1. Question 7
Looking back at your preliminary task, what
do you feel you have learnt in the progression
from it to the full product?
2. Overview
Having a look back into my preliminary task work , I learned some technical skills to
create my magazine and some rules that helped me make it look like a successful
music magazine.
I think that my preliminary task looked dull and boring because it lacked creativity and
the use of conventions to make it look like a proper magazine , I learnt what
magazines are supposed to look like since then by looking through a bunch of them
and learning what conventions build them up. I have improved my knowledge on
media products , media institutions and software skills. This is clear when my finished
magazine pieces are compared to my preliminary task as my layout looks more of a
music magazine whereas my preliminary task looks scruffy and all over the place.
3. Forms and conventions
Unlike previously I have now acquired knowledge of the forms and conventions needed which
helped me build a good looking business magazine compared to what I had before . The forms
being the building blocks of the magazine such as fonts , graphics …etc and the conventions being
the common things that are found in a magazine in a certain position such as the masthead
always being at the top of the magazine , being the biggest font that stands out on the page and
always starting from the left top corner going to the right. I believe all of this helped me learn the
skills that made me more familiar with music magazines enabling me to build one of my own
I worked on making my masthead look better
astatically so that it stands out from all of the other
text clearly , I made a unique graphic/font for the
masthead as this is conventional for mastheads. I
learnt all of this by the help and research I did on
other magazines :
Through my research I learnt that the cover lines of the
magazine are conventionally all on one side and vary
between one or two fonts that are changed in size and
thickness :
Examples :
4. Photographs
During the production of my magazines I had to take a bunch of pictures for it , I never
too pictures before using a Digital slr which I learned how to use in certain ways to
take photos. I learn that I could create different affect by changing the light levels in
the room to create different affects on my pictures. Also I could zoom in and out by
turning the lens for close up shots which saved me from moving back and forward
until I got into the position I wanted
5. Software
I have learned how to use some different software I had never used before which helped me
progress and present my media music magazine. These included InDesign which helped me place
some of the text in my magazine to look evenly spaced out into columns for my article page , I
learnt this saved me time from having to measure the spaced between all of the text my self, also
I learned how to place in things like drop caps to make my magazine look more conventional and
professional. I learned how to use Prezi which I learnt was a more creative / interactive way to
present some of my work, this made my work look more creative and prevent it from being
presented in the same boring way all the time
6. Conclusion
In conclusion I think that my skills and knowledge in media have grown and helped me
build up my magazine to a good standard using good pictures , fonts and graphics in a
conventional way. I believe that without all of this research and knowledge I would not
have been able to produce a good looking music magazine as proven by my
preliminary task. I believe I have learned how to use different equipment to take
professional looking pictures and I learnt how to layout a magazine that targets a
certain audience
