Question 7 of AS Media Music Magazine evaluation

1. Evaluation Question 7
Staci Okai
Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have
learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

2. Masthead
Main image
Sell lines
Main cover
line
Issue number,
date, price
Barcode
Banner
Iconographic
link
Looking back at my school magazine, I’ve realised I should have studied conventions of magazines more and have actually applied it my
front cover. I only had basic magazine features there, such as a very small masthead, sell lines, main image and cover line. I don’t think it
very easy to identify my main cover line and it looks quite random on the page if I compare it to my music magazine. The bright pink font is
very distracting and the alignment of the text feels uncomfortable. I took inspiration of a western iconographic style of ripped paper to
highlight the main cover line on my music magazine front cover. This was inspired by one I saw on Q magazine. I think it makes my front
cover look more creative. It almost looks like a wanted poster due to the eroded text, suggesting my artist is popular and is a ‘wanted’
artist. I know I could have experimented more and added a date, issues number, barcode or buttons to my school magazine front cover. At
the beginning, with the preliminary task, I did not know how to use the Photoshop software properly and became irritated with it. This
meant that arranging sell lines and my use of fonts were extremely standard and I now know that I could have experimented with all the
empty space on my school magazine front cover. I can also now see that my colour of my sell lines, on my school magazine, can not be
clearly seen on the background and they are not large enough too. This is the same case for my banner. I subverted from magazine
convention and added a clip art of a saxophone as an iconographic link to my music genre.
Key learning:
Use of colour on magazines are important, as they need to be able to be seen against your background, this is why I placed white or grey
font over my black background.
Iconographic links can make your magazine look more creative and add style.
The size of your text should be large and readable.
The price, issues number and date should be seen on the front cover.

3. Due to having initial difficulties navigating through Photoshop, I made my school magazine contents page on Publisher,
a software I was better accustomed to. Spending more type practising and discovering features on Photoshop later on,
allowed me to now make a double paged contents page for my music magazine. I wish I had spent more time and
researched more into using Photoshop back then, so I would have been able to make my contents page on there
instead. I’ve also learnt the importance of colours and font size in magazines.
Looking back at the preliminary task I should have used a more formal font and possibly a main image linking back to
my front cover, as I did with my music magazine. I also should have added the issue number and date either on front
cover or on my front cover. However, at the time I understood that my pictures had to link to the articles and so did the
page references and the colours of the page references need to be one that can be read. Having a shorter magazine
name for music magazine meant that I could include my magazine masthead on my contents page.
Key learning:
The contents page itself also needs a page reference
The date or issue number can be included on your contents page
You can include an editors note
The house style from my front cover should be continued
Title
Images
Features
Regulars
Date
Editors
note

4. The skills that I gained from the preliminary task helped me to understand the importance of
maintaining the magazine house style. My music magazine front cover, contents page and double
page spread all have a black, white and red colour scheme and all have the page references and
website in the same position. The preliminary task also showed me the importance of researching
conventions which allowed me to know to use columns, a stand fists and a clear headline. I also
then added the large ‘M’ for creativity.
Key learning:
Columns make the editorial look neat and presentable
It is alright to use more than one picture on your double page spread
The columns should be of equal length and width
It makes it look more interesting when you research and find your own fonts

5. People have said my music magazine emulates existing one and appreciate the fact that
although they may not be interested in/listen to Jazz music, they can still relate to the
articles and the models and they therefore would purchase it if it was distributed for sale.
This is because it conforms to common conventions of exiting magazines. With regards to
my preliminary task, people felt that there was not enough present for it to look real and
therefore I have made a lot of progress from then to now. I now understand the
importance of font styles and font placement as well as the use of colour. I also think
that my use of spelling, punctuation and grammar has developed. As I have become
more confident with time, I have been able to write more and include more into my
music magazine. I also know, to read over my work to check that it makes sense and is
relatable for my target audience.
The skills that I developed from the preliminary task, allowed me to learn the skills
needed to create my double page spread. By this I mean, knowing which tools to use and
when and learning to use the SLR camera to take my pictures confidently.
CONCLUSION