper, in order for us as students to gain some background knowledge about the magazine industry.


Here is the article in full:

The year ahead in the magazine industry

Stuck in the middle

Volume sales or ultra-niche appeal will prove vital this year - and Bauer's Grazia could be a bellwether

• Oliver Luft
• The Guardian, Monday 5 January 2009
• Article history

It does not look like an easy 12 months ahead for the magazine industry. But by the time 2009 draws to a close, larger publishing houses in the business-to-business and consumer sectors will be looking increasingly dominant, while smaller, weaker titles will wither under the strain of the downturn. Publishers may be hoping to escape a big sales fall, but they are still gloomy about what 2009 might bring - not least if it's a severe advertising slump. Maintaining or increasing revenue from ads will be the biggest challenge for magazines from all sectors this year. Most insulated perhaps are the top-end glossies - the Vogues, GQs and Elles - which, while not recession-proof, are unlikely to be hit hard by a plunge in advertising revenue. Premium advertisers have limited places to promote their goods and will be concerned about losing front pages of the glossies - prime real-estate in their eyes - to rival brands.

Niche-appeal consumer titles that rely on devoted, engaged readerships are also more favourably placed than most when it comes to advertising. Mass- and mid-market consumer titles, many of which saw circulation decline in 2008, and where advertisers have a greater range of options, will find it more challenging. This year greater emphasis will be placed on editorial in these titles: get the quality of content wrong and magazines could find themselves in real trouble.

Large publishers such as IPC Media, Condé Nast and Future Publishing, which have invested in extending their brands into TV, web, mobile, radio or shopping, are more likely to weather the impact than those with standalone products or thinner portfolios of titles. Economies of scale help larger companies to spread costs, and the clout they can wield with suppliers also helps them into more favourable positions. In addition, advertisers are also likely to focus their budgets on key titles. Which could leave free magazines, with their heavy reliance on advertising as the primary source of income, with some real challenges.

For consumer publishers, then, the strong will get stronger and the weak will suffer most. And this is broadly the picture in the B2B sector too, which is likely to see some loss-making titles closed and the position of market leaders reemphasised. A point underlined by news last month that Reed Elsevier had abandoned the sale of its trade business unit, Reed Business Information, the publisher of Variety, New Scientist and Farmers Weekly. Sir Crispin Davis, chief executive, said the unit had more value than could be realised by a sale in the worsening economy. Reed will now look to sell it "in the medium-term when conditions are more favourable". This could be a while yet.

In other areas, finance titles are expected to see the greatest consolidation. Incisive Media's Mortgage Solutions magazine decided in December to suspend its print run for the first quarter of 2009 and to rely on its website and email alerts. In November, Centaur reduced the free distribution of its Mortgage Strategy magazine by 13%. The business titles that remain could well see more of these decisions as publishers cut distribution costs and rely on websites and targeted distribution.

But how to get online to pay? Business publishers may look at greater innovation online to find revenue that goes beyond the blunt approach of either subscription or open access. The Financial Times, for instance, allows users to access a certain number of stories free each month, while heavier use of the site and access to other editorial is limited to subscribers. Consumer titles are equally likely to look at their web operations - although the focus will be on ways to deliver more audience to print advertisers they want to bring over to the web. NatMags, through its web division, Hearst Digital, spent a large part of the past year developing online communities around its editorial output.

Publishers could also use relatively inexpensive web-based titles to experiment editorially, and integrate printed and web products to a greater degree. Eyes will be on a number of consumer fashion titles to see if they can win back some of the audience lost to independent fashion blogs.

Consumer launches will be few and far between as publishers keep their hands in their pockets. Launches that do occur will probably be for highly targeted groups - and it is likely to be a similar situation in the business sector. "Ultra niche" will be the watchword for any B2B launches.

Condé Nast is launching two niche consumer titles: Love, a twice-yearly fashion and style magazine under the eye of the former Pop publisher Katie Grand, and a UK version of the US technology magazine Wired.

Meanwhile, publishers will be eagerly looking at the subscription levels of entrenched monthlies as an indication of how they are faring in difficult times. Bauer's weekly high-end fashion magazine, Grazia, might prove an unusual kind of bellwether in the coming year. If it wants - or needs - to increase circulation it will need to run editorial that appeals more to the mass market. But mass-market editorial could put off some of its more luxurious advertisers. Watching where Grazia's priorities lie during the next 12 months may tell you about the and confidence of the sector.

But perhaps the most compelling mark on the horizon is the government's October powwow for the creative industries; a bright spot in what might well be a fairly gloomy year of cutbacks, closures and potential job losses.

The insider: 'The web is a hungry beast'

We have given up trying to guess what senior management is up to. Are they working out their redundancy packages while firing off CVs, or are they planning another "restructure", which means more job losses and cost-cutting at our business-to-business magazine?

There is one person who knows everything. He is the HR director, a man whose name I hardly knew until a few months ago. Like Gordon Brown, whose cheery disposition seems to increase as the economy worsens, the HR director has blossomed under his new workload. He has taken to wearing a tie and looking stressed.

When the senior managers and the HR director come out of their interminable meetings, they send us emails partly to remind us that they are still around, and partly to cheer us up. The emails contain bad news (the economy) and good news (we are doing better than our competitors). They promise clarity and transparency - and then the senior managers disappear back into another meeting.

This sense of panic is a new phenomenon and it's catching. Although I'd like to think that market knowledge, journalistic skills, a shelf full of awards, and a passion for my subject will stand me in good stead I am no longer so sure.

Yet B2B editors know their sector inside out and edit magazines that have been around for decades. We have loyal readers who rely on us for industry gossip, as well as taking up the cudgels to fight their corner. But is that enough?

B2B publishing may not be in freefall, but if the sector we are reporting on goes down, so do we. For six months we've watched as the economy has slid into recession, and we've done what every publisher and editor does when times get tough: take out headcount, cut costs and save on pages.

Though everyone has done all this, you can't help but get the feeling that as advertising revenues continue to nosedive, the bean counters will want more.

If this all seems too gloomy, the corollary to it is that many B2B titles are cyclical and if you edit a magazine whose industry is on its knees, all you can say is that it will come back. However, hovering over us - the reason this recession is different from any previous one - is the web.

The web is a hungry, predatory beast, which costs publishing organisations millions of pounds of investment. Very few people have managed to make the web profitable - but publishers love it.

It doesn't matter if your page impressions are only increasing thanks to the thousands of students around the world who are all writing the same thesis, because it's the only graph with a line going up, instead of down. But most of all, publishers love the web because, as a way of disseminating news, it's cheap.

The big question for publishers tapping next year's projected losses into their calculators is do you even need journalists?

Industry opinion

Stevie Spring
chief executive, Future Publishing

I'm expecting a mixed 2009 in the magazine market: general interest, bad; special interest, good. Nice to have, bad; need to have, good. Those publishers producing magazines that are embedded in people's lives, that play an important part in people's hobbies and interests, will weather the storms much better than those producing content that can be had quicker, cheaper, in digestible bite-size chunks online.

Nicholas Coleridge
managing director, Condé Nast

Next year will be a challenging time for magazines, though I'd rather be working in the glossy industry than any other branch of the media this year. Circulations will hold steady for blue-chip titles, but deteriorate for peripheral ones. I expect some of our competitors to shutter loss-making titles. On the advertising front, it will be particularly tough for mass-market and middle-market titles, and we certainly don't expect to be unscathed at the quality end.