The document discusses what was learned from the preliminary task to the full product. For the preliminary task, the genre was chosen rather than being able to pick their own. For the full product, being able to choose their own genre of UK rap allowed for more passion and knowledge in the project. Research of other magazines in that genre helped with planning. Questionnaires and interviews with the target audience aided in direction. Drawn drafts of pages facilitated production. Photography skills improved with practice. Understanding and following conventions while also breaking some became more important. Time management and technical skills like Photoshop and InDesign grew from the preliminary to full project, allowing for more creativity.

1. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel
you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

2. Planning

3. Research
 Firstly I had to pick what genre to do as we had more
of a free choice as compared to by choosing my
own genre, I had felt that production and
development was much better ,as I more knowledge
about the topic ,as I had choose uk rap(most popular
genre),I also had listened to this genre for a long
time. Furthermore I also feel that I had done much
better in the production and development as I had
more of a passion for this.
 After I had chosen the UK rap genre I had done
research of looking at other magazines in the same
category like Nme and Billboard. As they are the
most successful magazines that are in the same
genre as my magazine.

4. Interviews and Questionnaires
 Before I had choose my genre and planned out my
magazine I had made a questionnaire on the Google
forms, to see what the target audience had wanted to aim
for wanted. As if they weren't interested in the magazine
they would not buy the magazine that would make my
magazine pointless. Also I had made a Interview as I had
wanted more qualitative data from the audience to see if I
was heading in the right direction, and get them what they
wanted that my competitors weren't giving. It also helped
to specify the demographics of the target audience that I
had wanted to aim for.
 For prelim this wasn’t necessary as we didn't’t need to a
genre for a music magazine we where given the topic to
talk about. As prelim was a practice to develop our skills.

5. Drawn Drafts
 For my Front, contents and double page spread I had drawn
them out and annotated them. Talking about the codes and
conventions ,which ones I would stick to and which I would
break to make my magazine look the best it could be. This
had made made it easy to produce my magazine on
Photoshop and indesign, as I had a clear plan with
coverlines already made that made the magazine easy to
produce. Furthermore, because of this it had made it a lot
clear of what pictures I had needed to take and how many
for my photoshoot. An example of this was my artist standing
next to a brick wall with a metal bar in front on the double
page spread.The double page spread was harder to produce
then the other two as in prelim we had only drawn out the
Front and the contents page.

6. Talking Pictures
 For my pictures I had used a professional
camera a Cannon HD at first it was hard to
use as it had many different features ,but
because I had used it in prelim I found it
much easier too use the second time
around. I had found out because of the
work I had done on TV drama I had known
a lot about camera shoots that allowed me
to follow the codes and conventions of
using a medium shot of the artist on the
front cover of the magazine.

7. Codes and conventions

8. Front cover
 From the tasks throughout I have found
out that the important things evrey front
cover includes :Masthead, coverlines,
barcode, price,date and main
image.Also in the majority of magazines

9. Front Cover
In my prelim task I had followed the codes of conventions for giving the audience
direct address, however when I had started the main task in my research I had found
out that all music magazines where doing this, so I decided to break that rule as it
would stand out to other magazines on the shelf as there all similar. Also it looks as if
the artist it reading the coverlines that shows his interest in them magazine that may
get the target audience to read them ,that would hopefully attract them to open up the
magazine. I had also felt that I have usd rule of thirds better in the actual task as more
things are standing out, like the main coverline, artist, lists of artists and the secondary
image. I had followed some conventions in both tasks like a medium shot on the front
cover , I had decided not to challenge this as I wanted the audience to see the artists
face and body to show the mise-scene, and I had thought that the way to do this was
using a medium shot.

10. Contents Page
In the prelim task I had felt that my colour scheme didn't’t really show through
,as I had such less content as the page had felt empty. I had felt that I didn't’t have a
good choice of colour scheme this could because I didn’t have a genre so I couldn't’t
look at one social group. However, in the main task where I had a genre I had felt that I
used the colour scheme really well, as the same vibe flows throughout the magazine.
Also the use of fonts wasn’t that good as although I had used a limited amount of fonts
the wasn’t enough content to use the font again, I had also felt the fonts where boring
and dull , but in the main task I ad felt the sci-fi/gangster fonts worked really well to link
in with the images. Moreover, I had decided to to but borders between different contents
as it made it easier to find what you where looking for, and made the features stand out
as in the prelim the page is mainly dominated by the pictures.

