3. How have your
skills
developed?
Construction
Research
Planning
Prelim:
- Briefly analysed inspirational texts
- Flat Plan
- Magazine terms
Main task:
- Textual Research
- Secondary Audience Research
- Primary Audience Research
- Research into Institutions
- Photography Development Skills
- Flat Plans and Analyse
- Costume and Prop Research
- Colour Research
- Font Research
Main Task:
- Call Sheets
- Model Release Forms
- Reece of Location
- Risk and Hazard Assessment
- Shot List
- Photography Shoot Plan
- Article Planning
- Plan for Interview
Prelim:
- Produced a front cover and
contents page of a college
magazine.
- Used the software InDesign and
Photoshop .
Main Task:
- Produced a front cover, contents
page and double page spread for a
new music magazine.
- Used a digital SLR camera as well
as the studio to take my photos.
- Used the software InDesign and
Photoshop to construct my pages.
- Updated my blog regularly with
screen snaps of my construction to
show progression.
- Analysed photos from my shoot on
professional terms with reasons
why I was or wasn’t using the
photo in my magazine.
4. Research
My research have developed largely since I did the preliminary task. The research during the prelim task
was very basic as we only did 3 pieces. They involved analysing inspirational texts, looking at magazine
terms (e.g. masthead) and the producing flat plans. However, the research I did for the main task
consisted of 9 posts. This research allowed me to gain and develop my ideas, research into my target
audience, look at who would produce and sell my product and research into photography, fonts and
Colour scheme. This research carried out over the main task is evident in comparison to my prelim as my
music magazine follows many more forms and conventions making my final product look more
professional and of high quality due to the development of my skills. Additionally, by doing more in depth
research in the main task it enabled me to plan the models, costumes, props and location as well as font
and colour scheme more thoroughly which benefited my final product as all aspects look more
professional and address and attract my audience to a better standard.
Screenshots from my
blog of research done in
prelim task compared to
research done in Main
task
5. The research also benefited my product during my main
task as I was able to produce work more in line with
professional products as I was more aware and had a
better understanding of the forms and conventions of
real media products, this is shown by the flat plans for
the prelim and the main task. This is because in the
prelim task we choose any magazine to analyse as our
inspirational text, in my case this was Teen Vogue.
However, this magazine is a fashion magazine mainly
aimed at females whereas the task I was set to do was a
college magazine aimed at both male and females.
Consequently, by using this magazine and following the
forms and conventions my prelim task is as effectively
appealing to my target audience unlike the research into
similar music magazines has helped me to produce a
indie/rock music magazine that is more appealing to my
target audience.
For example, I was able to follow a similar colour
scheme which attracts my target audience, use sans
serif style fonts like NME, add more sell lines using
the correct language which appeals to and draws in
my target audience, develop ideas of layout after
doing primary audience research and research into
shot types, costumes and props.
6. Planning
After research on my main task I did planning however on the prelim task we did no planning,
therefore, my my planning skills have progressed from the prelim task to the main task.
Call Sheets and Model Release
Forms – This involved stating
the model we were using, for
what page and where the shoot
would take place and then
getting their consent for
photographs of them to be used
in our magazine.
Risk and Hazard Assessment –
This stage in planning was to
cover any health and safety
issues by filling out forms for
both location and highlighting
any hazards that may occur and
how they can be eliminated or
what to do if something
happens during the shoot.
Reece of Location – This
involved getting a picture
of the location: Studio
and Darlington Forum,
and them explaining why
I am using each location.
Shot List – For this stage I made
a table and listed the type of
shot I intended to use with each
model and location. I also set
myself a deadline to when the
photos needs to be taken by
planning times and dates for my
photo-shoots.
Article Plan and Plan for
interview – I stated the main
aim of my article and the style,
integrated interview as well as
making notes about the type of
language, style, narrative and
purpose. I also planned question
for my interview with the band
to enable me to write my article.
Planning for Construction –
The final stage of planning
involved setting myself
deadlines for each page in
order to meet the deadline
set by my teacher.
7. The planning skills I have developed in doing
the main task include time management,
organisation and working towards deadlines.
By using this skills to plan which models I was
using, where I was taking my original
photography, when I was taking the photos,
what type of shot it would be etc. it enabled
me to set out the time I had and use it to the
best of my ability which also ensured I met
personal time scales and class deadlines. Also,
by planning when each page needs to be
completed by it helped to meet the deadline in
order to receive audience feedback which
helped me to improve my product so it would
be more appealing to my target audience. This
benefited my product as I was able to change
and develop my magazine before the final
deadline. Lastly, as work had to be completed
out of class planning my work was the best way
for me to manage the work I had to do around
the time I had to complete it.
8. Construction
From the prelim task to the main task my skills have developed in using the Adobe software's
Photoshop and InDesign by using different tools and effects in the following way:
Prelim task – When constructing my college magazine I had the skill to make layers, group, use various fonts,
place photos, make columns and use the shape tool.
Main Task – However, In the main task I was able to all the above as well as change the levels of photos, use
the brush tool after installing different brushes, use the clone and spot tool to eliminate flaws (e.g. spots) on
models, drop cap letters at the beginning of my article, text wrap images around my article, add strokes to
lettering or shapes, drop shadow text on my main sell line and dps headline, edit photos to black and white,
use the magic tool to change the dps photo background to white and much more.
The progression of my skills from the prelim to the main task is evident in both my final products. Before we
did the main task we were given a brief tutorial of how to use both InDesign and Photoshop. This helped me
to develop my skills and become more familiar with the layout of the software. As these software's are both
used by professionals they allowed my work to look as professional. Also, as my skills have developed my
magazine in the main task looks more complex regarding the content.
9. Layout:
The layout of my products has gone from very basic to more complex. This is because I had more knowledge of how to use different
tools and effects. Also, the primary research I did in the main task allowed be to develop the layout from a professional product in
order to appeal more to my target audience. This research also allowed me to learn about the importance of layout and how it
appeals to target audience as well as understanding how to use forms and conventions to make my product look more professional.
Photography:
In the prelim task I took photos in any location that we could find and was suitable, in the case it was on the college premises.
However, the photos show no use of lighting arrangements and a range of poses and shots, this is due to the limited research we did.
In the main task we learnt how to take photographs using the studio. This involved using flash lights, a backdrop and shutter speed.
Also, the test shots of photos and different poses we did before also developed my photography and cinematography skills. This
benefited my final product from the main task by making it look more professional.
Colour Scheme:
In the main task I did more research into colour schemes. For this I kept referring to a similar professional product with the same
target audience whereas in the prelim task the colour scheme was taken from a magazine with no relevance to education or college.
This benefited my product as I could be certain that the colours would attract and appeal to my target audience.
Fonts:
During the main task we did much more research into fonts using the website dafont.com. This allowed me to look at a wide range of
font and test them by writing my magazine name or sell lines to see what it would look like before downloading it. After this I was
able to analyse then and compare the style to font used on the professional product, NME.
Models:
In the main task I was able to choose my models more thoroughly due to the research and planning done beforehand as I knew what
type of social group I needed to represent through the appearance and image my models portrayed as this was of high importance to
attract and address my target audience. However, in the prelim I had limited choice about the models I used as I used a member
from my class. Additionally, the photos were took in the outfit that they had on that day so we had no input into the image that was
represented.
