Magazine Writing and Production aka Making Magazines

Transcription

1 Magazine Writing and Production aka Making Magazines J335F - Fall 2013 Class: M&W, 8:30-10:00 a.m., BMC 3.208; Lab W, 7:30 p.m-9:30 p.m., CMA & Office: virtual by and cubicle on 3rd floor Office hours: Monday, 10:30 a.m. noon and by appointment Instructor: Marla Camp: marlacamp@utexas.edu TA: Marcus Funk: marcus.jfunk@gmail.com COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is designed to give you the tools to create a successful magazine. During the course of this semester, we will progress through three fundamental stages: crafting a concept, developing a business plan and creating a prototype to take your magazine to market. You will learn how to integrate market research, writing skills, design tools and fundamentals, and team building as we go. In additional to full class discussions and activities, we will be working in teams for both the lab portion of the class as well as to complete the three primary projects that will be the core of your learning experience (and grade). While the ultimate goal is for you to make a viable magazine, the benefits will be honing your critical thinking skills, stretching your imagination and attaining a deeper understanding of your unique abilities through working with your peers. If you find your passion along the way, you've hit a home run. In this class, making a magazine is not an abstract exercise. Everything we do will have a reality-based consequence. You will learn some essential organizational skills, healthy work habits and group dynamics that will serve you in any profession you choose in life. We will have several guest lectures from industry professionals and your final project, your magazine prototype, will be reviewed by a panel of magazine professionals as part of our class finale. Make it count. ATTENDANCE POLICY: We will not take attendance for this class. However, much of the work that will contribute to your grade will be happening during classroom and lab hours, and it will be difficult to earn a respectable grade overall without full participation in both classroom and your team working time. TEAM PROJECTS: Craft a Magazine Concept: Through exploring the components of what makes a successful magazine and reviewing the universe of possibilities, you will identify a concept for the magazine that your team will ultimately take to market. This will include writing a mission statement, identifying the platform/s your magazine will inhabit, describing your readership and laying out a branding strategy for your magazine. Presentation of this team project (both verbal and written) will be worth 20 points towards your grade.

2 Design a Magazine Business Plan: You will write a basic business plan for your magazine using available market research that will include a first year budget and five-year strategy for growth. This will also include a summary of marketing strategies and a description of auxiliary products that might be included as part of your overall revenue goals. Presentation of this team project (both verbal and written) will be worth 20 points towards your grade. Create a Magazine Prototype: You will create a prototype for your magazine in whatever primary platform you have chosen for it that will include original design, content and mocked advertising components (if included in your marketing plan). Extra credit will be given for up to two additional prototypes for auxiliary products (5 points each). Your work will be reviewed by a panel of magazine industry professionals as well as a peer review. These will be the final two classes respectively in our semester. Presentation of this team project (both verbal and written) will be worth 20 points towards your grade A note about team work self-evaluation: Each team will grade its own members after each project. These peer grades may influence (in the form of point deductions) an individual's grade. CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Monday Updates Each Wednesday class we will introduce a concept or set of questions to answer that will be relevant to your Project work. These may be explored during your Wednesday lab hours and an individual from each team will be assigned (by your team) to give a 5 min. verbal report on your findings / team progress during the following Monday class. These updates will include describing the questions or questions your team addressed (may be different from questions raised in class), reflection on your research to address the question and a summary of your conclusion. These updates will be part of your project grade. Each team member must give an update at least twice during the semester. There will be 10 Monday Updates during the semester, each worth 2 points towards the grades of each person on your team. Random Asks At the beginning or end of some class sessions, there will an unscheduled assignment to be completed in the classroom. Each Random Ask will include two questions that draw on the material from recent classes. There will be 10 of these assignments during the semester and each answer is worth one point toward your final grade. No make ups for these unless you have an excused absence from that class in advance. Assigned Reading Each week we will have assigned reading from current commentaries and articles that are relevant to your Project work that will be available to you in your Evernote Assigned Reading notebook. These assignments will be tagged for easy retrieval. This is considered outside homework and needs to be read in advance of discussion in class. Information from these readings may be used in Random Asks questions (see above). There is no final exam in this class. Last class of the semester will be Wednesday, December 4. Class Communication Tools We will use Canvas as our primary communication center. Canvas is a cloud-based course management system with password-protected access where you will find all course materials, class assignments, reference materials, reading materials (embedded Evernote notebook) and ongoing instructor and TA communications to students. There will also be team work / discussion spaces allocated within Canvas for your team project work and the ability to form additional work groups if desired.

3 is recognized as an official mode of university correspondence. Please check your at least once a day to stay current with university-related communications, some of which may be time-critical. You can find UT Austin's policies and instructions for updating your address at GRADES: Your final grade will be based on: Magazine Concept Project: Business Plan Project: Prototype Project: Random Asks: Monday Updates: Extra credits are worth 5 points each. A points A points A points B points B points B points C points C points C points D points D points D points University Policies and Information Scholastic Dishonesty: The University defines academic dishonesty as cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to avoid participating honestly in the learning process. Scholastic dishonesty also includes, but is not limited to, providing false or misleading information to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment, and submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor. By accepting this syllabus, you have agreed to these guidelines and must adhere to them. Scholastic dishonesty damages both the student s learning experience and readiness for the future demands of a work-career. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. University of Texas Honor Code: The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the university

4 is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community. Religious Holy Days: A student who misses classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor as far in advance of the absence as possible, so that arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence. Students with Disabilities: The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at (voice) or (video phone). Helpful UT Resources: Learning and Career Center: Undergraduate Writing Center: Counseling & Mental Health Center: Student Emergency Services: CLASS SCHEDULE (Fall 2013) Also find class calendar on Canvas please check for updates! WEEK 1: August 28 Class overview What makes a magazine a magazine? Self-evaluations WEEK 2: Team work dynamics: guest presenter, Kristi Willis, Identifying key players on a magazine team WEEK 3: September 9 and 11 Team assignments Introduction of Magazine Concept Project objectives Themes, memes and mission: what is it all about? WEEK 4: September 16 and 18 Defining readership, demographics and platforms Snow Fall: a case study WEEK 5: September 23 and 25 Branding and marketing strategies WEEK 6: September 30 and October 2 Magazine Concept Project presentations and peer evaluations Introduction of Business Plan Project objectives

5 WEEK 7: October 7 and 9 Identifying key components in a business plan budget sheet WEEK 8: October 14 and 16 (may move to Wednesday depending on guest speaker schedule) Identifying auxiliary products for additional revenue: guest speaker: Neil Chase WEEK 9: October 21 and 23 Projecting long-term growth strategies Review and critique of a sampling of business plans and strategies WEEK 10: October 28 and 30 Magazine Business Plan Project Presentations and peer evaluations Introduction of Magazine Prototype Project objectives WEEK 11: November 4 and 6 Key elements to an effective prototype: targeting content and design Magazine Writer's Toolbox: guest speaker, Kristi WIllis WEEK 12: November 11 and 13 Magazine Designer's Toolbox WEEK 13: November 18 and 20 Class-generated questions and group problem-solving WEEK 14: November 25 and 27 Class-generated questions and group problem-solving WEEK 15: December 2 and 4 Magazine Prototype Project Presentations to industry experts panel Magazine Prototype Project Presentations peer review