11. Double page
In the double page I had given direct address that is not normally used for the double
Page spread but mainly the front cover, but I wanted the audience to create a picture in
there mind of the article in there head. A convention that I had followed was having a
picture of the main artist that takes up the majority of the page in a music magazine with
information on the other side. I had also followed a consistent colour scheme that was
used through out the magazine, as it makes it look more professional. Also I have used
consistent fonts through the magazine ,as I had used different fonts to make things
stand out more then others. Another convention I had stuck to was the layout as I had
used 3 columns on the left page and one the left, this allowed me to
Follow a good structure throughout the magazine.

12. Overall
 I had learnt that the rule of conventions is
one of the most important parts of
developing a magazine, as I have learned
in tv drama. They do this buy having a
common stereotype that also helps them to
decide which rules to break ,as in my
music magazine I had created a rap
magazine so it resembles the genre if I had
broke common codes of conventions. As
we see people that listen to rap as
gangsters and hoodies that cause trouble
on the streets.

13. Time Management
 My time management wasn’t good in prelim as I wasn’t
keeping up to date with the tasks that I was given,
because of this I had to stay behind and finish my work off
after lesson or before in a workshop. A reason for this
could be to the lack of organization as you can see on my
blogger tasks weren't done in order. However, for the
main task I had improved my time management by
organizing my work and keeping up to date with the
deadlines, also I had kept on going in on the workshops
and doing my work after lesson to improve the quality of
my work. As it took me a long while to learn how to use
Photoshop and indesign as they where new digital
technologies to me before I had started media. On the
other hand as I progressed I had learnt new things like
masks and strokes that had dramatically improved my
work, and I now believe that my work is good enough to
go on the wall.

14. It skills
 My technical skills have improved a lot from the prelim task .As for the front cover
and Contents page in the preliminary task looks like it was done very poorly, as
compared to my finished music magazine ,as I have learnt many different techniques
use as strokes and masking. The strokes helped to improve the visuals of the text to
make certain texts stand out. The masks gave a professional look of when I had to
change the background to improve the image. Another technology that I have learnt
was indesign due to use not creating a double page spread in in prelim we didn't’t
use indesign, so we had to put a lot of work into indesign as first we had to get used
to it, and I feel my double page matches or surpasses the quality of my front cover
and contents page. For online presentations I have used emaze and prezi that where
good presentation platforms as they allowed me to improve the look of work as they
gave an array of good backgrounds, and other features that had improved it. I had
used word and powerpoint where I had felt that I was already an expert on, till I had
to upload it to the blog where there I fond out to use scribd and slideshare that are
digital technologies that allow to get an embed code by converting it into a scribd or
slideshare. Blogger was easy to use the only problem I had with it was that I had
forgot to put the embed code into the html that would allow it then to compose.The
another technology I had learnt was called powtoon that allowed be to create small
movies that was simple and easy to use, as was a nice change then using
presentations all the time. Lastly I had learned to upload my videos to youtube as
without it wouldn’t show as you would have to get the embed code from youtbe that
was quick and easy to do. Throughout my magazine I have used a lot of technical
skills through prelim and the full product.

15. Creative Skills
 When I had first started media I didn’t have much of a creative side as I
did not pick many creative subjects. As I had started prelim it had
allowed me to be more creative ,but we still didn’t have free will to do
what we had wanted, and I wasn’t that interested in the prelim task as it
was a college magazine. However I did use photoshop to create my
magazine where I could go out and take and take pictures then edit
later on adding my own colours and fonts.
 On the other hand, when I started the development of the main task I
was given free will of my music magazine, as I got to pick the genre for
my music magazine, which was better then doing a college magazine
as I had more of a passion as it was about something I deeply cared
about. Also because it was a Rap magazine we where allowed to go off
college grounds and take pictures from where ever we want to fit the
genre of the magazine. As my photoshop skills had developed I found
out that I could be more creative as I could do a lot more things that
would make my magazine stand out. As I had compared my prelim task
to my music magazine I had found that my ideas that I had used where
not as basic as in the contents page of my magazine I had used a
chain in the background to link the chain with my masthead link up, as
chains are made from links.