Images featured on Front Cover

Images featured in Double Page Spread

In order to replicate Take a Break's natural images used in their articles, I have taken all of my shots in natural locations. Such as in a home, in a garden and in a park. To ensure that my article was realistic, in showing a woman returning to her family after prison, I have taken images of a real family. This allowed the two young boys to be at ease whilst I was taking photographs as they were with their parents. Thus creating natural photographs, which is what I intended.   

Article Content

Take a Break is a woman's weekly magazine and largely attracts it audience through the use of real life stories by normal everyday women and not celebrities. In order to fully replicate the codes and conventions of Take a Break, the use of language and content must be relevant and correct.  

• Brief subheading at the beginning of the article, to highlight and outline what the article is going to be about
• Quotes from the people involved in the story, to add to the narrative
• Key events and factual information
• Images of the people involved, again to aid the narrative

The situation I intend to create is an article based on a women who has been released from a prison in England, who has now returned to her family. Within the article the woman will be talking about all of her experiences in there, and how she has become a better person from learning from her experiences in prison. The article will be in first person, coming from the women. This is due to the magazines articles always being in first person so readers know they are getting told the story exactly how the person involved intended it to be told.   

Article Draft

Headline:
They say home is where the heart is

Subheading:
Whilst I was serving my sentence, my boys had to adjust to life without me. By Jillian Page, 33

Article:
After committing to my three year sentence, I have completely missed out on my boys’ childhood. The last time I saw them, Leo and Aiden, before I had to hand myself in, I bent down and whispered to them both ‘You both are my world. Mummy will be back for you soon!’ With one last glance at my gorgeous boys, my husband wiped the tears that were streaming down my face, and then I turned to leave my world behind me.

As we pulled up to prison, my husband, Gary, held and squeezed my hand. ’The time will fly by, you’ll be home in no time babe’. I took his words as a comfort and reminded myself of them every single day that I was in there.

Before leaving, Gary pulled me close and kissed me on the forehead. With his last words being ‘I will come and see you next week. You’ll be absolutely fine. I promise you.’ 

Prison was exactly what I thought it would be. Groups of women that had been there for the past several years, with their friendship groups as strong as them. I knew I was going to struggle to fit it. I was surrounded by many of the nation’s most evil female offenders. I had never felt so alone and frightened in all of my life. I was so disappointed in myself for letting all of my boys down and that this is what my life had now become. During my time in prison, I had never felt so unfeminine. Showers were cut down to three minutes each, which was barely any time to have a proper wash. Not only that, but all make up was contraband and if found, the consequences were severe and you would be severely punished. Hair was scrapped back into a tight bun so it would not get in the way of our activities during our day.

Every morning at 6am, a guard would come into our dorms and order us to report to the main hall immediately. Once in the main hall, all prisoners had to partake in a morning exercise routine. The routine was similar to one you would expect in a military organisation. Once again, if anybody was found not partaking in the routine, major consequences would be taken into consideration and you would be thrown into isolation. Isolation was a place in which a prisoner would be locked away even more than they already are. The time that a prisoner would spend in isolation was unknown to them and was only decided by higher authorities a few days after they had been put in there. Thankfully, I never had to experience isolation, as I always obeyed the rules of the guards.

 Three years later, I am now free. I was released six months ago and life could not be any better. After spending some well-earned time with my boys, I am content.  I am now pregnant again, and will be giving birth to our precious baby girl later on this year. Being a prisoner was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I am now a different person and nothing will ever change that.

 

 

                               

                  

 

 

Article Design

To ensure that all of my article is similar to the ones featured in the magazine, I have created an advertisement that is always present at the bottom of their articles. In addition to this I have also created captions for the photographs in my article, an isolated quotation and a capitalised letter for the beginning of the article. 

  

Contact Sheet

My first location shoot was in photography studio, to take photographs of my model for the front cover of my magazine. Whilst I was on location, I also took a photograph of another one of my models that would feature on the front cover, in one of my smaller articles that would feature in the magazine. 

     

Images used in Take a Break

Inserted below are print screens of the double page spread articles from Take a Break magazine, that I will later be replicating for my production piece.

The images that feature on these articles show natural photographs, that have been taken from home and sent into the magazine to feature within the article. The images further illustrate the article and help provide a sense of realisation for the readers. The images also provide a narrative that helps aid the article.

In order to replicate the images used within the articles, I shall be taking natural photographs on a range of different devices; such as a camera and a mobile phone. Taking these images through a range of devices, will enable me to provide the article with a realistic effect.

