The author reflects on how their skills and knowledge have progressed since their preliminary task. For the full product, they were able to conduct more in-depth research on their target audience, popular magazines in their genre, bands to feature, and software to use. They had more time to plan, take and edit photos, experimenting with different techniques. The author also learned new skills like filling out a risk assessment and drawing out a detailed plan. Overall, they felt they developed a better understanding of the planning and production process and were able to create a higher quality final product compared to the preliminary task.

1. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it
to the full product?
I feel that I was able to develop a lot more better since my preliminary task, when looking back I
have seen dramatic changes in my work, firstly there was the research, even though we didn’t really
have to do any research for our college magazine apart from the feedback at the end about our final
piece, I was able to research beforehand about what I wanted to do, what kind of genre of music I
wished to do, I was able to look at examples of real magazines and see how this would attract a
target audience and then be able to use that in my actual music magazine, I was able to research my
target audience that I had selected, looking at the type of style, the stereotypical aspect of my target
audience, I was able to also research the figures of popular magazines that I classed as indie
rock/indie/rock magazines, being able to see who their target audience were and knowing
information about them, also knowing what company distributes their magazine and able to
research more into detail about the company. I was then able to research what types of bands I
would wish to put into my magazine, I felt I had more time to plan what I would have in my
magazine instead of kind of feeling clueless like I did in my preliminary task. Also we did a
questionnaire to a few people to ask what they would like in a magazine, again this helped me a lot
to understand what people would want in a magazine so it wasn’t guess work, but also I could see
what would sell more to people.
When creating my magazine I was able to have a small amount of time, and be able to go out and
take photos, also after having a few weeks of learning different types of shots example long shot,
mid shot, etc. I was able to try out these new skills I had learnt and also ask people who I wanted to
take part in my photos. When editing, I was able to try out new things, before I had to make it very
college like, with my music magazine I had to make sure it was professional good quality type of
images. I felt when creating my actual magazine I felt we had more time to develop our skills and
have more time to play about with editing and creating, whereas before it we only had two weeks to
completely finish our work. Also when editing and creating my work I was able to try out new
software’s to create my final piece.
I also learnt a lot of new things when planning as well, like learning how to fill in a risk assessment,
being able to realise what would be a risk or how to avoid any harm to happen to anyone who was
involved in taking photos, I was able to draw out my plan and say what I wanted to be on my
magazine and have a reason why and being able to look at magazines like Q and NME to try and get
ideas and see what would make my magazine look like a good quality magazine.
Overall, I feel I have developed my knowledge since a preliminary task, I have been able to
experiment more with different software’s such as In Design, Photoshop etc. and able to develop my
understanding in how to use the tools. I feel I have also developed my skills in taking photos,
understanding different types of shots and angles, I was able to take different types of photos which
I feel looked a lot better quality than my photos in the preliminary task. I was able to use and show
my skills in editing and was able to learn more skills. I was able to also learn how to research more
into depth, to look at already selling magazines and their figures, I was able to question people who
may be classed as target audience, I feel I was able to learn a lot more into depth about the planning
of my magazine.