Images used in Take a Break

Due to the nature of Take a Break being a women's weekly magazine, the images on the front cover display women who are normal everyday women, and not celebrities.

The images are dominated by females. However, men are featured in some of the images on the front cover although, this is only apparent when there is a negative article about them.   

Below are some examples of the images that feature on the magazine front cover.

I intend to replicate similar images to feature on my production piece. I would like the images to be taken in a natural setting, with natural light and poses. However, the main image of the model would be taken in a professional setting.

Barcode

To ensure that all aspects of my front cover is identical to Take a Break, I have created a similar barcode that will feature on the front cover of my magazine.

Layout Diagram - Double Page Spread

I have also created a layout diagram for the double page spread. When I come to produce my article I shall be using this layout diagram which follows the generic layout for 'Take a Break'.

By creating the layout diagrams for both the double page spread and the front cover, it has enabled me to have a greater understanding of the way the conventions of 'Take a Break'. Additionally, as both the front cover and double page spread involve numerous pictures, I will have to plan what images will be suitable in replicating the same style as 'Take a Break'. As my production piece is linked to Orange is the New Black, my article will be about an English women who has recently been released from prison. Within the article the woman will be talking about all of her experiences in there and her views on programmes such as Orange is the New Black representations of how they portray life in prison to be.

Layout Diagram - Front Cover

The image below shows a basic layout format that I have created for my front cover for the magazine 'Take a Break'. After analysing front covers for the magazine I have been able to follow the generic layout of their front cover. I will be using this layout when I come to create my final piece.

Double Page Spread Space Dedication

After looking at the generic format of 'Take a Break's' front cover, I decided to do the same for one of their double page spreads, that I will be creating. It is evident to see what the magazine's priorities are with reference to space dedication.

1- Headline of the article, which also includes a sub heading of the article within it. The sub heading gives a more in depth introduction to the content of the article.

2- Enlarged initial letter, serves as a guide to the eye of the reader

3- Images further illustrate the article

4- Isolated quotation summarises a part of the article and allows the reader to have an idea about what the article will be about before reading the rest of the typeset.

5- Feature, this feature allows the reader to know that if they have an interesting story that they want to show that they can be offered up to £2000 if the story is then printed.

Front Cover Space Dedication

To get a better understanding of how to create a 'Take  a Break' magazine', I have analysed and highlighted the generic format of the front cover of the magazine.

1- Feature: At the top of the magazine a Feature is always present. This feature allows the audience to know that within the magazine they could win up to £30,043 in prizes. Immediately attracting its audience for a 'real life' magazine.

2- Logo: The top left hand corner of the magazine front cover always includes the Logo of 'Take a Break'. The logo also states that the magazine is 'the real life mag' allowing audiences to know exactly what the magazine's contents will be.

3- Article: A preview of one of the Articles within the magazine, includes a picture to guide the narrative and has the same 'gossip' tone that is featured throughout the magazine

4- Image: An Image of a model who has no relevance to the magazine's content is always positioned on the right hand side of the front cover with text around and on top of the image.

5- Main Article: The main article is always located on the left hand side, in the middle of the front cover and is positioned over the model. Even though the style of text and images are similar to the other articles surrounding it, the boldness and large text indicates that this will be the magazine's main story.

6 + 7- The rest of the magazine's articles are at the bottom of the front cover. These stories are based on an unknown figure with an interesting or shocking story.

8 - This article includes the celebrity Katy Price, which is very rare for this type of magazine as it is a 'real life magazine'.

Double Page Deconstruction

Inserted below is a typical article layout of a double page spread for the magazine 'Take a Break'. I have been able to identify the codes and conventions of 'Take a Break' magazine from analysing the double page spread.

 

 

 

Practical Production Piece

I aim to design and produce a double page spread magazine article for the magazine 'Take a Break' a women's 'real life' magazine. I will also be designing and producing a front cover of the magazine too. In order to my Critical Investigation to link to my Practical Production piece, I will be writing an article based on a women who has been released from a prison in England. Within the article the woman will be talking about all of her experiences in there and her views on programmes such as Orange is the New Black representations of how they portray life in prison to be. I intend to analyse the codes and conventions of the magazine 'Take a Break' in order to get my desired outcome.  The codes and conventions I will be focusing on and aiming to achieve are:

• General layout of the magazine's articles and front cover
• Images used on the front cover and articles
• Colour scheme
• Target audience
• Language used effectively to recreate the tone of language used in 'Take a Break'
• Magazine icons, such as the logo and correct text

Front Cover deconstruction